Greetings on this snowy day!
If the weather has you home from work today why not use the time to think about some strategies for approaching this challenge...
A couple of you have shared some thoughts and questions on methods. There is the methodological approach of one room at a time or one drawer at a time. Alternatively, the random approach has some appeal as well.
Let's explore some strategies because the later days of the month might prove to be challenging!
One area at a time:
If you like the satisfaction of seeing results quickly - this is a great approach. With efforts concentrated on one space one can visually realize success fairly soon. Having a defined approach can be helpful for those who are easily overwhelmed or distracted thus decreasing wasted time on the decision making process.
One type of item for a period of time:
If you are part of the Carlson Clan chances are you have books everywhere throughout the house. Think about it... are there any rooms in your house that don't have a *single* book? Again - if initiative or decision making on the approach is challenging, maybe you want to choose one type of item for each week. Or, maybe it is a type of item for a particular day - Monday is books, Tuesday is kitchen utensils/appliances, Wednesday is clothing... etc... etc...
If it is helpful - I can give assignments! Just shout out in the comments and I'll tell you what to focus on for any particular day. Take advantage of my
bossiness assertiveness and quick decision making skills.
Activity inspiration:
Are you going to shovel today? Take a look at your shovels. How many do you have? Are they all in good working condition? Do you need as many shovels as you have? Could a neighbor benefit from receiving one of your shovels?
Maybe you are cooking a nice warm stew to keep you warm on this cold day. Take a look in your kitchen cabinets and drawers. How many wooden spoons are there? How many do you need? Are any of them stained, cracked, splintery? What about your refrigerator? Any mystery items in there?
Use your activities and routines to help you identify what can be jettisoned. While brushing your teeth take a look at what is in the medicine cabinet!
Gifting:
Take a walk through the house and in each room look for an item that you could gift or donate. Knowing that an item will be put to good use often makes letting go of it easier!
Trashing:
Take a walk through the house and in each room look for an item which is broken, unusable, or should have been thrown away previously. Hypothetically speaking, one *might* find under one's bed an empty container which recently contained delicious, satisfying, buttery Spritz cookies made by one's best friend which were eaten in one sitting very late at night and the container was so cute one thought she just might have a future use for it, but actually it is just trash taking up space under the bed. Again, I'm just throwing out ideas here...
Totally random:
Sometimes all that matters in the number of items. (Does the thought of the end of the month terrify you?!?) Set the timer, grab a bag or box and walk around the room trying to get to the number items before the buzzer goes off.
Competition:
Is your spouse also participating in this? Have a race! See who can get to the number of items for the day the quickest. If you set up a competition, let me know & I will arrange for prizes.
Those are just a few ideas for now. I hope you'll return to this post as you get further along in the month and need some inspiration. If you have other ideas for approaches, share them in the comments!
And now, I'm off to shovel for a bit and will take a look at what might be in the garage while I'm there.
