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?