How can I decide what to keep when organizing my house?

Dear bjo1, Having a cluttered and disorganized home is a reflection of our lives. So decluttering can and probably will be a scary thing to do. The goal is to gain control again. The first thing I would do is to not become overwhelmed so start with one room at a time. Get a timer and set it for about 30 minutes. Only spend that amount of time each day to avoid it becoming monotonous. Start at one end of the room. The difficult thing is the guilt feelings of throwing things away that were perhaps gifts or are sentimental. Papers of no value need to be shredded immediately. Gifts from children or friends; place in a box labeled gifts and put aside…perhaps basement or storage area. Clothes washed and given away to charity. Box them up and drop them off ASAP. As you begin to see progress the process becomes easier. Just remember that what doesn’t belong to you give the person the choice to get rid of it themselves. Sue…good luck