The Great Purge... De-Crappification 2013: Part 2


Organizing is often well-planned hoarding.

Recently I read this statement and it stuck in my mind. I think about it in relation to myself and realize that in many ways I still do keep things I should let go of. I've spent my whole life drowning in a clutterific mess and then periodically hitting a crisis moment where I freak out about it and then buy organizing bins, labels and stuff to help control my clutter. I also take a bunch of stuff to a donation center and recycle lots of magazines and papers. Eventually it all comes back and the cycle continues.

On the other hand, a couple of years ago, I turned a corner personally with being able to ditch stuff. I never understood that holding on to stuff was a personal issue, not a stuff issue. 
I have come a long way. 
A really long way.  
Unfortunately, I still have a long way to go. Understanding that about myself and not wigging out about the length of time this process is taking me is a sign I am growing. Maybe it is that I am getting older, too. 
Further victory: I do not buy crap to add to my home. Gifts for my children are well thought out, household gadgets and tools are minimal. I do not "craft" any more, just sew. Only genuinely useful needed things. When the usefulness has passed, the item must leave. 
People who hoard or pack rat often say, “What if I need this in the future?” There are very few items that actually will have a future use. That is if I am honest with myself.

Isn’t purging and cleaning about being honest?