I'm another trying to declutter. My motivation is that I want to move house, so reducing the amount of STUFF will hopefully help to sell the property more easily, and maen less stuff to move when it fianlly happens.
One big thing for me is taming the book piles - I'm in the process of boxing up the books which are no on shelves but are overflowing in heaps next to, on top of and on front of the book shelves. Which meant first clearing and rationalising the cupboard under the stiarsso that there is somewhere out of sight to put the boxes of book.
I have to make a choice as to whether it is worth packing up a book so I am also getting rid of a lot of books - it helps me that my local library accepts donations, so I am giving as new (read once) and nearly new books to the library, and I feel I shall be able to borrow them back if I do suddenly feel I want to re-read them.
Slightly less good but still decent books to local charity shops and the oldest/most falling apart/unlikely to be popular ones go to the local dump/recycling facility, which I understand sorts the books which are taken there and some go to charity, the remainder are recycled.
I have donated about 300 so far, and am very nearly at the point of no books not on shelves in the living room, and should be able to mange the same for the main bed.
I've also managed to get rid of lots of elderly half cans of paint and creosote, obsolete electronics and general junk.
I have a big bag of financial documents which are all over 6 years old, which I'll be disposing of via our confidential waste bags at work.
Still on the to-do list is to go through the kitchen and ditch all out of date stuff, reduce the number of useful-boxes-for-putting-things-in that I've kept (which hopefully should mean that some things which currently live on the counter tops can go into cupboards, to make the kitchen look a bit bigger!)
I'm definitely finding that having started, it's getting easier - I was looking at the heap of books stacked up against the end of one of the bookcases in my bedroom yesterday and found myself thinking "If i got rid of the 'Sharpe' novels and Jean Auel's from the bookcase, most of that stack would fit in the case, and I *know* that the library has copies, and I'm pretty sure my parents do, too, so I can borrow copies f I want to read them again.
Once I've done the books and the kitchen (which affect the appearance of the place) I plan to go through my wardrobe and get rid of things I don't wear or which I'm too fat for.
Of course, as the property market is sluggish here and so I expect it will take a long time to selll the house, the next challenge will be vigilent about keeping the place uncluttered!
I've come across a few things which have been boxed up since I moved in and am trying to decide how to deal with them - one small box is mostly ornaments - I have a hard time disposing of them as many were gifts or came to me from my Grannie's house when she died, but are not things which I want to display. I kept them for sentimental reasons but am thinking that if I haven't had them out, or felt the lack of them in the last 10 years I probably won't.
I think I will unpack the box just to see what is in there and whether there is anything I would now want on display, and then take a deep breath and say goodbye to the rest!
It's good to know I'm not the only one trying to get rid of stuff and finding it hard work!