The Freebie Box

A couple of weeks back Sanna left a comment about how she used the Freebie Box method for the first time and was surprised and delighted how quickly the stuff disappeared. I was a little surprised that she hadn’t tried this method before so I decided to write about it today thinking that perhaps I had taken it for granted that everyone knew about this idea and didn’t need any coaching on the subject. Then there is the Freebie Boxes bigger cousin ~ Curb Side Decluttering ~ which is yet another useful weapon in the declutterers arsenal for getting rid of things quickly.

The Freebie Box

I is as simple as having a cardboard box, writing the word FREE on it, filling it with things you want to give away and putting it in a prominent position where people will wander by and hopefully help themselves to its contents. use your imagination as to where to places the box but here are a few suggestions.

• In the foyer or your apartment building
• In a safe position on the side walk in front of your house or flat.
• On the break table at your work.
• Out front of your garage sale.

The amount you put in the box is only limited to how big your box is. You can also top up the box (add more things) as it starts to empty if you have more to offer. Make sure the word FREE is prominent so people know they are welcome to help themselves. Just remember if you are putting it outside only do so on a fine day, be mindful of any change in the weather and bring the box in at night time as weather conditions can change rapidly. Also make sure placing the box out will not risk injury to others or will be breaking any tenant or local government bi-laws if that is of concern to you.

Curbside Decluttering

This method of quick and easy decluttering is more for those larger items that you want to give away. I have used this method many times myself. I managed to declutter my BBQ, a trampoline, furniture and timber this way just to name a few. I make up a sign with FREE written on it that is easy to read from cars passing by, place it on the item, cart the item out to the footpath, place it at the curbside, go back inside and wait for a taker. This works well for me as I live on a reasonably busy street. If you live on a quieter street you might want to make up bigger signs to place on a pole at the nearest crossroad stating “Free Whatever This Way âž”” with the arrow pointing in the direction of your house. Please remember to remove the signs once the item has gone, not only because it would be very frustrating for people who go out of their way to follow it and find nothing at the end but also because it litters up the neighbourhood. One of my pet hates is people who don’t bring in their old garage sale signs.

Just like the Freebie Box decluttering method make sure you take the weather into account when using the Curbside decluttering method. Only put things out on fine days and keep vigilant about changes in the weather and bring the items in at night if they haven’t been claimed.

It is as easy as that.

CAUTION:~ Please don’t use either of these methods to dump useless stuff, nobody would want, out on the street. This is meant to be a quick way to find new homes for your stuff not a way to avoid haulage and tip fees. I see evidence of this all to often around my neighbourhood and it is infuriating. Be mindful about putting sofa’s out on the street also I have witnessed people coming along and taking the cushions for their pets and leaving the now useless shell of the sofa sitting there. Donate to charity or using Freecycle.org are two very effective ways to find new homes for items that are still in reasonable condition. 

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter A worn out or outgrown clothing item.

Today’s Declutter Item

I believe these are the last of the ski gloves hiding around my home. I wish I could say the same of ski jackets but I am working on that. They aren’t worn out or outgrown, just not needed any more.

Ski Gloves

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom

Cindy

Early last year, I wrote a post about The Black Hole. You probably have one in your house. It’s the place where all clutter tends to accumulate . . . and never leave. Like the black hole in astronomy, it has such a strong gravitational force that even light cannot escape it.

I confess, I too have a Black Hole in my house: my gigantic kitchen island.

7′ of kitchen island and not a bit of junk in sight

It doesn’t look like a Black Hole, you may be thinking. You’re right. It doesn’t anymore. Anymore being the key word here. The half in the foreground seemed to always have a stray napkin, maybe a glass or two, and a book or purse (or both) from my eldest daughter. The far half had, well . . . everything that A Black Hole of the Flat Surfaces accumulates: random school papers, lone art projects, hair do-dads, some pens and pencils, the cord to the laptop (and maybe the laptop) – all sorts of random junk.

I tried to enforce the rule that the island had to be completely cleared off twice a week, but I wasn’t a very good enforcer. Besides, half the stuff was probably mine. Then I struck upon a completely different approach: We went cold turkey.

For those of you not familiar with this term, Wikipedia defines cold turkey as  “the actions of a person who abruptly gives up a habit or addiction rather than gradually easing the process through gradual reduction.” It is often used to described abruptly giving up drugs, alcohol or cigarettes.  But in my case, it meant abruptly giving up cluttering a spot that had always been a favorite clutter attractor.

We cleared everything off the island, even the useful and island-appropriate things such as the fruit bowl and the salt and pepper. It was kept completely bare, except when being used, for weeks. Seeing it completely clean, day after day, began to be the right mental picture. After a couple of weeks, we put the fruit, salt and pepper, and butter dish back on the table. I was a little nervous that this might be an invitation for these items, like crazy teenagers, to have a big party and invite all their friends over, but it wasn’t. (Probably because unlike the party in my mind, Mom was supervising.)

The island has stayed clean now for a month. When someone does leave miscellaneous this-and-that on it, it’s obvious who it belongs to, and it doesn’t stay there for long.

Do you have an area in your house that needs to go cold turkey?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a book or two.

Today’s Declutter Item

This magazine is the closest thing to a book that I have to declutter at the moment.

Rolling Stone Magazine

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Change can be difficult, especially for people who have behaved in a certain way for years. Changing your mindset is what is needed before you even try to change anything else. So what can you do about that when it comes to decluttering.

First forgive yourself for the mistakes of the past. If you continue with the mindset of beating yourself up about past mistakes  you will likely try to soothe that pain in some way. This is where you could find yourself at the store buying something to make you feel better, sabotaging your intentions. Instead of beating yourself up pat yourself on the back for making the decision to embrace a new way of living. Start a fresh from this day onwards with the attitude of “I can do this, one thing at a time.”

Seek advice and inspiration to help you achieve your goal.  You can make the decision to change behaviour in an instant but a little knowledge will make putting your intentions into action easier. No matter what task a person takes on in life there are lessons to be learned in order to do the task well. I know myself that I find it difficult to step out of my comfort zone into a new experience unless I have some idea of how to go about doing the task I am taking on. Once a little knowledge is gained it can be applied and experience will be gained making it easier and easier as time goes on.

Be satisfied with your efforts no matter how big or small. Change your thinking from “only the big things count” to “everything counts”. You will have days where you declutter big items and days where you declutter small items. Every item is one more thing out of your home no matter how big or small. So long as it is a step in the right direction you have achieved something so why not celebrate that. Sometimes I get more excited about the small things because it may have taken more effort to find the right home for them or I might have sold them on ebay for a good sum of money. It isn’t always about the size of the space you are freeing up. Small items can carry burdensome obligation or aspiration so to be rid of them can make a big different.

Turn the negatives into a positives. This will come in handy when it comes to stopping the clutter coming in. Instead of seeking the old high of acquiring things get your thrills from seeing stuff leave your home. The novelty of getting new things wears of much faster than the good feeling you achieve when you take another step towards your decluttering goal. This is especially so when you start to notice how pleasant your once cluttered surroundings are becoming. And the freedom you feel when you realise you no longer have the craving to acquire stuff anymore is an added bonus.

Question your decision making. At first it is easy to slip into default mode when making decisions about what to keep and what to get rid of.  If you feel you are doing that ~ the obvious signs of this is when you find yourself choosing to keep too many things ~ stop and question your thinking. Ask yourself again why am I keeping this. Don’t let those old feeling of obligation, half hearted sentiment ,guilt or fear make you keep things you know you have no use for and /or don’t particularly love. Remind yourself of your goal and reconsider. You may end up keeping the item, and that is Ok but at least you will know you have made a rational decision.

If you keep reminding yourself of your conviction to free your life of unnecessary, unloved items you will soon find your new way of thinking has become the norm and decluttering will become second nature.

 “Most change is temporary unless there is an emotional shifting that occurs.” ~ Dr. Georgianna Donadio

Today’s Mini Mission

Thursday – Do you also have enough pots, pans, trays, baking dishes etc to cater for that family of six that have long since flown the coop. Investigate what you use regularly and get rid of the rest.

Today’s Declutter Item

Here is an item I have been considering decluttering for a while. It is useful? ~ Occasionally. Do I love it? ~ No. Do I mind if my guests eat off my everyday crockery? ~ It is good enough for me. Is it one less thing to fit into the smaller home I intend to live in one day ~ Yes. Do I need the space right now ~ No. Even after all those questions I was a little undecided so what I did was I declutter half of it. I had been a little unconventional when I bought it in the first place, buying one half maroon and the other green to match the decor of our  dining/formal lounge area. So I have kept the maroon half ~ for now.

Half of my "good" dinner set

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Good friends. I have been so fortunate in this life with the good friends I have made in every new place I have lived. For that I am truly grateful.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Today I thought I might bring you along with me during my decision making process. I have chosen several items that up until now have escaped decluttering but that I have had my eye on for a while. I will share with you my thoughts relating to each item and what my final decision is.

Before I get to individual items my first consideration in the decision making process is whether or not I am satisfied that I have gone far enough with my decluttering. Whether I am happy to keep everything that is left in my home. At this point in time I don’t have to waste much thought on this because I know for sure that I am not done yet.

The next step is to take a look around during my daily routine to spot items that are still up for consideration. This also doesn’t take much effort because, with the gradual process that I use to declutter by, there are always items in the back of my mind that have a tenuous grasp on their position in my home. If they aren’t very useful or much loved they are a candidate for elimination.

Then comes step three the individual decision making process which I will run through with a selection of items I chose to consider last week. As I mentioned above they are all items that have escaped the declutter process over the last few years but the time has come to bring them to the fore. So without further adieu here they are.

Glass Vase

Item No. 1  ~ A Glass Vase

The reason this vase has escaped decluttering so far is simply because I happen to like the look of it. That isn’t however enough to warrant keeping it when the object of this exercise is to declutter under utilised items from my home. I guess it would come under the heading of quilt clutter because I wasted money buying it on a whim. So I ask myself ~ How often has it been used since it was bought and the answer is probably twice in five years. Then other issues come to mind like the fact that none of the shelf spaces in my kitchen are tall enough to house it so it has been collecting dust on the top of  those cupboards. It also stands too high to look right no matter where I have attempted to display it and I rarely have a flower to display in it. So the verdict was that it can go to the thrift store.

Fruit Bowl

Item no. 2 ~ A handcrafted Fruit Bowl

This fruit bowl was a wedding gift from two very good friends who have  passed away in recent years. That is the only reason I believe it has stayed this long. How many times have I used this bowl in twenty five years of marriage? ~ I would hazard a guess at twice and that really says it all. Do I particularly like it? ~ No. I loved the people who gave it to me but I don’t need it to remind me of them. It has spend most of its twenty five years in the bottom of one china cabinet or another and has recently adorned the top of my kitchen cupboards with the vase mentioned above. I think it is time to let it go to someone who will appreciate it. It will also go to the thrift store.

Artificial Plant

Item no. 3 ~ An Artificial Plant

I don’t particularly like artificial plants and this one is no exception. You might wonder then why I bought it, well I didn’t my husband did. It adorns my lovely glass dining table. I have tried various other decor items from around the house on the table but have never been happy with the result. I am not happy with the plant either but the table looks too bare without something so for now the plant will survive the cut and stay on my table. This just goes to prove that not everything ones keeps is ideal. Mind you this item has a very tenuous hold on its existence in my home.

Craft Robo Cutter

Item no. 4 ~ Craft Robo Cutter

I have included this item because it is an item that at present doesn’t get much use. I is however a very clever little gadget and has served me well in my crafting endeavours in the past. As anyone who has been reading my blog for a while knows there have been a lot of craft items decluttered over the duration of my mission and I dare say there will be more before I am done. But this gadget is safe for now and I can’t see me ever decluttering it. What I do envision is finding more time for crafting in the future. I have always been a crafter and dare say I always will be.

Craft Items

Item no. 5 ~ Knitting Tools

While we are on the subject of crafting items here is another example that came under scrutiny last week. I have passed over these knitting tools time and time again because although I have not done any knitting for about 6 years I have tended to return to the craft over and over again throughout the years. That being so I figured that these didn’t take up much room so why not keep them in the event that I would need them some day. Well my desire to reduce my craft has overtaken my desire to keep these items. I bundled up the better metal needles and stored them with my other sewing equipment but this lot can go to the thrift store along with the other sewing tools you see in the picture. If I need any of this size needles in the future I will check the thrift shop first because we usually have a good selection there.

So I hope that sheds a little light on how I go about choosing what stays and what goes.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter an item that fits with this question ~ What was the person thinking when they gifted me this?

Today’s Declutter Item

In keeping with today’s mini mission I will add one more item to declutter today and let you in on the decision making process involved. This large floral canister was a gift from a friend. It wasn’t a gift I was expecting because the person and I were not close friends. If I remember correctly it was full of different kinds of dried pasta. It was an interesting choice for a gift but I kind of liked its cheery design and its large proportions. It has decorated my kitchen for about 6 years now but it has no other real function for me. Like the knitting needles I have a greater desire to liberate the space than I do to keep the item so it will go to the thrift shop with the other items. That is one more thing not collecting dust and cooking grease on the top of my kitchen cupboards.

Floral Canister

Something I Am Grateful For Today

When the skin on a port roast cooks to a light and crunchy crackle. Mmmmm yum.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom

Cindy

My mother is more tidy and more decluttered than I am, by far. Yet one day when she saw me tidying my pantry, she kind of laughed at me and said, “Are you straightening up in there again?”

Well, yes, as a matter of fact, I am. And you should too.

Why does your pantry need decluttering? Two main reasons

1. Unless you live alone, it gets rummaged through more than any other cupboard or drawer in your entire house and
2. There’s surely something (probably more than one something) lurking in there that needs to be eaten, thrown away, or shared. The pantry is the perfect place for Use It Up decluttering.

Besides, if it’s messy, things are hard to find. Who needs that?

I personally recommend, as I so often do, that like be stored with like. I am blessed with a wide but not ridiculously deep, pantry, so it’s easier for me not to lose cans or bottles in the deep, dark back of the cabinet. Very few items are doubled up where something has to be removed before something else can be seen or reached.

My pantry is arranged like this:

1. Top shelf: grains, legumes, pasta and the occasional truly oversized item. (Right now, a long package of smoked salmon.)
2. Next is a narrow shelf that’s the most miscellaneous: drink mixes, a few packet mixes, and a box of ramen (which technically should go on the shelf above, but the child who likes ramen can’t reach that high).
3. Next are all canned and bottled items, crackers, peanut butter, and a few items waiting to replace condiments that are almost empty in the refrigerator. I maximize space here by using an expandable can riser.
4. Next shelf is nuts (many kinds, since they’re Clara’s #1 snack) and granola bars. All of these are in storage containers, rather than their original packages, so they fit better and stay neater.
5. Next down is breakfast cereal, oatmeal, and grits.
6. The next shelf is devoted to my little cook Audra’s kitchen wear, some of which is play stuff and some of which is real, including her stock pot, which is bigger than mine.
7. And at the bottom are baking items: sugar, flours, cornmeal, and a lazy Susan (spinning circular tray) with vanilla, cocoa powder, baking powder, etc. on it.

The other reason you need to declutter your pantry is that there is food in there that you are ignoring and need to eat. Find that food and make a plan to eat it or use it in a recipe. Or there’s food in there that you shouldn’t eat (hello chips and packaged cookies!) and should get rid of by taking them to the office, giving them to a friend, or just throwing them away. It’s much easier to eat a healthy diet if the food that you have at home is healthy. If you don’t have chips, it’s a lot less likely that you’re going to give in to the chip monster when he comes calling (“eat me! eat me!”) while you’re watching TV or reading a book.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something your children no longer want saved for them.

Today’s Declutter Item

This belonged to my son but he is past caring about it. He allowed me to donate it to the thrift store. That’s one less thing that requires dusting in this house. Yay!!!

Basketball Souvenir

Something to be grateful for today

 A good cup of tea. Especially when someone else makes it for me.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Some time ago I compiled a decision making guide for my readers to use as a tool to help them choose what should stay and what should go. I haven’t mentioned it for a while so I thought I might bring it to the fore today so that you can refresh your minds  on the strategies of letting go. So here is the guide…

Questions to ask yourself when you are deciding what stays and what goes when decluttering.

• How long since I last used this:- If you are keeping an item just because maybe you might need it some day then it is probably clutter.
  
• Is it still useful to me:- Do I still use this item or even participate in the activity that this item is used for if not then it’s clutter.
  
• Is it in working condition:- If an item is broken and you do not have the expertise to repair it or you are not prepared to pay the price to have it fixed then it is clutter.
  
• How many do I have and how many do I need:- If you have multiples of a certain item but only ever need one then the others are most likely clutter.
• Do I need this item for the information it contains:- So much information is right at your finger tips these days on your computer and it is constantly updated do you really need to keep a library of books whose information may or may not stand the test of time.
• Do I like it:– If you are keeping something that was given to you even though you do not like it, it is definitely clutter.
• Do I really need this item in order to remember good times or lost loves:-If it is an item that has purely sentimental value yet you never get it out and look at it then there is a good chance you don’t need it to remind you of the good times you had and the wonderful people you have known. If it means so much to you put it out where you can see it if not let it go.
• Am I keeping this item out of guilt:- I paid a lot of money for this so I hope one day I will get my money’s worth out of it (old hobby items, sporting equipment, expensive clothing all fall into this category). These are the items you need to cash in on now and sell while they are still useful to someone else.
• Do I want to clean it:- Any item out on display will require dusting at least.
  
• Do I want to store it:-Do you have the space to store this item or is it just taking up precious space you can’t afford. 
  
• Do I want to move it out of the way when looking for something else:- The more items you have taking up space in your home the more likely they are going to get in the way of each other forcing you to have to shuffle things around when you do have cause to use them.
  
• Does it have a real purpose other than looking pretty:-This one speaks for itself. Although I like to have some nice objects to enjoy just for their appearance there is a limit to how many I can accommodate or justify.
  
• Will I be tired of it in six months:- This is a good question to ask before even acquiring an item in the first place.
  
• Do I want to pack and unpack this item when we move in a couple years:- This is a critical question for anyone who tends to move location on a reasonably regular basis due to work commitments for example.
• If this item had been taken from you and sold to a pawn shop (by a junkie friend or an evil in-law, whatever) would you buy it back? :- I bet there will be a lot of items that you wouldn’t waste your money on,  however low the cost. These are the things that need to go! (Thanks Gogol for this tip)

* * * * * * *

This guide can be a great help especially when sentimentality or “I might need it some day” ideas starts seeping in. These days I rarely have to think past “Do I want this item cluttering up my house or do I want it gone?” Gone usually wins. My desire to declutter my home now tends to override any petty reasons for keeping things that aren’t loved or well utilised. The chances are if you are considering an item for decluttering it is probably just that, clutter.

I never look at the pots and pans, my hairbrush, my one pair of slippers, the kitchen trash can or anything else I use everyday and think “Should I declutter those?” because I know they are useful. Same goes for useful items I use less regularly (such as my ironing board, the hairdryer, our ladder, or the immersion blender) or items I constantly enjoy like artworks, what’s left of my craft tools and my potted plants. Most other stuff that doesn’t fit into one of those categories does eventually end up as the focus of my declutter radar and is therefore more than likely clutter. Some things do pass the decision making test but that is a personal choice not because the item is essential to my existence. These items usually come under more scrutiny not to much further in the future and often end up sold or in the donation pile in the end.

So if all else fails and you still can’t come to a conclusion on a certain item then skip it and move on to something simpler to declutter. Chances are you will become more ruthless soon enough and wonder why you found in so hard to pull the trigger in the first place.

Today’s Mini Mission

Spy and declutter something shiny.

Today’s Declutter Item

These shiny gold bowls were given to me by my mother. I owned a couple of cups in the same style so she thought I would like the bowl which I did. They remind me of my grandmother and they are a good shape for eating cereal from. However I own plenty of other bowls that take up a lot less room that are also good for eating cereal from so these don’t need to clutter up my kitchen. I still have and use the cups that remind me of my grandmother and that is enough.

Shiny Gold Milk Glass Bowls

Something I Am Grateful For Today

Winning $10 on a scratch lottery ticket. I can exchange it for two more tickets and perhaps this time I will win a fortune. If not I will have had a few minutes of fun anticipation while scratching them. It is good to be easily amused. 😉

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

I received the following comment from Whisper last week which I think holds an important lesson when it comes to decluttering. Whisper wrote…

“A month or so before my move, I tried a half-cull of my jewelry (suggested in The Minimalist Packrat) – getting rid of a piece for every piece I was keeping. I don’t think I managed to be completely 50/50, but it really helped me reduce to a more manageable level. This was after 3 or more less than productive culls where I just looked for things I didn’t want. It took the irritation of my unproductive attempts to try a new way. Another example of frustration ending up helping.”

…and here is my response…

“What you are saying about culling your jewellery by half rather than just choosing the pieces you really didn’t want makes sense to me too. I use a similar approach with many things in my home. Instead of considering what I don’t want I think about how much less I do want. The desire to minimise usually usurps the desire to keep certain things I still feel slightly attached to.”

Instead of focusing on the things you think you want to keep or don’t want to keep focus on what you want the ultimate outcome of your decluttering to be. Like Whisper, if you want to reduce a certain category by half focus on reducing by half and don’t allow half hearted interest in certain items to convince you to keep them.

Take my kitchen for example. I have revisited the decluttering task in my kitchen over and over again. My kitchen items probably take up only two thirds of the space they used to. I have chosen to keep several things in the past just because they are aesthetically pleasing, suit my tactile nature or just in case I need them one day. But what I really want is to reduce the items to at least half of the original quantity.

I don’t need three different sets of bowls that can perform the same task just because they are all lovely in there own special way. I also don’t need four casserole dishes that haven’t been used in twelve months. I could keep two just in case and declutter the rest. I know that I can always replace them guilt free by picking up secondhand ones at the thrift store in the unlikely event that I might someday have a need for them. Not that I think this will ever be necessary. Now that I think about it I believe most of the items I have mentioned came to me secondhand in the first place.

So to put this plan in a nut shell ~ Just choose your goal and only keep the items that you want, need or like the most to fit with that goal. If your desire to declutter is strong enough this really won’t be a challenge.

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something that you keep in case of an emergency that never arises. Perhaps your first aid box needs decluttering or maybe you kept that pair of crutches from a previous injury like I have. Granted, I have used my pair on three separate occasions, but three times in seven years doesn’t justify keeping them.

Today’s Declutter Item

As per today’s mini mission here are the crutches I am decluttering today. Hopefully my optimistic attitude of not needing them again in the future will hold true to reality.

My Crutches

Something I Am Grateful For Today

I wasn’t looking forward to housecleaning yesterday but it feels so good now that it is done. I am grateful that the task is made easy by the fact that there is so much less to dust and shift after all my decluttering. I find time to deviate off the usual tasks to accomplish a  few extras because if this.

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

Cindy’s Weekly Wisdom – A Review of the Basics

Cindy

Why 365 Less Things?

Let’s get the grammatical question out of the way first and promptly. Yes, we know it’s supposed to be 365 Fewer Things, but it’s not. That’s all there is to it. (Can you believe that Colleen regularly gets comments from readers telling her she’s named the blog wrong? Do they think they’re the first to notice? Declutter this worry from your mind: You’re not the first.)

Now on to the meat of the matter: Why does 365 Less Things exist, and how can it help you?

I truly don’t know the origins of the 365 Thing A Day challenge. I saw it the first time on Unclutterer in a comment that Colleen had written. (Thanks to my friend Janet K. who referred me to Unclutterer, without which my life certainly would have been different over the past two years.)

The idea was simple: Declutter by getting rid of one thing each day.

I thought, “I can do that,” and I’m still doing it almost two years later. My house was a disaster of surface clutter (clean cabinets and drawers, messy counters and floors). Once I started, I couldn’t stop! On average I’ve decluttered three things a day, and it seems like I could go on for another two years.

Decluttering just one thing a day is such a small challenge. It’s so easy to find just one thing. You can take a random approach, open a cabinet or cupboard, and grab one thing, or you can be much more methodical and start in one location, systematically working your way through the house, garage, attic or basement, shed, yard, your neighbor’s side yard (oh wait – you better stop!)

Decluttering one thing a day allows you time to decide the best way to dispose of an item: sell, give away, recycle, trash.

Decluttering one thing a day allows you time to think hard about sentimental clutter and items that you think you “should” keep but don’t want to.

Decluttering one thing a day allows you time to realize the error of your ways in acquiring goods –  whether you shop too much, garage sale too frequently, or never pass up a treasure when it’s bulky trash day in your neighborhood – and slowly amend those ways so you don’t re-clutter at the same rate (or faster!) than you de-clutter.

Decluttering a thing a day is like the saying, “A  journey of 1000 miles begins with a single step.”

What one item will you be decluttering today?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter those shoes that you rarely wear that are too uncomfortable, you just don’t like or don’t fit your current lifestyle.

Today’s Declutter Item

So here are my declutter items for today. The shoes that I rarely of don’t use. One pair are too uncomfortable, one pair don’t suit my current lifestyle and the other pair I haven’t worn in so long I don’t even remember what they went with. Either way they are out of here.

Shoes I don't use

Something to be grateful for today

The beautiful sunny day that we have experienced here today. I took the opportunity to take a walk in the sunshine. I saved some gas too by walking to the post office and the dry cleaners. Win win!

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

One of the things I love about decluttering slowly but surely is that I am not forced to make rash decision as to what should and shouldn’t be decluttered. With my goal of one item a day there is only one decision to be made each day. Some decision are made in advance and eventually the day comes where I think “That will be my declutter item on the day.” Some decisions are spur of the moment when I stumble across an item that I had missed before but am in no doubt that it can go. While other things get passed over time and time again and left until I am ready to make the final decision on. There are also things I know I want to declutter but am not ready to deal with the hassle right now and that is OK too because I am still running to schedule. One day their time will come when I have the patience and inclination to focus my full attention on them to complete the task efficiently.

There are so many things that weren’t even on may radar at the start of my declutter journey but now are easy to let go off. This is because as I continue down this path my attachment to stuff in general becomes weaker and weaker. I am more enthusiastic to unburden myself of the clutter than I am to keep it. Things had better be loved, useful and not in excessive amounts or they are out of here.

So if you have something you aren’t sure about pass it by for now and move on to something else. Being conflicted over something when there are easier fish to fry is a waste of metal energy. Later on you might look back at that item again and think, I really want this gone more than I want it here so out it can go. It is actually a good feeling when you come to these conclusions because not only are you letting go of more stuff but you have clearly graduated to a new level of detachment to material things. And that is something to be celebrated.

Today’s Mini Mission

Remove something from your yard that a neighbour might be able to see and think looks out of place or unsightly. Ask the neighbour if you aren’t sure and are game.

Today’s Declutter Item

This jewellery box was no rash decluttering decision. I had been contemplating emptying it and decluttering it for a long time. There was no hurry as there were plenty of other items to declutter in the meantime. Finally the task is done and the box is off to the thrift store. I am still finding avenues to sell some of the contents so they will filter through as declutter items in the near future.

Jewellery Box

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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

I really enjoyed Cecily’s post from Tuesday. I very much agreed with her that we need to be honest with ourselves in order to convince ourselves to let go of the things that have really just become a burden to us.

Some of the things I used to find hard to let go of earlier in my declutter journey were…

• Storage containers once they became empty of clutter. The inner dialogue that would creep in at the point of letting go was ~ But they are so useful what if I find I need them later on. And my honest response was ~ I don’t plan on cluttering up my house again so I will make sure I won’t need them.
• Craft supplies. The what if argument would rare it’s ugly head again here too ~ What if I find later on that I have more free time to concentrate of being creative? My counter argument was ~ You still have more than enough supplies to keep you occupied for months maybe even years so enough is enough.
• Small sentimental items. The argument here was centred on the fact that they didn’t take up much room so what does it matter? I soon learned to counter with ~ Every piece of clutter is clutter no matter how big or small. Lots of small things add up to big clutter in the end. And generally these things were hidden away where I never saw them anyway so why keep them.
• Clever useful gadgets. No matter how clever and useful they are and no matter how much respect I have for clever design if I am no longer finding a use for them then they have become clutter to me. And rather then be wasted they should be set free to be useful to someone else.
• Things I still use regularly but had too many of. For example, pens, hand towels, craft supplies (again), coffee cups, glassware… this list could go on and on but I think you get the idea. All of these things get used often in my home and yes if I were to keep the excess they would eventually get used due to natural progression through wear and tear. BUT ! (did I make that clear enough)… that could take fifty years and putting aside that fact that I may not live that long the object of this exercise is to reduce clutter, all clutter. If I have to buy a pen or a cup forty years from now I think I can live with that.

I think you get the idea. Think about the things you own. Anything that feels like clutter probably is clutter. And if in doubt put it under careful scrutiny before walking away and trying to ignore its presence. Let it go and enjoy the freedom of living with less.

Today’s Mini Mission

The inside of the fridge always is in need of a little decluttering no matter how soon ago you did it last. Have a dig around and see if there is any out of date items or just items that you keep thinking you will use up one day but never do.

Today’s Declutter Item

These were one of those useful little things that I had to convince myself to let go of. They were being useful for some time holding foreign coins that were totally useless to us once we returned home from trips abroad. Once the coins were donated the pouches really weren’t needed either. Ignoring the argument that I might find a use for them in the future took a little effort but I got rid of them quick so there was no turning back.

Useful little pouches

“In daily life we must see that it is not happiness that makes us grateful, but gratefulness that makes us happy.” Brother David Steindl-Rast

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