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 am focusing the mini missions around items that maybe aren’t so easy for you to let go of. These missions are not physically challenging because as usual the effort of collecting and setting the item aside once chosen takes but a matter of minutes. We can usually identify these items easily enough. The challenge of course is the deciding whether or not to let them go but this is something you can be thinking over as you go about your other daily tasks. For each mission I will include a link to a previous post that may be helpful in your decision making process. Good luck and happy decluttering.

Monday – Declutter a sentimental item that, if you are honest with yourself, you never pay any attention to.

Tuesday – Declutter something you are only keeping out of guilt because it cost you much more than it proved useful to you. That is you paid a lot for something and now you feel obliged to keep it even though you hardly if ever use it.

Wednesday – Declutter something you are only keeping because you feel obliged to because it was given to you by someone else.

Thursday – Declutter something that you have aspired to making use of for a long time but never have.

Friday – Declutter something you keep for security reasons. That is simply because you fear you might need it or wish it back someday. Letting go is also about letting go of the falsehood that you ever needed them in the first place.

Saturday – Declutter a part of a set, group or collection of items where you use or enjoy some pieces but not others. Here is a post from Cindy that explains what I mean but it doesn’t give any advice on how to convince yourself to let go. I can assure you though that I have done this several times over the last couple of years and I have never regretted it once.

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.

Today’s Declutter Item

Today’s decluttered items and the solution to Saturday’s “What am I?” quiz is a Tupperware mustard dispenser. Jane, who left the first guess was the closest to the mark I believe. She said “Institutional-size mustard container?”. She had the mustard container part right. Many other said was it a soap dispenser which in a way is also right because it has been used for that purpose at one point.

Tupperware Mustard Dispenser

Eco Tip for the Day

As adults it is our job to teach our children to conserve power and water. If you raise your children with good habits now conservation will come naturally to them when they become the adults themselves.

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

We haven’t had a “What Am I?” Saturday for a while. For those of you who aren’t familiar with this, what I do is post a fraction of a photo of my declutter item for the coming Monday and you get to try to guess what it is. So take a look at the photo below and leave a comment with your guess. There is no prize just the joy of being the first one to guess correctly.

What am I?

The Weekend’s Mini Missions

Saturday – Declutter something toiletries related. That old aftershave that stings your face, old shaver handles that are excess to your needs or that extra toiletries bag you received on your last long haul business trip.

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.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

In this comment Jo H tells us how she goes one step further on one of my eco tips. Then Hunter_xs added a little extra advice on the subject in this comment.

Here are a couple of reader updates on the November Keep It Tidy challenge:~

• Maggie is not only rising to the challenge but is actually enjoying it. Good for you Maggie.
• Mark Adam Douglas who inspired the challenge is naturally doing well.

Maggie also had this to say about donating to charity.

Sanna also had some thoughts and experiences to share on giving things away in this comment.

I also enjoyed this exchange between Jo H and Cindy.

Check out Andréia’s progress over the last week or so ~  comment 8 Nov, comment 9 Nov,  comment 13 Nov, comment 14 Nov, comment 15 Nov .

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

I got a shout out from Joshua Becker from Becoming Minimalist last week. Read it here

This Youtube video featuring Nick Vujicic isn’t about decluttering or minimalism but it sure does make you take a long hard look at yourself and remember how lucky you are.

Thank you to whoever sent me this link I only wish I remembered who it was. Those of you who can’t bare to part with the endless supply of art work your little ones bring home this is the ap for you ~ Artkive.

I found this next link via Peter Walsh’s twitter page ~ www.buzzfeed.com ~ 27-ways-to-make-your-groceries-last-as-long-as-possible

Happiness project ~ Pigeon-of-discontent-I-dont-know-how-to-start-my-happiness-project

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something leisure related. Perhaps some sporting equipment, fishing gear or hobby supply that are no longer used.

Today’s Declutter Item

Alarm Clock Radio

Eco Tip for the Day

This tip is for those with an automatic garage door. Most automatic garage doors have a light that comes on when the door is opening and closing. This light stays on for some minutes after operation has ceased. It is however possible to turn off the light with the door controller to avoid unnecessary waste of electricity. I don’t know why this didn’t occur to me sooner but I will certainly to switching the light off in the future.

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

I read this quote last week when it arrived with my latest update to Gretchen Ruben’s ~ The Happiness Project ~ newsletter.

   “Anything one does every day is important and imposing and anywhere one lives is interesting and beautiful.” ~ Gertrude Stein

The part that struck me mostly about the quote was this “Anything one does every day is important …” which said to me ~ Whatever you do today make it something good because it is important either way. Important because no matter what you do it will have either a positive or negative effect on either you, those around you, the planet you live on and all that inhabit it or possibly all three. I am sure you have all heard of the butterfly effect.

So, today,  with that thought in mind would you rather…

• Buy something new today that you really don’t need ~ or ~ donate something today that you already have and barely use to someone who might have a use for it. (This choice will affect you, others and the planet)
• Today would you rather continue holding on to stuff, that you don’t need, that your family will have to deal with someday when you are gone ~ or ~ start getting rid of the excess stuff today so you family don’t have to in their time of grief. (This choice will affect you and your loved ones, those benefitting from your purging and untimately the planet)
• Add to your debt today by buying something new that you want but don’t need ~ or ~ sell something of your excesses and pay a little off your debt. (This choice will affect you, your loved ones, others and the planet)
• Continue to live in a cluttered, oppressive and possibly unhealthy environment ~ or ~ start purging items that are violating your space, depressing you, collecting dust and possibly hindering your cleaning process. (This choice will affect you, your loved ones and anyone living with you.)

This list could go on and on but I think you get the idea.

So what are you going to do today?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a shirt, pair of trousers or jacket that you no longer fit or like to wear.

Remember the November keep it tidy challenge

Today’s Declutter Item

With two people eating mostly a low-carb diet one set of measuring cups for baking is enough these days as there is very little baking done.

Measuring Cups

Eco Tip for the Day

Remember that every little thing you can do today to lessen your carbon footprint will have a positive effect on the environment.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

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

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom

Cindy

He sat down opposite the treasury, and watched the crowd putting money into the treasury. Many rich people put in large sums. A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which are worth a penny. Then he called his disciples and said to them, “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the treasury. For all of them have contributed out of their abundance; but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on. Mark 12:41–44

This Bible lesson has been instrumental in my decluttering process because it encourages me to be generous. In fact, my simple, and completely non-elegant interpretation of this passage is “It’s okay to be generous.” That, my readers, is a lesson I had to learn.

I don’t think that I was a selfish person or especially a greedy one, and I’ve always had a thrift store give away bag in my closet, but while I was okay giving fairly small, low-value items away, I definitely had trouble giving away things of larger monetary value.

It’s okay to be generous.

I confronted my reluctance head on when I was cleaning out Audra’s closet. I had a large box of out-grown clothes, and two sisters across the street who are two and four years younger than Audra, yet it was so hard for me to let go of that box of clothing to them. I thought about how their father, a lawyer, certainly made enough money to clothe them himself. I thought about how they weren’t good enough friends to deserve my largess. Then I thought It’s okay to be generous. I’m embarrassed to tell you how hard it was to let that first box go.

I would be lying if I told you that I no longer sell anything on Craiglist or Ebay and that I happily give everything away. I like to recoup some of my investment if I can. But I no longer have trouble giving things away – to friends, acquaintances, friends of friends, charity. Because it’s okay to be generous, sharing your blessings feel good, and there are countless non-tangible rewards for generosity.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a book or maybe two or more.

Remember the November Keep it Tidy Challenge

Today’s Declutter Item

I was hoping my daughter would relinquish more books from the childhood stash but this was all she was prepared to part with but that is OK. I am hoping all her ducks will fall into line by midyear and she will have a home of her own where I can happily transport all her stuff to the is cluttering up my house. Cross your fingers for me! Oh, and her of course.

An eclectic selection of books

Eco Tip for the Day

Give consumable gifts. Preferably one from sustainable sources.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

So how is everyone going with the November keep it tidy challenge. There have been a couple of mentions in the comments from readers about how they are getting on. Here are a two excerpts I wanted to share with you.

From Lena ~ …my november challenge is seriously successful. I found that whenever I have a big cooking session, that it helps immensly to clean right after the meal. for small things like glasses, cups and cans, its ok for me to leave it there. since two weeks, my kitchen is cleaner and easier to maintain and I find I am using not as much stuff anymore. my kitchen might be ready for the next round of decluttering.

From Moni ~ …my November challenge is a bit challenging today as I’ve just got back yesterday from being away. One thing I am taking note of, is some items are more effort than others to pack away quickly and easily, so I’m asking myself to try and figure out what makes some things more tricky, is the shelf too full (if so what can needs to go?) is there something that gets in the way? would somewhere else be a better location? that sort of thing.

Lena’s comment my convey a greater success story than Moni’s but in my opinion both ladies have been as successful as one another and here is why I say that…

Lena had one particular challenge that she was concentrating on and that was to make an effort to leave the kitchen clean and tidy before turning in for the night. She rose to the challenge made some observations and even discovered that there may be thing in her kitchen that she really could declutter.

While Moni, has a higher degree of difficulty in the first place. It is a busy time of year for her with three teenage children and it is the end of the school year. She also sews dance costumes on her dining room table and with end of year performances to supply for it is a busy time for that as well. Her mission to keep that area tidy was bound to be challenging. She didn’t say whether or not she has made any improvement but she has certainly put some thought into it and is trying to devise ways to make the tidy up task simpler and more likely to be performed. This is a very important step when it comes to keeping a house tidy. The simpler we make the task the more likely it is to get done. So good luck Moni I hope you figure it out and increase your chanced of success.

Ooooh! I didn’t put my dressing gown away immediately!

My mission was similar to that of Lena, trying to leave my kitchen sink free of dirty pots and pans before going to bed at night. I have to say that some nights have been more successful than others but there has definitely been an improvement.

I have also been doing a bit of crafting lately and I have been diligent at leaving my work space tidy before turning in at night. And most mornings, prior to setting this challenge, I would usually wake up, go down stairs and have my cuppa and breakfast before making the bed. This month however I have been making the bed most mornings as soon as I get out of it. It is nice to come up for my shower later and not have to deal with it them.

I have to say that just setting this mission has made me more aware of things left in places they don’t belong. With one extra person in the house for almost two weeks I have found that this happens more often than I thought. My sweet darling daughter was clearly amused enough by this “out of character” behaviour that she decided to post a photo on Facebook of my dressing gown that I had left on the sofa one morning. Of course my wise ass family had to get in on the act with comments such as this…

Blake ~ Auntie Col is so reckless!!  Bridget ~  She’s really living on the edge these days! Next thing we know she’ll stop using coasters! Blake ~ A sure sign the world is ending this year! Jo ~ Quick declutter it while she is not looking…

The fact that they all found this amusing could be construed as either good or bad. Good because they think I am usually more tidy than this or bad because they think I am a little too tidy the rest of the time. I am now tempted to throw caution to the wind and leave the pots and pans in the sink for the rest of the month just to prove what a rebel I can be. 😉

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an electronic gadget or parts there of.

Today’s Declutter Item

Yes, another storage unit empty and gone.

Another Storage Unit

Eco Tip for the Day

 Buy local when possible or affordable. It is a good habit to break into even if only a little at a time. Because as I always say here at 365 Less Things “Every little bit counts.”

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

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’s Declutter Item
Rubber Stamps

How about getting the men folk on board with this week’s mini missions. Or if you are a man reading this, and I do hope there are at least a few of you out there, then finally you get a set of mini missions tailored just for you. However in this modern age these missions really are somewhat unisex so if you are reading this and have no man about the house I think you will find them easy to follow yourself.

Monday – Declutter a tool that never gets used.

Tuesday – Declutter an electronic gadget or parts there of.

Wednesday – Declutter a book.

Thursday – Declutter a shirt, pair of trousers or jacket that you no longer fit or like to wear.

Friday – Declutter something leisure related. Perhaps some sporting equipment, fishing gear or hobby supply that are no longer used.

Saturday – Declutter something toiletries related. That old aftershave that stings your face, old shaver handles that are excess to your needs or that extra toiletries bag you received on your last long haul business trip.

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

Find ways to reduce cooking time and save energy. When boiling dried pasta, bring to the boil then turn the temperature down to low and once settled put a lid on. It will boil quicker and at a lower temperature this way thus saving electricity. When you think it is almost done turn off the heat and allow the residual heat to complete the cooking process.

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

I received the following request for advice from a reader last week and decided to post it here for you all to give your opinion on. I have also included my advice for two reasons… 1. because you might find in helpful. and… 2.  my return email to this reader kept bouncing back to me so I was unable to help offline.

Here is what she wrote~

“…Laundry is my groundhog day & it’s really doing my & my husbands head in…. We have an 11 & 7 year old & I am sure that sometimes things go in the laundry basket rather than be put away – there are times I know I an rewashing clean clothes – but after a couple of days in the basket they have associated smells & so in they go…

I have started to think the only way, (which you might approve of) is to declutter the volume of clothes & options they have….. Do you have tips of what you did when your kids were young…

I have taught my daughter where the washing machine is & how it works but from her point of view I am sure she feels that she has no use for this information ! well not yet anyway… As working parents it’s overwhelming the sheer volume of washing that we are doing, & then once washing is done getting it folded & back to where it belongs is grinding. Any thoughts…. Is the answer always declutter ? Or can you help me out with this too. ps: I did think about putting a second tub in their room that’s the “it’s clean but I just couldn’t be bothered to put it away” tub – maybe, maybe……”

And her is my response ~

I think that you have answered your own question. It seems to me, from observation and experience, that people take possessions for granted the more of them they have. If, for example, there is always another outfit to put on when one hasn’t rehung or even used the last one that went in the wash then what incentive is there to be more mindful.

That being said, kids grow out of their clothes soon enough so maybe decluttering yours would be a waste of money unless they have clothes in their closets that are too small. Those I would get rid of immediately.

However from this point forward, as they grow into the next size, my suggestion is to reduce the number of outfits you supply them. On the lead up to this you can use the time to sit both of your children down and explain to them that they are going to have to be more thoughtful with their clothes in future because they are going to have fewer of them. Explain to them why this is without blaming, after all kids deserve an explanation and it may result in them being more willing to comply. Provide them with a system for hanging the things they can wear again, such as a small coat rack or a series of hooks. Explain to them that if they continue to wear things once or not at all and just toss it in the wash then they may run out of clothes to wear before the next wash day comes around (which will be less often than it does now).

The time it will take for their current clothes to dwindle, due to them growing out of them, will give you all time to adjust to the new routine. Your mission is to resist slaving in the laundry trying to keep up with them. Don’t pander to their desire to have whatever they want clean and ready for them at all times by constantly washing to keep up. They will soon learn that life just doesn’t work that way any more. Train them and remind them on a regular basis to wear, more than once, the clothes that aren’t visibly soiled or smelly. Underpants of course the exception to this rule.

You asked how I handled this with my kids and I would say that what I have written above just about covers it. They weren’t over supplied with clothes and they both had a little clothes rack to hang the items they could wear again. Admittedly they often hung their clothes on the floor under the clothes rack but kids will be kids. I must also admit that I probably trained them too well to reuse clothes because I often had to (and still do have to at times) remind them that some items have been worn long enough.

My son’s less than tidy room.

My son is the only one home now and he still has a habit of leaving his worn clothes on the floor until he is ready for them to be washed. If he is around on wash day I do ask him to toss, into the hall, what he wants washed. If he isn’t home I will make an executive decision. In a bid to save on water and electricity I only wash when I have a full load (black, white & lights, colours or neutrals).  However if specific items aren’t available when he wants to wear them then it is just too bad because washing individual items is simply out of the question.

Parenting isn’t an exact science and, as you can see from the photo on the right, I have not been successful in the long term at training my son to keep his room tidy or make his bed. The kids complied under duress when younger but once they reached a certain age I decided it wasn’t worth the continued grief. His is however the only untidy room in the house and the only time his bed is made is when I change his sheets but I can always close the door. I refuse however to behave as though I am running a laundry so it is either comply or go without.

The Weekend’s Mini Missions

Saturday –   Declutter some old cleaning rags that have been used too many times already. Perhaps you could repurpose some of those linen items mentioned above into new rags. Personally I use microfibre and some of mine are getting very thread bare and therefore ineffective so will be tossed this week.

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.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

On Fridays at 365 Less Things I share with you my favourite comments from my wonderful readers and my favourite web finds of the week. I hope you will enjoy them as much as I did.

Favourite Comments. Enjoy!

• Mark Adam Douglas in response to ~ Do you have hoarding tendencies.
• Spendwisemom gives us her opinion of hotel toiletries.
• Gail comments on being grateful to have have excess to share with others.
• Jen on being grateful for things that are used and enjoyed.
• Moni tells us in this  comment  about her clever daughters clothing sale.

Favourite Web Finds. Happy reading!

• The happinessproject ~ 12-tips-for-a-happier-home-adapted-from-nursery-school
• Sustainable Choices.stanford.edu ~ Take Action
• Deb J sent me this link to an article about some books you might find interesting ~ www.thenester.com ~ Thoughts on home the creatives who’ve helped me
• Steve found me this one from Life Hacker on  ~ How to permanently kick your clutter habit
• Thank you Sanna for sending through the next two links to great posts.
• smallnotebook.org ~ Don’t make choices based on fear
• missminimalist.com ~ Storage is not a solution

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter any sad old linen pieces. Old towels, sheets, pillow slips, hand towels, handkerchiefs, cloth diapers, wash clothes etc. Remember many of these items can be donated to animal shelters, kennels, vets, wildlife rescue…

Today’s Declutter Item

Motorbike Jacket Armour

Eco Tip for the Day

Irrigate your garden before dawn or, if you don’t have a timer, as early as possible in the morning. The water is less likely to evaporate before it soaks into the soil or is absorbed by the plants at this time when the day is at it’s coolest.

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

We all know there are only so many hours in the day. How many of them do you want to spend…

1. …looking for things you need but can’t find among your excess stuff.
2. …looking for things you didn’t put away where they belong.
3. …choosing what to use or wear among an overabundance of stuff.
4. …moving things in order to clean your home.
5. …running around like a mad thing cleaning up every time someone is coming to your home for a brief or long visit.
6. …dusting trinkets that aren’t even really that special to you.
7. …struggling to make things fit into, what ought to be, your more than adequate size home.
8. …shopping for more stuff that you will have to cram in somewhere just for the thrill of having something new.
9. …feeling ashamed of how your home looks.
10. …procrastinating about doing something about it.

What could you spend your precious time doing instead?

1. Relaxing
2. Feeling less stressed.
3. Spending time with friends and loved ones.
4. Creating beautiful things.
5. Exercising
6. Living in the knowledge that anyone could drop in anytime and your home will be tidy and inviting.
7. Enjoy some time in nature, a walk by the beach, hiking or watching your garden grow.
8. Volunteering in your community, This can be very satisfying.
9. Having extra time to focus intently on one task at a time so you get the best result
10. Getting your home in order so you can feel content there.

It may take a little time to get from list A to List B but it will be totally worth it.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an item of clothing that you don’t feel good in. Be that because of  fit, visual or comfort reasons.

Today’s Declutter Item

South Park Character Costume

Eco Tip for the Day

Organise your weekly menu prior to grocery shopping. This will help avoid extra trips in the car to the grocery store.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

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