Decluttering for 2006

I've recently set some short term goals for myself that I try to look at everyday. A couple of them are centered around decluttering our house and my office. One problem that I have is that I never seem to have enough time. Time spent at the office decluttering is more time away from my family, for example. The problem with this logic trap is that clutter takes time anyway. It takes time on a regular basis to put it away, store it, move it, think about it, etc. not to mention the time it takes to recover after tripping over it. I think about it this time of year as we are giving and receiving presents to/from loved ones. We try not to give people things that would just clutter up their lives. We also try to integrate our new gifts with our current lifestyle and small house. Let me be clear, clutter is not necesarily trash (though trash most assuredly is clutter). Clutter can be old things that you've been packratting for years or a shiny new gift that you have no use for. Decluttering is not an event but an ongoing process. There will be events - like decluttering a particular room or cabinet - but it also involves planning places and uses for the things you do have and thinking about non-cluttering - avoiding clutter before it enters your life. An excellent source for learning about clutter and decluttering is just about any book by Don Aslett.
Starting this week and moving into 2006, I'm going to try to systematically declutter my life. I want my life, home and office filled with things that make me happy, productive, and at peace, that let me interact with my family and friends, that help me remove stress and not add stress. I want to share pictures and videos with those that care to see them, instead of just store them on a hard drive or on a shelf. That's one of the reasons I started this blog. Home decluttering will require planning and compromise with Becky. She and I have different perspectives on this sometimes, but we've made it work before. I may describe some of the process here if I think it would be useful. Decluttering pays dividends everyday. Time to get started.