Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.

I love to throw in a good old clutter category set of  missions on a regular basis to get you thinking about what sort of clutter you have. So this week we will declutter something from each of the clutter categories I refer to on a regular. Declutter at least one item per category.

Monday – A Sentimental item. This is self explanatory really it is an item you feel personally attached to or at least once did.

Tuesday – A Guilt item. Something you feel guilty about acquiring in the first place.

Wednesday – An Aspirational item. Something you aspire to getting around to using or trying one day.

Thursday – An Obligation item ~ Something you only keep because you feel you should. Often something someone else gave you.

Friday – A Lazy clutter item ~ No attachment you just haven’t got around to getting rid of it.

Saturday – A Natural Progression item ~ Something that no longer fits, physically or intelectually or has simply been used up or worn out.

Sunday - Sunday is reserved for contemplating one particular item, of your choice that is proving difficult for you to declutter. Whether that be for sentimental reasons, practical reasons, because the task is laborious or simply unpleasant, or because the items removal requires the cooperation of another person. That last category may mean that the item belongs to someone else who has to give their approval, it could also mean there is a joint decision to be made or it could mean that the task of removing it requires assistance from someone else. There is no need to act on this contemplation immediately, it is more about formulating a plan to act upon or simply making a decision one way or another.

Good luck and happy decluttering

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.

I love to throw in a good old clutter category set of  missions every now an again to get you thinking about what sort of clutter you have. So this week we will declutter something from each of the clutter categories I refer to on a regular. Declutter at least one item per category.

Monday – A Sentimental item. This is self explanatory really it is an item you feel personally attached to or at least once did.

Tuesday – A Guilt item. Something you feel guilty about acquiring in the first place.

Wednesday – An Aspirational item. Something you aspire to getting around to using or trying one day.

Thursday – An Obligation item ~ Something you only keep because you feel you should. Often something someone else gave you.

Friday – A Lazy clutter item ~ No attachment you just haven’t got around to getting rid of it.

Saturday – A Natural Progression item ~ Something that no longer fits, physically or intelectually or has simply been used up or worn out.

Sunday - Sunday is reserved for contemplating one particular item, of your choice that is proving difficult for you to declutter. Whether that be for sentimental reasons, practical reasons, because the task is laborious or simply unpleasant, or because the items removal requires the cooperation of another person. That last category may mean that the item belongs to someone else who has to give their approval, it could also mean there is a joint decision to be made or it could mean that the task of removing it requires assistance from someone else. There is no need to act on this contemplation immediately, it is more about formulating a plan to act upon or simply making a decision one way or another.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Eco Tip for the Day

 On rainy days park your car outside and let nature wash it for you.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.

I love to throw in a good old clutter category set of  missions every now an again to get you thinking about what sort of clutter you have. So this week we will declutter something from each of the clutter categories I refer to on a regular basis and one or two less used categories I have referred to in the past. Declutter at least one item per category.

Monday – A Sentimental item. This is self explanatory really it is an item you feel personally attached to or at least once did.

Tuesday – A Guilt item. Something you feel guilty about acquiring in the first place.

Wednesday – An Aspirational item. Something you aspire to getting around to using or trying one day.

Thursday – An Obligation item ~ Something you only keep because you feel you should. Often something someone else gave you.

Friday – A Lazy clutter item ~ No attachment you just haven’t got around to getting rid of it.

Saturday – An Natural Progression item ~ Something that no longer fits, physically or intelectually or has simply been used up or worn out.

Sunday – A Location Inappropriate item ~ That is something the no longer suits your lifestyle since a location change. Perhaps snow gear if you have moved to warmer climes.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

I have held on to this embroidery thread because I have used it off and on at different times over the years. In an effort to continue to condense my craft clutter this is one of the things that didn’t make the cut this time. In the unlikely event that I will take up cross stitch again I will just have to buy new thread. In the meantime this lot is no longer going to waste.  I am sure it will sell quickly at the thrift store.

Aspiration Clutter

Something I Am Grateful For Today

A good friend of mine was going through a very worrying time this weekend. The crisis is over now thank God. Now they can begin to strive for the best possible long term outcome. Wish them luck.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.

This week I have decided to have the mini missions revolve around the Disassociation Series that I have published over the last couple of weeks. Each day I will choose one of the clutter categories and it is your mission to choose an item from the category to part with. Your choice can be as easy or as difficult as you choose but I suggest being brave and eliminate an object that has been a millstone around you neck that you will be glad to see the back of.

Monday – Re-read this post – Disassociation Part 1 ~ Guilt Clutter. Now choose an item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.

Tuesday - Re-read this post - Disassociation Part 2 ~ Obligation Clutter. Now choose an item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.

Wednesday - Re-read this post - Disassociation Part 3 ~ Aspirational Clutter. Now choose an item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.

Thursday - Re-read this post - Disassociation Part 4 ~ Security Clutter. Now choose an item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.

Friday - Re-read this post - Disassociation Part 5 ~ Sentimental Clutter. Now choose and item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.

Saturday – I have given you enough emotional stuff to deal with for one week so today you can take it easy. Just declutter one item of you choice.

Sunday – You have earned your day of rest today so sit back and enjoy it. I hope you managed to part with something from each category or at least one thing a day. Today you can reflect on your accomplishment and be rested for the new week to come.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

I got an unexpected phone call today from a young man who had seen our sale ad for the futon below. He needed something in a hurry because he was tired of sitting on the floor. He arrived soon after, gave me $50, tied the futon to the roof of his care and went happily on his way.

The futon was my sons bed for several years but really wasn’t suitable any more. Actually I am not sure it ever was but he chose it. I normally wouldn’t include an item that has been replaced but it is a good example of maintenance decluttering so I decided to let this one through as an item of the day. One in one out, no trying to incorporate it into the house somewhere else.

Something I Am Grateful For Today

The space that was liberated in my garage today. The new bed has been in place for a couple of months now and the futon has been cluttering up my garage. So I am very happy to see the back of it.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

You are probably wondering how does security fit into the clutter equation, and of course I am going to give you my answer to that. Sometimes we keep our clutter because we want to be secure in the fact that it will be there just in case we do need it one day. We may think we will need it to remind us of loved ones or good times and don’t want those memories to slip through our grasp. We may think we need it because it may actually come in useful one day. And in extreme case we may think we need it to stave off some impending disaster that might befall us.

Either way we keep things for the secure feeling they offer us.

But tell me this, will you really forget the ones you love or have loved in your life just because you rid yourself of a trinket that you are tired of dusting. In some cases this can be an object the you don’t even like and never have but for the memories it holds. I can assure you that the thing holds nothing, it is you that holds those memories. If, by some unfortunate fate, your memories fade, the knowledge of what that thing represents will probably fade with it.

That being said, there is nothing wrong with holding on to things that hold significants for you but do you need to cling to twenty objects that represent the same significance? Would not one of two or your favourites suffice? When I first began my 365 less things challenge I owned numerous items that were given to me after my Grandmother died. I have since reduce those item to two. The cup I used at her home when I was little and the Crucifix that stood on her coffin during the church service. I still use the cup and the Crucifix stands on my bedside cabinet. But even without those items I know my memories of her would still be strong and clear.

As for the “I might need it some day” clutter. My husband has a tool in the garage for bleeding the brakes on his motorbike. It is something that he uses very infrequently, doesn’t take up much room, can’t be substituted by anything else and saves us money. Therefore it would be silly to get rid of it. However, I have a rotary grater in my kitchen that I only use for one recipe, a sharp knife could perform the same task, it is kind of bulky, and I have several other graters, so I think it is about time I got rid of this item.

Ask yourself the following question when it comes to these kinds of items…

• Have I used it in the last three months?
• If I am not using it now what are the chances that I am going to use it in the future.
• Could I get by without it even if I eventually did started doing the thing that it is useful for?
• Could something else I own perform the same task?
• Do I use it often enough to warrant the space it takes up?
• Could I borrow one from a friend or family member should I “need” one in the future?

The fact of the matter is that you have come to my blog for a reason. You have most likely already decided that you have got to a stage where you would rather a life without your clutter than to keep it. You and only you can decide what stays and what goes. Begin with the easy things and let momentum drive you forward. Once you start to see the difference your steady decluttering is making, you may just become more ruthless with the things you once thought you couldn’t live without.

Then there is the extreme case. Maybe you have got to the stage where you feel you need to hoard all kinds of things that aren’t being used because you would feel insecure without them present. In this case perhaps it is time to do the Clutter Image Rating Scale to determine the extent of your clutter and whether you need to seek professional help. Hoarding is an illness not a life choice so please if you think you are in too deep seek help.

Today’s Declutter Item

We sold this chest of drawers for $30 through the community message board at my husband’s workplace.

Chest or Drawers

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I am grateful that four and a half years ago we chose the townhouse we are now living in as our new home. We wanted to live in this area but there were no houses available so we settled for this townhouse. Little did I know how much happier I would be in a smaller home. Isn’t it amazing how one can change their mindset from being envious of their neighbours for their bigger homes to being grateful that those big homes aren’t mine to clean and care for. If it wasn’t for this choice I dare say I would still be swimming in clutter. Thank you hand of fate.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Chelle's obligation clutter bear

Today I am continuing my Disassociation Series, and this week we are dealing with obligation clutter. This is a tricky one because it is easy enough to identify these items and know you want to get rid of them but there is a fear that you may offend someone else should they find out you have .

What is obligation clutter? These are items that someone gave you that you no longer want, and sometimes never wanted in the first place, but you now feel obliged to keep it so you do not upset or offend the giver. They are often…

• Unwanted gifts
• Gifts that were once well used but now no longer suit your needs
• An object given to you of sentimental value
• Objects made for you
• Family heirlooms (Probably the hardest of all to deal with)

I have to be honest here in saying that the only thing really standing in the way of getting rid of these objects is YOU!

• You are afraid it will hurt a friend’s feelings.
• You are afraid it will hurt your relationship with family.
• You are afraid to approach this person and offer the object back if that is the best solution.
• You are afraid of communicating your feelings when people offer you these objects in the first place and accept them whether you want them or not.
• You are afraid of a little discomfort should someone be bold enough to confront you on the absence of an object.
• You are probably falsely attaching too much importance to the object based on the person who gave it to you.
• You may also feel it is somehow disrespectful to part with objects left to you by a loved one who has passed.

At this point, I know I have probably offended a few of my readers with my suggestions. I am willing to take that risk in the attempt to help you to take a risk to make the space you live in be the best, most comfortable, most rewarding, easy to care for, tranquil place it can possibly be. It is after all * Your space * Your home * Your sanctuary * Your life * Yours to take care of * Your time * Your freedom to do with it what you please.

I hear you saying but, but, but, and there are a lot of buts…

• …but my mother is the type of person who gets really offended over this sort of thing.

And that situation isn’t going to change if everyone keeps pandering to that behaviour. If she confronts you on the issue, politely explain to her that you no longer wanted to keep the item for whatever reason and let her deal with her own feelings on the issue. She is your mother and I am sure in the end your love is more important to her than stuff.

• …but my mother-in-law loves to knit me stuff and I don’t want to hurt her feelings.

If she cares that much for you she will understand. Communication is what is lacking here, she probably keeps making you stuff because you keep accepting it. All you need to say is that you appreciate everything that she does for you but you don’t need any more (fill in the blank) as you have more than enough already.

• …but my father handed this desk down to me, it was once his fathers and his fathers before that.

That may be a good reason to keep it but if you truly don’t want it, ask your father to entrust it to another member of the family who will cherish it in their home. He cared enough to offer it to you I am sure he cares enough for you not to hold a grudge against you for not wanting it.

I know you are probably thinking “You make it sound like it is so simple, but it isn’t!” and in some cases you are probably right. What I suggest is to give it a try, get rid of one thing on your obligation clutter list and see what happens. Pick an item least likely to cause a problem and be brave. If the person involved doesn’t mention its absence or doesn’t suddenly start giving you the cold shoulder then you can consider it a success and move on to the next object. Quite often the situation is only as big as you blow it up to be in your own mind.

Just to prove that people do survive these encounters I will give you some examples.

One of the first things I decluttered was a silver tea set my parents gave me for my 21st birthday. Yes, I did consider at the time that my parents may notice its absence. My parents have since visited my home and I have visited theirs and nothing has been mentioned about the missing tea set. I can only assume that they either didn’t notice or they did and weren’t mortally offended. Either way I am happy not to have to polish it any more.

My son brought out a batch of T-shirts to be decluttered last week and among those was one that his dad and I had bought him when we were in Italy last year. I knew he had never worn it, I also know he is very particular about what he wears and I am not offended that he has decluttered it. He also knew when he gave it to me to declutter that I had given it to him but he is clearly secure enough in our relationship not to be concerned about my reaction.

When I went to visit my mother recently she offered me to take whatever I wanted from her china cabinet. Her plan is to offer these items to each of her children and grandchildren, so these treasures end up with those who truly appreciate them.  I politely declined the offer because, although she has many beautiful things, I have no need or want for them. If she was offended she sure didn’t show it and she is still phoning me to say hello so no problems there.

Some years back my mother suggested I buy her a set of salt and pepper grinders for her Christmas gift and I did so. I chose a good brand with a lifetime warranty. As I had moved overseas, it was three years before I visited my parents home again. This gift was nowhere to be seen even though the warranty suggested they should have been around for many years to come. What happened to them? I don’t know because even though I noticed their absence I was not at all offended by it and wasn’t about put my parents an awkward position by inquiring.

My point here is that ultimately its our relationships with people that truly matter not relationships with stuff. Anyone who truly cares for you will not be offended by the fact that you decluttered something that they gave you. Yes, they might notice but etiquette should prevail in such a situation and, if an inquiry of an item’s whereabouts is made, provide an honest response that should also be accepted with grace.

Today’s Declutter Item

I have been selling some items on ebay again and this Tupperware bread keeper sold for $15.50. I underestimated the postage on this item and lost out there but this is the first time I have made that mistake so I’ll chalk that up to experience. Postage can be a case of swings and roundabouts sometimes because I overestimated on the postage for an item some time ago that more than makes up for this mistake.

Tupperware Bread Keeper sold on eBay for $15.50

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Getting to the bottom of my to do list. It wasn’t a big one but it always feels good to get commitments our of the way. Having my chores out of the way early makes me feel that everything else I get done is a bonus. I have a busy week ahead so it is good to get a jump start.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

I was intending to write a post today about disassociating with your clutter emotionally but once I started to think about this issue I decided it deserved a whole series of posts. So I have divided this subject into catergories such as Sentimental, Guilt, Obligational, Aspirational and Security clutter as each one affects people in different ways.

Decluttering isn’t just a physical activity, in fact the metal strain of letting go of certain items is where the real challenge comes in for many people. For others letting go can be quite easy, in fact too easy in some cases, learning not to reclutter is their biggest challenge but that is a whole other post topic. For now we will concentrate of finding the will to let go.

Today we will start with guilt Clutter and I will do my best to describe this kind of clutter, explain our attachment to it and to help you find a way to disassociate from not only the items but whatever it is that binds you to it.

Guilt clutter are items you regret having acquiring in the first place but now feel you should keep in order to justify their purchase and/or get your money’s worth out of them. Just about anything can fall into this category but they are usually items that you…

• Spent a lot of money on and haven’t used much.
• Spend money on you couldn’t afford to waste.
• Really didn’t need in the first place.
• Or a combination of the above.

Some of these purchases are aspirational in character such as that fishing boat that sits in the back yard out in the weather unused week in week out, decreasing in resale value everyday. You had good intensions when you bought it but really didn’t put enough thought into it. Your wife doesn’t like fishing that much and the kids aren’t as keen as you thought they would be because they have their own intests. You soon discovered that fishing isn’t that much fun alone and launching the boat can be a challenge on your own also. Fishing really was more fun that odd weekend that your mate Bill would take you out in his boat.

Other purchases come in the form of bandaids to mask disappointment, insecurities or other feeling of dissatisfaction that occur in life. Like that new handbag you bought to compensate for the fact that you hate your job ~ That new dress you bought so you could feel better about yourself even though what you really want is to loose 20lbs ~ The diamond ring you treated yourself to because you husband doesn’t pay enough attention to you any more. Once the novelty wears off these items you are back at the store looking for another hit because you still have that crappy job, the excess weight and the unappreciative husband and now also some very unhealthy credit card debt and a cluttered home.

Sometimes purchases can just be an honest mistake. Say for instance you need a new appliance in the home and you make what you think is a considered purchase and it turns out not to be what really suits your needs. You though you had all the information you needed to make a good choice but six months down the track you are sorry you ever laid eyes on this thing. You couldn’t live your choice any longer and bought a replacement and now that other reject is sitting in your garage taunting you every time you see it.

There are many more stories behind why we purchase these items of guilt but the fact is that is does no good to keep them in our homes if they aren’t being used. They are never going to realise their worth and it is best to cut your losses now and try to sell them on to someone who may appreciate them more. You may only get back a fraction that you paid for them but that is better than wallowing in regret. The grief they are giving you far outweighs the joy they every gave you and it is time to move on.

What is important here is to learn from your mistake/s. Should you make a habit of this vicious cycle then you are really in trouble but if you realise the error of your ways and address the issues that inspire these kinds of purchases instead of running away from them then you will be on your way to recovery.

So if you have any items in your home that you feel may fall under the category of Guilt Clutter it is time to disassociate from them. Take a long hard look at these items and …

• Recognise why you think you bought these objects in the first place.
• Understand the mistakes you made.
• Promise yourself to make more considered choices if you find yourself in a similar position in the future.
• Forgive yourself.

Now use whatever method suits you to remove this object from you life, whether that be to recoup some of you losses or donate it to charity as penance for your transgressions but either way let it go.

Today’s Declutter Item

I think I have finally come to the last of the craft adhesive applicators to be decluttered from my extensive craft supplies collection. Out of curiosity I scanned back to see how many time adhesive has been the declutter item of the day and found six other occasions.

Craft Adhesive

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I am grateful that my thrift store has opened at its new location and that the rain (deluge) held off long enough to drop off a trunk load of donations. While I was there I asked if they needed volunteers and as a result tomorrow I will probably be processing my own donations since I will be doing the afternoon shift. That is one way to increase my knowledge of what happens behind the scene at thrift stores. I will be sure and let you all know how it went.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.

Today I am going to focus our mini missions on areas in our lives where we might have too much of a good thing. That is, I want you to choose an area that you have far too many of a similar category of clutter items, it might be sentimental objects, objects you feel obligated to keep but have no real love for, hobby / craft items, clothing items etc.

Instead of giving you a separate mission each day I just want you to choose one object from your chosen category to declutter each day. Start with the easiest item to part with, analyse why you have kept it so long, learn from that inward exploration and then move on to a different object the next day. Hopefully making progress each day will make it easier to part with the next item and in the end you might declutter more than seven.

Here are some categories of areas I had in mind but feel free to work on whatever best suits your needs.

• Sentimental items ~ particularly ones that you don’t really like but just keep because they remind you of something you aren’t likely to forget about anyway. Enjoying the here and now or even looking forward is usually more satisfying or productive than reminiscing on days gone by.
• Obligation clutter ~ Items you only keep because you feel you should, things someone gave you like unwanted gifts or family heirlooms rank high in this category.
• Aspirational Clutter ~ Things you “really are” going to get around to using/trying some day. Craft or hobby clutter that is excess to your needs.
• “I might need that some day” clutter ~ We all know what these are, things that you keep because they are so useful yet you never use them but you “may need them someday”. Tools, kitchen items, odds and ends like bottle of buttons, spare parts, excess furniture in the back shed etc.
• Things you keep meaning to put on eBay ~ Either do it or donate them to charity but it is time something was done. (I am going to do a basic step by step eBay listing post on Tuesday to help anyone struggling with this).
• Clothing and shoes ~ If you only have enough clothing items to suit your needs (and washing routine) the likelihood that they will wear out before they go out of style or you get sick of them increases. Hoping that items will come back into style or that you will loose weight and fit into them again is likely to cause you more greif than just cutting your loses, placing pressure on your wardrobe space or your psyche.

If you have any questions or struggles as you perform this week’s task please feel free to contact me either through comments or via my contact page (if you don’t want the world to see it). I am always here to help spur you on with your declutter mission, so don’t hesitate to ask for help.

Good luck and happy decluttering

Today’s Declutter Item

Buying clothing is a tricky business, it pays to stick with the styles that suit you the most, are practical for the climate you live in and are classic in style and won’t date easily. The items in this pile were either uncomfortable after wearing for a while, out of style, weren’t particularly practical or “seemed like a good idea at the time”. The oldest piece is about ten years old and the newest is about two years old. Now they are going to the thrift store in the hope that someone else will like them.

Some of my clothing items

 Something I Am Grateful For Today

I am grateful for the new leaves growing on my one and only indoor plant. It is a strange plant in so much as it has never changed from the day my daughter bought it for me about three years ago. It gets neglected at times but never dies nor grows when it is well tended but all of a sudden it has sprouted new leaves. Mine is not to reason why, I shall just enjoy the new growth in the middle of winter and be satisfied.

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow