ONE DAY AT A TIME (Words of Encouragement )

Many of us are learning we have come to this group of 40 Bags in 40 Days because we are ready to take back our lives. The clutter, the junk, the STUFF, is symbolic of the emotional burdens we have been carrying around for far too long. Each of us here has our own story, and our own way of taming the monsters we're facing, but we are in it together, not to pass judgment, but to be a support for each other.

Some of us are dealing with loss of loved ones, and the place we called home. Others are facing debilitating illness, their own, or someone in their family. And still others are feeling overwhelmed by the responsibilities of a career, while managing children and households. Whatever your own situation, this group is here for you. We are not here to judge each other, and we are not here to criticize anyone. 

My life had been easy enough, but emotionally, I wasn't dealing with situations that have been simmering for a long time. Everything came to a head when I received word that my dad had passed away just before Christmas. Two months later, I found myself divorced, dividing household property, getting ready to move, and without my faithful canine companion. Dealing with death, divorce and life without a dog pushed me to my emotional limits, and I think I was finally ready when this de-cluttering challenge presented itself. Synchronicity at its finest!

Last week, I realized that the state of my house was a metaphor for my life.  In a 40 Bags in 40 Days UPDATE, I wrote: 

"My home is a metaphor for my life; I can see that now. From the outside looking in, my house and I look like we've "got it goin' on." On the surface, we are both tidy, comfortable, and fun. Go poking in dark corners, and peeking in closets and drawers, and skeletons won't be the only thing you find. There are cobwebs, confusion, and clutter within. This is true of both my home...and my spirit."

In my first update, I had tackled my living room, junk drawer, coat closet, and bathroom vanity. For the rest of the first week, I conquered my gift wrap, spices and canned goods, and my home office. Here is how I managed to finish strong on days 5, 6, and 7. 

Day 5: Taming the Gift Wrap Monster

I love gift wrap. And gift bags. And ribbon. And tags. And holiday picks. I had four storage containers and two large Christmas boxes full of all of it. There is simply too much of it. "Having some on hand" had turned into "being ready for the next five years." One thing that really helped was rolling all of the open rolls of wrapping paper onto unopened rolls. I threw away several cardboard tubes that way. I took one of the discarded tubes, and cut it into 4" sections, and then split the shorter tubes on one side. Now I had my own little snap-on gizmo to keep the paper on the tube. The boxes pictured show what I kept in the way of tubes, gift bags, tissue paper, and tape. This is holiday AND birthday gift wrap in the remaining two boxes. I also have one tote that has Christmas picks, bows, boxes, and bags, which will be stored with my Christmas decor. Kind of dreading sorting my Christmas stuff, but I'm learning that if I take on one box at a time, one drawer at a time, one closet at a time, it's do-able. I remind myself all of the time:  Take a Deep Breath; Everything Is Going to Be All Right.  (Yes, I even blogged about THAT!)

Day 6: Sorting through the Spices and Canned/Boxed Food

My first step was removing everything from one cabinet at a time. As a former first grade reading teacher, I always move left to right, but that's just me. After wiping down the surfaces inside, I disposed of any outdated goods, and then divided what was moving with me, and what was staying in this house. 

I love the Lazy Susan spinning racks for my spices. I divided mine into sweet (cinnamon, vanilla, ginger, etc.) and savory (garlic, sage, Mrs. Dash, etc.). It keeps my ingredients toward the front of the cabinet, and I store larger items like oil, molasses, and items less often used to the sides and behind the Lazy Susan.

Day 7: Honing in on the Home Office

We all have little mementos we want to keep. Some of us digitize everything, storing our mementos on our computers or flash drives, and some of us like to have a few cherished possessions. For me, it has worked well to keep things limited to one smallish box. For further explanation, click on this link: "HAPPY BOX." I sorted my box, and threw away old magazine articles that no longer bring me joy, but kept a nice article about MINDFULNESS, as that is one of my themes this year. I sorted pictures, making sure I kept any that made me smile. I made a pile of pictures to share; today I will mail them to my sister and college roommate. I had to get tough on the greeting cards, only saving those that seemed significant. I still kept my children's letters and special cards. I boxed up my personal effects from the desk. Yesterday, I changed out pictures in frames, so today they are displayed until moving day on top of the desk. It is so nice to have pictures from my sister's wedding, and of Daddy, and the most recent pictures of my children displayed for me to see.

One week down, 33 days to go. If I've learned anything, it's that I can get through this one moment at a time. When I was telling myself I had to move everything I owned from two spacious houses to one tiny cottage, I was overwhelmed. Now I wake up in the morning, check my list, and decide what one area I will focus on today. MUCH better! One moment at a time, one space at a time, one room at a time. We can do this, and we will; ONE DAY AT A TIME.


For more about the 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge, see BECOMING A MINIMALIST.