Every winter I buffer with online book buying and the pattern the last few years has been to declutter every spring. In addition to decluttering my apartment, I also consolidated two off site storage units last year down to 1 unit.

The off-site storage are items from my parent’s estate and personal belongings that I still had stored at my parents’ house. I live in an apartment and stored items in their basement after moving from a house to a very small apartment after a divorce several years ago. Because of the size and of my apartment, I feel very content right now about paying for the off site storage for the items that are there. I share this information, however, to provide insight that getting rid of possessions is something I have trouble with even though I have done a number of major decluttering projects in the last 10 years.

But a few months after I declutter I then buy more stuff. More than I can read or use. I know part of the reason I do it is because it is a part of a new self-improvement plan. I don’t do the work long enough to get permanent results (in weight loss, toning, organizing, cooking).

The books I have I do pull out and skim at times and I worry that if I just get rid of them I will end up buying a similar book in the future. I easily have over $1500 worth of books that don’t fit into my 5 bookshelves.

In addition to books, I keep paper copies of workshops and classes. I am a trained coach and have lots of paperwork from my training. Additionally, add to that the monthly SCS booklets (that haven’t been used). I know the model and do thought downloads and models when I am in emotional crisis mode but have not done the daily work. I like paper and prefer to read hard copies rather than digital. Also, I’m a list maker and planner and that generates lots of paper.

Help! What strategy and path do you recommend to change this hoarding pattern? And what do I do with all the great resources that I have but are overwhelming me because it is just so much?