I was just looking back at my posts and decided that I needed to pick up where I left off on the De-Cluttering Challenge that I started in January.
Start Date: 7th January 2018
The Challenge: Clean up throw/give/sell away stuff that I don't need around the house and office. The number of stuff that I need to throw/give/sell away corresponds to the date. I started on the 7th and I had to throw/give/sell away 7 things that I don't need and it goes on.
End Date: 5th February 2018
Total things to throw/give/sell away: 490 (I hope my maths is right)
Day 11- Day 20 would be from the 17th to the 26th of January and the total number of things that I should have thrown/given/sell away is 215!
This is my list of things:
More bills/papers/mails - I can't even count. Shredded them but I would envision in the range of about 300 pages! (This is a very conservative estimate) So environmentally unfriendly. I wish more companies would stop sending snail mail! It takes me ages to clean them up too!
Cleaned out my make up stuff and decided to get rid of really old make up! Can't believe that I kept some of them for about 10 years now. Yucks! Imagining all the bacteria growing...Eye shadow palettes & single colours, old lipsticks and lip gloss - 37 pieces.
Medicine cabinet was next with all the old and expired medicines. Some even as far back at 2013! - 23
Kids toy drawers - Cleaned out all Chapati's & Murtabak's toys. Once again orphaned little parts and broken toys. Hey, we kept them with the hope that one days we will be able to repair them and put them to good use again. Honestly they don't make toys like they used to. Eveything breaks so easily these days. - 42 pieces
Clothes - olds ones which were worn out, can't fit anymore, some completely out of style and t-shirts given by other companies/shopping malls..etc - 69 pieces
Lastly I gave my part time maid who has 5 children a bag full of sweets, chocolates and candy canes - 53 pieces
GRAND TOTAL: 224 excluding the papers that I shredded
I actually FAILED (yes admittedly) to complete my 30 days because after the 20th-day life really got in the way. I thought that it would get easier after my initial round of de-cluttering but it only got harder, a lot harder and truth to tell, it has hardly made a dent in actually clearing up my space. I was quite discouraged that I had so much more to clear and get rid off.
I realised that the exercise of de-cluttering is really an exercise of letting go. There are just so many material things that I know I am still hanging on to with my dear life. That piece of clothing that I might just wear again...that container that we just might need to use and I tell you what is worst of all is the amount of actual physical paper! Bills, credit card statements, bank statements, my son's school notices, ...etc. It is just so overwhelming.
But as I continue to think about it, it felt really good that I was able to clear the stuff that I did clear out. Especially when I emptied out that cupboard to make space for other things! (You did notice that I said make space for other things? Oh, nevermind...)
I am frustrated but I am going to continue to work at de-cluttering my life but maybe a different approach would work better. Stay tuned!
Do you have the same problem de-cluttering as I do? Please do share in the comments below, or if you have better ideas on how to de-clutter I would love to hear from you!
So what is QUESNEY21? @joannewong and I are challenging each other to create great content for the next 21 days. Starting 26th of March and ending on the 15th of April. We needed the discipline and motivation that comes from being accountable to each other. Tell us if this is interesting to you, do you think you could benefit from your own QUESNEY 21?
Check out the other postings for this challenge:
QUESNEY21(Day 5): The Priority
QUESNEY21 (Day4): The Heart of A Child
QUESNEY21 (Day 3): An Analogy For Your Steemit Wallet
QUESNEY 21 (Day 2): Money Conversations with Millennials and Post-Millennials
QUESNEY21 (Day 1): Strangers On A Train
Do check out @joannewong postings too for this challenge!
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I am also cleaning up my wardrobe and my things... every Saturday morning... one drawer at a time... not easy loh... those old and torn and worn out things I throw away... those can be recycled or can be used back I put into the big recycle bin in my neighbourhood. Tiring but at least I got more free space each Saturday.
Hey Eliza, it is really tough la! Do you have any ideas or tips to share? Sigh...to start with I am not exactly the most organised of persons!
I am no organised person either... So now I ask myself some questions either to keep or to throw.
When I say throw, it's either as trash or recycles.
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I am long due to write a post or two about my minimalist lifestyle.. decluttering for me is always minor compared to many others
Wah!! My potential mentor on being more minimalist!! Teach me, teach me! Eh share some ideas and tips la! Please I am struggling to clean up and clear out!
I have a few errands to finish.. but will eventually work on it
Looks like you did create with decluttering, so I definitely wouldn't call it a failure! I have been wanting to start a "2018 in 2018" challenge where I get rid of 2018 things throughout the year. We are in April, so I still have time -- though I haven't started counting yet. Must do that when I clean out my youngest son's closet today!!
de-cluttering is really hard sometimes! You would think it would be easy but it isn't. I often start the process and then keep everything because I might one day need it. I have started by not buying things until the rest is gone. Such as make-up, hair products and things like that. If I want new stuff I make myself use up what I have, donate or throw it away. Now to practice this on my daughters toys.
Have you read Mari Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up? I haven't been able to implement it, but I love some of her ideas about how to reconceptualize tidying and how we even think about and relate to our stuff. I recommend it—even if it ends up not working for you, you might get some good ideas!
Great work on getting so much stuff out, and good luck in your continuing decluttering adventure. <3