QUESNEY21(Day 6): (Simple Living Series #3:30-Day De-Cluttering Challenge Update)

I was just looking back at my posts and decided that I needed to pick up where I left off on the De-Cluttering Challenge that I started in January.

Start Date: 7th January 2018
The Challenge: Clean up throw/give/sell away stuff that I don't need around the house and office. The number of stuff that I need to throw/give/sell away corresponds to the date. I started on the 7th and I had to throw/give/sell away 7 things that I don't need and it goes on.
End Date: 5th February 2018
Total things to throw/give/sell away: 490 (I hope my maths is right)

Day 11- Day 20 would be from the 17th to the 26th of January and the total number of things that I should have thrown/given/sell away is 215!

This is my list of things:

More bills/papers/mails - I can't even count. Shredded them but I would envision in the range of about 300 pages! (This is a very conservative estimate) So environmentally unfriendly. I wish more companies would stop sending snail mail! It takes me ages to clean them up too!

A giant bagful of shredded paper

Cleaned out my make up stuff and decided to get rid of really old make up! Can't believe that I kept some of them for about 10 years now. Yucks! Imagining all the bacteria growing...Eye shadow palettes & single colours, old lipsticks and lip gloss - 37 pieces.

Some of my old eyeshadow pieces

Medicine cabinet was next with all the old and expired medicines. Some even as far back at 2013! - 23

Kids toy drawers - Cleaned out all Chapati's & Murtabak's toys. Once again orphaned little parts and broken toys. Hey, we kept them with the hope that one days we will be able to repair them and put them to good use again. Honestly they don't make toys like they used to. Eveything breaks so easily these days. - 42 pieces

Some of the stray pieces of toys! Arrgh!

Clothes - olds ones which were worn out, can't fit anymore, some completely out of style and t-shirts given by other companies/shopping malls..etc - 69 pieces

Lastly I gave my part time maid who has 5 children a bag full of sweets, chocolates and candy canes - 53 pieces

GRAND TOTAL: 224 excluding the papers that I shredded

I actually FAILED (yes admittedly) to complete my 30 days because after the 20th-day life really got in the way. I thought that it would get easier after my initial round of de-cluttering but it only got harder, a lot harder and truth to tell, it has hardly made a dent in actually clearing up my space. I was quite discouraged that I had so much more to clear and get rid off.

I realised that the exercise of de-cluttering is really an exercise of letting go. There are just so many material things that I know I am still hanging on to with my dear life. That piece of clothing that I might just wear again...that container that we just might need to use and I tell you what is worst of all is the amount of actual physical paper! Bills, credit card statements, bank statements, my son's school notices, ...etc. It is just so overwhelming.

But as I continue to think about it, it felt really good that I was able to clear the stuff that I did clear out. Especially when I emptied out that cupboard to make space for other things! (You did notice that I said make space for other things? Oh, nevermind...)

I am frustrated but I am going to continue to work at de-cluttering my life but maybe a different approach would work better. Stay tuned!

Do you have the same problem de-cluttering as I do? Please do share in the comments below, or if you have better ideas on how to de-clutter I would love to hear from you!

So what is QUESNEY21? @joannewong and I are challenging each other to create great content for the next 21 days. Starting 26th of March and ending on the 15th of April. We needed the discipline and motivation that comes from being accountable to each other. Tell us if this is interesting to you, do you think you could benefit from your own QUESNEY 21?

Check out the other postings for this challenge:
QUESNEY21(Day 5): The Priority
QUESNEY21 (Day4): The Heart of A Child
QUESNEY21 (Day 3): An Analogy For Your Steemit Wallet
QUESNEY 21 (Day 2): Money Conversations with Millennials and Post-Millennials
QUESNEY21 (Day 1): Strangers On A Train

Do check out @joannewong postings too for this challenge!