Give me chizuk to get rid of things!

singleagain

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 10:45 pm

seeker wrote:

I'm writing as if it's a lot that got done, but it's not a big drop in the bucket. But I guess each step better count because otherwise I'm in trouble.

When you turn around tomorrow, the yards you see behind you are made up of the inches you took today.

I just brained that... Does it make sense?

Okay, so in other words... Did you ever see The Little Giants? Remember this scene:

I once asked my dad, who likes big football, what's the big deal..a yard is 3 feet? And he said how hard it is to get a yard in football. Huge defence in front of you ... Each player 150-200 lbs... If you can punch through and get a yard ... You're that much closer to a touchdown.

amother

Fern

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 11:37 pm

I will be the voice of dissent.
My DD 21 loves the long floral silk EXpress skirt I wore the night I got engaged. (She didn’t know and is not sentimental-just found it when shopping in my closet). She doesn’t wear it with the matchy-matchy sweater that I wore it with in the 90’s, but with a black turtleneck. She thinks vintage things are super cool and HATEs dressing the same as everyone else. I have sweaters from HS and college that I wear to work as I work with a geriatric population who think they are beautiful and I don’t worry about ruining them. I feel like my taste has not changed and I still love what I love. It doesn’t stop me from buying more/new. If something is not in decent condition and I can’t wear it, it goes out. I feel like someone else wouldn’t want it because it is not “new” and “in style” but I love my old stuff. I can go 3 years without an occasion or opportunity to wear it, and then wear in many times in a month.
The gown I wore to my sisters wedding in 2000, I wore to a nephew’s in 2011, and my DD hopes that she is a bridemaid in that color as she has tried it on 3x and is very much wanting to wear it. So sorry I gave away my wedding gown. Im ok with it if it was actually worn at the G’mach I donated it to, but if it just sat there, getting shopworn and dusty I will be upset, as now DD is eyeing it longingly in pictures (she is currently dating someone).
B”H I do have the finances to buy her a dress, but can think of 100 other things to spend the money on (including retirement-what’s that?)

amother

Fern

Mon, Dec 13 2021, 11:45 pm

MH25 wrote:

you will feel so good after you throw things out.
every week or two I walk around my house with a shopping bag and try to fill it up.
it is such a good, clean feeling.
I never regretted anything I threw out.

Thank you,

I always do. (Regret)
I forgot that I donated a skirt. I went to get dressed for a simcha and couldn’t find it. Checked with DD if she borrowed it and my spare closet to see if it was with some other stuff. 1/2 hour before the wedding, I’m not dressed from the waste down because I can’t find the skirt. DH reminded me that I gave it away. Arg!
I always need things I gave away a few months or years after they are gone. It could be an interesting shape baking pan, clothing, scalloped scissors, a book I was referring and I now want to lend to someone else……

zaq

Tue, Dec 14 2021, 8:29 am

Well, I must say you've influenced me. Nothing big like a closetful of clothes that don't fit, but little things. The extra container lid (six containers don't need seven lids), the bottle of a spice that may well be older than my youngest child, the pile of rubber bands that fall into crumbs the minute you touch them...yes, I "know" that tomorrow or the next day the lidless container will be found behind the stove and I'll make a recipe calling for that spice, but such is life. If I didn't get rid of that lid, the container would remain behind the stove forever.

And there's a two-inch stack of papers waiting to be shredded. Don't I wish I had a fireplace and could just burn them and toast marshmallows at the same time!

PinkFridge

Tue, Dec 14 2021, 9:27 am

Amother fern, I don't get the "throw it out if you haven't worn it in a year" as a rigid rule for just that reason. If you have the space, can keep things curated so you can find it when you want it, enjoy. Many people though, think they can, but they can't, and shouldn't. Maybe there's a middle ground.

Dandelion21

Tue, Dec 14 2021, 9:53 am

seeker wrote:

I don't think of myself as a hoarder because I'm pretty selective about what I keep and I throw things away regularly. But I do have some things I've been holding onto for too long and I strongly suspect it's time to let them go.

Current challenge: Clothing that I loved that has gone way out of style. It's still in great condition and was very classy in the 90s and aughts. They talk about suits coming back in but I strongly suspect it won't be my suits. If it is, I'll regret getting rid of things I liked that were in great condition and will now cost me hundreds to replace. But I feel so stupid hosting things in my closet that I haven't worn in ten years.

Help me out, tribe. I don't think I can do this alone but I'm starting to actually feel ashamed of the stuff I'm holding onto. Which seems kind of judgy.

I organized on Sunday with my husband.
We got rid of 4 garbage bags of stuff. I'm not even sure why or what these things were.
Old shoes, old boots, ripped crocs, things that used to be sentimental and aren't any longer. Its such a good feeling to fill up a garbage bag and just dump. I'm glad we did it.
Do it too. Once you start it'll b easier