I love it that we get to start over each morning with a “new dayâ€. This statement formed part of a comment left by Suddenly Susan @ Freezerburned recently and it is a good attitude to live by.
This creed can easily relate to our decluttering efforts especially when we are dissatisfied with a poor performance at any point. Instead of beating ourselves up about it we can just wake up and start afresh tomorrow with a better attitude and renewed vigour.
Today Is A New Day!
Today is a beautiful day because it’s a gift.
Many people around the world did not receive this gift.
You did receive the gift of TODAY – what are you going to do with it?
Today Is A New Day!!
If you want to be a better father or mother – today’s the day!
If you want to be a better son or daughter – today’s the day!
If you want to forgive those who have wronged you – today’s the day!
Yes, this gift is so precious that
If you want to take steps to improve your health – today’s the day!
If you want to help a charity – today’s the day!
If you want to pray for a troubled friend – today’s the day!
You see, what you do with the gift of TODAY is up to you.
If you want to improve yourself or your life or anyone else’s life in any way
Today’s the day!!!
Welcome to today!!
© Steve Maraboli
check out www.abettertoday.com
ITEM 318 OF 365 LESS THINGS
After all this decluttering the empty storage containers are starting to stack up so I gave this one to a friend.
5 Things I am grateful for today
- Friends coming to dinner and I don’t have to cook – My darling daughter is doing the cooking tonight.
- Liam is home for the afternoon- I just hope he doesn’t give us any trouble when we have to take him back.
- Air-conditioning – It has been a hot one today and with Liam home for the afternoon we needed it to be comfortable. He is finding enough to complain about. 🙂
- Not having to buy rosemary for tonight’s dinner – because I have it growing in my garden.
- Macadamia nuts – Mmmmm delicious.
After spending two weeks at mom’s house surrounded by a whole bunch of EMPTY SPACE (which is hard to come by in my current room) I feel a strong urge to get rid of everything so I have a bit more room to move around for once. I think I’ll take it section by section, starting with the clutter station that most people recognize as a desk! Missing your clean house already, mom.
Hi Darling,
I am glad you are finally starting to see the light. Just remember decluttering is all about not recluttering so stay the hell away from the shops.
Love you my precious girl.
By the way Liam isn’t complaining any less today but he did get 12 on his PTA testing so he is officially out of his post traumatic amnesia stage. I only hope they give him plenty to do tomorrow.
It’s so hard for me to declutter, when both of us want any and every thing we use on a daily basis,near at hand. I’ll admit to that, but he won’t. He gets upset at times when it gets so cluttered, but then when I store away,out of site, his 6 caps,or the three huge flashlights, or the 25 cigarette lighters(I don’t smoke) or his three pair of boots,1 pair of tennies,1 pair of house slipppers, or the 3 snuggly blankets on the sofa, or the innumerable breakfast items that sit in the center of the table at all times,or the creamer and sugar bowls,he gets upset.And my list is just as long.I do crafts of all kinds, and I like to keep several out, depending on the level of my nerves when I do get to sit down.And I love knick knacks, so to him, that is clutter,too,even though they bring me pleasure to have them.What’s one to do.(Short of a divorce.We do love one another,and I do take a nerve pill).
Hi Sawn61,
it is funny you should send this comment today because I was considering writing a post about this very issue just this morning. Leaving things in convenient places rather than putting things away and getting them out only when you are using them is a real problem for a lot of people. Sometimes I think I am not the one to write about this issue because I am a real tidy freak and am forever putting things away because I can’t stand the mess. Maybe I could do a dual post with someone who is the opposite to me. I will give it some thought and see what comes of it.
I am sorry that you have the added problem of not being on the same page as your husband on decluttering/organisation. Yet again I am lucky to not have that issue either but you are not in that boat alone that’s for sure. I will do my best to address this issue also some time soon.
Some people are very visual in their storage needs and they feel if something is put away they will forget about it or it is missing. Perhaps your hubby is a visual learner? Helen Buttigieg of the canadian tv show Neat has a book about the types of clutterers–visual, auditory, kinestic and how to work with your learning style. I am visual so I tend to pile:)
Hi Jessiejack,
I am going to have to read this Helen Buttigieg’s book it sounds very interesting. Off hand I would classify myself as a visual learner too but I am a neat freak. I always did think I had clashing personalities. I tried to google her before answering this comment but my server is having trouble finding anything this morning. I’ll check her out later and maybe add some more here.
Shawn61, What’s one to do? Well, for starters you can continue reading Colleen’s blog and others like hers. Also read all the comments which will give you lots of tips, inspiration, and support. Read these blogs together with your husband to get him on the bandwagon. I’ve noticed that some minimalism/declutttering blogs tend to appeal more to women and some to men. Help your husband find one he likes. Start small, take baby steps like Colleen suggests, and each of you can get rid of at least one thing per day. Make it a challenge or a competition and see who can get rid of the most stuff. Make it fun, a project you can work on together, then it won’t seem like work or drudgery. Reward yourselves with something that is not clutter like a dinner out or a movie or a day trip to a place you’ve wanted to visit for a while but haven’t yet. Whatever you do, let it draw you closer together, not tear you apart. Good luck!
Great news about Liam! another 12!
If it were up to my hubby, the bed would never get made because, you know, you just mess it up again that night. But because I like the bed made, he helps make it every morning. Maybe that’s the key–you do or don’t do something (put away or leave out) because of love.
On the other hand, if you only own what you actually use and don’t have drawers and closets stuffed with excess, then you won’t need to keep things out in plain sight in order to find them.
Interesting topic…
Things I’m grateful for:
1. warm weather again today
2. anticipation because my daughter in law texted me to say she’s on the road on her way to visit for 3 days
3. a clean house
4. a hubsand who makes me lattes on demand
5. health
Hi Willow,
thank you for chipping in on the conversation with Sawn61 about husband and wife co-operation when it comes to decluttering/organisation. I think I will have to throw this subject up in a post and ask for reader experience of this problem. I have been lucky that we are on the same page on this in our home although my husband doesn’t make me lattes on demand but that may be because we don’t have a coffee machine. i like your grateful list.