I heard about Ann Marie Heasley’s “40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge,” in a tweet from Joshua Becker, one of the minimalists I follow. The challenge looks interesting enough:
So I printed out the worksheet and spent an hour or so writing down the areas of the house that need decluttering.
Day 1 was easy. I picked the foyer, an area where I bring all my good intentions — old towels for donation to the animal shelter, used print cartridges for store credit, and grocery bags for recycling, just to name a few. Unfortunately, these things never make it to their intended destinations because I have to find out where to take these donations and when these places are open. So they all get stuffed in the closet. But this time, I was determined. I made a pile of coats to donate and sorted through all the bags at the bottom of the closet. I plan on (really) bringing them to their new homes this week.
Day 2 was my desk. What was slated for an hour, turned into an afternoon project. It seems I have an obsession with post-it notes and expired, unclipped coupons. It was easy to throw out the coupon books and recycle newspaper coupons, but the coupons from that store that takes expired coupons…well, that’s where I got stuck. I shredded papers, put stuff away that didn’t belong on the desk, and paid some bills hidden in my inbox. I would like to revisit my desk later on in the challenge to see if there are more things I can toss.
Day 3, I needed something that wouldn’t require so much heavy lifting or movement. I chose to tackle my email boxes. I was going to save this for later on in the challenge, for those days when I couldn’t work at home. But, I needed something easy. Turns out I hoard email, too. I can’t seem to part with the “40% off already reduced prices AND free shipping coupons.” I deleted 1155 email from my one account and 333 email from another. I am proud to say that I unsubscribed to almost every retailer. Since then, I have been keeping up with unsubscribing and deleting unwanted email.
Day 4 I worked on my bedroom. No pictures for this one. Sometimes I have to draw the line on what I can share. #tooshameful I had a hard time parting with unmatched socks. My sister commented, “it makes me feel better when I use the unmatched socks to dust around the house before tossing them #getridofthem .” I also have an obsession with hotel toiletries. Sometimes I even ask housekeeping for extra. My cousin recommended, “donating those toiletries to a shelter… #keepgoing #inspired” So I will try to follow up on these suggestions.
Day 5 looks like this:
I will post an after pic on Instagram.
A big thanks to everyone who keeps me encouraged. I really don’t know how things get this bad. #lifejusthappens
How do you keep clutter at bay? Share with us your story…
Sometimes the one thing that keeps me motivated to discard items is knowing how happy and relieved and less anxious and LIGHTER I feel after doing so. It’s hard to throw things out but often the attachment is an emotional one completely unrelated to the item that’s being”saved.” Good job, keep it up and you will eventually get there. 40 days starts slow but comes up fast!
Thank you. I have to get rid of the “I might need it one day” mentality. #littlebylittle
#35togo #hoarderyouarenot #strongyouare
….also don’t hoard any new items to make up for lost items:)
#gonnakeeptrying #someareaswilltakemorethan1day
I hope you are continuing to make progress. Filling up your bags should help you to see that life is so unpredictable. Change your perspective of needing something “just in case”. Say to yourself that you are strong enough and smart enough and resourceful enough to figure anything out “just in case”. Objects are just in the way. You can’t be great if the view is blocked with stuff you don’t need.
#nevermediocre #yesicandoit
“I might need it one day” can mean a feeling of not wanting to be unprepared for a future event. While we cannot possibly be prepared for everything, the likelihood is that you will probably be able to face the unknown. You’re strong enough to let go (it’s easier to hang on)! You can do this.
You’re right. The sad part is when I actually need something, I cannot find it because there’s so much stuff, and I end up having to go out and get more. I will definitely think about what makes me so anxious about not being prepared…why is that such a concern…thank you.
Oh, I know I’m late to the party for this one but it’s perfect timing:). I’ve been wading through my filing cabinet over the past couple of months, shredding remnants of a past life. Drowning in paper! Love seeing your efforts and you’ve inspired me to continue mine:).
Yes, Kristine. Keep going at your own pace. I stalled once I started the harder stuff in the garage — the kids stuff, greeting cards, college papers, old bills. You’re right, it is a past life that is gone. Let’s make room for new memories. Keep going 🙂