Stephen McCauley Quotes

I get such a buzz out of cleaning closets.

If you want to get rid of stuff, you can always do a good spring-cleaning. Or you can do what I do. Move.

Once you learn to choose your belongings properly, you will be left with only the amount that fits perfectly in the space you own.

Quite a few books about decluttering are published in a year.

I'm the absolute opposite of a hoarder.

I am really bad with cleaning my closet.

De-cluttering can be overwhelming, so start with that one small thing. Clean out your junk drawers. It can lead to so many more beautiful things. Start there, and you'll find yourself cleaning the whole rest of the house.

It's going to be labor-intensive and time-consuming, but you need to take all the books down and put them on the floor. Take them down and spread them in one area. Physically pick each book up, one by one. If the book inspires you, keep it. If not, it goes out. That's the standard by which you decide.

There's no need to let your family know the details of what you throw out or donate. You can leave communal spaces to the end. The first step is to confront your own stuff.

Effective tidying involves only three essential actions. All you need to do is take the time to examine every item you own, decide whether or not you want to keep it, then choose where to put what you keep. Designate a place for each thing.

I have personal issues with clutter. I, personally, am very minimalist and like a clean slate. I like to throw everything away.

There's a moment in one's life when you should really be de-accessorizing instead of making more collections.

I like getting rid of things. I really do.

Throwing things out is one of the most difficult and important things you ever have to do.

I'm gradually getting rid of all the things I don't need.

I recommend tidying by category, not by place. For example, instead of deciding that today you'll tidy a particular room, set goals such as 'clothes today, books tomorrow.'

I'm going through an evolution. I'm completely cleaning out my closet. I'm purging, because I saw that show 'Hoarders.' I had a sweatshirt from sixth grade, and I'm going, 'Why do I hold on to this?'

I live by Edith Wharton's rule to get rid of anything neither useful nor beautiful. So I put the TV out on the street.

Some kind of clutter is difficult - letting go of things with sentimental value, sifting through papers - but some clutter I find very refreshing to clear. I drive my daughters nuts because I'm always wandering into their rooms to clear clutter.

In the second part of life you get rid of stuff you've accumulated.

I love cunning containers as much as anyone, but I've found that if I get rid of everything I don't need, I often don't need a container at all.

I'm not a collector. I toss things out all the time.

Some people have a hard time getting rid of stuff. If that's you, pray for God to give you the courage to get rid of things you don't really need or things He wants you to give away. This will help keep your surroundings organized and clutter-free.

I live in a little studio apartment, so I try to keep the space super clean at all times.

People talk about body cleanses like there's no tomorrow - what about apartment cleanses?