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 wouldn’t say I am amazed that I keep finding things to declutter but it pleases me that I continue to be more choosy about what I keep. As a result I keep going over the same areas again and again. My mini missions reflect my current decluttering efforts from all over the house.
Monday – Declutter a desk drawer or, if you still have one, a junk drawer. I don’t have either but I do have a spice chest with twelve drawers in which I keep everything from pens to light globes. Last week I decluttered more pens, a pencil, a business card folder & the cards within, a pair of swimming goggles with no strap, a pair of shoe laces that we have no shoes for and some clips from these drawers. The chest has seven empty drawers now, which begs the question ~ Do I need to keep the chest? .
Tuesday – Reassess and possibly declutter a little more stuff from a storage space in your home. I have been working on my garage again, which is my launching place for everything that leaves my home. This time around I have been focused on clearing it of items that belong to my son, who has left home. We achieved a lot in that area this week which I will tell you more about in a post tomorrow.
Wednesday – Declutter something plastic in your home. Last week I gave to my daughter two measuring jugs and a large Tupperware container which I no longer use. She was happy to take them and I was happy to be rid of them. I have also emptied and set aside a three tiered set of plastic drawers which she specifically asked if I had any of that I wanted to declutter. I rearranged a few things under my kitchen sink to free up one and she will pick it up this week.
Thursday – Declutter some eWaste. I have a compact fluorescent light globe, some used batteries ~ including some AAs, a D, a motorcycle battery and one from a laptop computer ~ and a DVD player that no longer works. I looked up my local government web site to find where to drop all these items off. They have very detailed information as to where all sorts of waste can be recycled that should not go to landfill. I will be taking care of that this week.
Friday – Declutter some motor vehicle related stuff. There is a wide range of stuff that accumulates relating to motor vehicles ~ accessories, oils, jerry cans, parts … and simply the stuff that accumulates in them. Last week I decluttered some motorcycle oils and brake fluid to my friend Wendy F. My husband no longer owns a bike that needs these fluids topped up, while the men in Wendy’s family service their own motorbikes.
Saturday – Give your medicine cabinet another once over. Declutter any out of date medications. Last week I managed to declutter of few non-prescription medications that were in danger of going out of date, by passing them on to someone who was in immediate need of them. Keep this idea in mind if ever you get into a conversation with friends or relatives that are feeling a little under the weather in one way or another.
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
Don’t buy things, with a used by date, in large quantities just because they are cheaper per unit, unless you are likely to use them up or can share the excess with someone else.
It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow