I want you all to read this post by David @ Raptitude.com before going on.

Take from it what you will but this is how I applied the concept to decluttering.

Before doing any decluttering decide on your options for disposing of your clutter.

• Do some investigating and make a decision on where you can donate your clutter so you have this option in place prior to choosing which items are to go.
• Decide if eBay is an option for where you can do your selling.
• Check if Freecycle is available in your area and decide if that is another good option for you.
• Decide if putting your stuff aside for a yard sale would work for you and arrange the space required to store it before doing any decluttering of sellable items.
• Test the curb side decluttering method and decide whether that is also an option for you.
• Decide if a garbage skip is required to clear junk clutter and make the arrangements for one before you begin doing the dirty work.
• Decide on a staging area for storing your decluttered items prior to doing the selling, donating or giving them away. This way you can make your decisions then remove the items from their wasted space in your home until the next step is taken. You will feel like you are making progress even before they are totally gone.

Making the decisions on how and where you can offload your clutter will make the doing so much easier. With these arrangements made  you are left with plenty of mind space to make your choices of what you are prepared to let go. And if making those decisions still proves a little hard you can simplify your choices further by just following my mini missions.

Trying to decide, choose and do at the same time can be very frustrating and ultimately defeating. I had success with my decluttering process because I already had a donation site chosen, had sold the odd thing or two on eBay, was experienced at curb side decluttering and had a large garage for my staging area. And although I had plenty of successful garage sale experience I knew that, at one thing a day, I did not want to store things for months until I had enough for such a sale. So the decisions were made which just left me with the task of choosing what to part with. Disposing of them was a cinch making the process go smoothly. This gave me the confidence to stick to my task and achieve my goal.

So if you are in a pickle trying to decide, choose and dispose of things all at once. STOP. Then…

• Decide ~ (where and how to get rid of your clutter so you have a simple system in place to follow, then…
• Divide ~ choose, at your own pace, what no longer fits in your life and then…
• Conquer the clutter for good, by sending it on its way.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an item of clothing that you no longer wear.

Eco Tip for the Day

Save a tree ~Stop junk mail. It mostly contains advertisements for stuff you don’t need anyway.

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.

This weeks mini mission are based on the kinds of items that I notice were donated at the thrift store last week. Specifically items that we seem to receive an copious and endless supplies of.

Monday – Declutter at least one glassware item.

Tuesday – Declutter an item of clothing that you no longer wear.

Wednesday – Declutter an item of costume jewellery.

Thursday – Declutter old videos, DVDs, records or CDs you no longer watch or listen to.

Friday – Declutter some items of crockery.

Saturday – Declutter at least one book it is doubtful you will ever read again.

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

Consider secondhand when making purchases.

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

I was chatting with my mum yesterday and we were discussing the imminent arrival of my niece’s baby who will be my mother’s second great granddaughter. We were both hoping that she would be born yesterday (12th of February here in Australia). Then my mother would have a daughter, a granddaughter and a great granddaughter all born on the 12th of February. (She also has a niece born on that date as well). She said “I must look up the family history book and see if there are any other relatives born on that date.”  To which I replied  “It would be better if you had the family tree on-line because then you could just do a document search for the date which would save you hours of scouring the book.” Which brings me to my decluttering point for today.

Before my decluttering mission began in earnest I used to own folders and folders full of scrapbook/papercraft magazines. I often used to pour through them for hours trying to find examples of certain occasions that I was planning to document. The thing is, it was much more effective to google for such examples on the internet. The search engine would take me immediately to numerous examples in the blink of an eye.

It is the same for just about any subject that one would be inclined to save magazines for. It is much easier to just do an internet search for what you want. So why keep all those shelves full of dusty paper versions of something that takes up no more space than a laptop and saves you time and possibly a dose of hay fever to boot.

So let those magazines go and cancel your subscriptions. It will save you space, time and money.

Today’s Mini Mission

Reposition or relocate something that has become unused due to inconvenient placement.

Eco Tip for the Day

Cancel those magazine subscriptions. The internet is a far more efficient tool for keep up with any subject matter.

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

I received the following statement in a comment from Michelle yesterday…

“This blog is just awesome. I feel better in my surroundings, things are easier to clean and keep organized. I think I’m saving money because I’ve been trying to use up what we already have. Thanks so much, Colleen, for your encouragement and support.”

I get messages like this quite often, sometimes from people who were sceptical that they could reach their goals and it is very satisfying. Not just for myself, that my blog is helping others, but more so, I get to share in the joy of their success and realisation of the positive effect it has on their lives.

Many people start out just wanting to reduce the amount of stuff in their homes. Others want to be able to receive guests at short notice without feeling embarrassed about the state of their homes. Some really are bogged down deeply in clutter while others like myself want to be able to downsize to a more minimalist existence. But one thing is for sure that nearly everyone of them are pleasantly surprised at how freeing it is, and how much easier it is to maintain their homes with less stuff.

And quite often, like Michelle has mentioned, people also realise that this new uncluttered, less materialistic lifestyle has a positive effect on their finances.

One of the most unexpected effect on my life is the appearance of my grocery cart when I go food shopping. The fact that my son has also moved out in that time made a big difference but now my cart is mostly full of fresh meat and vegetables. This is the eco friendly behaviour my decluttering quickly turned me on to. I buy so few cleaners, very little processed food, fewer paper products etc.  Just one more reason to to praise the effects decluttering can have on life.

So if you have any doubt that the effort is worth it then doubt no more.

Today’s Mini Mission

Pull out some old hobby equipment and test your desire to rekindle the interest in that pastime. If the desire is strong enough you will find the time and effort, if not let it go.

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.

Do you have items that with a little thought or effort could be transform from “I might use it if…” to actually using it. Or items that you might use if life changes so that you have the time or inclination. How about putting these mights into action or finally let the item go.

Monday – Alter an item so it better suits your needs that you might actually use it. Eg. Shorten a hem, cut off long sleeves, replace a handle…

Tuesday – Pull out some old hobby equipment and test your desire to rekindle the interest in that pastime. If the desire is strong enough you will find the time and effort, if not let it go.

Wednesday – Some items become clutter due to disrepair. Repair such an item that it may be used again.

Thursday – Reposition or relocate something that has become unused due to inconvenient placement.

Friday – Rejuvenate an item so that you might use it rather than hide it away somewhere. Maybe a good clean, a lick of paint or some other sprucing up would inspire you to use it.

Saturday – Chose an item that can’t be altered, relocated, repairs or rejuvenated to make it appealing and declutter 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

Eco Tip for the Day

Quit smoking. Imagine how much water is wasted on crops, energy on manufacturing & fuel on transport of tobacco products. Not to mention the effects of indoor pollution and health repercussions.

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

We all make mistakes and it is unpleasant to admit them to ourselves. We have to remember that we are not perfect and trying to be so is a mission in futility. So don’t expect perfection and most of all forgive yourself when mistakes are made.

Some clutter items are simply errors in judgement when acquiring the object in the first place. Who hasn’t done that? I know I have. I still make these mistakes from time to time even though I buy very few things these days and put a lot of thought into purchasing. Such items can seem like good purchases at the time and even get used to begin with, but then the faults begin to show.

I bought a pair of capris in a travel clothing store a couple of years ago. They are light weight, dry fast and don’t crease, which is great, but at times I feel a little dowdy in them. Not to mention the fact that they don’t have a decent pocket and that can be a nuisance. I am on the fence as to whether to keep them or not. I wonder why I thought they were so right when I bought them.

One can’t allow the error or guilt of a purchase, that doesn’t work out so well, to influence their choice to keep the item. If it has truly become just clutter then it needs to be set free. And more to the point, you need to be set free from it and the any guilt you might feel at wasting money on it.

Today’s Mini Mission

Concentrate on using up left over beauty products and don’t replace them if you have a similar alternative product.

Eco Tip for the Day

Investigate product reviews before making purchases in an attempt to get it right the first time and not find yourself back at the store buying a similar, but hopefully better, alternative soon after. This isn’t foolproof of course but the more armed with information you are the better choice you are likely to make.

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

I find myself frequently playing a game with my stuff,: would I take this with me if I was moving house?
If the answer is no, my things are then divided into two groups

1) Get rid of it
2) I’m happy to hang on to this for now (e.g. craft supplies than are all neatly stored that I may use in a few years).With these things I decide to keep, the game is, I think, helping me to detach myself more and more from many of my belongings,  so it will be easy to let go of them when I really need to. Though the true ‘proof of the pudding’ will of course be is I ever move. In fact the increasing detachment will enable me to get rid of them sooner than that I suspect.

A variant of this game helps me get even closer to what truly matters to me and why.

Here’s a picture of my sitting room fireplace  mantle piece.

As you can see, I have no aspirations to have the  ‘minimalist look’. If I had no other belongings in the room and five empty shelves, I would still choose to have all my things crowded together on one small shelf because that is a style of ‘arranging’ I enjoy.
These are in fact a high proportion of most of the ‘knick knacks’ I own. And the rest of the four walls of the room are covered in bookshelves containing my husband’s books 😉 This is my little space.
Anyway, the game is, in the event leaving the house in an emergency and there was only time to grab 2 pieces in my two hands, which 2 pieces would I save and why?
Everything there has some sentimental memory attached and I really like them. Items range from things from my childhood to things I’ve been given in more recent years by a variety of people.

For the record, I chose:

• The small pot to the right – it’s an old mustard jar my mum made a bedside light from when I was a little girl.
• The painted wine glass in the left with the dried hedgerow posy from our wedding in it.
• And then I cheated and grabbed the cow money box because I just love its sculptural shape 😀

Go play the game yourself and see what you come up with – you can choose any shelf in your home you like. Does it lead to you letting go of anything?

Today’s Mini Mission

Do a use it up challenge on some leftover ingredients in your fridge or pantry. Preferably items that have lingered there for a while.

Eco Tip for the Day

Don’t leave the TV on during the day just for company. You may laugh but I have know plenty of cases of people doing this.

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

Yesterday I received the following comment from Stephanie ~

“I just finished a use-it-up project on some leftover baby yarns that my late mum used part of, to do test work on a “masterpiece” crochet blanket for my son when he was born (he is 32!) 

My blanket, which used 23 asst small balls/ball ends, is a non-masterpiece giant granny square LOL. It will be given away tomorrow, and I have started on a second use-it-up blanket. Pretty sure there will end up being 4 use-it-up blankets by the time that box is empty. 

This is a good mindless TV project for me, and far better for me than snacking.”

What a fine example of tripling the pleasure of decluttering. First Stephanie has an outlet for her much enjoyed craft of crocheting, second she gets to use up a stash of wool that is otherwise cluttering up her home and third the finished product is donated to someone in need. How wonderful is that.

Like Stephanie I also love to do crafts. However one needs to have an outlet to move the craft on once it is completed, because there is only so much use and space for it in ones home. I recently saw a sign in a local art space window asking for volunteers to do shifts manning the space in return for having the opportunity to display ones art or craft for sale in the space. I jumped at the chance and now each Thursday I will be doing a four hour shift in return for displaying and hopefully selling my handmade cards. I get to enjoy my craft, possibly make a little money on the side, help out other artist by manning the space and decluttering some of my craft supplies that have featured so many time here at the blog.

What collateral pleasure to you receive from your decluttering efforts.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter some items left behind from a previous relationship. Items you can remember the good time without or that only serve to remind you of the bad times.

Eco Tip for the Day

Be familiar with all of the recycling possibilities in your area. Local government websites usually have lots of information on this. Also word of mouth your computer are other good ways of gaining this information.

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.

This week we are going to get rid of some leftovers. That is stuff left over from times gone by that aren’t being used or no longer have a place in your life. So lets get started.

Monday – Declutter some leftovers from a craft project that you finished a long time ago and haven’t used again.

Tuesday – Declutter some items left behind from a previous relationship. Things you can remember the good time without or that only serve to remind you of the bad times.

Wednesday – Do a use it up challenge on some leftover ingredients in your fridge or pantry. Preferably items that have lingered there for a while.

Thursday – Concentrate on using up left over beauty products and don’t replace them if you have a similar alternative product.

Friday – Get rid of leftovers from a previous career or long since completed studies.

Saturday – Get rid of clothing items leftover from a bygone era that you are never likely to wear again even if they do fit you.

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

 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

Today I want to share with you photos of my new home. It is a work in progress but I am sure you will agree that we have slotted in fairly well so far. However my photography leaves a little to be desired.

We are constantly decluttering and reshuffling and it is coming together nicely. This Friday we take possession of a secondhand 70s sideboard which will replace my craft cubes that have been serving as our TV cabinet since we moved in. Two of the cubes will go into my kitchen cupboards while two others in the spare room wardrobe will be decluttered to make room for the paper file drawer cubes.

We are also getting some organisational fittings in the pantry and laundry in the near future to make them more functional. I will take some before shots of these spaces prior to the improvements and share them with the comparison after shots when complete.

And we will eventually also be fitting picture rails to some of the walls to accommodate the art and framed photos that survive our constant culling. At the moment the spaces under the beds are cluttered with these items.

One step at a time and, as per the usual 365 approach, there is no hurry. We will slowly bring it all together in our own good time and let go of the things that don’t fit with our ever evolving vision for it.

Below is a photo of the bath tub side of the main bathroom at the time the other photos were taken. It has since been cleared and several of those items have been decluttered or listed on ebay.

We are loving it here!

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something that requires assembly to use so you can never be bothered with it. Perhaps a complicated kitchen gadget.

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