Reprioritise, organise, declutter, and tidy up your physical or mental space. Growth and changes that you have experienced or plan to undertake.
If you'd like to join in this Minimalist initiative, check out the post here:
The Minimalist Daily Theme
In conjunction with my ongoing efforts to live a minimalist lifestyle and reduce my living space both physically by and mentally, on April 1st I adopted the 90-90 Rule. During the month I have actively pursued my plans as set forth in my previous post.
First I want to remind those who haven't had a chance to review my initial post that the 90/90 rule is a decluttering process that requires you to ask yourself two questions about objects you're not sure about: Have you used it in the past 90 days? And if not, will you use it in the 90 days ahead?1 Now this approach I felt would work fir me since my biggest problem is decision making when it comes to keeping or tossing items. I hold onto items for years, thinking one day I may use it, then I'd have to purchase it again.
Since my original post, I realized that the first quarter of this year passed by without me making any progress on my decluttering efforts. I was always thinking about the process, but never actually sitting down sorting, reorganizing, and removing items I no longer wanted to live with.
During April, I made small efforts and saw increased improvement in my physical space. My goals for April were to set specific times during certain days to eliminate items as recommended by @shanibeer. I genuinely appreciate the time she took in responding to my initial post and suggesting ways that might work for me since I take an enormous amount of time deciding which items to remove.
My first decluttering effort occurred between April 1st and April 15th. Since then, I've spent several days applying the 90-90 rule to items I uncovered or concentrated on, then decided their fate.
I want to report on those efforts with a chart I've adopted. Each day during the month that I spend decluttering, I'm documenting so that I can see my progress and review it at a later date. It's for my own satisfaction and peace of mind.
| Date | Item | Disposition |
|---|---|---|
| 4/17/24 | (1) Year 2017 Monthly Planner | Trashed |
| 4/20/24 | (10) Snow Globes | Trashed. Damaged due to liquid having drained out |
| 4/22/24 | Pair 10" Heart Shaped Porcelain Candlesticks | Decided to retain and keep secure in my china cabinet.* |
| 4/24/24 | (5) Designer Make-up kits | Trashed. No longer usable. Afraid to apply to skin. |
| 4/27/24 | (2) Foam Mattress Pads (Twin Size) | Gifted to Women's Center |
| 4/29/24 | (2) Couch Throws with hanging beads | Gifted to Women's Center |
| 4/30/24 | (20) Unopened Packs Pokeman Trading Cards with Pokeman Binder; (2) Superman Comic Book; Several Sports Illustrated Magazines | Gifted to family member who agreed to keep as souvenir and add to his collection. |
*I love Mikasa fine china and porcelain ware. These 10" white porcelain candlesticks decorated with silver heart scrolls are part of Mikasa's "Love Story" Collection. I purchased them about ten years ago at a resale shop for pennies on the dollar. I don't believe the seller knew the significance of the porcelain. I'd totally forgotten why I bought them until ten days ago when I added them to the list to be reviewed. Researching the item, I learned its value.
The change that I have experienced during this process is that I realize by working through the 90-90 Rule is that holding onto items "in case I need them in the future" is what led to my mini hoarding situation. Now, I look at possessions through a different lens. If I don't foresee using the items in the next 90 days or near future, I'm finding a new home, recycling, or tossing them in the trash.
Also, mentally, I feel rejuvenated. I can see a light at the end of the clutter. I won't leave all my collections and other massive pile of items for my children to deal with.
I want to continue at a more rapid pace. But I realize I must take it slow and easy allowing for my physical limitations when sorting and organizing.
This decluttering exercise in April has also mentally affected my attitude. I can do this. I look forward to at least fifteen days in May toward my minimalist lifestyle.
My family is pleased with my progress.
SOURCES:
a) JustClickindiva's Footer created in Canva utilizing its free background and images used with permission from discord admins.
b) Unless otherwise noted, all photos taken by me with my (i) Samsung Galaxy 10" Tablet, (ii) Samsung Phone, & (iii) FUJI FinePix S3380 - 14 Mega Pixels Digital Camera
c) Purple Butterfly part of purchased set of Spiritual Clip Art for my Personal Use
d) All Community logos, banners, page dividers used with permission of Discord Channel admins.
e) Ladies of Hive banner used with permission of and in accordance with the admin's guidelines
f) Thumbnail Image created by me in Canva.
g) "Flames." What is Apophysis 2.09. https://flam3.com/
1 90-90 Rule in Minimimalism. The Minimalist. Online at: https://www.theminimalists.com/ninety/
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