Decluttering Made Simple (27-17-7)

A post on the FlyLadies & More forum was very useful so I am sharing it with you all here.

It's called 27-17-7.

As you can see on the link above, the original idea was to do the first part of a 27 Fling Boogie by going through your home and finding 27 items that need to be thrown away. Repeat daily. Once you've cleared the home of the obvious trash, the next step is to choose 17 items that you don't need, love, use or want and donate, sell or otherwise get to a home that is not yours! Again, doing this every day "Until there is nothing left to donate...not even an extra pair of shoes." The final step was to find 7 homeless items and return them to their home or designate a home for them.

And, as we all know, decluttering doesn't have a stopping point. The last part from the post is: "When you've done that, start again." Oh man!

Inspired by these 3 simple steps, I've begun using the 27-17-7 plan in my home.

--> As I collect bits off the floor, empty junk mail off the desk, etc. I put the items into a small bag. At the end of the week, I've usually collected more than 27 things. It's amazing to realize that. Taking the time to do this extra step has reminded me about how doing a little here & there can accomplish so much!

--> I put items that I've defined as clutter in our Donation Station every day, as usual. At the end of the week, I count them as I move them from a temporary bag to the one that I take to the charity. There's always at least 7 items; for one item a day. What can I say? I've been trained.

--> As I live with a messie for a husband and have 2 small children, I can easily find 7 items a day to bring back to their homes.

Each of us is taking a different decluttering journey based on our starting points. None are less noble than another.

If you are completing a 27-17-7 every day, wow, look at you go! If, like me, you've decluttered your life to where it's a weekly event, that's terrific. Or maybe you live more simply (kudos to you) and can not finish a 27-17-7 in a week's time. The important part is that you celebrate your efforts once you have done so.

Every single one of us is taking action towards reducing the physical and mental clutter in our lives. For that, I am so proud of you. Keep going!

Focus Challenge - Month 3

First things first...C O N G R A T U L A T I O N S to all of us for working our 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge for approximately 3 months!!!! During this time, there have been ups & downs for each of us but we are still going strong, and still evicting clutter from our lives!

We can do this. Just gotta keep our FOCUS on our CHALLENGE!!!!!

For Focus Challenge #3, I am using Kris’ great idea about integrating it with the current FlyLady Zones. I tried to think up something really creative but, well, it didn’t happen. LOL! Here’s what we finally ended up with; hope you enjoy this month’s Focus Challenge. ;-)

As Kelly says in the Missions, your bedroom is your private retreat and you deserve to not be surrounded by clutter while you sleep.

--> For the 2 remaining days in Zone 4: The Master Bedroom (May 19 - 23), plus the weekend*, the focus areas for finding your decluttered item are:

* Nightstand

* Bed (look under it…use/love/need the linens you have for your bed…etc.)

* Closet/clothing/jewelry & accessories

* Miscellaneous pile, box or such that rests in the bedroom with you.

--> For the first 3 days in Zone 5: The Living Room (May 26 - 30), the focus areas for finding your decluttered item are:

* Entertainment center/armoire/whatever your TV lives on :-)

* Any table in the room

* Miscellaneous anything that lives in the living room with you.

If you find something to declutter in the focus area, that's great, because you're done with your challenge for the day! :-) If not, you'll just have to find one elsewhere. Hopefully, many of us can find at least ONE clutter item there that is ready to be evicted.

* Unlike Kelly's Missions, there is no day off in my 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge. Please remember: if you do schedule a day off in your 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge, you are no less of a very worthy challenger ;-)

Happy Anniversary!

With everyone starting on a different day, I want to define just one day as our “Anniversary Day”. Should it be the day I started and sent out the call to everyone to join me? Should it be the first day that someone did? The first day of the month? So many possibilities.

One of my most inspirational people, Marla Cilley who is known as FlyLady, chooses to use her favorite number as a date to remember an important event. So, in honor of her, I will do the same. My favorite number is 22. Both of my children were born on the 22nd of the month, so I hold that day near and dear already. Now, I’ve just added another reason for importance.

From here forward, the official anniversary of the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge will be on the 22nd of each month.
H a p p y ~ M o n t h . 1 ~ A n n i v e r s a r y !

On our Anniversary, I will also send out a gift—what I’ll call a Focus Challenge. Decluttering all alone isn't much fun. It can be, if we make a game of it! 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!

Again I say...Happy Anniversary! This is an important day. You began a journey 30 days ago, give or take, 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……