I'm learning some things as I declutter.  The biggest realization has come over the last couple of weeks as I tackle small projects here and there:  I like empty spaces.  Empty space can just be empty, it does not need to be filled up.  It sounds silly to some, I'm sure, but it's quite a revelation to me.

I've been increasingly frustrated by the pile of shoes by our front door.  Solution?  Clean out the front hall closet so that the shoes can go in there.   Well, it took all afternoon (I tackled it on Veteran's Day since I had the day off), but I did it.  I have one kitchen trash bag full of outgrown coats to donate, and I  filled a black trashbag 2/3 full with random junk (holey shoes, school papers, etc.).   That closet was literally packed with junk.  Ugh.  

The final result?  I have my front entryway back again.  There's no ugly pile of shoes.  I thinned out the coats piled on the coat rack, so now there are just a few there, and the rest are on proper hangers in the closet.   And every time I walk through there I feel lighter... all that free space looks good!

I've been reading  Organizing Solutions for People with Attention Deficit Disorder.  No, I've never been officially diagnosed, but my husband and I have agreed for many years that most of the symptoms fit me.

Like many other disorganized people, I'm always looking for the next book that will have THE solution for me.  What I've found is that I usually can pick up a few tips or tricks from each book, but no one system ever perfectly suits me.

This book is great.  Things are broken down into short points, and the tips are simple- there are no complicated filing systems here.  I appreciate the comments that address the things that can un-do a perfectly good organizing system.... things like "Avoid nesting your Tupperware.  It is just too much hassle to take out and put away nested pieces."   Comments like that make me feel like the author really gets it.

I'd definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for quick decluttering tips.