Lately my closet has been asking me for more hangers. It seems the supply of preferred hangers - those skinny felt numbers that can hang off each other - has run out. I don't know how this can be, since I have purged that closet at least twice in the past twelve months.
Okay, so I do know. I've accumulated more clothes. And shoes.
Okay, so I do know. I've accumulated more clothes. And shoes.
The closet that mere months ago had a compartment for each pair of footwear, and hangers to spare, is now overflowing. Again. And it's not just my closet; every drawer, cupboard, and nook we have in our storage-challenged home is filled to capacity. Building an addition, buying a larger home, or making some of G's collection of things "disappear" are not options. The logical solution? Get. Rid. Of. Stuff.
The most intriguing lighten-up plan I've read about is giving away one thing per day for a year. 365 things. Gone. Presumably painlessly, since it's only one thing per day. Could I do that? I can't stay on a healthy diet or exercise for seven days in a row, much less 365. I pledged to publish something in this blog once a week for a year. My record on that is currently 17/32, a pitiful 53%. Really? Could I stick to give-one-thing-away-each-day for an entire year?
On August 1st, I decided I could. Immediately the inner voice of Cynical Me (CM) began challenging Motivated Me (MM):
CM: Is the giveaway limited to clothes and shoes?
MM: No. Any physical thing I own is fair game. Food and anything we normally recycle won't count.
CM: Do G's things count?
MM: No. I could give away 365 of G's things tomorrow, so pride in accomplishment would be limited.
CM: Do the things I already have in bags for charity shops count?
MM: No. Technically they were already "gone."
CM: Can "giveaway" refer to donations, giving to relatives or friends, or throwing out?
MM: Yes. Point is to clean out and lighten up. If it's not appropriate to donate or share, then trashing should be okay. Of course item(s) can't be food or anything we normally recycle.
CM: What about multiples of the same item, such as worn-out undies? Do they count as one, or individually?
MM: This one is tough. Officially I'll go with individually; I can always opt to count a group as one thing.
CM: What if I don't remember every day, or can't think of something?
MM: Some days I'll come up with several things to give away, so I'll just keep track.
CM: Keep track?? Really? Because I'm so consistent at doing that with other things?
MM: Yes, yes, yes. I can do this!! I'll keep a basket to throw items in. I'll keep a little log in basket to note items. I'll report my progress to anyone who reads this blog. I can do this!!
CM: So what about buying new things?? Didn't we just snag a new sweater and top on sale to add to our closet full of sweaters and tops???
MM: Ouch. Okay, okay. So for each new item that comes into the house, an old one will go into giveaway basket.
CM: We're not math wizards here, but it seems one-in-one-out will not result owning 365 fewer things come next August. If we buy 45 new things, and give away 365, isn't the year-end total of fewer things only 320?
MM: (big sigh) Fine. One-in-one-out rule will still apply, but not count in the item-per-day giveaway.
The most intriguing lighten-up plan I've read about is giving away one thing per day for a year. 365 things. Gone. Presumably painlessly, since it's only one thing per day. Could I do that? I can't stay on a healthy diet or exercise for seven days in a row, much less 365. I pledged to publish something in this blog once a week for a year. My record on that is currently 17/32, a pitiful 53%. Really? Could I stick to give-one-thing-away-each-day for an entire year?
On August 1st, I decided I could. Immediately the inner voice of Cynical Me (CM) began challenging Motivated Me (MM):
CM: Is the giveaway limited to clothes and shoes?
MM: No. Any physical thing I own is fair game. Food and anything we normally recycle won't count.
CM: Do G's things count?
MM: No. I could give away 365 of G's things tomorrow, so pride in accomplishment would be limited.
CM: Do the things I already have in bags for charity shops count?
MM: No. Technically they were already "gone."
CM: Can "giveaway" refer to donations, giving to relatives or friends, or throwing out?
MM: Yes. Point is to clean out and lighten up. If it's not appropriate to donate or share, then trashing should be okay. Of course item(s) can't be food or anything we normally recycle.
CM: What about multiples of the same item, such as worn-out undies? Do they count as one, or individually?
MM: This one is tough. Officially I'll go with individually; I can always opt to count a group as one thing.
CM: What if I don't remember every day, or can't think of something?
MM: Some days I'll come up with several things to give away, so I'll just keep track.
CM: Keep track?? Really? Because I'm so consistent at doing that with other things?
MM: Yes, yes, yes. I can do this!! I'll keep a basket to throw items in. I'll keep a little log in basket to note items. I'll report my progress to anyone who reads this blog. I can do this!!
CM: So what about buying new things?? Didn't we just snag a new sweater and top on sale to add to our closet full of sweaters and tops???
MM: Ouch. Okay, okay. So for each new item that comes into the house, an old one will go into giveaway basket.
CM: We're not math wizards here, but it seems one-in-one-out will not result owning 365 fewer things come next August. If we buy 45 new things, and give away 365, isn't the year-end total of fewer things only 320?
MM: (big sigh) Fine. One-in-one-out rule will still apply, but not count in the item-per-day giveaway.
Given my decades-long history of making grandiose plans for new habits, then sticking with them only until my mind wanders to its next good intention, the odds for success are not in my favor. However, I'm going forward. On this seventh day, there are seven items in the giveaway basket.
Only 358 more to go.
Only 358 more to go.
#365-daychallenge, #de-clutter
