Throw Out 50 Things....

....Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life :)

That's the title of the book by life coach Gail Blanke: Throw Out 50 Things, Clear the Clutter, Find Your Life. 

Today I threw out virtually all the paperwork in an old file cabinet, and am trying to freecycle out the file cabinet itself (any takers?)

I cleared out all the trash in the Saturn so that I can get rid of it tomorrow.

I freecycled out a baseball hitting stick and a box of empty pasta jars.

Tomorrow I'm going to clear out a bunch more and just TOSS IT. I know I've been saying this for almost a year. I start. I stop. I start. I stop. I whine. I feel sorry for myself. But I am NOT going to move this stuff with me. Landlord is back from out of state. He'll be here probably by the end of the week to do "an inspection." It is ever present in my mind that we are, at any time, 60 days away from eviction depending on his "mood." 

I should have been chucking and recycling a trash can full every week for at least the past three months. It's ok. I've actually got a little time the next few days. I started today. I will get rid of more tomorrow. I just need to not look at it. I need to stop belaboring the point that I'm the one who needs to do it. All of my kids offered today to "help." The problem is I don't actually know where to start (for them anyway.)

I need to stop feeling guilty that I may end up throwing stuff in the trash versus "donating" it to charity, or "freecycling" it away. 

Like today, I went through that file cabinet I've been intending to clear out for a year. 99.9% of it I didn't need: old bills, credit card statements etc. Some of it, I did: old divorce papers which prove liability for my ex, pictures, some genealogy paperwork. That's not something I can hand off to someone. Tomorrow (if not tonight) I get rid of the actual file cabinet so I can use the space to store other things. I'm going to go through the kitchen tonight and tomorrow and get rid of stuff in there too. I need to not be sentimental about stuff which makes my life easier once a year.

Just saying. Wish me luck.