January is always a month that people resolve to do things differently or better than the way they’ve been doing them. Personally, I think people should start resolutions as soon as they realize there’s a need for change no matter what month it is, but there seems to be a lot of focus on those types of things in January.
Change, declutter, downsize, minimalistic, whatever you want to call it, I don’t think it’s working for me. I’ve been trying to have a very positive attitude this year and I’ve been reading and researching different things to help me stay on task. Changing my perspective, or attitude, is hard. Let’s face it, the older we get the more set in our ways we get. I know that change and learning are excellent ways to keep our brains and bodies healthy, but attitude, that’s something completely different. Attitude is hard to change. It’s like breaking a bad habit. It requires a lot of concentration and diligence. I’m working on it.
I’ve also been doing a little bit of decluttering lately. Some say that’s the best way to keep your mind and body healthy, only keep the things that make you feel happy or fulfilled. Okay, I’ll give it a shot. But where to start.
“Keep it small to start,” I told myself. I decided to start with my closet. That’s always a good place to start. It’s a good idea to get rid of clothing, shoes, purses, etc. that you haven’t worn in a good long time. There are lots of suggestions out there for anyone who goes looking. Some say to turn the hangers around at the beginning of the year and then at the beginning of the next year, whatever hangers are still going the other way, those are the things to get rid of because you haven’t worn them for an entire year. Yeah, that’ll never work for me. In December I’ll just grab everything still turned the opposite way and wear it once just so don’t have to get rid of it. I’m a rebel like that. That little Jedi mind trick won’t work on me.
I turned off the light and moved to a different room. Perhaps it’d be better off starting in the kitchen. After circling my kitchen island two complete times, debating which drawer or cabinet I should start with, I landed on the gadget drawer. Everyone has a gadget drawer, right? It’s usually the one that gets jammed because the handle of some awkward shaped thingamabob got stuck up inside the cabinet and now the drawer won’t open. You know? That drawer.
I emptied everything out of my gadget drawer and guess what? I ended up putting everything but 1 ice cream scoop (I had 2) back in the drawer. Because – you know what’s going to happen right? As soon as I get rid of the cherry pitter, someone’ll give me 10 pounds of cherries. I have to keep it, just in case. What harm is there in that? It’s just a small gadget taking up a very small amount of space in a nicely arranged drawer. Yeah, that didn’t work either.
I did make some progress in the refrigerator though when I opened it to make something for lunch. I decluttered that appliance by 1 salad and half a basket of raspberries. Yay me!!
The next day a light bulb went on. The filing cabinet. There’s always something in the filing cabinet I don’t need any more. Wrong. What I did find were lots of notes from writing classes and workshops I’d attended or listened to on-line that had fabulous tidbits of information in them. “This is awesome!” I exclaimed. I shuffled everything into neat stacks, slid them into pretty-colored files and . . . you guessed it, put it all back in the drawers. How can I get rid of those gems? Especially after I found a wonderful nugget to add to my current WIP? Non-declutter for the win!
Anyway, I’m pretty sure this decluttering isn’t for me. But . . . then again . . . is it really clutter? It’s stuff, but it’s not “cluttering” up anything. Everything in my closet, drawers and filing cabinets is neatly arranged and organized so do I need to get rid of it? Some would say yes. I don’t like those people.
Hey, I tried. I really did. But I’ve come to the conclusion that decluttering isn’t what I need. I’m good in that department. And, to my credit, I did get rid of some dresses, skirts and business attire that I truly have not worn since we moved to Mississippi. I “gifted” them to a “friend” of mine here in Vicksburg who has an office job and loves to dress up. She’s about the same size as me and she happened to show up at my house on the very day I determined that turning all my hangers around wouldn’t work. I knew I probably wouldn’t wear those clothing items again, but I could not bring myself to put them in bags and drop them off at the thrift store for total strangers to paw at. I know that’s the wrong attitude, but I paid a lot of money for those things and I took very good care of my business attire. I don’t want just anybody wearing them. Don’t judge me. Besides, I believe it was divine providence that brought her to my house that day. And that she didn’t mind wearing hand-me-downs (hand-me-ups? hand-me-laterals? hand-outs? Hmmm.). I’d have given her all my beautiful shoes too, but she wears 2 sizes bigger than me. The shoes are still up for grabs if anyone wants them. I’d cry when I handed them to you, but the reality is, I can’t even wear 4” heels any more.
So how’s your 2020 resolutions going so far? Any “ah ha” moments? Any thoughts on decluttering that you’d like to share? Do you have a system for purging unused things from your life? I’m always open to suggestions.
Word of the Day: Synovia
Fun fact about me: Surprisingly, I got rid of 3 grocery bags full of books! You see, I can get rid of stuff. Caveat: These were books I acquired when I bought the inn and not books I had an interest in in the first place, but hey – I got rid of books.
Original post by Jansen Schmidt, January 2020. Images by Google Images
Stay connected with news about my books and other fun stuff by signing up for my newsletter: http://bit.ly/JansenSchmidtNewsletter
My newest release On Hallowed Ground is available at fine retailers everywhere: http://bit.ly/2KONmnf
On Common Ground is available at fine retailers everywhere: http://bit.ly/2BBu7bb
I’d give myself a C so far. I had big plans for the new year, but they have fallen a little flat. Saturday I exercised and cooked a delicious soup, then nothing. Sunday was a bit better, but my inactivity on Saturday overwhelmed my Sunday and even though I got stuff done, I left a lot on the table heading back into the new week. Today is going to be a great day, the best Monday of the week. Hipe yours is, too.
LikeLike
hope, not hipe….
LikeLike
Hey – a “C” is a win for me. That’s average. That also means there’s room for improvement. You have to start somewhere right?
But, I know what you mean about being inactive for a short spell and then trying to bounce right back into full-speed ahead. I think there might be something to that tortoise and the hare fable after all. Slow and steady might just be the way to go.
I hope your new week is smooth sailing!
Patricia
LikeLike
Oh yes, the accused gadget drawer! I know you read my post about being anal when loading the dishwasher. The gadget drawer is my next worst pet peeve. Stirring spoons and spatulas MUST be nested to save room. Tongs go in the tong section….DUH! And why on earth must there be thirty different carving/cutting knives? I must admit I do like using the ones that are in sheaths. I love sliding them back in the scabbard. It must hearken back to my previous life as a Knight of the Round Table.
While I think we have much in common, Patricia, we sit on opposite sides of this issue. I am a thrower-awayer of the first order. Can’t abide with old items taking up room. When I clean my file drawer, there are at least two full bags from the shredder to be disposed. Do have to confess though, that I have been victimized by your “superpower” on more than one occasion.
Great blog. Have a wonderful week.
LikeLike
Al, Al, Al, you need to give some lessons to my husband because he doesn’t get the whole nesting concept for the utensils. Gadgets all willy-nilly in the drawer is just a horrible utensil accident waiting to happen. I so understand the need to properly categorize utensils before placing them into drawers. (See – NOT clutter. Neatly arranged utensils.)
And, I sort of make it sound like I’m a hoarder, which I most definitely am not. My father and, coincidentally, my husband’s mother, are/were hoarders. I’ve had to clean out their garages/houses and that is/was not a thing of beauty. I do have stuff that I’m sure I could get rid of, but for now, it’s not in anyone’s way and I pretty much know exactly what’s in those boxes and storage bins so it’s not like I don’t have a handle on my stuff. When the time is right, I’ll deal with those boxes.
Thanks for visiting today. Have a great clutter-free, neatly organized, week.
Patricia
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t have a lot of clutter, but my husband on the other hand…I’d LOVE to get rid of a bunch of his junk! I can’t even start thinking about it because I’m a neat freak and he’s the complete opposite and if I even go into that territory I’ll just drive myself crazy. I don’t really make resolutions, but last year I tried a focus word (which worked great), so I think I’ll do that again this year. Last year I created a computer screensaver with a woman punching through a wall and added the words “Productivity, fool!” – to remind myself not to be a fool by wasting precious time on things that don’t matter. I was very, very productive, but by the end of the year I was on burnout. So I’m thinking my focus word this year will be “Balance”. Maybe I’ll add an ‘idiot’ on the end…
LikeLike
I was thinking that you have been very busy with 3 books coming out right in a row and all your blogging recently. You’re my hero in that department. I have a self-imposed deadline of spring for my next book and it darn well better happen this time because I’ve changed that deadline 3 times already. If you read my last newsletter you’ll see that I publicly made that statement so I’m hoping that’ll keep my butt in gear.
I like the screen saver idea. I need a chair that’ll zap me if I’m on social media too long. That ought to do the trick.
Anyway, here’s to both of us finding a decluttered, productive and balanced 2020.
Oh – I’m a neat freak too so even though I have a bunch of stuff, I almost always know right where everything is at.
Have a great week.
Patricia
LikeLike
If you have room for the stuff and you remember that you have it and where it is when you need it, you’re good to keep it! And yay for getting rid of clothes you no longer wear and books you know you won’t read! I got rid of several shopping bags full of books before the move and I’m so glad.
LikeLike
Thanks for indulging me and making me feel like it’s okay NOT to declutter. I do have enough willpower to truly get rid of the things I know I’ll never use again. Having an inn helps because you can’t have boxes and piles sitting around everywhere. Right now that stuff is relegated to my new “office,” and that’s where it’ll stay until it’s time for it to move on. Most of it is writing related (old manuscripts for books that haven’t been published yet, that type of stuff) so it’s justifiable that it’s in a writer’s office right?
Getting rid of books is always hard, but I know there’s someone out there who’ll love the ones I gave to the consignment store.
Thanks for taking the time to visit today. I hope you have a fabulous week.
Patricia
LikeLike