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 our mini mission theme is all about how little time need take to declutter one thing a day. In fact you could combine all of the following missions into your daily routine and not even notice the effort or time used to achieve quite a bit of decluttering. I will share with you six short waiting periods where you can find a few minutes to achieve some decluttering.
Monday – While waiting for the kettle to boil, the coffee to brew or between cooking steps, use that time to find something to declutter in the kitchen.
Tuesday – While brushing your teeth open your peruse your toiletries and/or make-up in your bathroom and declutter something that you no longer use or is out of date.
Wednesday – While watching something on commercial television jump up in the ad time and find something to declutter in your living room. Perhaps go grab a handful of DVDs, go through a coffee or side table drawer or perhaps you have a pile of magazines near your chair that you could sort through and find something to declutter.
Thursday -Grab a file of paper that needs sorting and take care of that while watching television. You could also use this time to sort printed photos.
Friday – If you are ready ahead of time to go out for work or leisure use that spare few minutes to sort through a drawer anywhere in your house.
Saturday - When you have been sitting for a long time at home, are bored with what you are doing or a just need a break form something you have been working on for a long period, get up and have a wonder around the house and find something to declutter. I do something similar all the time. Often when I am writing my blog posts and I am stuck, I get up and find things that are out of place and put them away. This way nothing is ever out of place for long and the rambling through the house is an opportunity to stretch my legs.Â
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.
Sometimes after umming and ahhing over a decision for eons, the grab and go method can settle the matter in seconds!
Hi Moni, yes, I have used that method myself at times. Craft materials are one thing I particularly use this method on. I can always see the potential in such things but if they have been lingering without too long without my using them it is best if I do to quick grab and toss or donate.
Taking every opportunity to declutter, even in weird circumstances. My daughter ended up in hospital at the weekend so I hurriedly put together a bag of toiletries. Hotel shampoo and body lotion, a shower gel from a gift set and a new washbag that held another toiletries gift set. Daughter has been told to keep them, I don’t want hem back!
Now that is what I call a probortunity (a problem turned into an opportunity). Well done Linda.
Hi Colleen, I’ve just found your site today, and look forward to perusing the archives. I do have a question for you, something I’ve been struggling with recently. Maybe you’ve written about this already but – What do you think about wedding photos of friends who are now separated or divorced? Keep or toss? The photos might remind me of a great time I had at the wedding, but might also remind me of the pain the friend had gone through. Maybe it would be a favor to the friend to toss the photos. I would appreciate your thoughts. 🙂
Hi Megan, sorry about the slow response and welcome to 365 Less Things. Photos are a record of history, regardless of a broken marriage the history and evidence of the marriage is still history worth remembering and keeping. The period, I am sure was not all miserable. However I think this applies mostly to the people involved. That being said, I have photos of my sister and my sister-in-laws marriages, now broken, which I won’t destroy because they are family history. At the same time I wouldn’t find it necessary to keep very many photos of the even of a friends wedding from the distant past that I no longer have any present association with. Just like I don’t keep photos of children I don’t recognise from short term friendships. It is all a matter of what history is important to your timeline and what isn’t. But in the end it is all up to you, after all in two generations time someone will likely throw them away after you are gone.
Yes, just little bits of time is a great way to get started decluttering again. Thanks for the reminder.
Had an unexpected 45minutes yesterday before I needed to leave the house for my Patchwork Group session. So I took the opportunity to declutter old receipts, tick them off the bank statements, even file a few pieces of paper. Because it was a fixed period of time it spurred me on to work quickly and I even had time to shred the detritus !