I received a comment from Bernadette on the 365 Less Things Facebook page this week that said…

“I enjoy getting rid of things. It is so liberating. Got rid of a bunch of old photos today.” 

And that is a great example of the key to getting anything done, which is enjoying the process. If you can get yourself to that point, with any challenge, then how can you fail. After all, who won’t do whatever they can to find some time in their day to do the things they enjoy doing.

I have always enjoyed my decluttering which was what made it such a success for me. Even when it also required rearranging things which can be physically taxing. The key to getting to that point for me was deciding to do it slowly and effortlessly. Just those two words make it sound like something that could therefore be enjoyable. And it was. As Bernadette said “It is so liberating.”

Liberating because the less stuff you have the less maintenance is required to keep it all in good shape. Liberating because the more you let go the more you realise how little you really need, therefore you don’t shop so much anymore. That liberates you from the desire to acquire which, for me, was certainly a big bonus of the process of decluttering. And shopping is very time consuming, just getting to the shops generally takes longer than the ten minutes a day I subscribe for your daily decluttering effort. So how hard can it be.

Some of my readers find the mini missions to be enjoyable. Rising to the challenge of finding something to match each days mission and then sharing that achievement with their fellow 365 Less Things readers is very inspiring for them. Some readers have enjoyed their ongoing involvement in Nicole’s post ~ Decluttering With Friends… . Others just rise to the challenge of finding that one thing in their homes each day.

Even now, that my home is how I wanted it to be, I still enjoy finding things to declutter, or using up things I have had for a while that I have no intention of replacing.

So if you are still procrastinating about starting you decluttering journey then I would suggest that you…

1. Have an open mind to the idea that it could actually be enjoyable.
2. Fight against the resistance and just make a start by finding one simple thing each day.
3. Share your achievements with your fellow declutterers here at 365 less things.
4. Seek their advice if necessary and soak up the encouragement I am sure they will give you.
5. Do that for about a month and I am sure you too will find the enjoyment that decluttering can bring.

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.

As I write this it is Easter Sunday so I thought I might Easter use that as todays theme for our mini missions. I will have to stretch the imagination to come up with descriptions of clutter that work in with the categories I have chosen. Each category is an Easter symbol of sorts. Good luck and happy decluttering

Monday – Egg ~ Declutter anything that has a shell or outer covering. This may sound difficult but even a coat of paint is an outer covering. You could also declutter something with a crack in it. Something white or any other egg colour. But no cheating and just eating Easter eggs for ten minutes.

Tuesday – Bunny ~ Declutter something furry, something with ears or perhaps something to do with luck. You could even stretch this one to anything in your home that seems to breed like rabbits (books, magazines, paperwork etc).

Wednesday – Cross ~ This could be something in the shape of a cross or simply something that makes you cross like obligation clutter.

Thursday – Spring ~ Although Easter is celebrated in Autumn in the Southern Hemisphere most of the Symbols are related to spring. So your items might have a spring in it or just springs out at you as something that needs decluttering.

Friday – Bonnet ~ A bonnet sits on top of your head, so why not declutter something that is sitting on top of something else. That should be easy. Or perhaps you actually have a hat the needs decluttering.

Saturday – Nest ~ Well this one could include anything in your home. After all your home is your nest right, so have at it.

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

Random Acts of Miscellaneous Kindness

(Little thoughtful acts for no reason but to make a complete strangers life a little easier.)

Wendy B wrote this very wise statement in a comment recently in regards to decluttering ~ 

“The thought of tackling the job is often more consuming than doing the job itself.”

How very true this is. I bet there are many of you out there who spent more time and metal energy putting off your decluttering than the time and effort that you actually needed to put into it once you got started. I was a little guilty of that myself to be honest. I knew, before returning home to live in Australia in 2007, that downsizing was our ultimate goal, but aside from the necessary ejection of stuff required to fit comfortably into our new home, and some extra bursts here and there, it was 2010 before I got on with the task in earnest.

And the problem with procrastinating is that you are wasting all that mental stress on getting nowhere. When it is as easy as putting one item aside each day, in the garage, or wherever you choose your transition area to be. Then donating the stuff to a charity when you have a pile big enough to make the effort to drop it off. And if you live in a place like the USA where the charity will come to you, it is even easier to get the job done, or at least make progress.

Of course you can complicate things by selling items via online auctions or similar, or by having a garage sale, but there is always an extra reward for your labours there, so it is often worth the extra effort. But that is entirely up to you.

We often procrastinate because we focus on the harder aspects of the task rather than just getting started on the easy stuff. How does the saying go? ~ “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” And there is always those things that are much easier to deal with than others. That is how I got started and in the end I got rid of far more stuff that I ever thought I would. Even things I had no intention of ever letting go. The more I decluttered the easier it was to part with things and the more things I realised a didn’t need to keep.

Actually just writing today’s post was a case of procrastination for me. That seems a little more than ironic. In the end I figured I would get a better night sleep if I took care of that and another small task before going to bed rather than leaving it until today. And I did sleep better for it I think.

The thing about procrastinating is that it makes you feel bad, then feeling bad makes you sorry for yourself so you self medicate by doing something else you would rather do. While actually by doing what you don’t want to do you can make yourself feel a lot better than avoiding it.

I know there are plenty of my readers out there, who are a long way along their declutter journey, who have been there and done that, so why not share with us your procrastination story, and how you overcame it. And those of you still torturing yourself with futile procrastination, hopefully reading our about experiences will help you start eating that elephant, one bite at a time.

Random Acts of Unusual Kindness

As a pedestrian treat the sidewalk as if it were the road. Keep to the side that the road traffic travels on in the country that you are in at the time. Don’t dart out from side allies and shops into oncoming foot traffic. And don’t walk three abreast. This ought to be common sense, but it doesn’t seem to be, and life would be a lot easier for everyone if we all adhered to these simple rules.

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.

It seems like it has been a while since we had a set of good old mini missions based on something as simple as the alphabet. So this week we shall declutter some items that begin with six different letters. I’ll try to pick letters that are very common so that we can all find plenty of items to let go. The letter doesn’t have to be the initial of the items itself, it could be of the colour, the material it is made from, or any feature of the item. This will make it even easier to find an item to suit. So good luck and happy decluttering.

Monday – Declutter an items relating to the letter S.

Tuesday - Declutter an items relating to the letter T.

Wednesday - Declutter an items relating to the letter G

Thursday - Declutter an items relating to the letter R.

Friday - Declutter an items relating to the letter L.

Saturday - Declutter an items relating to the letter A.

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.

Random Acts of Miscellaneous Kindness

(Little thoughtful acts for no reason but to make a complete strangers life a little easier.)

Straighten up a few items on a shelf while shopping. It will only save a few seconds in a store employees day but it is amazing what you can achieve in a few seconds. I do this by compulsion when I am in a store not so much to be deliberately helpful but because after working in retail for so long I just can’t help myself.

You may have cleared a drawer, a room, or a house.  So, now when you look around you at that peaceful space you have created, there is a new quiet.  Maybe it feels a little uncomfortable because it was chaotic for so long.  Maybe it feels too sparse but you are not sure what it needs.   What it needs is appreciation!

Please first thank yourself for all your efforts, decisions, trips to the donation center.  Maybe think about the challenges you faced and how great it felt to find solutions.  Then you might think about…

• …how the items you passed along will help others.
• …how you won’t be leaving a mess for someone else to take care of when you are gone.
• …how you got to the job before you could no longer do it.
• …how you made your own life easier because now you know what you have and where it is and…
• …how that can help you avoid buying duplicates. 

Maybe you have learned that you don’t need stuff in every flavor.  You may also have influenced someone else to think about their clutter.

Next you might think about how you can maintain your peaceful space.  Can you still shop?  I have cautiously added certain items to my household during my decluttering mission.  These items were more affordable to me because I haven’t been buying indiscriminately any more.  Before decluttering, I thought I had to have choices in everything – shampoos, body washes, linens, etc.  That created many space-hogging duplicates in my household, as well as a dent in my wallet!

Do you have the right habits to prevent future clutter?  You worked so hard to get your space in order.  Maybe you can think of manageable ways to keep it that way.  I run around before bedtime, putting things where they belong.  I also try to remember if I’m going up or down the stairs to take something with me that needs to go up or down.  I shop cautiously after thinking about my needs and wants.  I get very specific in my mind about what qualities I’m looking for in an item.  These habits work for me, but might not be the right ones for you.

Whenever you reach your maintenance phase, it’s time to take all that time you save by not shopping and not searching for missed belongings and do something fun!  A lot of minimalism writers envision learning a language or a musical instrument or writing a novel.  That is just way over the top for me.  I’m thinking more “Gee, I could actually sit and look out the window… watch the squirrels and birds… drink my coffee slowly… maybe I will work on the budget later”.  (I like working on the budget).  Then I am sitting in my peaceful space without a pile of chores related to stuff.

What will you do with all the time you are saving?

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.

Peggy sent me a list if mini missions a week or so ago so I am going to choose six of them to challenge you all with this week. Thanks Peggy.

Monday – Declutter packing materials that you won’t use, including old boxes, bubble wrap, tissue paper…

Tuesday – Declutter bed sheets that you don’t never use (too small, hard to put on, fabric feels yucky, colour or pattern not to your liking)

Wednesday – Declutter some costume jewellery that’s lost its sparkle.

Thursday – Declutter old eyeglasses (they can usually be donated at your local optometrist). In future donate them when you pick up your new pair.

 Friday – Declutter something related to medical needs (expired, no longer used, didn’t really work for you)

Saturday – Declutter that “good” piece of clothing with the stain that prevents you from wearing it, unless you can get the stain out this week. Google for a stain removing solution that suits.

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

Random Acts of Miscellaneous Kindness

(Little thoughtful acts for no reason but to make a complete strangers life a little easier.)

When using public toilets, that have those pesky toilet tissue dispensers that snap off the paper inside the barrel, make sure you are careful and leave the end hanging out for the next person who comes along.

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.

My goodness, it’s Monday again. How do they manage to come around so quickly. And since I mentioned the word “do” I think that will be my theme for the week. Decluttering by verbs. I will name an action and you will find something relating to that action to declutter. So lets get started.

Monday – Drinking ~ Declutter something that has anything to do with drinking. Don’t ask me why that was the first thing to pop into my head. 😉

Tuesday – Playing ~ I am sure you can use your imagination and have a little fun coming up with an item to declutter from this category. CDs, toys, games, old records…

Wednesday – Cleaning ~ Declutter something related to cleaning. Be that be to do with cleaning objects, spaces or even yourself.

Thursday – Wearing ~ This could be clothes related, jewellery, accessories, perfume or makeup.

Friday – Cooking ~ Even I managed to found something to declutter under this category this weekend. I am always looking for ways to create space in the kitchen. I decluttered an espresso pot.

Saturday – Looking ~ This one could be a little tricky so I’l give you some clues. Search for an object to declutter that you either look through, look at or watch. Photos, DVD’s, books, magazines, glasses (for vision or sun)…, you get the idea.

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

I have begun to look at a lot of things in my home through a filter of “does it bug me”?  It’s kind of the opposite of “does it spark joy”.  Like the embellished sweatshirt that I had loved for years.  One day I just realized out of the blue that things about it were bugging me!  So I took it off and threw it in the trash bin.

There is a pair of slippers that, while wearable and don’t look too ratty, I don’t especially enjoy wearing because they are hard to keep on my feet.  So they are in my sights…

Recently I found a half empty jar of jam in the fridge.  It didn’t look or smell bad but I remembered it came into the house several months ago so rather than worry about someone getting sick on it, I tossed it.  It bugged me that something potentially sickening was taking up room in the fridge.

Something I got rid of a while ago was a color photo of an old barn surrounded by fall foliage that we had had framed when we were first married (over 30 years ago).  I always loved that photo.   But it started to bug me because it had faded.  It hurt me to look at it like that, when it had been so vibrant.

We are using up and passing along extras of shampoos and lotions and the like because having so many around the bathtub bugs me.

There are some plates that were stored out of the way in our attic.  They were bugging me because I don’t need them or prefer them but they take up space.  I want our attic to be mostly cleared out because we will be too old before you know it to fetch things up there.  I am planning to offer them to our daughter who is getting married.  If she doesn’t want them & my husband doesn’t care, they will be donated.

I bought a deviled egg holder which itself was shaped like a large egg (Easter themed) years ago.  It was a cute idea but it bugged me because it never got used.  It’s outta here!

Several spice mixes found their way to the compost & recycle container recently.  It bugged me that I spent money on them but no one used them.  So, it made me feel bad every time I saw them, not like I was somehow saving money by keeping them.

Alright now you will all know that I’m crazy… I have a string of LED Christmas lights that have the “big color bulbs” like the old ones used to have.  I had them up on a beam between our living room and dining room for several years sort of as a night light (all year!).  I have loved them since I got them.  Right around Christmas 2015, I noticed that one of the “bulbs” was burnt out.  When I investigated, I found that it wasn’t fixable.  So, down came the lights.  They are currently lighting a window frame in my bedroom… They are not yet in full “bug me” mode but I see the day coming…

I feel like I am getting more in tune with my (bad) feelings about my stuff for some reason.  So, maybe you can “sniff around” your home for something that has been bugging you lately.  Some ideas:

 

Shoes that hurt your feet or back

Clothes that require constant tugging to hang properly on you

Underwear that isn’t “broken” but doesn’t fit right or help you look good

Socks that rub your toes or are too tight at the ankles, too loose, or have holes

Containers of any sort that are hard or unwieldy to open and/or close

Hair products or any hygiene product that you hate using

Cleaning products that you hate the smell of

Furniture that drags down the look of your home or is uncomfortable

Vacuum that forces you to go over the same spot multiple times

Blender that takes too long to blend

Frayed or stained linens

Pillows that hurt your neck

Throw pillows that annoy you

Anything that’s hard to clean

Décor that you’re tired of

Chipped or scratched plates and cookware

**************

Here are a couple of comments made by Peggy in the past so you can get to know here better.

A use it up challenge

A impromptu declutter 

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