The Decluttering Project : Stationery

How are you progressing with your decluttering efforts?  Are you making some really good progress?  I have to admit that Martin has been making more runs down to the garbage and recycling bins behind our building in The Decluttering Project.  I have glass jars to take to the recycling bins tomorrow on my way to the grocery store.  It feels great to progressively declutter the corners of our house and wipe everything clean.  Are you finding the same?

Today I thought we’d do something a little different.  This project shouldn’t take too long, so I think it’s a perfect mid-week declutter that we can all work on tonight.  You ready for it?  It’s time to look at your stationery.  We all have it… how much of it are we using?  Lets go look at our collections, shall we?

Today’s project includes four phases:

  1. Getting rid of what we don’t use
  2. Organizing what we have
  3. Creating a system for better using our stationery
  4. And establishing a system for keeping letters we receive

First up – let’s get rid of all the stationery that we’ve outgrown.  If you aren’t writing on a regular basis, it’s amazing what you can end up with.  Think of who can use that stationery.  Give graduates extra thank you letters.  Call organizations who offer low income children free summer camps, and give them a pile of unneeded stationery (maybe throw in some stamps?).  Tie them with a pretty bow and give them to your grandma or a senior center.  Donate religious or all occasion cards to your church.  My hometown church would always send cards to college students, senior citizens, and church community members during various religious milestones.  Why not give these organizations cards so they don’t have to buy them?

Next organize your stationery. Get all of the holiday cards together, all of the birthday cards…  Some people like to have a big collection of miscellaneous envelopes to dig through as needed.  I personally like to keep each card with an envelope that fits so it’s ready to go.  How about you?

Now create a system so that you’ll really use your stationery. What’s the point of having beautiful cards and papers if we’re not actually using them?  About a year ago, I shared my new solution.  I made a fabric basket and plopped my cards right on the shelf next to my desk.

Then I did the same in the tire house.

As a result, I started writing real letters to people all the time.  My sister even gave me stamps for my birthday – seriously the coolest gift to keep me going!

An incredible thing started happening.  People started sending me letters, too.  So as I started receiving more mail, I happily stashed some of it away.  Why?

The finally strategy in organizing stationery is having a solution for where you want to keep things. I hole punch some and put them in one of my journals. I also tuck away a very limited number for something special years from now.  I can be a sucker for sentimental letters.  When my 92-year-old grandmother’s friend gave my grandma a stack of all the letters my Grandma had sent her, I was floored.  These letters may not have seemed like much back then.  But I adored reading about my dad’s first Christmas, and I am determined to pass the kindness on.  I keep significant cards in a little box at my desk where I can tuck away all the memorabilia I want to give back one day.  **The key is to pick only a few people to do this with – not everyone.  Think of who touches your life.

So there you have it – signed, sealed and delivered.  I hope you can reexamine your stationery collection and start doing what the purpose of stationery really is… that is to say, go give that stationery to other people.  And since this decluttering project can be super quick (and kinda fun!), spend that extra time and write a few letters.  Address them, and get them ready to go tomorrow.

Then come back here and tell us how you’re doing.  I’m loving the photos you’ve been sending me – please keep them coming.  Let’s see who can get rid of the craziest old stationery.  What have you got up for grabs?