Unfortunately I don't know many missionaries, so that didn't take me too far as an example of which to draw from but I am finding minimalism to encompass what I am trying to accomplish. But minimalism comes with its context of new-agey stuff that I'm so not about. Yet, these people have something that a lot of Christians are missing. Not in terms of their eternal life or the reason for their very being, but walking out contentment in a material sort of way. Many of us are missing the boat on this issue.
I needed a little guidance on a how-to get this decluttering thing done. I've read flylady and I'm not talking about a general get rid of some stuff sort of way. I'm talking about the nitty gritty, down and dirty chunk the stuff sort of reality. So with my hobby money this payday I purchased the 30 Day Clutter Bootcamp. That's what I have been working on the past few days. She doesn't got into why to get rid of the stuff so much as to how to get rid of it, breaking things down into baby steps for the easily overwhelmed. That's me!
On day 1 she has you make a master plan. Below you will find my master plan straight from the pages of my iPad. I'm calling it the Master plan, because I'm working for my Master - The Lord Jesus Christ - and the things that I am doing here, I want to be glorifying to Him alone. Maybe some of this will be encouraging to you.
Why:
I want to continue to declutter because the visual chaos is constantly distracting me and I rarely feel peaceful and calm when at home. It seems I am always organizing but really I am just moving piles from here to there. I get rid of a lot but not enough. The idea of living with just what we need is very calming to me - like when we are camping. My biggest life goal is to enjoy every day the Lord has given to me. To have moments of pure laughter and full service to Him.
Assess:
These are my problem areas:
- kitchen counter
- homemaking supplies - gardening, canning, etc.
- cookbooks
- photos and memorabilia - not the photos themselves, just 15 shots of the same thing
- cleaning products
- blankets
- scentsy bars
- clothes - too many kids clothes
- sheet sets
- audio cds/ seminars (I decluttered those here)
- notebooks
- self-help books
- curriculum
- baby clothes
- hair bows
- things I want to do "someday" (though someday never comes because I'm constantly visually overwhelmed)
- personal care products
- first aid items
- organization boxes
- supplements and medicine cabinet stuff
Visioning:
interjecting something here: this is not and "idealist" sort of mentality. This is about the way I am bent and the things I enjoy.
- light colored walls
- quilts in each room (and time to quilt)
- room for lots of scrapbooks (and time to scrap) for all of us to look at
- empty spaces so my eyes can rest somewhere
- vintage and lamplighter books
- clear kitchen counters with a scentsy warmer on the island
- 8 mason jars for drinking lined up all in a row on the island
- a vase of fresh flowers on the table
- laundry room with laundry baskets for dirty clothes
- light and airy rooms with natural light filtering in
- white refrigerator (we need to replace ours very soon!)
- hardwood floors and little to no carpet
Action plan:
- I want to declutter 6 days per week; Sundays off to enjoy The Lord's Day & a board game with the kids
- My goal is to reduce our stuff by 50-75% depending on the area/category
- I would like to be finished with the declutter in 3 months
- priority is kitchen, the clothes, closets, music
so I had to give up my priority for actually getting things done because this is not the order that she does things in the book.
Maintenance:
- wait on maintenance until decluttering is done
- purchase purposefully from now on
Things have to change - they must be different.
Living life simply leads to living life freely.
Living life simply leads to living life freely.
1 comment :
i love this. Can't wait to see how you end up liking the challenge. This looks like such a great plan. can't wait to see your progress.
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