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 do some digital decluttering. Some purely digital some in a more tangible form. You will understand what I mean as you read the daily missions.

Monday – Today declutter any DVDs that you no long enjoy to watch or really don’t watch enough to warrant keeping. Perhaps also ones your children have grown out of. This would be an example of tangible digital clutter.

Tuesday – Today declutter some purely digital clutter. Perhaps clean out your email inbox, sent box and/or your email trash folder.

Wednesday – Declutter CDs that you no longer listen to and perhaps are even embarrassed you ever owned.

Thursday – Take a look at your photo folders and delete poor quality pics or multiples of the same thing. One of them must be the best and there is not need to keep the rest.

Friday – Declutter old computer games that you or your children have tired of or grown too old for.

Saturday – Have a look through the folders on your computer that hold text documents. I bet there are many that are no longer relevant.

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

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

Isn’t it baffling that no matter how much you reduce your belongings and simplify your life, there still seems to always be an endless to-do list. I think it is highly possible, at least in my case, that while I am un-complicating one area of my life I am filling that void with something else.

Actually as I write this, I am sure I published a post on this very subject not so long back. Nevertheless I am going to prattle on about it again today. If for no other reason than the fact that I obviously didn’t listen to my own advice the last time. 

Sometimes even the things we enjoy in life can begin to feel like a chore.  The effort of manoeuvring other activities just to fit them in can be exhausting. And then there is the physical clutter that sometimes manifests due to them.

I don’t actually know  where I am going with this post so I am just going to give some examples of things on my to-do list that are just draining me at the moment. Things that I aspire to getting around to doing but are actually just causing clutter in my life that I don’t need.

First Thing: On my balcony I have a louvred cabinet door and three picture frames. I can see the potential in them, which is why I “rescued” them from the gutter in the first place, but I really don’t have the inclination or possibly even the skills to do anything with them. But what they really are is aspirational clutter making my balcony look unattractive and harder to clean. They have to go. Should I find the time and inspiration later I am sure I can acquire replacements  just as easily as I acquired these.

Second Thing: I really enjoy creating my handcrafted cards and using up my supply of craft materials. However there are a lot of materials among them that  I don’t like enough to warrant the space they waste in my home. Allowing those to linger is making the decluttering process far too long winded. At the same time I find it hard to say no to interesting papers etc that I can see potential in.

Solution: On Monday I made a pledge to not bring in any more paper crafting materials for two months and I am going to stick to that pledge no matter what. In fact I hope to stretch that pledge out longer once the two months are up. Also I am going to round up a collection of materials among what I already own and donate them to my local thrift shop.

Third Thing: I have been taking on far too much responsibility and not delegating enough when it comes to my art space since taking it over in April. It is time I stopped being such a control freak and gave myself a break. One of these responsibilities has been to bring the space in line with the new standards of presentation. That is the reason for props such as the picture frames and louvred door mentioned in the first thing above.

Solution: I have started delegating and am resisting any temptation to acquire any more merchandising items. Especially ones that require upcycling.

Forth Thing: There are a few tasks on my to-do list that are unavoidable yet I have been procrastinating over them. Although avoiding them is not causing clutter in my home it sure is causing clutter in my head.  In my experience, doing is usually far less painful than procrastinating, so heaven knows why I still find myself doing it at times.

Solution: I pledge now that these tasks will all be completed by the end of next week.

I love repurposing, I love crafting, I love organising, I love helping others and I love to be thorough… but one needs to know where to draw the line. As it is impossible to be everything to everyone all of the time.

Are there areas in your life that need decluttering? Are you overtaxing yourself, even when it comes to the things you enjoy? If so maybe it is time to cut yourself some slack and take a break from it all.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something that was given to you that you no longer wish to keep.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

Don’t accept free promotional products that you have no use for. Accepting these just encourages the continuation of this practice while the environment would be healthier without the manufacture of cheap throwaway or needless items like these usually are.

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.

Life moves on and clutter can be the result of that. Today lets declutter some stuff from our previous lives.

Monday – Declutter something pet related. It might be something no longer used for your pet , something not wise to have around when you have a pet or even something still lingering from the past even though you no longer have a pet.

Tuesday – Declutter something child related. This could be an outgrown item of a child living at home, of your grown offspring who have left the nest or something from you own childhood.

Wednesday – Declutter something that was given to you that you no longer wish to keep.

Thursday – Declutter something you no longer need in your work life, be that current or past.

Friday – Declutter something for a sport or pastime you no longer involve yourself in.

Saturday – Declutter something you once used regularly but no longer do.

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

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.

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.

Monday – Declutter something in a pile somewhere that it ought not be.

Tuesday – Declutter something that has overflowed the area designated to the likes of it.

Wednesday – Declutter something that you’ve been keeping but really belongs in the trash.

Thursday – Declutter something that is wasting space, making it difficult to store more useful items.

Friday – Declutter something that hasn’t been used in a long time. After all, if you don’t have a use for it then your home is not the right place for it.

Saturday – Declutter receipts and other fiddly bits from your handbag. Clutter in your bag makes it hard to find the things you do need from in there.

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

Share and borrow between friends and family rather than everyone owning/buying everything.

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 missions reflect some of the experience that I had today helping my son and his family move house. I was there to help clean as the rooms cleared, a task that has some lessons of its own.

Monday – Declutter a couple of excess items under your kitchen sink. Specifically excess cleaning supplies. Nearly every bit of cleaning we did today was achieved with my vinegar concoction and a jar of Gumption (a cleaning paste). So be realistic about the space that needs to be wasted in your home housing chemicals that you don’t need.

Tuesday – Declutter something that became redundant when you replaced it with something new. A build up of stuff is what clutter is all about after all. Either use what you have or if you replace it get rid of it.

Wednesday – Gather up a group of similar items that have spread throughout your home. That may be pens, hair ties, nail files, small tools… Once you have them all together declutter the excess and store the rest in one place.

Thursday – Declutter a couple of things you have way too many of. Perhaps, shoes, handbags, makeup items, blankets, towels…

Friday – Go to your most cluttered room, closet, cupboard, take a good lock at it and think ~ ‘What would I not want to have to pack up and move to a new home?’ Declutter at lease a couple those items.

Saturday – Empty out to declutter a kitchen drawer, particularly one that holds a variety of different things. Perhaps a kitchen junk drawer.

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

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.

Why keep stuff that we don’t need. Why do we decide to let them go. Other than that we are sick of the clutter. This weeks missions are all about reasons for letting stuff go. So lets get started.

Monday – Let something go that you have more than enough of.

Tuesday – Let something go that causes you work you don’t have time to waste on.

Wednesday – Let something go that doesn’t bring you joy.

Thursday – Let somethings go that make a space overfull.

Friday – Let something go that you haven’t use for some time.

Saturday – Let something go that is of no value to you, either in beauty or usefulness.

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

Where possible use less of things. You might be surprised how regularly you use more of some things than you need. Here are some products you could probably stand to use less of ~ less shampoo, less conditioner, less laundry detergent, less dishwashing liquid, less toothpaste, hand cleanser, car wash… Quite often advertisements and manufacturers instructions suggest more than what we really need use. So using even more than that is a fools game, wasting product, your hard earned cash and increasing supply due to demand.

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

By Nicole V

We said goodbye to an old friend yesterday. It was a hi-fi system that had served us faithfully for many years.

I was with my then-boyfriend (now husband) when he purchased it and – as it was large and really heavy – I remember us taking a cab back to his place and watching him set it up in his room. After we got married, it moved with us to 3 different homes and brought us countless hours of enjoyment and relaxation (thank you, Old Faithful!). After working tirelessly for so long, it finally gave up the ghost and my husband dismantled it and it left our home soon after – I’m blessed to have a husband who doesn’t let things sit around long enough to become clutter.

The corner where it used to stand is now bare and each time I walk in and out of our living room, my eyes are invariably drawn to the emptiness. We have no desire to fill the space with something else or to shuffle our furniture around to fill the space. I feel that when space opens up in our home, it should be left alone – as far as possible – to just be. Our home needs breathing space as much as we do and we love the calm and peace of an uncluttered home. I have been in cluttered environments before and have often felt like the figure in Edvard Munch’s painting ‘The Scream’, as all I wanted to do was to turn and run … fast.

Throughout our decluttering journey, we have felt the impact of pockets of space opening up in our home, and this has energized us and helped to keep up the momentum of weeding out the superfluous. It is amazing how a room can be refreshed, not by adding furniture or tchotchkes, but by removing unnecessary furniture and stuff, and just keeping those things that we love, need and use. The French novelist Antoine de Saint-Exupery said that “Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away”.

I have often wondered about human attitudes and behaviour towards space. I have come across people who simply seem unable to leave any space bare and must find something – anything – to fill it up with. It is almost as if an empty space is a blight on the landscape or an affront to the eyes. “Nature abhors a vacuum”, Aristotle said. Sometimes I wonder if human beings are the ones who abhor a vacuum more. Ah, well, different strokes for different folks, I guess.

The concept of space – whether white, positive or negative – plays an important role in design, art, sculpture, music and photography. White space plays an essential role as an element of design that helps to convey the message and make it easier for that message to be processed and understood. Think of your favourite book or magazine – how enjoyable a read would it be if it had been printed with no line or paragraph spacing whatsoever?

Positive and negative space usually refer to the subject and the space that surrounds the subject in an image respectively. Negative space is important as it serves to define the boundaries of positive space and highlight it. The Dutch artist M. C. Escher is known for cleverly blurring the transformation between positive and negative space in ‘Sky and Water’ and many of his other works. But I digress. People perceive space differently – when you look at the image of ‘Rubin’s Vase’, do you see the white vase or the faces in black first? Do you see the old lady or the young lady first, when you look at the optical illusion of ‘The hag and the beauty’? And when you look at an empty corner in your home, do you see breathing space or space to be filled?

John Ruskin said that “There is no music in a rest, but there is the making of music in it”. Music is not just about the notes – the silences or spaces between the notes also play a part in the beauty of the composition, giving meaning and adding depth to the melody. Without these pauses, all we would hear is noise. Similarly, a cluttered home can result in a cacophony of “visual noise” instead of a “visual melody”. How can treasured items stand out if there is a veritable babel of “visual noise” emanating from all the clutter in the negative space?

The following quote by the ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu beautifully illustrates the essence of empty space:

Thirty spokes meet in the hub, but the empty space between them is the essence of the wheel.

Pots are formed from clay, but the empty space within it is the essence of the pot.

Walls with windows and doors form the house,but the empty space within it is the essence of the home.

What part does empty space play in the essence of your home?

P/S: In case you were wondering, we have an existing hi-fi system at home that has stepped up to the plate, so the music plays on. We think Old Faithful would approve.

Today’s Mini Mission

Find something in your linen closet that you haven’t used for three months and let it go.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown

Eco Tip for the Day

Sort every little thing into your recycling bin that you can. What hasn’t been refused, reduced or reused should be recycled for the good of the environment.

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.

I think the title certainly gives away the theme of this week’s mini missions. We are going to search areas of our house for things that haven’t been used in three months. Then hopefully we can convince ourselves to let them go.

Monday – We’ll make today easy. Find something in your kitchen that you haven’t used for three months and let it go.

Tuesday - Find something in your living room that you haven’t used for three months and let it go.

Wednesday - Find something in your closet that you haven’t used for three months and let it go.

Thursday - Find something in your basement, attic or garage that you haven’t used for three months and let it go.

Friday - Find something in your linen closet that you haven’t used for three months and let it go.

Saturday - Find something in you bookcase that you haven’t used for three months and let it go.

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

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.

I guess it is about time again for a set of mini missions based on some of the psychological reasons we hold on to stuff.

Monday – Declutter some aspiration clutter. That is something you hold onto because you aspire to doing something with it. An aspiration that has gone unrealised for a long time.

Tuesday – Declutter something that you only keep out of obligation. These items are usually easy to identify because they are the most annoying.

Wednesday – Declutter something you keep out of financial guilt. Something you spent your hard earned money on that never realised its cost. So you cling on to it in the hope that one day you will finally get your money’s worth out of it or summon up the effort to resell it.

Thursday – Declutter something that you keep for sentimental reasons. Especially if those sentimental reasons are really more obligation than personal value.

Friday – Declutter something that you keep out of cultural habit. There are so many things that people own just because most households have one. The simple fact is that if you have no use for such an item then you don’t need to own one. No matter what others might think about that.

Saturday – Just declutter something that isn’t “you”. It could be another something that matches any of the missions above.

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

Christina

Loved reading your bio, add another 20 years and we are almost identical, yes I am outspoken too!

My de cluttering occurred because we have lived in this home for 35 years and unlike friends and family have had no need to declutter due to moving house. I decided I didn’t want to leave unnecessary “stuff” for my 2 adult children to declutter when the time eventually comes ( we are determined to live until we are at least 90!) So I am religiously following your de cluttering advice on a daily basis, with a few extras of my own.

This last week I decided to attack my sewing /craft room, as our two granddaughters are now 8 and 10 they no longer want to do as much craft as previously so that was the first box to be de cluttered , old dried up paints were binned,some paints in little pots were washed out and the pots used for the beads which I was able to consolidate from the different cupboards and drawers. Next was my material/ lace stash, I rang a school teaching friend and she was thrilled with my offer of a huge box of very usable material, she has her students make clothes for a children’s charity as an assignment.

I regularly take a box of usable stuff to my local Salvos and they are always very appreciative, so what my friend couldn’t use will go to them.

My only dilemma has been decuttering the box of greetings cards, some from my childhood are 60 years old. Advice here please? I have collected a box of some of the cards from my children, they didn’t want them! To be donated to the local kindy for craft. What about the letters from and to my boyfriend, now my husband (of 47 years), they are the poignant writings of 18 year olds! I have followed your advice and photographed many documents and transferred to my computer. If we dispose of all of this memorabilia, will future generations not have anything nostalgic to reflect upon?

Thank you for reading this and for your weekly decluttering advice.Today’s Mini Mission

From Delores

Here is a reflection from my crazy day yesterday (names changed of course):

Yesterday I experienced an amazing contrast.  A friend, Jill, was moving out of town.  Another friend, Rocky, is contemplating a move shortly.

Over the course of several days, Jill sorted and boxed.  She was travelling by ferry and could only take what she could carry.  That meant a lot of paring down and choices as to what was important.  I helped find outlets so her castoffs would not end up in the dumpster.  The last day, I arrived to load her give-aways into my vehicle, not sure how many trips I might need to make.  We filled my vehicle, once.  There were still a lot of boxes in her apartment.

The next thing she said stunned me.  She decided to keep her 40 suits, figuring she would never have to buy another suit.  I was speechless.  I am 61 and I don’t think I have owned 40 suits over my lifetime much less all at once.  She boxed them up and was willing to carry the extra baggage.  Later she texted me that instead of a taxi she had needed a ten passenger van to take her to the terminal.

That same afternoon I met Rocky and some friends for coffee and conversation.  He is retiring soon and hopes to spend time in another country for an extended period.   We quizzed him about visas, insurance, and travel plans.  Someone asked what he was taking.  One suitcase for clothes and a briefcase with his laptop. Period. All he needs.

I am somewhere between those two extremes in my life but the contrast of those two persons on the same day will stick with me for some time.

“If we do not feel grateful for what we already have, what makes us think we’d be happy with more?” — Unknown