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 has been a while, I think, since we had one of those fun set of mini mission based on colour. So why not have a set this week. I’ll nominate a colour each day and you can, hopefully, seek out and declutter an object of that colour. Have fun!

Monday – Declutter something green.

Tuesday - Declutter something black.

Wednesday - Declutter something white.

Thursday – Declutter something brown.

Friday – Declutter something beige.

Saturday – Declutter something red.

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

Sally White of  http://www.mindclutter.uk/ has kindly written this blog post for you. I hope you will find it helpful and your minds will be less cluttered after reading it. Enjoy!

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I first started decluttering my home to create a calmer environment that would help my over anxious and jumbled mind relax. I considered writing about decluttering possessions, but Colleen does such a good job of it that I thought I’d share something different instead – tips on decluttering the mind.

Begin by identifying the types of thoughts that are cluttering up your mind with worry, stress or negativity. It might seem as if you have a million different worries, but if you start to put them into categories you are likely to notice themes emerging.

Are most of the worries about trying to remember the numerous tasks that need doing or perhaps how you will find the time to do them all? Are you dwelling on things from the past that cannot be changed or worrying about what the future holds?

Once you are aware of the underlying themes, it becomes a lot easier to figure out how to tackle them. Here are some common problems and solutions:

Too many tasks – write them all down so that remembering them all is one less task. Next, prioritise them so you know which to focus on completing first. If the list looks too daunting then simply take a few of the highest priority tasks and turn them into a mini to do list each day.

Putting off larger tasks – break each big task down into several more manageable tasks. For example, cleaning the house could be split by room or type of cleaning (tidying, dusting, vacuuming etc).

Too little time – it is surprising how much time technology can take up without you even realising. Try unplugging by only checking your emails at certain times, turning off social media notifications etc.

Worrying about decisions – trust your initial judgment because repeatedly going over the same information won’t help you make better decisions. Only allow yourself to revisit it if new information comes up. And remember, sometimes there is no right or wrong decision.

Regretting the past – if you can’t change it then it’s time to let it go. Focus on the present and what is achievable.

I’d love to hear your own suggestions in the comments.

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

Having just helped some folks clean their home, ahead of a rental inspection, I am once again reminded of how much more difficult cleaning is when there is so much clutter. 

Things sitting out on display, whether that be for aesthetics, convenience or lack of cabinet space (due to them being cluttered), are prone to get dusty or, in the case of the kitchen area, also covered in grime. The more things out the higher degree of difficulty there is to achieve a good outcome on cleaning day.

Not having a good working system for dealing with paperwork also adds another layer of mess to have to clean around. Not to mention the possibility of being late in payment for important accounts, missed opportunities and added life stress.

Lets talk about the kitchen. This area can be prone to pests if things aren’t cleaned properly. So it stands to reason that the more stuff you leave out on the bench tops the more difficult it becomes when you have to move them all in order to achieve a properly clean kitchen. Not to mention that, to do the job properly all these items will also need a wipe down on a regular basis, as kitchen grime has a tendency to settle on exposed items. To simplify the task it is best to only leave items on the bench that are used numerous times a day. I leave out the tea, sugar, teapot, kettle and our drinking glasses (that we reuse throughout the day). These items are easily moved aside and wiped under and over on cleaning day.

Items can still be in convenient positions in the kitchen without them being out on the bench.  The trick is to store them in a closed space that is the most convenient for use. This positioning is only possible if your cabinets aren’t cluttered with things that aren’t used often enough to warrant the space they are wasting. Cluttered spaces also make it difficult to find what you want when you want.

The bathroom is another area where leaving stuff out makes for harder cleaning. In this space you are combining moisture and dust which adds yet another degree of difficulty. If your cabinet is cluttered with excess makeup, lotions and potions then there won’t be convenient room in there to put things that get used regularly that would otherwise clutter up your bench top, sink or bath edge. Also storing numerous shower and hair products in your shower cubical is a recipe for mould buildup. You may think that variety is the spice of life but there is a limit where it becomes more of an inconvenience than a bonus. Consider what you really need in your bathing and makeup routine and use up and eliminate the overflow.

Bedrooms are harder to clean when lots of tidying up is necessary before the real work can begin. Clothes “hung up” on the floor, kids toys and craft projects all over the place and unmade beds. The same goes for the living spaces in your home when the floor and sofas are cluttered with magazines, toys, throw rugs, cushions, soiled dishes, electronic gadgets, school newsletters… And all this before even being able to vacuum the floor and dust any trinkets and horizontal surfaces.

Now imagine a home that is still individualised, warm and inviting but easy to clean each week. With a quick, if any, pick up prior to the main clean and very little dusting and things moved in order to accomplish the task. That is what I live with and I can tell you it is a pleasure.

After cleaning the bathroom of the home that mentioned above I was informed that I spent way more time on it than what is usually spent. I responded saying “That is because I did it properly”. The reply to that was “I do it properly, but only what I have to.”. As you can imagine my response to that was “There is no such thing!”. It was also said “But I don’t like cleaning.”. My response to that was “Neither do I but I hate a dirty house more.”

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.

Time again to do some mini missions to track down those perishable items that might be past their used by dates. This doesn’t just apply to food of course. There are all sorts of things that perish when left unused for a long time. So lets see what we can find.

Monday – Check you medicine cabinet and first aid kit for any medications, ointments etc that are past their used by dates.

Tuesday – Seek out any stretchy things that have lost their elasticity such as hair bands, rubber bands, elastic, underwear etc.

Wednesday – Declutter any makeup that has lingered too long with or without use. Especially used eye makeup as it can harbour all sorts of nasties. Anything with oil can also go rancid from sitting around too long such as lipsticks, lip balms, creams etc.

Thursday – Declutter any batteries that no longer have any life in them. Especially those rechargeable ones that will no longer hold a charge.

Friday – Also round up all the pens, be they ball point, gel, felt, etc, around your house and toss out those that no longer work.

Saturday – And of course the pantry and fridge are good places to seek out out of date items. Don’t be too precious though, food is often quite edible past its used by date but now would be a good time to use it up so it doesn’t get wasted.

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.)

I have dithered many times in my decluttering journey, unable to make a decision about my stuff.  Two of the “ditherees” left my house this morning because I needed soft fillers to keep the glass bowls I was donating from clashing with each other.  One item was a top I bought that always looked better on my younger daughter than it did on me.  When she left home, she also left the top.  I thought this morning that I’m never going to wear that again and it’s not my other daughters’ style, so out it went.  The other item was a pair of nice warm slippers.  They didn’t have an indoor – outdoor sole, which bugs me, plus they were the type that you have to pull on with your hands.  I like slip-ons better.  So, in all the years I have had these warm slippers in a color I like, I have worn them only a handful of times!

All this got me thinking about how many things we dither about, meanwhile these things are taking up space in our homes!  I thought a good mission would be to gather all “ditherees” into a pile in the most spacious area of your home and think about them as a group.  Maybe when you see the volume of space that these items are taking every day, it will be easier to part with some.  If you want bonus points, you can decide ahead of gathering these items that you will commit to donating at least half of them.

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 the mini missions are inspired by a Facebook post by a friend of my daughter. She had posted some clothing items for sale that still had the tags on. I am obviously not an avid shopper because when I do buy a new item of clothing I am excited to wear it and do so quite quickly. That isn’t to say that occasionally I’ll buy something that, after wearing for a few times, turns out to be uncomfortable, falls out of shape or some other thing that deems it useless and has to be decluttered or returned to the store. And that is always a disappointment. Anyway here are you missions for today…

Monday – Declutter something you have never worn or will likely never wear again.

Tuesday - Declutter something you’ll never read again.

Wednesday - Declutter something you have never really liked.

Thursday - Declutter something you have never used enough to warrant wasting the space on.

Friday - Declutter something you have never enjoyed as much as you thought you would.

Saturday - Declutter something you have never felt comfortable in/with/about.

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