Clutter happens.
Because we accumulate stuff.
Lots of it. Scarves, hobby supplies, paperclips, empty ice cream tubs, DVDs, holiday decorations…
And if we don’t get rid of some along the way, it will eventually become a problem.
In an ideal world, we would regularly take a day and go through the house culling all the stuff we no longer need. But let’s face it, most of us aren’t willing to face a major declutter project very often.
Shouldn’t there be an easier way to fight the encroaching clutter?
The one item a day anti-clutter strategy
I recently ran across a blog describing someone’s 365 project—they were getting rid of one item each day for an entire year. It sounded like an intriguing way to maintain a less-cluttered home. Kind of the tortoise approach to de-accumulating, like I was talking about in my last post.
The problem is, honestly, I could never stick with a program like that for an entire year.
Still, it got me thinking …
I might just manage to stick with the concept for a month. So when February began, I embarked on a One-Item-A-Day-For-A-Month Project. I decided to narrow my focus to the kitchen and dining room. Each day this month I am selecting one item for the donation box.
But I’m not getting hung up on the “rules”
I will admit that after only one week I have already failed to keep up with the once-a-day-ness of this idea. Remembering to do something every single day had always been a struggle for me. I can’t even manage to take my vitamins every day (although I have gotten much better).
So my One-Item-A-Day-For-A-Month Project is really a 28-Items-By-The-End-Of-February Project.
Which means that, although I was too busy over the weekend to cull my daily item, I am now back on track. By the end of the month I will have culled 28 items from my crowded cabinets.
One of my items, a single goblet that doesn’t match anything else.
What I like about this one-item-a-day strategy is that:
- It only takes a minute
- You only have to make one decision per day
- The consistency helps me remain aware of my abundance each day
- As stated earlier, if I miss a day or two, it’s easy to catch up
- The “rules” can be adapted to suit your personal style and needs. For example, you could decide to cull two items every day, or ten items every week, or whatever works.
I plan to continue the project when March arrives, but I’ll change focus and cull one book each day from my shelves. After that, who knows…
Who wants to join me on my one-item-a-day anti-clutter journey?
Leave a comment and tell me which areas in your house are most need a month of thinning.
Happy culling.
