Have you heard of NOW? The National Organising Week? In Australia and New Zealand, the AAPO runs its annual campaign about the benefits of being organised this week and they partner with charities who’ll take any pre-loved items.
About 16,500 km away from Sydney, I’ll be working with clients on their own NOW here in Germany this week. I’ve been approached to organise a basement and am rather grateful for the cold and rainy weather. Moving unwanted furniture or bags full of stuff upstairs can be exhausting.
To start an easy NOW for you, look around your home and get rid of things you no longer want or need. Here are 15 suggestions of things you can declutter within 10 minutes:
- Wire hangers from the dry cleaners. By now, you should have invested in proper, quality hangers which will keep your tops, shirts and jackets in shape.
- Cups. How many mugs, especially those from Christmas markets, do you really need?
- Old magazines. Rip out the articles you want to read, put them in a reading binder and throw out the rest.
- Expired medicine. Give them to a pharmacy or hospital for safe disposal.
- Expired food. I don’t need to list health hazards here, do I?
- Pens which don’t write any more. The same goes for other arts supplies or paints which have dried up.
- Broken flower pots and vases. If water can’t be contained by them, throw them out.
- Cables and chargers of electronics you no longer have
- Blurred pictures. Whether as a printed picture or jpg, if you don’t recognise the people or place in the photograph, throw it out or delete the file.
- Plastic bags. Even if you use them as rubbish bags, I bet the friendly shopping assistants have given you way more than you could use.
- Cheap airline headsets. Let’s face it, you probably won’t even pack them next time you’re traveling with that carrier again.
- Magnets that have lost their charm.
- Clothes that no longer fit, are torn or stained. With the change in season, this is the perfect opportunity to remove unwanted clothes.
- Painful shoes. If they didn’t fit you so far, their shape and form will not become the comfortable one you’ll walk in for miles and miles.
- Candles which are almost burnt up.
Take 10 minutes today and clear out one of the items suggested. If you’re in the swing of things, continue. It’s amazing how much lighter you feel even after a small decluttering session. Give yourself permission to let go and do another 10 minute long decluttering session each day this week.Take 10 minutes today and clear out one of the items suggested. If you’re in the swing of things, continue. It’s amazing how much lighter you feel even after a small decluttering session.
What things have you cut from your life recently? How did you feel afterwards? Share your experiences in the comment’s section below. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.
Until next time,
Agni