SDD Clutter Free Day 3: Why We Don't Skip a Day

Day 3 of the So Damn Domestic Clutter Free Challenge, and the goal today is to declutter 28 items, and reflect on why it's important not to skip a day. I love the way yesterday's prompt about what we gain by decluttering tied in so well with the Smart and Simple Matters episode I'd just heard. Today's prompt ties in perfectly with something else I just heard. A friend of mine shared the quote, "Do something every day for no other reason, than you would rather not do it at all."

The value of discipline is we get some amazing end result and develop confidence and habits. I'm wary of the word "discipline" because in some contexts it's a synonym for punishment. Besides that, if something takes discipline to accomplish, often it's because we don't really value that thing. It's somebody else's idea of what we should be doing. It's forced.

I've learned, though, with emotions, relationships, and learning new skills, that being uncomfortable is necessary for progress. Why not apply that same philosophy to the task list? There are things on my To-Do List that have been there for months. Some things have been on there since I moved a year ago! Why? There's something uncomfortable about them. Maybe chores and errands aren't as scary as confronting the emotions from a trauma, or confronting a friend who said something hurtful, but vulnerability is still at play.

Fear of physical pain: "I want to sort the tool box, but it hurts my back to stand at the work bench that long."
Fear of emotional pain: "I want to sort my pile of letters, but I know there's some sad ones in there."
Fear of the unknown: "I don't even know where to start with that photo box!"

Or maybe we fear a task will take too much time, and we're busy. But how true can that be? Even the most obnoxious tasks (think: anything at the DMV) is going to take a couple hours at the most, and any tasks at home can be broken into smaller parts.

Whatever the fear is, sit with it. Find the source, so you can work through it, and get that checkmark on the page! It's amazing how many big life lessons apply to little things too. Not to belittle the To-Do List. It does have a power to it.

So that's why I'm not going to skip a day: I am not afraid to face my fears.

Day 3, Declutter 28 Items

1. Bird feeders. I bought these when I had a balcony, but moved shortly after to a place with no

outdoor space. Since they're unused, I think they'd make a great gift for my mom, who loves her yard and loves birds.
2-4. Tarot and palmology books. These can be really fun. (No offense to people who take them seriously.) But they fail the "Have I used this in a year?" (And probably 2 and 3 years) test, so I think it's someone else's turn to enjoy them.
5, 6. Old slippers. I was going to line up all my purple slippers for a header bar picture when the blog was called The Purple Slippers. Alas, it no longer is, and I procrastinated way too long doing that anyway.
7, 8. Heels that fail the "Can I comfortably stand in these for 2 minutes?" test.
9. Broken thermometer.
10. Bag of pins. Might take out one or two to put on my the love board I want to make, but it's unlikely.
11. Stewie keychain. Maybe if they'd stopped the show at Season 2, I'd still like this character.
12. Plastic cat. I feel bad because I think something sweet and sentimental happened when I was given this cat, like it was a treasured toy of a child I babysat and they gave it to me to protect it. I don't know. But sadly if I can't remember, it's not valuable anymore.
13. Bear in kimono puppet. I made this in fifth grade when we studied Japanese culture. The teacher was amazing, and I kept the puppet to remember the lessons. I plan to write about the memories it brings up and save a picture.
14. Under bed shoe storage bag. It's best for people who have different shoes each season, or a reason to store 12 pairs of shoes for a long period of time. It's not practical for shoes in regular rotation.
15. Sock pair with holes.

16-19. Inserts and socks there's only one of.
20. Bead necklace from fifth grade camp. Again, I plan to write about it and save a picture.
21, 22. Purses. Seeing them more as balls-and-chains these days.
23. Too small leggings.
24. Too small pajama shorts.
25. Couch arm storage. It drapes over a couch arm and has a flat top and pockets. Decent if you don't have space for a side table, but didn't work for me. (Kept falling off.)
26. Stack of papers.
27. Game Informer magazine. I can't tell you how this came into my possession, but let's just say we had an annoying neighbor and a streak for vengeance.
28. Bra with pokey wire.

In keeping with today's reflection on not skipping a day, I knew I would be busy today, so I picked out most of the items last night. That way all I had to do for this task today was take the picture and write this post. Tomorrow...maybe kitchen stuff? Dresser drawers? Can't wait to find out!