Good ideas, but having already read Culbertson's other book, Clutter Cure, a lot of it was already familiar to me. I do HIGHLY recommend Clutter Cure. ( )

Explains why we find it hard to get rid of things, and what to do about it. Practical advice for special situations. Scaling down strategies.
NOTES:
p. 4: we want the vacation house feeling of simplicity, but have a lifestyle that feels responsible for everything that crosses our path, especially if it's "free" (which nothing really is).
p. 5-8: identify sticky clutter and personal blind spots; several variations of "I might need that someday" or "I don't want to waste it" or the psychological fear that getting rid of an item will cause something terrible to happen; or the belief that others are judging our worth by our stuff.
p. 8: "...scaling down does not mean renouncing your own style. I is actually a heightening of focus on the things you love and that reflect your essence."
p. 11: Write your Mission Statement" I need to ___ So I will ___ (see p. 45 also)
p. 12: Write down all you objections ("I need to ___ BUT ___) and then think about ways you can address them, mostly by getting support and help. (see p. 29)
p. 14: In organizing, as with other things, "Action comes before Motivation".
p. 16: The magic bullet cure is "get rid of exactly half of the things you have...save the best and get rid of the rest."
p. 17ff: The great fears of scaling down: Summarized here and addressed in detail in Part Two:
(1) I'll make a mistake and get rid of things I might need later on (or actually do need) - but everything has some potential use and you probably won't be able to find it then; (2-4 don't seem too applicable to me);
p. 20: (5) There is so much stuff I feel paralyzed and can't make decisions - do the "27-thing fling" (see www.flylady.com), start with the area you feel worst about, make a list of what you want to discard, keep, or replace then do it;
(6) Letting go is too hard - so start with an area that will be easy, and take it in stages, because the fear of letting go is worse than the reality;
(7) If you want your kids to have the fun of sorting through your junk, at least mark the important stuff and separate it from the trash;
(8) spouse competition - scaling down isn't about stripping yourself of your identity and comforts, and the only person you can control is yourself';
(9) no one of the multiples stands out as the best - replace 6 mediocre items with one really good one that you love, you don't have to keep something ugly just because you own it now;
(10) My things are part of me - but things don't have feelings or personalities;

p. 24 (and see ch. 3): (11) I'll be throwing away my history - so keep a representative item or photographs to remember the past and confine memorabilia to one box (family historians will hate you for it later); (12) It's not disrespectful to dispose of ancestor's belongings - pick out the best and most loved items to keep; (13) Get rid of your kids stuff; don't "store" things with friends (give it outright); (14) My things are an outward expression of who I am -- are you using them or keeping them for "show" to prove to others that you are creative, scholarly, etc.?
(19) I want to be remembered - so choose something special to pass on, not just mounds of junk;
[p. 34-35: get rid of past jobs memorabilia in stages - obvious junk first, then more personal items]
(15) & (16) & (17) It's not good enough (or too charming or cute) to donate or sale, but I don't want to put it in the trash - keep reasonable amounts of the "useful things" and toss the rest of the "freebies" or outdated items;
(18) I don't want to limit my choices -- most of us use only 20% of our clothes, CDs, etc. because we are stockpiling for a blizzard that never comes, so keep only what you are enthusiastic about using;
(20) I'm to busy to scale down - take a break from your "important" activities to pare down, and you'll save time in the long run;
(21) I hate making decisions - refining your belongings means making your world better and carries its own momentum, but declutter when you already feel cranky since being in a bad mood tends to make people decisive.

p. 42ff: Organizing photographs - gather everything into one place; get rid of junky shots; identify the rest, write on labels rather than on the backs of the photos, especially really old ones; treat treasures with archival care, don't worry about the rest.
p. 45: In re Mission Statements - they are to serve your needs, and everything that does not contribute to your goal has to go.
[There can be more than one objective, as I want to organize family memorabilia for the kids, and I also want to get rid of things that keep me personally stuck in the past, control my environment, create a useful office, organize project materials for music and writing, and still have that vacation house feeling inside the house -- So I will get rid of everything that doesn't matter to them or to me -- except that's very hard to determine).

ch 4: Collaring the Paper Tiger - we respect the written word too much, and we fear missing something important.
p. 49: keeping the past record of our lives - but you have incorporated the experiences into your life and moved on, so you don't need the paper to remember things to talk about [this doesn't include important financial and residence and medical records, obviously].
p. 50ff: Strategy - consolidate all paper in the house into one place; discard commercial and junk mail; set aside catalogs and magazines, put photographs in a separate place, and then work on the remaining pile, which falls into five categories: Practical; Wishing & Hoping; Sentimental; Crucial; Disposable - sort without reading and trash or store in appropriate places.

Also includes dealing with collections, clothing, family homes, merging families, moving in a hurry.
And strategies for giving things away, memory storage, shopping, and keeping clutter-free. ( )