(mtb) Joining the 21-Day Decluttering Challenge

It's been a while since I did one of these! But whenever you see a (mtb) post you can be sure that I am very motivated and busy making changes. Currently, I'm focussed on minimalism again. I just started the minimalism game (which I might blog about later) and as luck would have it, I found a 21-Day Decluttering Challenge today that only just went live.

Courtney Carver is a name I'd come across before. Her "project 333" is something I'd heard many people talk about, but had no intention of trying myself. However, I am really liking this decluttering challenge so far!

I like that it begins with laying a solid personal foundation of why you're doing it. It doesn't dive into getting rid of an x amount of this and an x amount of that. Instead it starts you off with a very clear motivation that will (hopefully) help you stick with the challenge (and your own decluttering project) until you are exactly where you want to be.

Defining and visualizing "the why" is also covered in the set-up of the KonMari book, which I'll admit I kind of skipped there. But because this challenge is paced, I actually wrote down what I want from this experience.

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The challenges should only take about 15 to 30 minutes a day, and Courtney also stresses that you work at your own pace. So this sounds like a very doable project! Even if you're low on energy or are busy with work/other things.

Like I said, this only just started, and since there hasn't been any decluttering so far, it would be very easy to still catch up. Are you planning on joining? Or do you maybe have some other project you love?

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In "making things better" I share what is helping me better my life while hopefully inspiring others in the process. It might include things that either don't apply to you, or that you disagree with. That is fine too. Read it, think about it, and decide for yourself whether it can also make things better for you.

(mtb) Decluttering: Starting Easy

For as long as I can remember I've had a hard time letting go of items. And I also really loved the thrill of getting something new. The perfect recipe for a vicious cycle… a cycle I'm now breaking by making downsizing my belongings a new priority. I started with something that's easy for me to part with. Toiletries.

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I had (ok, have) quite a big stockpile of skincare and cosmetics. However, I read that you can not keep those things for ever, studies show even sealed ones "go bad" eventually. So I went through my stuff and threw out the vast majority of what I had. Open bottles that had been in my shower forever and that I either didn't like or that had begun to look a little dodgy; Lush products that had expired years ago; any usused things I had had for way too long… (I figured that if you know a certain store/brand has had a few label changes since, it is probably time to throw it out.)

There were also things that were still good, but I knew I would not get any use out of them myself, because I switched to natural products. Most of those I've already given away,  the small remainder I'll offer to other people soon.

I care about the environment a great deal. I recycle, try to eat as organic and animal-friendly as I can, and to waste as little as possible. Throwing something in the garbage is a huge deal for me. But I flicked a switch recently. Where I can I will always sell, donate or give things away, but if something is useless to anyone else and I'm only hanging on to it and letting it get even older, I'll have to throw it out eventually… So why not cut out those extra 3, 5, 10 years it would be lying in some cupboard taking up precious space, and just throw it out now?

Hopefully soon I will have minimal stock and only things in use that I actually like and that are working for me.

I'd love to hear from you! Are you in the same situation? Is it bugging you or is it more of a dormant problem? And do you think this is an easy place to start, or would you tackle something else first?

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In "making things better" I share what is helping me better my life while hopefully inspiring others in the process. It might include things that either don't apply to you, or that you disagree with. That is fine too. Read it, think about it, and decide for yourself whether it can also make things better for you.