Are you intrigued with the differences between being organized and being a minimalist? Which way of living is better? Are you ready to find out which way works best for you?
First…check your personal commitment level. Have you ever accepted a 30 day challenge and not followed through? How about a 40 day Lent challenge and not followed through…(OMG what sinners right?)?
Any ___ # day challenges are like New Year’s resolutions. Sometimes they work and other times they don’t. Success is based upon your personal level of commitment to the cause at hand.
DECIDING to do something is the key, not necessarily the number of days to the challenge. Once you DECIDE, your personal commitment will keep you going.
If you haven’t identified your personal reasons for taking on the challenge, what you’ll gain out of it, and WHY doing so is important to you, you’re never going to stick to it. PERIOD.
Back to the 39 day going lighter challenge…
If you’re like me, after decades of trying every method of organizing stuff, not finding the “right” method that works to eliminate life being my interior decorator, enough is enough, it is time to simply go lighter.
Going lighter is a state of living in between organized clutter and minimalism. I’m absolutely convinced neither extreme state is for me.
Going lighter is doing what?
Removing all the organized might-be handy someday and not used items from your life. Doing so will produce a lighter feeling to the surroundings. Only you will know when the state of your surroundings feels lighter and comfortable to YOU. The moment you start to feel anxious, you’ve gone too far one way or another.
So why a 39 day going lighter challenge…39 is such an odd number?
Well…because 39 days is longer than 30 days and less than 40 days. Based upon past experience, people who fail on day 1 of any challenge, but really want to do the challenge, overcome their regret for not starting on day one and start on day 2. If you buy that, continue reading (insert smiley face here). Besides, I didn’t start yesterday like I planned…excuses, excuses, excuses!
Why am I convinced the 39 day going lighter challenge will work?
Because today I’ve decided it will. Remember DECIDING is key. If you decide to do something it will work for you too! What do you have to lose? Join me and give it a try.
I’m in the midst of my first week of redoing my home office. This past weekend, while listening to The Minimalism’s Podcasts, I was truly inspired to empty the room. It was awesome exercise, lifting and bending and trekking back and forth between the two rooms. Afterwards, (I lost count of number of trips) my office is empty. I left only my desk, computer, printers, phone, scanner, and essential paper handling items I use every day…because.work.must.go.on. Other than a few items I had to go searching for, in the random stash, in the other room, you know what? I haven’t missed a thing!
My desk is in the middle of the room so I can paint around it before and after work, and then work during the day. Right now, there’s nothing in my office I don’t need or use on a daily basis. It does feel a little cold and sound echoes due to removing the carpeting to redo the flooring.
…a taste of minimalism is intriguing to say the least. I’m loving this going lighter, halfway between organized and minimalism state!
There is this awesome, lighter and peaceful feeling in the room. Weird…I’m kind of loving it way more than I ever thought I would!
Good graycious…going lighter is going to be awesome! Soon I’ll have to deal with the former contents of the room, sitting in my living room, feeling heavy and cluttered. All that stuff used to be in my office. I’m going to apply the “go lighter” criteria as I begin the process of deciding what stays and what doesn’t return to my office.
Have you tried either the full blown get organized state of living or the minimalist state? Which one works for you? Or have you tried a “go lighter” state and found that works for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts, what do you think? What works best?
PS – Note to self…It better not take 39 days to get my office to a new lighter state. Move fast so I’ll have extra days to conquer other areas of the home!
