looking for a 30-day cleaning or decluttering challenge buddy

[Blackdog Lin]

I have a project that desperately needs done, and that I've been procrastinating on for.....too long. Way too long. I'm gonna get it done this month. I'M GONNA GET IT DONE THIS MONTH.

I need a challenge buddy, someone to cheer me on when I make the little accomplishments, and to berate and embarass and encourage me when I fail to make progress. Just for the month of January. And I can return the favor, and encourage said buddy to accomplish their goal, whatever it may be, and remind said buddy that we posted this online!, for all the world to see!, and we have to reach our goals!

My goal is just one room, a thorough decluttering and deep cleaning of just one room. But I'm a terrible procrastinator, and so am looking for some help.

Multiple challenge buddies encouraged. Anyone?

[bunnys]

You just need to start moving, girl. Just a little bit. You know that the hardest part is getting started.

I would lower my goal, too. I suggest just decluttering one pile in the room or one shelf of a closet in the room. They you have something to crow about. Come back to this thread and brag about it and you know you'll get that head pat!

Also, I have been looking @ zenhabits.net for the past week and it has really helped me get some things done I never would have done this break had I not been reading it.

Do a search of "mindful cleaning" on his site and read the posts that come up. It really makes the act of cleaning/decluttering so much easier.

[Miss Cellane]

You could also check out the Apartment Therapy Home Cure--a month of cleaning and organizing. There are usually some structured tasks, but it is usually flexible enough that you can concentrate on one particular project if you want.

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/join-us-get-organized-in-2013-the-january-cure-181703

[Zoe Girl]

well my house is in good shape, but I need to exercise and meditate. I need a buddy who will also understand that sometimes life happens so for me it isn't so much about missing a day as making sure I get a plan to get going the next day right away.

I really like cleaning out so maybe I could be a good buddy byt having done it successfully?

[Rosemary]

Maybe a January motivation thread would be good for cheering on multiple projects. It's easy to get demotivated in this generally cold and dark month.
My January project is decluttering as well. I'm beginning today. Put the Christmas tree away last night.

[Blackdog Lin]

Thanks guys.

I got started last night, in a small way. I will just bite the bullet and get this done. I can do this.

[Rosemary]

I decluttered DH's and my closet and drawers this morning while cleaning the house and putting away holiday stuff. Gathered together the stuff I'd been collecting for Goodwill and put it in the car.

[TMC]

I saw someone, somewhere talking about taking 15 minutes per day and simply focusing on the area you are cleaning or decluttering and than leave it. I don't know if that's possible but maybe it could make your project more manageable to look at it that way.

[Mrs-M]

Would love to be your cleaning buddy for even a day, Blackdog Lin, but, ugh... been feeling like such a slug, labouring to find the energy to do most everything since Christmas.

Will keep an eye on this thread (and your progress) and help you with words of encouragement. :)

[fidgiegirl]

How's it going, Blackdog and all?

[chrissieq]

Decided that over winter break from school I wanted to clean out the upper shelf of my closet, the floor of my closet and my work/craft/etsy space - did it the closet spaces in about 45 minutes - kind of once I got started, not a big deal - found some family jewelry that I lost track of - oops!!- and the work space went quicker than I would have anticipated. Of course, I spent many, many minutes/hours thinking it through. Now that the organizing is done, I need to commit to doing something creative cause I can't use the excuse of messiness!

[lhamo]

Is it something you can "chunk" and tackle stage by stage? If someone had told me "you need to declutter and reorganize the kitchen this weekend" yesterday, I would have laughed in their face. But I was up at 3am with jetlag, and by the time I was getting ready to make my breakfast fritatta a 5am cleaning out the freezer seemed like a worthwhile and do-able project. When I was getting ready for my weekly shop, I decided to check the spice drawer to see if we needed anything, and that led to a cleaning out/reorganizing of that space. Then as I was cleaning up and getting ready to make chicken stock after lunch, the gadget drawer (which has always been a total disaster) looked like something I could handle, so I did that and the utensil drawer. Then I still had energy, so I moved into the plastic container/lid drawers. Then I still had energy so I did the cupboard with the dishes. Granted, I didn't take everything out and clean thoroughly, but still I tossed a lot of useless stuff, reorganized and it looks a LOT better. I'm pretty sure I'm through for the day, and maybe for the month, but it feels good to have gotten it all done.

[Rosemary]

I usually tackle my clutter areas while waiting for something else, such as cooking food, as well. Those little pockets of time -- the 20 minutes before picking up DD at the bus stop, 30 minutes before anyone else is up in the morning, etc -- can be just the right amount of time to clean out one kitchen drawer or cabinet.

Yesterday I cleared my kitchen counter clutter collection spot and also moved some things around in our basement office so DH can set up the card table when he wants to work on electronics stuff. Leaving it set up all the time makes the room too crowded, and it would also just collect stuff on its surface, but the table is there folded up against the bookcase and it only takes 15 seconds to set it up.

[Blackdog Lin]

Thanks for the encouragement and yeah, lhamo, it will definitely be done in chunks. I have let it get TOO cluttered and TOO dirty to do it all in one go.

Got started on the 2nd, and organized one large corner, which coincided with getting Christmas stuff organized and put away for the year. Then stopped. But made another small milestone: warned DH that "stuff is going!" and that he is gonna have to go along with my decluttering. (As in, he refused months ago to let me trade in the old Kirby when I put my foot down and bought myself a new vacuum - we will never use the Kirby again, but he just can't let "expensive" stuff go.) So fine - I've decided he can keep whatever junk he wants - IN THE BARN. Decluttered stuff will be (1) put where it should be in the house or the garage; or (2) put in a pile for a rummage sale; or (3) disposed of, or if he can't bring himself to let it go, it goes to the barn. The stuff will set out there for years and rot, but I have to pick my battles and have decided I shall ignore the barn. I know that he knows I'm serious, so this is a kinda major milestone toward getting the job done.

Sunday is laundry day (the back porch is the laundry room) so will definitely move some stuff around tomorrow while I'm doing laundry anyway. And Monday: bazoom! Gonna get back to it!

Thanks y'all.....

[Tradd]

BDL, sounds like you're making some nice progress! I decluttered some books and papers today, put away the Christmas decorations, and also pitched some study materials left over from my exam that I no longer need.

My goal is to get everything done before my annual January house blessing in two weeks. A thorough house cleaning is always done before that, and we all know it's much easier to clean if the decluttering is done before. I need to go through a few Rubbermaid storage tubs in my closet and pick through things in there. I know there are things to be ditched, I just have to go through them.

[Minz]

Hi Blackdog, I would love to cheer you on! As many of us on this site are in the process of decluttering and many others have already done it and are struggling to keep things clutter-less. Over the last few years I have greatly decluttered...but as soon as I think I have decluttered as much as possible, I discovered there are still things I want to release....it's a work-in-progress for me.

A life lesson I learned over the summer...I had to evacuate my home due to wildfires in Colorado...I left the house in the middle of the night with my five pets and small bag of photos...I remember looking back before shutting my door not knowing if it would be the last time I saw my house...but I had a very peaceful sense about me that I had everything that was important to me.

As I move on with minimizing and decluttering my life, I remember that day when I carried that peace with me.

I enjoy reading the minimalists.com. Here is a story of decluttering that may be helpful to you.

http://www.theminimalists.com/21days/day3/

[Rosemary]

Wow! Just the quick setting up that I did of the beginnings of an electronics work space for DH inspired him to begin a serious cleaning of his bookshelves, which have always been overflowing and unorganized except for the few times I've tried to sort the books by topic myself.

[lhamo]

You guys got me seriously inspired here -- probably doesn't hurt that DH is still away (he's at meetings in NY for the next couple of weeks), as then I can declutter without him trying to stop me.

This afternoon I tackled the medicine cabinet. Ugh. Don't think I've done that for at least 2-3 years, as evidenced by all the medicines I found with 2011 expiration dates. Not too many earlier than that, thankfully. So those are gone, along with some well-past-their prime toiletries. Huge big bag of stuff.

Also finished unpacking and while putting stuff in the undies drawer found a bra with two broken wires --- that's going, too.

Oh, and I decluttered my "home office" drawer yesterday and made a list of things I need to get taken care of. Should have done most of that today but now I am too wiped out. At least now it is organized and ready to tackle when I get the energy. I did write one recommendation letter I had promised that was overdue -- oops! But I know the organization well and I think they will be ok with it. Oh, and after a bit of panic that I may have neglected to file an important new tax form that started being used last year, I read the IRS instructions and discovered we are well below the thresholds where it is required. WHEW! That actually had me quite stressed at 5am this morning.

Unpacked final bits of stuff from vacation and am now rinsing out the salty residue from our beach stuff. Once that's done I think I'll probably head to bed. Still horribly jetlagged...

lhamo

[Blackdog Lin]

Thanks Minz for the offer. I will keep posting and hold you to it - even though I didn't make much progress today.

But that's all lhamo's fault! :) I had a small pile of stuff already designated for the garage-sale pile, was putting it all in a box, noticed the old plastic lazy-susan there, which for some reason made me think of lhamo's post of organizing her spice cabinet as the lightbulb went off over my head.....anyway, I tonight now have the most wonderfully organized spice cabinet! Threw away some (very) old containers, put 8 unopened free samples into the garage-sale box, cleaned the shelves, and best of all all the spice bottles are now on the bottom shelf, easily gotten to, where I can reach them without having to use the stepstool. It's wondermous!

So while the back porch didn't see much action - I DID accomplish something. Thanks lhamo!

[Tussiemussies]

:)

[Rosemary]

I cleaned a closet and our pantry today, just in random minutes that I would have otherwise wasted.
Found a piece of fleece fabric and cut it for a baby bunting for our friend who just had a baby. It's a medium brown color and I'm going to make deer ears for the hat. One of my goals for the year is to reduce my fabric stash substantially.