So yesterday I ended my blog wondering how many of you would come back! I hope that many of you have chosen to take on the challenge of yourself and whatever area you feel is most important to start with. I would encourage you to make is a smaller area to begin with.
When you can work with a small space and accomplish it fully, you will fill more energized to continue!
So if your ready...LETS GET STARTED!
Please focus on the latter part of that sentence : "..a FIRM foot in reality." I stress this point because as you approach the first "clean out" point in your home, you need to remember that the items that you will see might be items that you haven't seen in months, or even years! You are likely to have forgotten about them. Your emotional heart strings will tug at you to keep it, and this is where the firm foot in reality will need to give you a swift kick back from yesteryear and into the present again.
The rule of thumb is that if you haven't "needed" it or "used" it for 6 months get ride of it. But there are of course exceptions. As spring approaches every year and I go through my sons clothes, there is usually a piece or two that tugs at me and reminds me that he is growing up, and will never again wear the adorable "park ranger's" shirt again, or the jammies that I held him in night after night while we read a book before bed. These items are OK to want to keep! But you should have a plan for them! Starting off a project knowing that your emotions are gonna get involved and that it is OK, but you should have a firm hold of your expectations for the project's outcome, and a plan to allow yourself to feel those emotions as you make your decision about it based in reality. So are you ready to learn the basis steps in forming your plan?
- Get your mind set up for success! As I just touched on, you should remember its OK to be emotional, and reminisce, but be ready to make a choice and move one. Keep your "plan" in the front of your mind.
- Have a space ready and prepared for the clean out! Usually this would be a space near the actual closet, or desk for example.
- Get 3 sheets of paper and a trash bag. One the 3 sheets of paper you should write: KEEP, GIVE AWAY/YARD SALE, UNSURE. Then place these papers across the area that you would want to work in. (IE the floor, or bed) Make sure that the trash bag is open and ready to use.
Now here is where the real challenge will come in...
Are you ready for it????
When you touch something, you should be looking at it and making a choice within about 5-10 seconds. If you haven't "Use it or Touched it" in the last 6 months, but it is still nice enough for some one to use, put it in the give it away/yard sale pile. Some else will have a need for - I PROMISE! It will not got to waste and you will not feel like a failure because your best made plan didn't pan out! Remember to keep a firm foot in reality! DO NOT and I will repeat it DO NOT beat yourself up because you thought you wanted to scrap book and have $60 worth of items in an A.C.Moore bag that you have never used. Guess what - there is a Mom out there some where right now that is wishing she had the money to scrap book, but she just doesn't. She will visit your yard sale and you will make her the happiest Mom in the world. She will go home with her bag of goodies and feel like Super Woman for getting such a good deal on it, and you will have allowed yourself to be used for the Glory of God. You just answered a pray she sent up! Allow yourself to feel the Joy of that moment instead of belittling yourself for not using it.
When you get finished with your first sort, you should bag or box up all the Yard Sale/Give Away items. Move them right away to an area of your home that will not be in your way and that you will not be tempted to go through them again and pull items out of. The garage is a great place, or even in the hall closet that you probably haven't entered in some time. It doesn't matter where it is, the point is that it shouldn't make you crazy seeing it stare back at you, and you shouldn't want to rehash the work that you already accomplished! Next have the husband or child take the trash out for you. WAIT, DON'T THINK YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF! There is a HUGE point here - it is important for them to see the hard work you have just accomplished! If they don't get to see how hard you worked or how proud you are of yourself, they are not going to be invested in keeping the area organized either! Remember that you have helped condition them to be accepting of the lack organization that has lived in the space for a long time. This is the moment that you are breaking your habits and you are going to start chipping away at their bad habits as well!
Now you are left with two piles, the keep pile and the give away/yard sale pile.
I want you to walk away now!
You have done a great job and you probably feel a bit mentally and emotionally exhausted, maybe even physically. I need you to live with your choice of what you have chosen to keep for 24 hours, and I need you to be thinking about the maybe pile. I also need you to reset your foot in reality and feel your small victory before we approach the piles that are left.
CONGRATULATIONS!
I am so proud your accomplishment! And honestly you should be too! You are a rock-star! You faced your fears head on - and you realized this wasn't as bad as you thought it was going to be, or maybe it was, but you got through it, and that my friend is a HUGE accomplishment! Celebrate yourself and allow yourself to be proud! Don't tell yourself that you are silly it was only a desk or a closet. Be PROUD of yourself and feel the JOY in the moment! YOU ARE A ROCK-STAR!
See you back here tomorrow for day TWO!
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