“Special categories” is code for a few specific items I feel deserve more attention than being lumped in with an entire room.
The three categories we’re focusing on here – books, papers, and digital clutter – are all things that easily grow out of control and become so overwhelming that we turn a blind eye to them.
BOOKS
Not every home has bookshelves overflowing with decades of the written word. However, those homes that do…well, they easily go from tidy lines on shelves to piles on tables and floors.
I was raised with a great love and respect for books and knowledge. With every move my mother and I made there were hefty boxes of books that came with us.
In college I spent hundreds of dollars I didn’t have on books for my classes. As an art student I ended up with many books on art history from around the world and was hesitant to let those books go even though I would get much needed money back.
Over the decades books on sci-fi, mysteries, yoga, self-help, health, and mythology multiplied. Attempts to make tidy stacks of them failed miserably and those books were sequestered to our guest room, which was only used four times a year.
When the Great Decluttering happened in my home it took a while for me to get to the books. Over time it took three or so passes to get them down to the essentials I currently own.
Books can be sentimental. They can be connected to our ego knowledge equaling status. They can feel like friends, especially if they felt like all you had as a child. Books are beautiful, colorful, and decorative. There are many reasons why we hold on to them.
When you begin to work on your own books ask yourself these questions:
When was the last time I opened this?
Why do I have this?
What purpose does this serve in my life?
Would I even notice if this book was gone?
Do my books fit my space? Or am I trying to make the space fit my books?
When you have your books ready to donate check with your local library.
Most libraries will take them. Some might be overrun with donations so taking them to a shelter where others might enjoy them is a wonderful alternative.
Services like Nook Books and Audible provide digital ways to enjoy books and can store thousands of books in the same space as a tablet. I have a hard time reading screens (I have to print all of my blogs to edit them) so physical books continue to be my preference. But for those who can utilize Kindle it certainly makes taking multiple books on vacation a heck of a lot easier!
PAPERS
The digital age was supposed to reduce paper waste.
We live in a digital age. All of your bills can be paid online, there’s no need to reconcile your bank account as all of the information is always available online and in your bank’s app.
Photos can be all digital making photo albums unnecessary. Even instruction manuals for all of your appliances can be found online, so why would you keep the hard copy?
There was a time when people kept shoeboxes full of receipts for their accountants at tax time. We used to keep seven years of everything in filing cabinets.
Here’s what I’m going to tell you: You do not need to keep all of that paper.
I repeat: You do not need to keep all of that paper.
I repeat: You. Do. Not. Need. That. Paper.
Seriously. Stop it. Have a bonfire and burn it. Get a good shredder and have a shredding party.
Photos – If, like me, you enjoy having physical pictures to hold and look at, consider creating photobooks online. Snapfish, Shutterfly, and even Walgreens are great options. Now the photos from our world travels take up a half inch of space on a shelf, instead of two album’s worth.
Receipts – Expensify and Smart Receipts are two of the multitude of apps out there that will scan and store your receipts. This is great if you need to have the itemization of your purchases available. You can also look to your credit card and debit card records online for your spending history.
Records – There are few bills that can’t be found, paid online, and printed at any time you need. Even your medical records are a tap of the screen away. For those keep in mind they may only go back as far as your medical provider has been using digital software.
Stop hoarding paper bills and records.
Cards, notes, and other sentimental bits – Most of these things can be scanned and stored digitally to be looked at any time you like. Ask yourself the purpose of keeping these things. There will be some that you really want to have in their original form, but for the rest, maybe a digital reminder is enough.
Taxes – This is the one category I recommend holding onto paper records for seven years. If there is a discrepancy or the IRS wants to investigate something, your accountant will have your records, but it’s better for you to have the hard copy.
DIGITAL
I just mentioned a number of digital applications to reduce physical clutter. Now it’s time to declutter the digital files, folders, apps and photos that are clogging up your computer, tablet, and phone, As well as the social media accounts you enjoy.
Apps – How many apps do you have on your phone? How many of them do you use? Why do you have the ones you don’t use? Your device will have the information in Settings as to when you last used each app.
Photos – Just because your photos are now in digital form doesn’t mean you need to have thousands of them.
Back when we used 35mm film we were more selective in what pictures we took.
Now we can take 100 shots of the same thing trying for just the right light and angle. It’s worth going through those pics of yours and asking why you still have the ones you do, and checking to see if you have the same pictures stored in multiple digital spaces.
Files and Folders – Organizing the files and folders in your computer is the same as organizing physical papers. Create folders for large categories and drop files and more specific folders in until you’ve created some order.
While you’re doing this, you can be checking to see when the last time a file was used and decide if you’re keeping it or not.
You’ll love the order you’ll create!
Social Media – And then there’s social media. Do you know all of the people you’re “friends” with? On Instagram where we rarely know the accounts we follow, are you even interested in what these people have to share?
Years ago I worked with a young woman who had 3000 friends on Facebook, only about 70 of whom she actually knew. It took a few stabs at it, but she eventually got down to around 250 and said she was surprised at the relief she at a weight lifted.
I stopped following any yoga Instagram accounts that favor gorgeous pics of yogis in postures I will never get my body into. Bless them for their bendy bodies, but it’s highly likely many of these ladies have dance and gymnastics backgrounds. My ego needed a break from the ideal so I could live with the real.
JUST THE BEGINNING
This is the tip of the special categories iceberg. What other things need specialized attention in your home?
Do you still have DVD’s and Blue Rays? How about CD’s? Video games? Art supplies? Crafting materials? Contacts on your phone?
One by one you can address each area and slowly and intentionally move yourself toward an organized and calm home environment.
Of course, this can all still seem terribly overwhelming. Knowing where to start isn’t as easy as it sounds. I’ll be here as your coach to help you create a step-by-step plan for success.
The Decluttering Series
For all of the decluttering goodness in this series make sure you go back and read Decluttering Your Kitchen With the Basics, Decluttering Your Bathroom, Decluttering Your Closet and Decluttering Shared Spaces.
Then keep your eyes open for Decluttering Storage Spaces coming up later this month!