If there is no struggle, there is no progress.

Frederick Douglass

…but today I’m focusing on my progress rather than the struggle.

This week, I’ve:

1. Posted five items I sold on eBay.
2. Left a bundle of books and magazines on the free book shelf in a train station.
3. Sent used postage stamps to Bransby Horses Rescue & Welfare.
4. Dropped off some ratty old towels at a recycling bin.
5. Picked up all the windfall apples & added them to the compost heap.
6. Recycled bags (apples, carrots, bread etc) in the carrier bag recycling bin.
7. Took an accumulation of plastic packaging & tetra packs to the supermarket for recycling.
8. Went to the local authority recycling centre with a heap of hard plastics, metal lids & light bulbs.

OK, I’m kidding myself if I claim all of these are “progress,” when most are already regular recycling tasks. Decluttering is more about tackling the stuff which is gathering dust; the mess of things which I struggle to ever sort out. But today I will not beat myself up over losing my battle against the muddle. In the last seven days, the number of books in my house has gone down rather than up (result!) Who knows, this really could be the start of reclaiming my living space.