We Did It! So Can You! {Carly’s journey}

Do you have clutter in your home but don’t know where to start?  Do you feel like you don’t have enough time to declutter?  Have you seen all the 365 Items in 365 Days posts and thought “I really should do that”, but you keep putting it off?

You’re not alone!  But you also don’t need to stay in your paralyzed state.  You CAN declutter!  And to prove it I want to share some stories of people Just. Like. You. 

Welcome back to the “We Did It! So Can You!” series.  This series is about real people decluttering their homes, one day at a time!  Busy people, with too much stuff, who decided to take the plunge and purge. I started the 365 Items in 365 Days challenge over a decade ago and our Facebook group is still going strong. The “We Did It! Soo Can You” posts were from the early years, but I still believe they show how everyday people can declutter, one day at a time, and have it all add up to a more peaceful home.

Ready to be inspired?!  

Today I want to introduce you to Carly.  She was one of the first members of the 365 Items in 365 Days Facebook group and was very inspirational to other members in the group!

Carly decided one January 1st that she was going to purge one item from her home every day for a whole year.  Because she’d had difficulty keeping New Year’s Resolutions in the past, she decided to make her resolution public.  She wrote a blog called 365 Things I Can Live Without.  Every day she posted pictures of one item that she purged that day.

Isn’t that great?!  And she stuck with it every. single. day.  Her final post shows pictures of her home and it definitely looks clutter-free! It is exactly the kind of decluttering I envisioned when I created this challenge.

Carly shared her journey in the 365 Items in 365 Days Facebook group and gave regular reminders of what day in the year we were on, or how far through the year we were, so we could all measure our progress in the challenge. She shared when she was struggling with decluttering certain items, and encouraged group members when they were getting discouraged. 

Carly let go of items of clothing, dishes, kitchen gadgets, video games, remotes, shoes, books,

Here are some pictures of just a few of the things Carly decluttered in one year.

Carly even got her boyfriend involved and he decluttered some things from their apartment too, like video games and CD’s.  

What I love about Carly’s decluttering journey is that some days she let go of something big.  Like her prom dress.  Or photos.  And other days it was something little, like bag clips.

And some days Carly just decluttered one item.  But other days she tackled a whole area.  And after decluttering that area she organized the items she was keeping.  Like under her bathroom sink.  Or her entry.  Check out this before and after!

What a difference!  

So how about you?  Have you been putting off joining the 365 Items in 365 Days decluttering challenge because you think it will be too hard?  If you have, then please don’t delay any longer!

No matter how busy you are, you can find time to declutter one single item per day.  It’s not overwhelming then.  You don’t have to find time in your schedule to declutter a whole room.  Just find one item every day that you no longer need, use, or love.  Like Carly!

Thanks for joining this challenge Carly and for sharing your journey with us! 

If you’re overwhelmed by clutter, then join the 365 Items in 365 Days decluttering challenge today and get started.  A little bit at a time makes a big difference.  Start letting go and start living the life you want!

Check out Carly’s blog 365 Things I Can Live Without for more decluttering ideas!

What’s your motivation for decluttering?  What holds you back from letting go?  What area of your home will you tackle first?

Happy decluttering!