The outline for 365lessthings 2011
Monday = Mini Mission Monday
Tuesday = My usual rantings that you all love so much
Wednesday = Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom
Thursday = More of my usual rantings that you all love so much
Friday = Favourite Five
Saturday & Sunday – I plan on taking the weekends off in future. There will only be a weekend posting if something comes up that I want to add in for the week.
2010 was a big year and posting everyday is harder than it sounds, which is why I am taking the weekends off at this point. With Cindy also taking care of the bulk of Wednesday’s post sas well I will have time to pursue other interests. I still have to work on what I want to be when I grow up which was why I quit my job last October. Then as you all know fate stepped in and the aftermath of that has kept me preoccupied for a while. Now that Liam is well and Christmas is over, it is time to get on with things. I am approaching this year with the same system I used last year – on step at a time – making it up as I go along. Why not keep with a system that seems to be working for me. I have read a lot about aim high and you don’t gain if you don’t take risks but you know I think that is all hype and that I prefer the tortoise approach – Slow and steady wins the race. I will keep you updated on that too as the year wears on and hopefully things will start coming together.
Today’s Declutter Item
A pair of shoe that for some reason or other Hubby was not happy with. One’s feet have to be comfortable or life can get pretty miserable so out they go.
Things I am grateful for today
- The freedom to choose
- Eggs – they are full of all sorts of good stuff and can be made into all sorts of great dishes.
- Digital Photography – Gone are the days when you actually had to pay to get your photos developed. Now I take a photo one minute and can share it with the next via my computer. Now that’s progress.
- Enjoying the differences from one place to another – While many of you shiver in the cold of winter I am taking pretty flower pictures to share with you like the ones at the top of this post.
- Still being enthusiastic about decluttering even thought the 365 days are up – I am getting ruthless about things that I skipped over in the past.
It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow.
Your outline is good. I’m proud of you for taking the weekends off. You are being smart with that. Looking forward to 2011 and more decluttering. Blessings.
Thanks Deb J,
I must admit my husband kind of insisted in a gentle manner that I should take those weekends off. He is right of course but don’t tell him I said so. 😉
It happened! I had to buy something I’d decluttered. Happily, it cost me less than $3. The girls make glasses for their bathrooms, and I decluttered the little disposable cups. Last night we had a party, and I didn’t have enough kid cups, so I had to buy more. Should have just put the extras in my party supplies before. Oh well, half a year and more than 1200 things eliminated, and $3 Dixie cups are my only re-buy. I think that’s good!!!
Hi Cindy,
Life’s like that sometimes and like you say it was something very trivial so what’s it matter.
Excellent plan for 2011!! I too have to look at the old blog schedule. I want to trim down to 5 days a week so have to choose a day. Thanks for continuing to be my decluttering inspiration!!
XO
B
Hi Bobbi,
thanks for dropping in. I am glad to be a help with your decluttering. I am so behind at the moment with your posts because I was away over Christmas. I am dying to see what you have been up.
Happy New Year to you and Neil.
You said: “I am getting ruthless about things that I skipped over in the past.” I can hardly wait until I achieve ruthlessness! I’m still in the slow and careful stage right now.
Taking weekends off is a great idea. You need time to smell the roses and all those other flowers you’re enjoying right now!
Hi Jo,
it is a slow and careful ruthlessness just a natural progression really. I am sure you have already experienced it but just haven’t noticed. I do like to smell the roses and photograph them as well. In fact I clipped one from my neighbours garden while they are away I must go now and take a snap of it to share with you. The smell of it is glorious!
Just checking in to say that I have been getting rid of little shampoo bottles from hotels and what my kids did not use up during the holiday is going OUT. That’s my Saturday declutter along with refilling my dishwashing soap (using it up) and eliminating a couple of tree ornaments that I decided I didn’t want to keep since they didn’t make it on to the tree this year. I love the tortoise method of decluttering because it STICKS.
Hi Willow,
you are of to an early start with the decluttering, good for you. I have some of those hotel shampoos and bubble baths so I might fill my hand soap bottles with them. I am sure no one will know the difference. That will free up a little space in Liam’s bathroom drawers.
Good schedule for 2011, looking forward to reading more wonderful tips for decluttering. So far this year I have done the linen press – haven’t decluttered it quite as much as I would have liked but not everything in there belongs to me so I can’t declutter what’s not mine. It does look great though and I have everything off the floor so that when I am vacuuming I can just easily open the doors and vacuum in there as well. Much easier than trying to move things to vacuum. Also have done the fridge/freezer and medicine chest. Am now going through and sorting/decluttering the filing cabinet. Such a good feeling when things are done and sorted! Thanks for the encouragement that you offer and enjoy your weekends off!
Hi Judy,
I see you are also off to a early and racing start on 2011 decluttering. I am glad to see so many of my readers getting straight to it now that the holiday season is all but over. I feel renewed and inspired myself to tackle some of those areas that I didn’t get to last year. Just doing something to get the body moving after all the Christmas cheer has settled on my middle areas is inspiration enough. The weekends off will have to wait until next weekend.
Just came across your blog today and I love your concept. Schedule looks great and I can’t wait to see what you have in store!
Hi Marnie,
I am glad you stopped by, welcome to 365lessthings.com and thank you for leaving a comment. I took a quick look at your blog but I want to go back later and have a good read. I like to sound of S.O.S and want to hear more about it but I really have to get off my butt right now and do a little something the requires moving. Like I said to Judy, a little too much Christmas cheer that needs moving off my mid section. I’ll be back later though.
I have just decluttered my sewing threads after not having sewn for about 4 years. I have all types and colours of threads from about 25 years ago that snap easily and stuff up my sewing machine so out they all go. I have also done a bit of research while I was at it (It is now 330am, so it has taken me a while) to determine what each thread is best suited for. (Written down and put into my thread cases). Now I can start on my sewing project for my son (a pair of phat raver pants) after I go and buy the necessary replacement threads later today. Thank you for inspiration.
Hi Susan,
I bet it feels good to get those useless items out of your house. My sewing machine only likes good quality thread and get tangled if I don’t use the good stuff too. It is an old faithful Elna that deserves to be pampered.
I had a similar declutter moment yesterday when I throw away some adhesive that has never worked properly (most likely that is why it was reduce when I bought it) that has been among my craft supplies since 2003. We cling on to these things thinking that we should persevere to get our moneys worth out of them but that is really a futile exercise. Best to cut your losses and gain the space back.
Happy New Year! It’s great that you are still enthusiastic about decluttering AND blogging!
I’ll keep reading..
Thanks Cat’s Meow,
I was just saying to Cindy today that I seem to have a head full of things to write about since the 365th day went by. I know I repeat the subject but there are always new insights to write about. I have had some good comments that inspire post too so now I will plenty of ideas to keep be busy for at lease a couple of weeks. I am glad you will be sticking around and have a happy New Year. 🙂
As I too am trying to work out what to do when I grow up (and being somewhat annoyed at myself for not having figured this out yet), I’m really looking forward to your comments on this.
Hi Isabella,
you know I think maybe I am the sort of person who will never know or that I have already been there and just didn’t realise it. Also I think sometimes we make the mistake of confusing being successful with being fulfilled and letting society dictate what is acceptable on that level. I think there is a lot of soul searching to be done over the next year. Right now I am putting together a collection of stuff to start an etsy shop and will try that out for starters. Thanks for the encouragement and good luck to you on your own search for fulfilment.
I look forward to your update daily. You have challenged me to think about the decluttering as an ongoing journey. Living simply is something that is very attractive to me and although I love the philosophy I can forget to implement it on a more serious level. So one thing I have done is to make a “365 give or throw away” list that I have added to my homemade daily planner. Just knowing I will have to fill in something for the day moves me from thinking about it to action. It is working.
I also live in the southern hemisphere so I can relate to the heat and the relish of a cloudy day!
Blessings, Grace
Hi Grace,
I am glad that the concept of the ongoing journey has hit home with you. Start out with the easy stuff and move on to the next level when you are ready. I like that you have committed to filling out one item every day on your daily planner. Maybe you should photograph it at the end of each month and send the picture in to us here so we can post it up and help keep you honest.
How warm is it in your part of Brazil at the moment? We have had a couple of cooler day yesterday and today which is nice. It barely reached 30 degrees C.
I almost forgot to say welcome to 365lessthings. I don’t believe you have commented before and it is lovely to hear from you. I hope we will hear from you again real soon. 😉
We are on the equator so our temps are usually in the upper 30’s. But we have hit the rainy season so it cools down considerably to upper 20’s. Clouds and rain showers are always most welcome!
I will take a picture of my filled-in page at the end of the month.
Thanks Grace I am looking forward to reading how you are progressing.
Colleen, I want to thank you for the past year of inspiration and encouragement. I was reviewing my notebook of items trashed/recycled, sold, given away, and used up in 2010, and I felt a sense of accomplishment with my progress. Some of the things I thought I would miss, I don’t regret getting rid of at all. That’s the beauty of the baby step approach that you advocate. It is simple, effective, and pain-free. I’ve decided that my mission for January with tax season coming up will be my ever-present paper tiger. I have a sort of love/hate relationship with paper, but I’ve decided that it has to go or at least be tamed. I look forward to the new year and to your new schedule and continued inspiration.
Hi Di,
thank you so much for those kind words and congratulations for making such good progress during the last year of decluttering. We seem to have gotten the paper tiger fairly tamed in our house which was a pleasant surprise to me just this week. I went to sort through so of the children’s old paper keepsake items and it turned out I had already done it. Yay me! We have computerised most of our bill paying so hardly anything arrives in the mail which is another bonus. I am sure there is still a little culling to do hiding in the bottom of the linen cupboard but you know me “one thing at a time”.
Good luck for this year on the decluttering front I hope it is a good one for you.
Colleen, your one item a day was such fun. I had already cleared out books, so knew there wouldn’t be any more. Ha, took 20 of them to the Senior Center yesterday. The only item I haven’t covered is the clear out of a storage area and today is the day that the pan cupboard gets it. It requires literally crawling into the cupboard to reach the back. I expect a lot of stuff will being going out the door. What’s next?
Hi Susan S,
although you are new to the comments section I would just like the rest of the 365lessthings community to know you have been here for a while communication through my contact page. I am glad you are now somewhere that the rest of our friends can share in what you have to say. So welcome!
I am pleased you have been having fun with the mini missions that really says it all doesn’t it, people out there enjoying decluttering,who’d have thought that was possible. Well me actually but I am a little strange like that. 😉 Monday’s missions are set in place and I hope you enjoy them too.