Hello Gary

WAY TO GO! for making the room into a nice clean bedroom!

No, it is not easy.
Especially all the educational items from your career.

It is an ongoing struggle to change.
Every day there are keep/toss/recycle decisions to be made.

Here we talk about things kept for "just in case".
We feel that "Justin Case" should store those kinds on things for himself at his own house.

Accumulating and storing things for someone else who might want it someday is very common.
Trying to have on hand whatever someone someday might need at any time.

Well, that is what the stores do.
They hold onto the things for us and "Justin Case" can go there to find them himself.

Another way to look at is financially.
How much space are you paying for to store the things in?
Square footage divided by cost of the home.

How much time is spent having to deal with the extra items?
Hourly, how much is your time worth?

The 20 20 rule...
Can something you find to be needed be bought within 20 minutes for 20 dollars?
This rule of thumb helps on deciding when something taking up valuable space but has never been used should be released.
Those tough "Justin Case" things.

Keep up this great progress you have made in changing the way you look at things.

A very good book is "Buried In Treasures".

I used to save the caps from jars, the plastic caps from mixed nuts and Pringles, plastic twist ties, rubber bands, plastic bags, paper bags, holiday and gift cards, pens, pencils, staples, basically anything that might be used in the future by someone. I had a spare bedroom that became a storage room for my stuff and all of my books (retired high school English teacher) and magazines and boxes of folders with class sets of mimeo copies (later xerox copies). When my girlfriend and her two kids moved in that room was supposed to be used by one of the kids, but I was paralyzed by all the stuff (and memories of career) and course work from undergrad years and graduate work. It took one year to dig out. I had to find a home for the books. It took another year after digging out (including getting storage space) to pull up the rug (at least 30 years old) and paint the room, add new lighting, blinds, and new flooring. I couldn't do it alone. My partner isn't a hoarder and she wasn't attached to my stuff. I did offer periodic resistance, which is why it took two years to turn the room into another bedroom. I still find myself trying to squirrel away stuff that I don't need. It's an ongoing struggle with myself.

The sentimental things are hardest to get rid of, I'm afraid I'll forget that person or that special time. I'm working really hard to wrap my mind around the fact that if I throw the item away it doesn't mean I don't love that person, or that it makes that event any less special or memorable. I also ask myself if that person would want me to keep that item forever collecting dust, probably NOT!

This is hard for me & the first time I've admitted this to myself.
I hoard:
Greeting cards, given to me & other family members.
Unused greeting cards
Papers, mail, junk mail, most of it unopened.
Photos, printed ones & now digital in my phone & iCloud .
Clothes
Sentimental items from mine & my kids childhoods.
Books & magazines
Purses & bags
Craft items
& on & on......

I have grounded myself recently from yard sailing, thrift store shopping & reading store ads. I'm only allowed to donate or throw away stuff until I get it under control.

Hello :)

The hardest things to let go of are most always sentimental items.
Some people are very sentimental about everything.
Every thing brings back memories of events, people or places.

A wonderful book to help you is
"Buried In Treasures".

This book can help you answer your questions about what is important to keep and what you should let go of to improve your home situation.

As for what is "normal" to keep...
We are all different and have different interests and reasons for what we keep.

Is what I hoard normal? What objects have been the hardest to get rid of? How do I know what I need to get rid of, or what is "important" enough to keep?