Two small habits that can yield big results (courtesy of my hiking buddies).
The first idea is one that I’ve needed to implement for a while. Sorting out and organizing some corners of my house that have been left to gather clutter. Maybe its a junk drawer, a closet or your desk. But you know those places that seem to attract random stuff, like the Bermuda Triangle of junk. I never want to clean those out and get them organized, mostly because I secretly know that I have no “good” place for the multitude of items I’ve amassed. And I have a modest 1200 sq. ft of space, so I know what must lurk in the corners of real-life sized American homes in places other than the Silicon Valley.
The second idea tracks something I talked about a few days ago…simplifying. My friend said she’d been trying to go through her house everyday and find five things to let go of. Clothes that don’t fit or are worn out, gadgets that are broken, or just random items that are cluttering up her life. She revealed she’s been doing this for several weeks now and has bags and bags of stuff ready to go to Goodwill and/or the garbage. Why do we hold on to these things when they no longer give us pleasure or comfort? When is the moment coming when we’ll need ten platters or thirty pairs of socks or, in my case, enough work-out tops to restock the local Target and still have plenty to share with friends. In a culture that encourages us to have more, more, more, this is a great way to start holding less.
I find the purge mentality works with commitments (and people) too. Are there events or obligations crowding your calendar that you absolutely dread? People you feel obligated to spend time with but these times never enrich you or help expand your thinking. I say, “Purge.” We have so many things that we feel we “should” be going that it is hard to ever get the space to find out what we want to do. My Homeowner’s Association board was an absolutely drag on my mental health. I dreaded it for days before it came around and could barely hold on through the meetings. Done. I’m off and the world still turns. Purge, purge, purge.
Here’s a challenge. Let’s combine the two. Pick one small place to start to organize, with an eye toward reducing the stuff. I’m going to my junk drawer first because it is busting at the seams with God only knows what. The trick is to be ruthless, pick items to release and put them in a box or bag out of sight and do not pour back through them.
This picture of Peruvian knickknacks is exactly the kind of thing I’m trying to get rid of or never buy in the first place.
Good luck on the sort and purge. Let me hear how yours goes.
Boonedoggler 