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 I have decided to have the mini missions revolve around the Disassociation Series that I have published over the last couple of weeks. Each day I will choose one of the clutter categories and it is your mission to choose an item from the category to part with. Your choice can be as easy or as difficult as you choose but I suggest being brave and eliminate an object that has been a millstone around you neck that you will be glad to see the back of.
Monday – Re-read this post – Disassociation Part 1 ~ Guilt Clutter. Now choose an item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.
Tuesday - Re-read this post - Disassociation Part 2 ~ Obligation Clutter. Now choose an item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.
Wednesday -Â Re-read this post -Â Disassociation Part 3 ~ Aspirational Clutter. Now choose an item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.
Thursday -Â Re-read this post -Â Disassociation Part 4 ~ Security Clutter. Now choose an item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.
Friday -Â Re-read this post -Â Disassociation Part 5 ~ Sentimental Clutter. Now choose and item in your home that falls into this category and move it to your discard pile, list it on eBay, freecycle it or get it out of the house as quickly by whatever means possible before you change your mind.
Saturday – I have given you enough emotional stuff to deal with for one week so today you can take it easy. Just declutter one item of you choice.
Sunday – You have earned your day of rest today so sit back and enjoy it. I hope you managed to part with something from each category or at least one thing a day. Today you can reflect on your accomplishment and be rested for the new week to come.
Good luck and happy decluttering
Today’s Declutter Item
I got an unexpected phone call today from a young man who had seen our sale ad for the futon below. He needed something in a hurry because he was tired of sitting on the floor. He arrived soon after, gave me $50, tied the futon to the roof of his care and went happily on his way.
The futon was my sons bed for several years but really wasn’t suitable any more. Actually I am not sure it ever was but he chose it. I normally wouldn’t include an item that has been replaced but it is a good example of maintenance decluttering so I decided to let this one through as an item of the day. One in one out, no trying to incorporate it into the house somewhere else.
Something I Am Grateful For Today
The space that was liberated in my garage today. The new bed has been in place for a couple of months now and the futon has been cluttering up my garage. So I am very happy to see the back of it.
It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow
I will follow this weeks’s mission and let you know how it goes! I’ve reached a point where I need to dig a little deeper with this decluttering process. Thanks for the inspiration!
Hi Mama Minou,
we all get to that time but if we work away consistently and learn the benefits of decluttering along the way digging a little deeper dosen’t feel so bad. I have actually being enjoying ebaying lately, even though all my auctions haven’t been particularly successful I am just glad the stuff is leaving my home.
Hi Colleen,
I had a “busy” weekend and have already this week decluttered from your list every day except Thursday – I take it that I don’t therefore give myself the week off!?!
Ann
(Still heaps to go….)
Hi Ann,
You can give yourself the week off if you like but why stop now while you are on a roll. Keep the momentum going my friend.
you bet!
Well, I’m down to the aspirational clutter and even though it doesn’t take up much physical space, it’s quite huge emotionally!
1) I’ve just put all my piano sheet music in a bag for the op shop. My mum *made* me take lessons for 10 years between the ages of 8-18 (exams and all) which I hated with a passion. Since then I haven’t played a note, but still have this damn music lying around mocking me. So I’ve decided that if I ever decide to play again it will be what *I* want to play, and not all this classical stuff, which I loathe 🙂
2) Also eyeing off a pair of malachite earrings which I bought a few years ago. A very pretty green colour, but they are very heavy and I never wear them. Paid $70 for them, and recently found that I could have paid a 1/10th of that on ebay (so no point even selling them).
3) Oh, and one other item (a testament to my former stupidity with shopping): a pair of miniscule diamond earrings. I paid *gulp* $600 for them on the urging of my girlfriends (they LOVE jewellery) and honestly, they could be chips of crystal for all I care about jewellery!! I would really like to sell them and give the money to charity, but I want to find the best price first (I’m tipping I’ll get very little though!) Maybe some of your readers will have good suggestions as to what I can do…
Hi Loretta,
how small an item is doesn’t have any bearing on how relieved we can be to get it out of our lives. Especially when it is one of those things that annoys you every time you come across it. It sounds like you have made some wise choices of things to get rid of there. They all sound like annoyances that have been bugging you for a while. Are the malachite earrings made a one big piece of stone or several stones that could be separated? As for the diamond earrings, aside from ebay I have no other suggestions, you could gift them to a friend of family member that might like them. Lets hope my readers will have some better suggestions.
Since joining Colleen, I decluttered my Cello music – freecycle went NUTS for it. I was pleased to have it in a good home, for the eight years I played (finished in 2002) I seldom enjoyed it. Good riddance!
I love, really love having nothing in my garage except 2 bikes. It feels soooo good…
I wish my garage was like that.
Hi!
I’m decluttering for a while now and found your website just yesterday. I have found an ‘guilt’ item that I want to leave the house. But there’s the difficult step: how will I find someone or an organisation to give it to? I’ve got some boxes full with other things I have got piled up in our house, ready to be taken away, but where and how? Some things I sell on Ebay, but that doesn’t always work. I wouldn’t like throwing things away that are still usable. I can bring them to a second hand store, but they throw a lot out themselves. They are quite (strange huh?!) selective in what they sell in their shop. How do you handle that?
Hi Anna,
welcome to 365 Less Things. As luck would have it I am in the middle of writing Thursday’s post right now and it is all about what you are just asking. The details of donating and selling can be quite specific to where you live but the principals are much the same. If you have any questions once you have read this upcoming post please feel free to contact me as I am only too happy to help. It is always important to find good home for your useful clutter.
I actually work at a thrift store and the only things I have ever seen thrown away there are things that people should not have donated in the first place like dirty and misshapen clothes, underwear and broken items. I hope that would be the case will all of these types of stores.