Mini Mission Monday is about finding ten minutes a day to declutter. To make it easy for you, each Monday I set seven declutter missions, one for each day of the week for you to follow. It takes the guess work out of decluttering and makes it easy and “fun” for you to achieve some quick decluttering.
This week we are going to do Quick Look mini missions. That is each day we are going to walk into a different room in the house take a quick look, spy a piece of clutter and remove it to either the bin, the recycling, the donation pile or set aside to sell. While you are at it if you spy something out of place also rehouse that item. If you can’t see anything on the surface, so to speak, look a little deeper in a cupboard or closet. This is pretty much how I declutter all the time.
Monday – The kitchen
Tuesday – The living room, lounge room or whatever you call it in your part of the world.
Wednesday – The master bedroom.
Thursday – The bathroom.
Friday – The garage.
Saturday – The dining space in your home.
Sunday – The den/office or another bedroom.
Once you have accomplished this weeks mini mission you will realise how easy decluttering can be. It doesn’t have to be a major upheaval just a quick look, swoop and achieve.
Good luck and happy decluttering
Today’s Declutter Item
I love my Microplane graters but I only tend to use the smaller versions so I decided to sell this big chunky one on eBay. I only got $10 for it but better that than nothing.
Microplane Grater
Something I Am Grateful For Today
The weather held out long enough to 1. Go for a walk 2. Get the washing dry 3. My son to enjoy the skate park for a while 4. Make the day bright and perky for a while 5. Warm the house up nicely.
Well – Monday took ONE minute! I’ve been debating the large food processor (too large and too complex) for a while, and my daughter covets it …… out it’s gone (from MY kitchen)!
Hi Ann,
those large food processors are one of those things that are often awkward to clean and the time spent doing that makes them not worth using. Good for you getting rid of yours. I have a small food processor attachment for my handblender which fits easily in the dishwasher, it is great and gets used often.
You know, for the longest time, even though I was reading what you were saying, and I could recite it, I still wasn’t getting it. True, I was also learning skills for dealing with emotional and sentimental and aspirational clutter, but at the same time I still thought I had to do more than one thing a day, probably because I had so much to get done. And that led to a lot of procrastination, which meant I still wasn’t getting anything done. Talk about an endless loop.
About four weeks ago, I finally got it. When you say a thing a day, you really mean it! Things have been moving along much better since then.
This post is so clear and precise and sums it all up in a nutshell. I hope anyone having the same problem I had will take another look at this post and realize that it really IS just this simple.
aleluya, aleluya, a le e lu ya, ♩♫♬
Hi Jo,
praise be to God, I am delighted that you finally get it. I don’t mean to be condescending there, just that I am glad that you realise that one things a day does make a big difference in the long run. It is very hard to look at the situation from the start and see so much chaos and think one thing a day will never amount to anything but it sure amounts to a whole lot more that nothing a day. I guarantee that nothing a day with get you absolutely nowhere but plugging away at it one day at a time one thing at a time really does work. And once the momentum takes you that one thing a day might just become ten things a day simply because you are starting to notice the fruits of your labour and your enthusiasm will have you riding high. I understand fully why you couldn’t see it before and I say again that I am delighted that you can see it now and are starting to reap the rewards. Yah you!!!!
Alleluia indeed!
I finally cleared the last books off the library floor this afternoon!! The lounge upstairs is now fit to be a lounge again! Crammed full shelves of course, but that’s where they will stop for a bit, while I tackle other areas. Oh, but I do feel good about it – I didn’t really think it could happen……
Alleluia all right. Once again you never cease to amaze me Ann. I hope you took some before and after shots to share with us. If you didn’t that is OK I am just glad you have achieved your goal for now. What a mammoth task it was and congratulations to you.
I think the dictionary is cluttered with all the different ways to spell Alleluia. I wasn’t too sure which one to use. Lets not forget halaluiah (Latin)
Hey Colleen,
alleluia is a word taken from Hebrew – a different alphabet, so I guess that means we can spell it any way that fits its pronunciation!
And no, I was too ashamed to take “before” photos!!! ;(
I think I actually couldn’t process the “thing a day” part of the equation until I had some tools for dealing with why I couldn’t part with so many things. Once that understanding was in place, it took another little while to concentrate on the message of slow and steady.
It feels good to be getting a handle on it all. Thanks for being my cheerleader, among many other roles 🙂
It is absolutely my pleasure Jo and if you ever need any individual coaching you know where to find me.
My issue is getting it gone! I always think, electrical stuff, I should get a big batch before I drive (haha I can’t now) over to the place. Those things need to be taken back – but it’ll be ages til I’m that way… I should put that on freecycle (done most of that now) – then wait for replies, then if not… get it to somewhere else… sigh… It’s not the ‘picking’ it’s the ‘leaving’ that makes me think, I don’t want anymore in my cluttery pile of uncluttered stuff!
Hi Snosie,
I used to let my things pile up in the garage until I had a boot load before going to the thrift store. I didn’t see any point in driving all the way over there, wasting petrol, for just a small amount of stuff. I was always glad to see the back of it of course but there is no way I would let that pile put me off my mission. Because I now work at the thrift store it disappears every week which is really good. I think the key to getting rid of it fast is to work out the most convenient method of donating/recycling that you can. Or else you just have to be patient and try to store you growing stash somewhere that you don’t have to look at it all of the time.
Thanks colleen – I think it’s mondayitis, the cleaner comes, so all the stuff gets put ‘up’ off the floor, out of it’s hidey holes between a wardrobe and a landing strip (a box, but I like the fancy terms!). Most of it has a future destination, it’s just getting it there. It’s back hiding for now, and I have mostly blank flat surfaces, so it seems calmer! If only they did pick up (freecycle style) for a few odds and ends – now that would be blissful! Actually, my council will for e-waste! I might book them in! Yay!
Hi Snosie,
I loved it in the US where charities would call every couple of months to give you a date to leave your stuff on the door step for them. That made donating very easy. E-waste is another kettle of fish altogether.
This week, for some odd reason, I was able to finally get rid/let go of items that had SENTIMENTAL attachment (from kitchen, living room, master bedroom). Seems like a small step, but seriously here, THIS WAS A HUGE STEP FOR ME.
I’m so happy, ahhh. Pure bliss. My spirit is soaring! THANK YOU Colleen, GREAT mini-missions!!!!
Hi Annabelle,
good for you! Sentimental attachment can be a trick tie to break and then when we look back we wonder what all the fuss was about.
2 thoughts:
1) For taking things to charity, some have collection bins at or near shopping centres so you can drop them off on the way to do your shopping, which is a good reminder of consequences of cluttering BEFORE you go spend money on more.
2) I think the 1 thing a day thing is a great way to declutter. That’s why this is one of my favourite blogs. If it helps keep us working at it, maybe we can write up our 1 thing each day and encourage each other in the journey, no matter how long or short that is. Would that be ok Colleen?
Hi Gail,
thank you for your comment and welcome to 365 Less Things. I like the idea of dropping donations of before going to the shopping centre. That sure it a good reminder to be mindful about what you buy while you are there.
i am glad that you find the one thing a day an effective way to declutter. I find that it keeps my mind focused on the idea you mentioned in your first point. While I am still removing items from my house I am constantly reminded not to add anything to it that I don’t have a use for and that use had better be a good one that’s long lasting and not just a whim. I am more than happy for everyone to comment each day on the thing they have decluttered if that gives them and others the inspiration to keep at it.