Aloha Friends! So last week was hijacked, my internet decided to take a Spring vacation from Monday night to Thursday and then on Thursday Mother Nature saw fit to give us the most beautiful storm...it really was so very, very lovely and powerful and refreshing...but we lost power and then...you guessed it! we were offline once again. (Update: I kid you not, both yesterday & today our internet is in and out! If you are reading or listening to this it is nothing short of a frustration filled miracle!)

Instead of just posting the steps as they were to go last week, I thought I would give you the next steps and challenge you to do them for 20 to 30 minutes everyday.

why every day? 

I have been asked this question a few times and it deserves a bit of attention, so before we hop in to our tasks, let me share with you why "every day" is how I am doing things instead of all at once:

  1. Slow and steady works when trying to build new habits for myself. If I make it a point to do something every day, no matter how small, I find I am able to change my attitude, behavior and dedication. 
  2. Fresh eyes find beauty and areas to improve. When I do major cleaning, I get in the trenches and blow through things. I have the goal of "Make this space perfect for (sitting with family...cooking...eating together)." With the spot for my knitting I want to curate a place where creativity is not only welcomed but primed. Being thoughtful takes time for me, so I give myself time. 
  3. The longing for the end will help me treasure the result. If I rush through the process of developing my space I find I give myself permission to be careless with it. If it takes me a bit longer to make it comfortable, inviting, peaceful, organized, fun---well, I hope I it takes me a bit longer to mess it up! In short, I will think twice about letting it return to its sloppier state.

And now lets roll up our sleeves & get to it!

FIRST: Dream In Sticky Notes

Look at the Pinterest board you created or inspirational photos that speak to you. Find one sweeping characteristic that you notice you are drawn to: A CHARACTERISTIC not an item. Like the lovely way the desk is clear and tidy and everything in its spot, don't decide you need a bunch of files and baskets like the image shows. Love the bookshelf free from clutter, don't make a list of what to buy from Mart-Mart. Want a spot to rest and look out the window, don't lament that it is from Famous Furniture Store and you can't afford it. Notice a trait about the room, just one trait, and jot it down on a sticky note or paper with washi tape and put it up on the wall in a prominent place. 

SECOND: Hold It & Decide

For this you need:

  • trash bag
  • giveaway box
  • sell it box (this is optional and to be honest, I do not use this bin. It may be a great alternative for you though!)
  • Amnesty Bin (just a SMALL cardboard box with Amnesty Bin written on it!)
  • timer (set it for 20 minutes and start)

--->> Avoid the box of misplaced items that you stuck in an obnoxiously inconvenient spot (at the time of this writing I walk around my box about 20 times a day, grumbling and vowing to keep things in the right spot once I get them out of the blasted box and away! And that my friends is the whole inconvenient purpose of sticking it where I did!

  1. Look for a small space in your room or area. Small meaning not the entire desk, focus on the top drawer.
  2. Position the trash bag, giveaway box and Amnesty Bin near you.
  3. Go through the space and sort through each item and decide if it is trash. It is? Let it go. Is it something you don't need but someone else could really benefit from? Place it in the giveaway box. Not sure? Here is my "Weeding Through" matrix:
  • Do you see yourself using it in the next 3 to 6 months? Maybe somebody else will!
  • Are you keeping it because you feel like you should? Maybe it was an expensive purchase and you are hanging on to it for that reason. Why not consider selling it for half what you paid? You get freed from the weight of a purchase you are keeping out of guilt, someone else gets it for a steal of a deal and you make back some money! And half back is better than whole lost.
  • Do you really LOVE this item? If you really love it why hasn't it been used? Go back to the first "•" and run through the questions.
  • Still not sure? Put it in the Amnesty Bin. But I warn you, once the Amnesty Bin is filled there is no more amnesty. So choose wisely!

FINISH WITH EXCELLENCE

At the end of the 20 minutes you must do each of these things before you say you are done:

  1. Empty the trash
  2. Decide where you are going to give these items away to: Knitting group, Parks & Rec Center, local church, Goodwill/Thrift shop? A mix? Label a grocery bag with the name of the recipient group (just a bag, our focus is not on presenting them with a long awaited gift, but to surprise them with an unexpected treat!) 
  3. Put the item(s) in the bag, tie it up and place it next to your front door or better yet in your car! 
  4. Commit to getting it where it needs to go ASAP. My personal deadline is before the next bag is created. We find ourselves out and about in our local area most days, so this is just part of the routine. If you want to make it once for the week, do it!

Commit to doing these steps once each day this week. Feeling ambitious? Do it twice a day here and there, but definitely do it at different times, don't set the timer for 40 minutes and do an extra long session. It will loose it's fun and purpose. And don't skip the sticky note part! We need a nice collection for our re-arranging/re-vamping session next week and these little guys are foundational.  

Well if by some miracle the cable folks have sorted things out, then you have a few things to do with me this week. Yes! I am working alongside of you. It is nice to be in this together!

With aloha,

Melissa

 

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