January, 2023 Clutter Control - Start with a Plan

[Harriet]

A precious new year is here so let's make our START with REAL INTENTION to love and improve our homes.

If you say, "I'd like to have less clutter.", frankly, nothing much may happen. (Ask me how I know!) But say, "Here is my plan for decluttering within this time frame." and positive change is already on the way.

So in 2023, take the time FIRST to schedule, chart, plan, calendar, create a checklist, set up computer reminders, do SOMETHING that is really going to keep you on target as you work.

There are so many ways to make a plan for controlling the clutter in our homes and keeping it under control. Here are some we've mentioned:
1) count the clutter itself in some way, like by bag/box or by weight.
2) count our time, and make a checklist or calendar for the 15s or 30s that we intend to accomplish.
3) go room-by-room in rotation and give the time we have to different rooms by week, month or even day.
4) work according to Goodwill or other donation drop-offs or pick-ups by area trucks and collect receipts as small goals.

Any plan can work with rewards, too - as simple as gold stars ✨ on cards/planner or as personalized as favorite treats.

And a great thing about a plan is that it can be changed to a new one if we decide we need new momentum!

What are you hoping to change in your home in 2023? How are you planning 2023's decluttering? Let us know your plans, get accountability. Tell us what changed in your lovely home in 2022 - did you meet goals, do things look better, are you more organized?


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For anyone who'd like to know what the Focus weeks are,

Here's your slide
to the 2023 Focus threads with 2023 Calendar stickied at top, then the 3 explanatory threads stickied following.

I'll be decluttering for the week ahead of each Monday date,
then cleaning during the week of that Monday, which works best for me.

[Nancy]

Great reminders and ideas Harriet!

I am thinking on systems like routines to tweak to include more of this in my week.
I got leaves in bags 4 of them today yea! In only 15 min.
hope to get back to it but when it is warmer this afternoon hopefully.
I took out two bags of streading papers to get them out of the kitchen trash can is full so they will have to wait till after Tues. trash pick up.
Papers can go in first to absorb moisture from the leaves.

Up date got the leaves in front driveway bagged up 11 bags total I guessed it would be 12 only off by one!
This is helping on my fitness goals too! Bonus!!! Outside in the fresh air and some sunshine also.

[Harriet]

For 2023 I am planning to go through the house Room-By-Room doing those things that are bugging me most, until it's time to go to the next room. Since I'm going to go by the Focus weekly, I'm decluttering the bedroom this week while cleaning the foyer and maybe cleaning porches, weather permitting.

Today in the bedroom, I can report that in a deep search with cleaning/decluttering, I could not find a lost shoe. That's concerning. Especially since (and remember, I just tell ya'll a lot I wouldn't tell others) I now can't find the mate, which I had kept waiting patiently for the other to be found. These are really very helpful shoes, in black, that would be fine for going to appointments, etc. I'm keenly aware that I don't want to wear the same of shoes (or same anything) when I go out, day after day, you know?

But, good news - did find and again try on a pair of navy shoes that are similar and never worn. I'd felt these were uncomfortable before (6 months at least) but had kept them too long to return and was considering giving them away. Now they are reasonably comfortable, and I think with wear they will turn out fine. It's true I'm at a somewhat lower weight but that shouldn't make such a big difference, I wouldn't think. Don't know. I only know that today they're good and I'm happy to have a new pair of shoes.

[Nancy]

Harriet I am glad for your good news on shoes!

I got some more things decluttered more boxes are out of the kitchen by the landing zone.
Plastics dealt with and made progress on a tall desk so that helps too.

Put away things in the closet under the stairs that was my mission, should have been a quick and easy thing.
But I got bloodied in the process see J & C. I am okay but it was emotional for me not sure why. Sigh might
be hormones. Or what ever. . .

[Harriet]

As I moved from decluttering to cleaning in the bedroom this week, I did find that waiting mate shoe, so at least I'm back to the former level of confusion on that. Still don't have a pair, and black sure would be a helpful color in these, but the navy pair is doing a great job, lol. Also, I found a clipboard that HRH and I have been searching for - it held sermon notes, healthy-habits record-keeping and other papers. We were thinking we had elves coming in during the night to take our clipboards away.

We spent an hour on recyclables Tuesday and redid the recyclable area in the mud room. We took all that out for the truck to pick up yesterday.

Decluttering is in bathroom(s) this week. I've realized we need a new shower head.

Nancy, I think when we get hurt trying to do a right thing, it can feel so unfair, as if we just KNOW we didn't deserve to get set back on our heels when all we intended was for the good. Also, the surprise can be emotional - un-steadying. Hope you heal quick!

[Nancy]

Most of my owies are healing up nicely from storage zone injury.
I have resumed my zone work on the basement, swept & mopped the rec. room.
Swept the other two rooms.

Some items to declutter are on my mind I will be rounding some items up to let go of after
the leaves have left. I can put a bag of things in the shop to toss later.

I ventured back down to the under stair closet and retreaved a box of old personal papers to let go of
after I pull em from the envelopes and then shred.

[Nancy]

I have a vague plan in mind.
Just doing the NSEW work on the rec. room has taken most of the winter.

Today lined up the entertainment center to go to a new home the end of the month yea!
I would like to have a different piece that has doors on it so this will be freeing up space.
A big piece I paid $50 for a number of years ago maybe 15 + anyway I have gotten my $ out of it.
This piece is 5' x 7' and a half feet tall all one piece. So I am just glad to have some one take it and move it out of here.

Through our church a family in a town not far from here was shared in our Bible study for a group project.
So this is my part, glad I can be of help and this helps me out too! I sent them a pic. and and measurements,
no it does not come apart.

Getting it in was not a big deal it was down the stairs and dsoh was here to help dh at the time.
So I unloaded it and it is in need of a good clean I will do what I can but not over do it.
I found places in the other rooms & on other shelves for the items.
This part of down sizing feels good.
One less thing to worry about yea!

Counting this for my zone work this week too.
This is a big step.

[Nancy]

I decluttered two stacks of books Bible study type.
The zoom Bible study group leader said she would take them. The may do some of them again.
Winner winner!

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I got two boxes loaded to declutter from the shop it feels like a success to
have that much done yea! PLus small paintings dgd did not want!
Took those by the thrift show yea!

[Harmony]

To the recycle bin, a couple boxes flattened, a plastic take away container and a square cake carrier from a store. Also recycled a big book, it was a diet type book that I'd filled in the quizzes so didn't want to donate anywhere. A devotional book I never liked to the donate bin. That thing is getting full. Next time I go up to the Dentist that bin is going with me. The donate place is nearby.

[Harriet]

Office-to-Closets over these two weeks.
It was office declutter week last week and I got some organizing done. I'm like Nancy - I have a vague plan in mind! Slowly seeing how I can use the shelves and drawers in the office area efficiently, allowing some in-the-way boxes to be disappeared one way or another.

It's closet declutter week this week. In the "office" the closet is exclusively sewing. Have been including that in the organizing.

Some guilt because we still haven't even opened the box dstepson and dstepdil gave us, with all the rectangular glass food storage containers. Honestly, I don't know how we're going to fit these items in to the kitchen cabinets, which are already full. We've pared down to the point there's no more squeezing, lol.