How wonderful to see you all. Our family get together is one of my favorite days of the year. We don't see each other enough - but I suspect we'll be learning even more about each other through this challenge! Thank you, everyone, for participating.
A quick note... I've never blogged before - so I'm a little unfamiliar with what I'm doing. Any and all feedback on this format of communicating is welcomed.
I stumbled across this idea via my professional organizer, Jen Hunter, of Find Your Floor. http://www.findyourfloor.org/ and https://www.facebook.com/findyourfloor
She referenced this post from The Minimalists and it inspired me. I always do better when I have accountability, thus my desire to entice you all to play. Also I've inherited or learned much of my cluttering behavior from my family so consider this payback. :)
Since it was my idea and I'm
Now, THE RULES!
Taken directly from The Minimalists: "This month, each of you must get rid of one thing on the first day of the month. On the second, two things. Three items on the third. So forth, and so on. Anything can go! Clothes, furniture, electronics, tools, decorations, etc. Donate, sell, or trash. Whatever you do, each material possession must be out of your house—and out of your life—by midnight each day."
Here are the fine details for January 2014 which I've developed specifically for our family:
1) You may only get rid of your own stuff. Exceptions as follows:
*Parents of minor children are allowed to purge their children's items on each Monday. (January 6, 13, 20, 27)
*Items of unknown or questionable origin, as well as abandoned items, may be purged as long as one has cleared it with other household members.
Example: previous roommates who have moved out have left items in the garage & basement. As long as I've confirmed with current roommates and landlord that the item has been "abandoned" I may get rid of it.
2) All items must be off one's property or out of one's control by midnight each day. No stashing it in the trunk of the car to take to the dump or Goodwill the next day. If you have to drive to a donation box at 10pm at night - so be it! This challenge requires hardship. And suffering! Alternatively, you could plan ahead by 24 hours and pick out stuff for the next day to donate during the daytime.
Exceptions: Items being put out with recycling or trash may stay on the property until pickup day.
3) Items must currently be on one's primary property. Now is not the time to worry about anything in storage elsewhere such as one's office, one's classroom or a storage facility. Your primary residence, barns, sheds, outbuildings, automobiles, yard, attic, basement, crawlspaces and/or camping trailers (ahem!) all are great places to start. In fact, one could get rid of an automobile or camping trailer as an item.
4) This will be fun! There will be prizes at various points along the way and at the end. They will be completely arbitrary and at my sole discretion.
5) I am the judge and arbitrator. Should any household and/or family members run into any problems or engage in any debates about ownership of an item or eligibility of an item to "count" towards the day's tally, each side may present their case to me and I will decide the outcome. All decisions are final.
6) You may sell, donate, trash, gift or recycle items. There is no rule that you can't make money off of this venture.
7) You may not gift any item to other members participating in this challenge or household members of those participating in this challenge. There is no loophole of vicariously hanging onto something by giving it Russie & Nate or Carl & Elizabeth Rose. You may not send items in the mail to any of my roommates, either.
8) I reserve the right to add to, change, eliminate or modify any rule. However, I will use my powers for good and not evil and will not change the rules simply to benefit myself.
9) Everyone should strive to check in at least once a week with a status update of your progress. I will check in more frequently to provide example, motivation and entertainment.
10) If you miss a day, you must make it up the next day. However, if you are going out of town I encourage you to plan ahead and select your items ahead of time. You are not allowed to "double up" on days more than once a week.
11) Items which are to be thrown away as part of regular consumption do not count. Example: When you finish a gallon of milk, recycling the container does not count as an item as you should be recycling it anyway.
12) Items which come in a container count as one item. If you throw out a box of old Tic-Tacs, you can't count each Tic-Tac as one item. The whole container counts as one item. However a box containing 12 books can count as 12 items since books are sold/purchased/handled as single items. Junk Mail/Bills will be treated as follows: Outer envelope, bill and return envelope count as one item as it arrived as one item - not three separate items.
13) Do not question the items someone else is purging. There is nothing worse than finally making the decision to let something go only to have a (well intentioned) family member say "Are you *sure* you want to get rid of that?" If a household member asks for input/advice that is fine. Please support them in their decision making.
14) Do not "take back" an item that someone else is getting rid of. If your spouse is throwing out or donating a book that looks interesting... TOO BAD! You absolutely cannot take it out of the trash, recycling or donation box. I will develop appropriate "penalties" for a violation of this rule.
I think that covers the basics. If there are any questions, post them and I will respond to clarify. Please note that I may be enlisting minions to spy on you and keep you honest. Feel free to tattle on your spouse if you find them sneaking items back into the house. Also - please share the exceptional moments when you see someone make a really hard decision about an item or achieve a particularly significant goal! As I said - rewards (and penalties) are arbitrary.
I am really excited for this - and I hope you are too! If anyone needs encouragement, email me, call me or post here and I'll do my best to help.
Yours in decluttering,
Carlene
Chief Judge:
ReplyDeleteWe've had a request from a family member for a differentiation/accommodation/modification: If someone is anxious about their ability to complete this project as proposed, may s/he participate with purging a single item each day at the beginning of the process?
As Benevolent Supreme Dictator, I decree that said family member may participate by purging a single item each day for the first 16 days. The rest of the month s/he shall strive to increase to two items per day - with a minimum requirement of one per day. Participation is more important than perfection!
ReplyDeleteOh dear, the Minimalist blog is one of the sweetest things I've read in ages! Thanks for inviting me to this challenge, and thanks for hooking me on the Minimalists!
ReplyDelete