Give Up Clutter for Lent
Two friends and I created The Positive Aging Academy, a six part series of workshops on how to life a quality life in what we like to call the "second Half" of life. One segment on paring down or simplifying morphed into a monthly Declutter Class. This class is devoted to helpful hints regarding how to tame down our "Stuff." It has taken off and is remarkably popular, attracting new attendees with every session.
The list below was designed for them, but in case any of my dear readers face similar challenges, it is being added to the blog. Read it just for a chuckle....or go ahead and use it. Even if users only do a few sporadic activities, life could be that much more organized....with less clutter dragging them down.
Anyway......enjoy!
3/1: Take “before” snapshots of your clutter. 3/2: Hoe out 1 drawer, or 2. 3/3: Sort all magazines…toss any older than last month. 3/4: Discard 4 or more articles of clothing. 3/5: Give 1-3 items away. 3/6: Clean/organize 1 kitchen cabinet. 3/7: Catch up on mail sorting…toss or file. 3/8: Walk through house, pick up/put away all items out of place. 3/9: Fill bag or box with wearable clothing and donate. 3/10: Eliminate all items in pantry that are out of date…3/11: Donate any usable pantry items to a local food pantry…NOW!!! 3/12: Take a day off and look for robins. 3/13: Clean all or part of a closet 3/14: Get out of that chair: hoe out 3-4 drawers in the kitchen. 3/15: Remove all pots and pans you never use and discard or donate. 3/16: Sort your books…toss or donate all that you will not read again. 3/17: Eat a cabbage dinner and/or kiss an Irishman. 3/18: Sort linens…give away or toss all that are no longer used. 3/19: Sit in a place that you normally do not…..study the room. You will see things with a new perspective. 3/20: Clear off all horizontal surfaces in your living space. 3/21: Have a cup ofcoffee or tea with a friend….offer to help them declutter, if they will help you. 3/22: Review photographs…discard all that you cannot identify. 3/23: Clean out/organize your dresser. 3/24: Hoe out 2 or 3 drawers. 3/25: Make a list of 25 things that you’d most like to accomplish and complete 1 or more. 3/26: Clean all or part of a closet 3/27: Perform at least 1 more task from your list 3/28: Discard 5 or more articles of clothing. 3/29: Clean and organize 1 kitchen cabinet. 3/30: Give away or throw away 10 items. 3/31: Sort shoes/accessories….fill 2 bags, 1 to give away, 1 to throw away. 4/1: Organize photographs…or arrange to have them digitized. 4/2: Clean all or part of a closet. 4/3: Help a friend or have them help you. 4/4: Potted plants need to be cleaned up or thrown out. 4/5: Buy 1 lush, healthy plant to replace the pathetic one(s) you tossed yesterday. 4/6: Sort/clear more drawers. 4/7: Complete 2 or more items from your list. 4/8 Clean/organize 1 kitchen cabinet. 4/9: Water your new plant. 4/10: Color some eggs. 4/11: Deal with mail and horizontal surfaces once more. 4/12: Continue to work on list. 4/13: Clean all/part of a closet. 4/14: Fluff up your Easter Bonnet. 4/15: Take some “after” snapshots of your home and sing “The Hallelujah Chorus”…. Whether you should or not!
You deserve it.