Focus Challenge - Month 12 (2010)

For all of us who accepted our 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge for 2010 at the beginning of the year, we are almost at the end of our challenge. I truly hope that no matter how you may judge your progress, that you feel amazed at what you've accomplished because any clutter gone is better than none!

The last Focus Challenge being issued this year will be another thinking one; a little something to consider as we head into the new year, fresh with promise. Write down all of the reasons behind why you chose to accept your 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge. Look over your list and put a "P" (for positive) or "N" (for negative) next to each one. My list is below.

* to decorate my home with items that I would choose today (not keep just because they had been given to us when we were starting out) P
* stop eating so much processed food or going out to eat N
* only buy what I will use P
* don't get stuff that will be put off on my future self to do N

As you can see, they are all good for me, therefore positive. However, I didn't word them in that way. I was using these "improvements" to mentally beat myself up about choices I'd made in the past so that's why I gave them a (N)egative rating.

The challenge is to inspire a routine approach to looking at our stuff for signs of it being clutter. A routine that we can keep up with and develop into a lifestyle change...not to get on a decluttering high that will lead to a de-motivating crash & burn.

To me, decluttering doesn't end. We all buy. We all consume. And we all have the potential of letting clutter in the door or keeping it here when we get more stuff. Pretty much, we all have to decide what stays and what goes, because there is always more clutter trying to make its way into your space and into your mind.

The act of decluttering is not meant to be a weight around our neck dragging us down either. The processs is meant to lighten our baggage, both physical and mental. We are doing this to better our lives so each reason on our list of reasons should be, or can be redefined to be, one that is a (P)ositive in our life.

Over the next few days, consider revising the wording on any items that have a "N" next to them. Your past self was doing the best it could do at the time; now your present self is going to use perspective gained during your decluttering challenge to spin those reasons around and make them positive. I hope you'll also add a few more positive reasons why, from this time forward, you are doing this decluttering for you.

Here are mine:
* to decorate my home with items that I would choose today (not keep just because they had been given to us when we were starting out) P
* stop eating so much processed food or going out to eat N
* remove processed food from kitchen & purchase fresh food to eat P
* only buy what I will use P
* don't get stuff that will be put off on my future self to do P
* think about future self's needs more P

For those who are still in progress on their challenges, past Focus Challenge ideas are available to inspire you during the months ahead. And I am here, ready to share motivation and cheer you on, if you need it. My email address is in my profile.

Are you accepting another 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge for 2011?

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 11 (2010)

This month's Focus Challenge was inspired by Mary Jo's post at reSPACEd on shifting your perspective when it comes to decluttering.

Your Focus Challenge this month while preparing for your holiday guests is to not think about decluttering. Instead, start noticing your favorite things, the things you most want guests to see, admire and appreciate. These are your "fire drill" items.

When you zero in on what it is that you truly love, need, want and use, the rest stands out and apart. The clutter hiding right in front of you will reveal itself. You may think you're just too busy at the moment to do anything but, at the very least, you can shift your perspective and identify that hidden clutter.

Bonus points to you if you kick it out of your face and out of your space!

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 10 (2010)

Again, I do apologize for forgetting your September Focus Challenge. And, now, I must apologize for missing October's posting as well! Sigh.

Putting up the missing September post and prepping the October post has been on my to-do list for the entire month of October. Really. Just carried over from one day to the next, hoping that today is the day when I'd make time to get it done. They don't take much time to think up and format for posting, yet I just kept procrastinating. As I said, hoping that the ever-promising "some day" would finally come.

Unfortunately, the tail end of the "busy season" at my day job was also filled with final preparations for our first ever Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony to honor local high school athletes, coaches, officials, administrators and benefactors in our area. Planning a first event is always a challenge and this was no exception. We've seen our guest list swell from 180 to a maximum capacity 520 in the last 2 weeks! Oh, and the event is tomorrow. Talk about people waiting until the last minute. It has been some exciting but harried last few days. Everyone in my office has helped to plan the event and we will all be truly happy when Monday, October 25th is here...the day after the event.

So, again, I deeply apologize for putting the 365 Days of Decluttering Challengers on the back-burner not once but twice. Since you've had to wait so long, I definitely want to give you something extra. Below is your Focus Challenge for October and bonus inspiration courtesy of MaryJo, writer of the reSPACEd blog. Enjoy!

Focus Challenge:
As the holiday family time and events are coming up upon us, consider decluttering time, energy and money "commitments" that you don't feel committed to any longer.

Think visits to family and friends that can be edited or deleted; meaning they come to you this time instead of you going to them, separating visits into more than one day instead of back-to-back in a single day or skipping them this year altogether. And those holiday events and parties that feel numerous and overwhelming...they aren't really when you choose which are important to you and you "get to" attend them instead of "have to".

** I just realized that the Focus Challenge on this very same month last year, reminded us not to give up the power of our choice to holiday gift clutter, both of the physical and mental kind! **

I know this is much easier said than done sometimes. OK, many times. However, becoming more aware of your needs and filling them is your top priority. Clutter is anything we don't love, need, want or use and committments are no exception. Any change you make, even if it's just in thought rather than action, will still help you clear some clutter!

BONUS:
Try this quick organizing trick to make decluttering a snap.

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 9 (2010)

Otherwise known as "Forgotten Fall" around here (please read). I am so sorry for completely forgetting about posting your September Focus Challenge!

For this challenge, take a look at all of the Autumn and holiday items you are bringing out. Do like, love and intend to use them all? Or are there a few that have seen their usefulness in your life end and can now be decluttered? If so, get them out of your space and give them new life elsewhere*. And be sure to congratulate yourselves for staying true to your decluttering challenge!

*If they're useable, please consider giving them away to someone you know or one that you don't (donating to a charity). One's mans treasure and all that. Plus the landfill doesn't need unnecessary stuff thrown in there; there is already too much in the way of trash being generated!

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 8 (2010)

For this month's Focus Challenge, let's focus on our outside space some more. Whether it's just a patio or an entire backyard, odds are good that some clutter is hiding out there.

My suggestions would be to look for items that were left there "just for a bit" but then were forgotten, unfinished projects, decor items that we no longer use or love, etc.

On each of the next 7 days, stand at the entry to your outside area and take a good look around the whole space. What catches your eye? Your focus challenge is to identify and purge 7 items of clutter.

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 7 (2010)

I've been spending so much time outside enjoying the beautifully mild summer we've been having here in Northern California that I haven't been inside enough to keep track of my calendar. I completely missed posting a Focus Challenge on our anniversary. Whoops and sorry!

This month's Focus Challenge is to examine physical items of clutter that have been able to stay around because of a mental clutter hold, whether it was because of sentimentality (i.e., missing someone), fear (of not having the money to replace something decluttered if you ever need to), practicality (I can't get another like this if I want it again later), etc.

If it's not the item itself that you cherish, but the memory that it invokes, can you keep a picture of the item?

What about the mental "have to, should do, etc." that has been placed on the item, whether by others or ourselves? Do you "have to" keep this dish from Aunt Sally? If you feel it is a yes, do what you can to make it a cherished keepsake. Treat it with respect by displaying it yourself, or loaning it to a family member who will, instead of being destined to live its life buried in a box in the attic or closet.

Is there a way to retain it but in an uncluttered way? For example, if it's a fabric item, do you really need to keep the item in its entirety or could you keep a swatch of it?

When you realize the sway that our thoughts have, inducing us to hold on to clutter, you gain awareness. As your awareness grows you learn to see these mental clutter holds and will hopefully take action at that time to release them.

Challenge yourself to find 7 items that didn't appear to be clutter until you thought about why you have them. Let these items go. Begin to see life in a whole new way...where you own your stuff and don't allow it to own you!

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 6 (2010)

Summer is here! As this is my favorite time of year, I am already spending more time out-of-doors than in. How about you?

With all of the outdoor activities happening now, it's time to set our sights on seasonal clutter. For the next week, go through seasonal items such as warm weather clothing, outside toys, outdoors gear, etc. for an item that needs to be decluttered fitting these letters:

O -

U -

T

S -

I -

D -

E -

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Response to Reader Question: Childhood Momentos

A good question was recently posted in the comments on the Introduction page for our challenge.

I believe that sentimental objects are not a problem unless they interfer with the quality of our present life. If mental clutter has invaded your life via childhood momentos, whether yours or your own children, the thoughts below are worth a read.

If you have more ideas in response to her question, please don’t hesitate to share!

la triste contenta said...

hello, how can I get rid of my son's preschool art work? it's so hard for me and it is not the same if I just take pics of them... Oh my! and they occupy a lot of space and I hardly use them in a regular basis, but I think (feel) they're a treasure (for me and probably for him in the future)... I'm confused with this issue... the same happens to me with his baby clothing!!!

Suzanne said...

Uh oh, you are in trouble. If you are already feeling these physical items roping you in emotionally, can you imagine how overwhelmed you will be with many more school years worth added in?

You are not alone though. So many moms have to find their way and learn the art of balance; not only with artwork but with many items of their children's childhood.

All I can offer are some perspective-inducing thoughts and any support you'd like as you work through finding your balance between cherishing the past without letting it overwhelm your present.

* Our children will not hate us for parting with anything from their childhood. With that said, many people do like to have a little something to look at from their past. The key is to remember that everything is too much and not special. Keeping some select things allows each piece to be appreciated, admired and to serve as a memory tie-in between our past and who we are now.

* Kelly from Tidy Brown Wren, a preschool teacher, shared some very useful tips for managing kids paperwork during the school year. I have no system and see a lot of useful information in here to incorporate into my own life for creating a system that will work for me!

* Check out these ideas on how to display childhood art so that it can be appreciated now, as well as saved for the future.

* I know you mentioned a photograph not working well for you but maybe this combination will help with some of the items? From Why we hold on to sentimental clutter by Unclutterer: “Snap a digital photograph of the item and keep only the image. Save these pictures securely online in a program that allows you to keep notes about the image (like Flickr or Picasa)…Write a journal entry about the item before you get rid of it. The act of writing down the memory will let you think about the experience, which is usually more valuable than the object itself.”

* For baby clothing, I found it easier to declutter the special items if I knew the child that would be wearing them. Hopefully, you know some people with similar gender/sized children and can pass these items on. That way they can be worn and be special to someone else (another mom) rather than having them stored away where no one gets to appreciate them.

* If you’re so inclined, look for creative opportunities to repurpose some of the items, such as transforming clothing and blankets into quilts and framed artwork or drawings into wrapping paper and cards.

* Pretty much, look for ways to gently separate yourself from whatever you can. You may not become a reformed sentimental keeper but you will have less overall!

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 5 (2010)

This month's Focus Challenge is courtesy of MaryJo Monroe, a professional organizer in Portland, Oregon with a passion for clutter control and inexpensive decorating. In addition to being a professional organizer, home stager and home redesigner (using what her clients already own), she also writes at reSPACEd, a blog offering ideas on home design and organization for the budget-conscious.

Sooner or later in the decluttering process, you come across an item that you do not love nor use anymore, yet can’t bring yourself to discard. There are several reasons for this. Here are seven of the most common reasons:

1. Perfectionism: We believe we cannot make the perfect decision about this item, (e.g. What if I throw it away and need it later? What if I can’t find a place at which to recycle it?) so we end up making no decision at all.


2. Helpfulness: We may be able to help someone and save the day by having just the item that he or she needs.


3. Anthropomorphize: We kind of feel sorry for the item for discarding it, so we don’t. Maybe this item has been with you through thick and thin and it would be doing it a dishonor by simply throwing it in the trash.


4. Proof of Love: Greeting cards, letters and gifts are all indicators that someone loves or loved us.


5. Identity: We reason that if we have a lot of craft supplies, then we are crafty people. If we have lots of books, then we’re intellectuals. The items represent a part of ourselves that we want to believe is an authentic part of ourselves.


6. Past Memories: An item represents something we want to remember in our past, and we are afraid we will not remember the event if we get rid of the item.


7. Boundaries: Particularly with collections, we don’t stop collecting, even when we run out of space. We figure if a few are good, a lot is better.
   

Take a look around one room of your choice, maybe even a room you have already decluttered, and make sure that every item – and I mean every item – is something you use or something you love. If you find something there that does not meet that criteria, see if one of these seven reasons is the culprit. My appreciation to Sandra Felton, founder of Messies Anonymous, for supplying me with this list.

And my thanks to MaryJo for graciously accepting my invitation to share her expertise. These 7 mental clutter culprits do cause physical clutter. We accept your challenge to use that insight this week to zero in on the clutter hiding in our home because it's been shielded by mental clutter. As we say around here...Mental clutter manifests itself into visual clutter. When you purge the physical clutter, the mental clutter will follow it out the door!

Be sure to subscribe to reSPACEd to see all of MaryJo's clutter-busting inspiration.

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 4 (2010)

For our focus challenge this week, let's play hide & seek!

Check in pockets of any sort for hidden clutter.

Some ideas for places to look are:
Backpacks
Backseat pouches (cars)
Briefcase
Clothing (if you rehang it to wear it again)
Coats
Diaperbag
Door panels (cars)
Purse

Happy Hunting!

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 3 (2010)

Focus Challenge

When looking for your daily item, hit a home run this week by decluttering something from all 4 categories: unwanted, unused, unloved and unneeded.

Focus Challenge - Advanced Level

Think back to the items you've decluttered so far and determine which of the 4 criteria(s) above that those items fell into. For your Focus Challenge this week, narrow your focus to the least used category when looking for your daily decluttering item.

You can, of course, declutter anything you'd like as long as you are staying true to your challenge and decluttering at least one item per day! However, learning to narrow the focus to a single category provides a little excitement for those of us with a mostly decluttered home or for those of us who've still got a little mental clutter to fling.

Regardless of which you choose to do...You're doing awesome in your journey to clear the clutter from your life in 2010. Keep going!

If you have an idea for a future Focus Challenge, I'd love to share it. Please send it to me via email (address is in my profile) or you can include it in a comment on this post. I will be attributing it to you so be sure to include a website, Twitter ID, etc. if you'd like it mentioned.

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 2 (2010)

Where did my weekend go? Anyways, I apologize for forgetting our Anniversary yesterday and not posting our Focus Challenge. This time we are going to help our future self out just a bit.

Find 7 small pieces of clutter over the next week IN ADDITION to your daily item. Put your daily item in your Donation Station and stash the other items near it.

During your 365 day journey there will come difficult days. It happens; life does get in the way of our grand plans sometimes. If you are too busy on a particular day to find an item to declutter, pull one from your saved items to use. You will thank your past self for helping you out like that!

Similarly, if you miss a day because life was so busy and the day was over before you knew it, allow yourself the mistake and renew your commitment for the days following. Believe it or not, you decluttered something...the guilt & frustration with yourself would have been mental clutter. If you don't allow it to take root, then you have decluttered it! With that said, beware of starting down the very slippery slope by allowing yourself to miss a day on purpose.

If you must make it up (remember...there's no guilt allowed here!), then pull an item from the "just in case" stash on the very next day, put it in your Donation Station and call it good. The point of the challenge is not all-or-nothing defeating perfectionism, but to build the routine of doing something each day to develop it into a lifestyle habit. If you miss a day, keep going!

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Focus Challenge - Month 1 (2010)

On my first run-through of the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge, I defined the 22nd of the month as a special “Anniversary Day” since everyone starts their challenges on different days.

Now that I've accepted another 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge, I was asked if I will again send out a gift on our Anniversary—what I call a Focus Challenge. I wasn't quite sure if I could think up new ways to challenge everyone but the ideas have been coming. The older Focus Challenges are still available and a new one will be posted on the 22nd of each month. Which ever you choose to do, the Focus Challenge will serve to remind us that, actually, we are not doing this all alone. Many other people are right there beside us doing the same thing, at the same time. Some are going through the same challenges, and some face others, but we are all united in one purpose!

You began a journey to do something, anything, towards evicting clutter from your life. That determination to make a change AND actually taking action on it is something that should be applauded all on its own. Starting is almost always the hardest part of doing something.

So, are you ready to rev up your engines, have some fun and work on this month’s Focus Challenge? OK, here we go……

~ Focus Challenge # 1 ~

Stand at the front door of your home and look into the room. This is the most important of all positions in your home. It's where you enter your home environment and where others have their first impression of your home (and you) as well. Your focus challenge is to look for your daily decluttering item in this room for the next 7 days.

Focus Challenge - Advanced Level

On each of the next 7 days, visit a different room of your home (in a clockwise motion from your front door) to look for your item of the day to declutter. On day 1 start on the first room you enter, on day 2 move to the room to the left of your entrance. Continue for all 7 days, circling the exterior facing rooms of your home. If you have less than 7 rooms, then proceed inward like the spiral pic above. If you run out of rooms (for instance, if you live in a 1 bedroom apartment and only had 4 rooms total, like I once did), here's your solution. Apply the spiral to all rooms first and then look for the remaining items in the largest room just the same way as described above, moving from the outside-in.

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?

Yes to a New Year's Theme and Gifts, Not Resolutions

At this time of year, many of us are thinking of the new year ahead and about changes we'd like to make in our lives or ourselves that we can put in a tidy package called a New Year's Resolution.

But I ask, why does January 1st have to feel much more important than May 7th or September 12th? Ah, I know...it's that itty bitty part of us that seeks perfection. The part that loves a very clear, very defined starting point and that loves to feel ignited by motivation. And what could be more motivating than starting something on the very first day of a brand new year?

I used to be that kind of New Year's Resolution maker...the one who met the new year bright eyed and excited with a list of life-changing resolutions in mind. Like this article says about the science behind failed resolutions, I mistakenly thought that I could follow through on that list of New Year's resolutions if only I had a bit more discipline. I even built in negative consequences to my resolution (like the money spent on a gym membership to force encourage me to like to exercise!)

So, in defiance I suppose, I have sworn off making any sorts of changes for the last few years just because I've brought out a new calendar. However, I admit, even the anti-resolution side of me has been a wee bit excited by all of the tweets, blog posts and articles I have let myself read lately.

Maybe that's because, in early 2009, I realized that life had lost its flavor and, by April, I had decided that I was ready to put myself in the line of priority, and right in front. I later realized that this was just my inner awareness coming back to me after having been in a depression funk for a few years. With the second half of 2009 devoted to taking care of me, and sharing what I've learned with you all as well, I'm feeling very motivated to continue and see how awesome I can make 2010.

Now that I'm excited and ready to meet a new year, with an attitude of making positive changes for as many of the next 365 days as possible, I will declare my New Year's Theme for 2010 to be: Take Care of Me...the full year version!

Here are the gifts I plan to give myself in the coming months. I truly hope I get to the big gift but otherwise I will just enjoy the stocking stuffers!

Accepting the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge for 2010

Clutter and unfinished projects around here don't stand a chance!

Taking care of my body by being kind to it (enhancing my best traits on the outside and eating well to take care of me on the inside)

As Sally says it so succinctly:
This is the only body you've got.
Be kind to it.
Befriend it.
Work with it, not against it.
Care for it tenderly and you will be a much happier person.

Continuing to live a cash-only lifestyle (started in 2009)

The new component this year will be to put money into a high-yield savings account every month that will become the money I spend on 2011 expenses. I’m tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck and will eventually be using money that’s spent a year gaining interest instead of new money that hasn’t!

To regain the inner peace I have lost during the past few years

I'm not ready to give any specifics on this one just yet.

What will your New Year's Theme be for 2010? What gifts are you going to give yourself over the coming months?

Below, I've listed some ideas to get you thinking. These were part of an email forward I received but do they ever work for new year, new you inspiration!

But, first, I would highly recommend you read Dani's insight on how to prepare for change and Leo's definitive guide to sticking to your New Year's Resolutions. They are definitely inspiring!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Themes ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Simplify and unclutter your life.

Never borrow from the future.
(If you worry about what may happen tomorrow and it doesn't happen, you have worried in vain. Even if it does happen, you have to worry twice.

Develop a forgiving attitude.
(most people are doing the best they can)

Be kind to unkind people.
(they probably need it the most)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Gifts ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Get organized so everything has its place.

Say No to projects that won't fit into your time schedule, or that will compromise your mental health.

Pray

Practice gratitude.
(Every night before bed, think of one thing you're grateful for that you've never been grateful for before.)

Go to bed on time.

Get up on time so you can start the day unrushed.

Delegate tasks to capable others.

Slow down.
Allow extra time to do things and to get to places.

Pace yourself.
Spread out big changes and difficult projects over time; don't lump the hard things all together.

Separate worries from concerns. If you can't do anything about a situation, forget it.

Live within your budget; don't use credit cards for ordinary purchases.

Do something for the kid in you everyday.

Get enough rest.

Eat right.

Listen to a tape while driving that can help improve your quality of life.

Write down thoughts and inspirations.

Sit on your ego.

Talk less; listen more.

Every day, find time to be alone.

Top 5 Posts:
How I Define Clutter
Decluttering: A How-To
I'd Rather Stay Home From Work and De-junk
Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)
Ever Felt Afraid to Declutter?