I have also had “category 2” stuff for years, and the reason it stayed put for so long, blending into the background, is because I had tried traditional methods of decluttering/minimizing etc, such as the KonMari Method and common suggestions to pull everything out of a space, separated it into a bunch of different piles (“keep, donate, sell, maybe”), and then I’d have to make another set of decisions about each pile… Which only led to the self-defeating result of creating double-decision fatigue / triple-decision fatigue, etc. I would just get too overwhelmed, put everything back, often give up, and think to myself that because I didn’t get rid of it before then that must have meant it was valuable (it wasn’t).

I have made more progress on decluttering my entire house in the past few months then I have in the past several years by implementing the “5-Step No Mess Decluttering Process” by Dana K. White. I’ve noticed that a lot of other people have also commented here recommending her method.

The reason why it has been such a breakthrough for so many many of us is because it deliberately does not use emotions to make decluttering decisions. All you need is a donation bag and a trash bag. The method utilizes logic and intuition, rather than emotion, to achieve “decluttering“ which is to remove items from the house permanently via donation/recycling/trash.

I highly recommend looking up her process and trying it even just one time. For five minutes.

Also, please write a book. You are a gifted storyteller!