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?

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?

Focus Challenge - Month 11

Over the last month I have been thinking about February 22nd, which will be the official end of the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge. I have already heard from some challengers that they are signing on for another 365 days. Way to go!

To me, decluttering doesn't end. We all consume. We all buy. 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.

Only you can decide how you will proceed after February 22nd. Has this been fun while it lasted and you are ready to put your efforts into a different area? Has decluttering become routine and you can't imagine not regularly decluttering? Have you run out of things to declutter? Did you finally begin addressing mental clutter and don't want to stop?

With a month remaining, I want to use our final Focus Challenge for introspection.

1) Think of the 7 pieces of clutter that you purged that were the most difficult, the most meaningful, the most inspiring (i.e., decluttering it led to other things being decluttered that had a fabulous effect on you or your life), etc.

2) For each item, write the name of the item on a piece of paper in the very center of the page. Draw a circle around it. Then, develop a mind map. To do so, draw a line out from the bubble with emotions/feelings you associated with the item. Then, from each of those feelings, draw branches out from it relating to how you felt when you possessed the item and later once you let it go.

It is my hope that our remaining Focus Challenge will provide insight to you on your clutter. Each item that you let go of during this challenge was only a thing, an item, an object, stuff. The emotion we attached to them (aka mental clutter) was the part that was the most difficult to purge.

Gaining this insight will aid us in the days to come by, hopefully, preventing more stuff from having an advantage over us by tapping into our emotions. As you might have heard before, you are not your stuff. You own your stuff; it does not own you...or, at least it shouldn't.

Thank you for taking this challenge with me. I greatly appreciate what I have learned along the way. I hope this journey has also been wonderful for you as well.

Focus Challenge - Month 10

This month's Focus Challenge comes during the time that a person who struggles with mental clutter would identify as a "difficult" time of year. I'm not knowledgeable on the traditions of all religions and all cultures, but I am guessing that most of us are celebrating during this season by exchanging gifts in some way.

After working on ourselves and our spaces for many months to slowly (one-item-a-day) release clutter from our lives, this may be the time of year when we could take in a whole lot more. I say could because the choice is ours. There is no guilt allowed here in the 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge...whether in decluttering past clutter or present clutter!

We'll receive an item and go through the wrenching dance between our mind and heart, or even between us and others, about whether we should keep the item. If, instead, we feel positive feelings and the sentence reads, "We'll receive an item and feel ___ (positive feeling here)", the end result will undeniably be we will keep the item.

For experiences that have a "should", realize that you've given up the power of your choice to clutter...both physical and mental!

An end result with a "will" in it is most importantly a decision of your own choosing. A much better way of living, don't you agree?

Hopefully, we have been taught civilized manners and are gracious when receiving a gift. Regardless of it feeling like clutter, mental or otherwise, we know (or are learning) that we are not obligated to accept mental clutter attached to a gift. And, we are already gaining momentum in purging physical clutter from our life. We won't be stopped by this physical clutter.

Only in a private moment with ourselves, after showing kindness to the gift-giver for their thoughtfulness, do we choose to allow the gift into our life or choose to let the clutter go.

Your Focus Challenge is to focus your decluttering efforts for the next month on mental decluttering. For now, it will be on gifts. As the new year begins, with a newer "you" than the last, you will also be setting up a foundation for purging even more clutter from your life.

Happy Holidays to you. Here's to an even Happier New Year!

More on Defining Clutter...

A good question was recently posted in the comments on Focus Challenge - Month 9.

Sometimes, items put away nice and neatly stay under the Decluttering Radar or confuse us. I thought this would be a good post for most of us to read, just to make sure our Decluttering Radars are still charged up and ready. :-)

My answer follows Jacqui's question. What do you think? Do they count as clutter? I'd love to hear your input!

Jacqui said...

Do boxes stored in the attic and in the garage count as clutter? =) I have a hard time letting go. It's definitely getting easier since I'm running out of room to neatly store things out of sight. I'm mostly an "a place for everything, everything in it's place" person. But with the kids accumulating more things and with my sewing obsession (without a room to put it in), its getting harder to store them neatly. My daughter has no problem letting go of most things, but my son is more like me. Of course Mike would just like to see it all go. LOL

Blogger Suzanne said...

Jacqui: First, hello my long-lost friend!!! :-)

Clutter is any thing you don't Love, Want, Need or Use. Defining your own things as clutter or not is only a decision you can make.

Items stored in boxes, whether in an attic, garage, on a closet shelf or just on the floor are only clutter if they don't meet the above criteria.

Meaning...
- Do you want them? This is probably yes, since you've taken care to store them away. But, sometimes, this is the easiest question to answer because we surprise ourselves and realize that, no, we don't want them. So, out it must go!

- Do you use these things? If no, then they are clutter. Decide to use them and do it, or realize that you need less physical clutter in your life and let them go. When you purge the physical clutter, the mental clutter follows it out the door. Imagine, not having the friction against Mike's desires and your own, not forgetting what you have and spending money on more, not feeling emotional mental clutter about it (see next item), etc.

- Do you love them...or do they make you sad, feel guilty, make your life feel inadequate (as in you wish you had time for other interests, but don't, and these things just remind you of that dissatisfaction), etc.? If they bring on unhappy feelings, they are clutter.

- Do you need them? If they are used and loved, then think about whether you need them. For example: Say you have one of something in your kitchen but have another that a relative gave you. That one isn't really your favorite so you put it away for "special occasions". If you bring it out and use it, then only you can decide whether its useful in your life to have a duplicate of something. If you are only keeping the second because of mental clutter, let it go. Find it a better home. Selling or giving things to someone who WILL use, love, need and want them will not be clutter to them, as they were to you.

Happy Decluttering!

Focus Challenge - Month 9

While reading The psychology of clutter by Heather Grimshaw in the Denver Post, the picture really stood out to me. I feel like this, because I can't get on to the next thing. I have looked at some items, knowing they are clutter by definition, but have not been able to drop the ax on them. Why? It's that mental clutter.

(Maureen Scance, The Denver Post)

I firmly believe that mental clutter, in all its forms, can hinder our lives just like physical clutter, and even body clutter. If you haven’t read the blog tagline in awhile, I'll put it right here so you can.

Clutter comes in many forms--sometimes obvious and sometimes not. Physical clutter is obvious, although defining it is a personal opinion. Mental clutter manifests itself into visual clutter. When you purge the physical clutter, the mental clutter will follow it out the door!

You’ve done fantastic dealing with the physical clutter in your life. Do you want to work on some of the mental clutter too? If so, I’m going to lay out my Focus Challenge…I’ll also add a simpler, "basic physical clutter" one for those who don’t want to join in.

Our Focus Challenge

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), practicality (I can't get another like this if I want it again later), etc.

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?

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.

Our Focus Challenge Lite

Examine these 7 areas of your home for clutter. Hopefully, you find an item that needs to go and you say "goodbye". Then celebrate another day of staying true to your challenge!

* Any flat surface in your home (i.e. tops of tables)
* Non-refrigerated food storage (Got canned food to donate to a food bank?)
* Any area hidden by a door that is not a room (i.e. cabinets, desk, etc.)
* Your room (This is our private sanctuary...what's in there that shouldn't be?)
* Your vehicle (Taking along extra stuff in the car reduces fuel mileage!)
* On you (anything that would go on you, i.e. skin care, makeup, accessories, clothing...)
* Seasonal (more holiday item decluttering...or even just decluttering a holiday obligation!)

I would really appreciate reading feedback on your thoughts about us working on purging mental clutter from our life.

Regardless of which Focus Challenge you accept, you can do this! Let's stay focused on our challenge!

Focus Challenge – Month 8

We've been decluttering our way through spring, summer and now we're into autumn. As the weather in my area has done an abrupt about-face and went from 90 degree days to 60/70 degree days PLUS cold wind in the last week, I am suddenly feeling very autumn inspired.

It wasn't so last year. I'm kinda excited! Last year I was not in the holiday mood, did almost nothing to decorate our home and even let holiday gift-giving sneak up on me...anyone who truly knows me understands that I buy holiday gifts during the year and have only little things to buy after Thanksgiving. So, this year, I've signed up for The Holiday Countdown to inspire me via babysteps to gear up for the festive season.

Many of us have decorated for Autumn, Halloween and maybe even Thanksgiving already. If you've not done so and want to, c'mon, join us! Let's illuminate our spaces with little touches of the season to give thanks for the harvests; to enjoy the time of gatherings between friends, families and neighbors; and to celebrate the end of another year.

Let's use this inspiration for our Focus Challenge this month.

1) If you've got your holiday things here, there and everywhere, spend 15 minutes each day to bring it all together. If you've already decorated, look for stuff that you did not put out--odds are good there is a reason for it.

2) As you find things, give them the "clutter or not" once over. Do you love it?...Want it?...Use it?

If not, declare the item to be your 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge item of the day and celebrate another day that you stayed true to your challenge!

For those who haven't decorated and want bonus points, choose a holiday decor item that passed the clutter or not test and put it up. ;-)

3) After all of your holiday stuff has been given a once-over, start thinking of a central way of storing it after the season. There's no use having to start at Step 1 (bringing it all together) next year.

- Do you have adequate containers, shelf space, etc. to store it together?
- Do you want to separate Autumn decor from the Halloween decor? Or separate Thanksgiving from Christmas, etc?
- Do you want to put everything that gets put up first during the season into one container or in one place? If so, maybe having the containers or spaces labeled as one, two, three, etc. will help you out next year.
- Can your holiday gift wrapping supplies be stored together and away from your regular gift wrapping supplies?
- How about storing seasonal cookware, cookbooks, etc, together and away from your everyday kitchen stuff?

No matter the task, my thought process is this: don't let stuff overrun me.

Since we are trying to declutter our homes, it makes sense to declutter our seasonal stuff too. If we use it/love it/want it, then we should take care to have it around for the next year. Use this season to declutter and give yourself the gift of order next year!

Focus Challenge – Month 7

Please, take this moment to give yourself a HUGE pat on the back for all of the decluttering progress you have made in your life. WOW, over 200 days that we've been changing our life for the better and over 200 pieces of clutter that have been evicted from our life. WTG, I'm so proud of us!

You are over halfway through your challenge and are probably a changed person on both the inside and the outside. I bet your eyes are more tuned to identifying clutter and your Motivation Meter is going strong. The clutter doesn't stand a chance!

Now that we're feeling pretty good and read to face our next month, let's do a Focus Challenge! I bet a lot of the clutter that was right out in the open has either been purged, repurposed (to not be clutter any more) or may soon be on its way out. Let's focus on hidden clutter for the next 7 days.

Here are 7 areas to check for your daily decluttering item. If you find and declutter something there, great, because you're done with your challenge for the day! If not, you'll just have to keep looking for one thing to declutter that day. ;-)

* Outside space

* Purse and/or diaper bag

* Desk/dresser drawer in any bedroom besides your own

* Trunk of vehicle

* Refrigerator door

* Magazine rack or bookcase

* Least used kitchen cabinet

Focus Challenge – Month 6

Can you believe that we are at the halfway point? Wow! Awesome! Yay!

H a p p y ~ M o n t h . 6 ~ A n n i v e r s a r y !
How would you describe your journey so far? In what ways have you grown & changed in a positive way by accepting and staying true to your challenge? Are there areas where you feel that you still struggle and, if so, how can we help you through those? What are your proudest moments about how your decluttering journey has improved your life?

For me, my decluttering journey has taught me that I can indeed do something routinely. It has also shown me that clutter is much worse than everyday dirt & grime, in that clutter has the biggest impact on making my home look dirty or relatively presentable. I would have never come to that realization without accepting my own 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge.

My biggest area of weakness is feeling alone in my challenge. I *know* there are many 365 Challengers out there. However, that doesn't help keep me motivated since you are all virtual friends. You can't stop by and declutter with me. You won't know if I *really* am staying true to my challenge....and for some of us, I know that the lack of accountability is something we struggle against. And, since many of you are not posting a comment on the blog every now and again, sharing your successes & struggles, I feel alone. If you find yourself with a minute, I would greatly appreciate you taking a moment to post a few thoughts to us all. I bet I'm not the only one who would get a motivational boost from it!

My proudest moment is the change in my perspective, by learning to define clutter and to realize that I need peace more than stuff.

So, how would you describe your journey so far?

For a really special anniversary such as this, I gotta give you all a HUGE gift...a la Focus Challenge! To keep our fun spirit of adventure burning and to even bring out the kid in all of us, let's do a Scavenger Hunt. Here's a fabulous list of possible clutter hiding in your home, that is just hoping you'll never find it with your newfound decluttering eyes!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Edited to add...

I put the Scavenger Hunt list in Word so that I could use it to keep track. I'm shading the square in purple and changing the font to white. I know, I'm a little ehhhh, LOL! Anyways, it looks pretty with the 2 colored squares that I've got right now and it will be fun to see more purple than white squares eventually!

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Here's what I propose:

1. Print the list.
2. Alter the list, if needed (for example, making a substitution for sippy cups if you don't have children).
3. Review the list each day to choose an item to find and declutter.
4. Find it. Put it in your Donation Station or do as usual for your regular decluttered item of the day.
5. Mark the spot--put an X on the spot, apply a sticker, color it with a highlighter, etc.
   

Now, a SH can be as easy or as hard as you make it. We are fun-loving and adventurous people, who love a little challenge, are we not? ;-)

Just don't let perfectionism frustrate you because you don't find every single thing. If you find yourself feeling that way, I want you to turn that attitude around and pat yourself on the back for every single item that you do find. Promise?

As you make your way through your Scavenger Hunt, you can even post "I found 5!" and we will celebrate right alongside you. And on it goes as you post "I found 10!", "I found 15!", etc., with a final post declaring your Scavenger Hunt grand total.

Enjoy your Scavenger Hunt Focus Challenge! I wish you all another awesome and successful 6 months of your 365 Days of Decluttering Challenge!!

Focus Challenge - Month 5

It's anniversary time once again. We have been going strong on our own challenges for approximately 5 months now.

How ya feeling? Are you inspired by the challenge to keep the decluttering going now as a lifestyle instead of a fad diet? Do you feel you've grown through all of your hard work to keep true to your challenge and declutter an item each and every day? I hope you are feeling those things and more.

Congratulations to you all! You are doing awesome.

How about we play a word game for our next Focus Challenge? For the next seven days, use the letters in the word C-L-U-T-T-E-R to inspire your decluttering. You can declutter something that starts with one of the letters (ex: cup, catalog, canned food...and so on for each of the letters), look in a location that starts with one of the letters (ex: cabinet, car, closet...and so on), etc.

Have fun with this...and don't forget to post your decluttering finds so we can enjoy your puzzle too! :-)

C =
L =
U =
T =
T =
E =
R =