Week 1 The 2014 Things Challenge What Counts as Things?
Yes – we’ve survived the first week of The 2014 Things Challenge. Some of you have practically completed the challenge in the first week (this usually involves a huge garage clean out,) while most of you have had a week like mine – back to work and all that end of the year enthusiasm has gone the way of the wrapping paper and the New Year’s ham no one finished.
So I’ve had some questions about what count as Things in the Challenge. My goal is for you to feel significantly lighter January 2015 than you do now, so while the challenge is hard, it really is to make your life significantly better and show you progress along the way.
Here are some ideas on how to count your Things:
From Carol: Help! Serious question proposed by a friend wanting to take the challenge: how many pieces of paper count as “one thing
“? Inquiring minds want to know!
Answer: I think that every “decision” is a THING. If it’s a magazine, it’s one. A folder? One. But ten pages with ten different decisions? Ten. Just don’t get into the trap of letting junk mail come into the house and then counting each of those as one. Have a way to stop junk mail from coming through the door.
Debbie: Is it just getting rid of stuff we don’t need, or is there more to it?
Answer: Yes – it’s getting rid of stuff you don’t need, but it’s also about getting rid of things that you are holding onto, “just in case” or “someday”. One of my big downfalls is book. I love ’em. And I love to reread certain books. But I have so many that may never be read for ten years, and in that time dozens of people could have read that one book. A lot of this challenge is being generous with what we have. Is it better for me to save $14.99 by keeping dozens of book, only one of which I eventually will reread, or by letting all those books go, and then having to buy that one book again. (Or borrow it from a friend or the library.) I’m allowing myself to keep a certain number of books that I love and have a history of diving into again, but will be giving away the rest on here so all of you can enjoy them.
Tammy: What about toiletries and cosmetics – do those count?
Answer: Yes – most of us have way too many shampoo bottles from hotels, lotions we don’t love, etc. Get rid of all of it and start fresh with those things you use and love. It will make getting ready in the morning a breeze.
So here is my list of what we donated, trashed and recycled this week. (If you need help keeping track, check out this post
.)
Donated
2 Sweaters
5 Jackets
8 Shirts
2 Leather Jackets
4 Glasses
4 Hotpads
1 Cheese Board
17 Hangers
Recycled
4 Plastic Bottles
Trashed
11 Dead Pens
Total 57 items (we’re keeping the cat…)
And your chance to win…
In the comments below, tell me what item has been the hardest for you to trash, recycle or donate so far. One of you will win Holly Gerth’s book You Were Made for God-sized Dreams. You must enter by the 9th. (Again, cat not included…)
Jumping into the challenge now. Wanted to let you know. Blogged here:http://homeschool-review.blogspot.com/2014/01/a-challenge-for-2014.html
We are over 500 on our list of things to get rid of. We are doing the “net” challenge so I am also watching what come in the house. The hardest thing to get rid of was my daughter’s clothes. I love so many of them and associated the clothing with the memory of the day or event. I know we have pictures and I did allow myself to keep 2 special pieces from this stage.
I am excited to report that my family is totally on-board with this and I have challenged them to come up with 2 items per day (a family of 4, that is 8 items a day!). So far, what we’ve gotten rid of has been easy, I mean, it’s only the first week, so we are choosing the “easy” things– dried out nail polish, a jacket that is too small, items from Christmas, old spatulas that probably should have been thrown away months ago. Those things are pretty easy this first week. The items I will struggle with are the size 4 jeans that I love and adore, the gym equipment I have not used in 2.5 years but really want to use, going though my kids’ old school papers and deciding what to save and what to shred, my teenage daughter deciding to keep 2 or 3 tote bags, not all 12 of them… those will be the days that are the hardest!! I am proud of my family for being so generous with our donations. We did sell the too-small jacket since it was still in like-new shape and the proceeds will go toward my teen daughter’s summer camp. I have also given things away, Biolage hair care products for example, that I could have gotten a few dollars for myself. But you know, it made me feel good to give them to someone else and know they will get great use out of them. My husband gave 2 pair of expensive sun glasses to a co-worker without batting an eye. This challenge has really allowed us to search our souls and come to the over-all conclusion that this is only just stuff and if we can bless another with it, that is much better than these items sitting on a shelf or hanging in the closet to collect dust. Challenging myself to dig deep and really think on those size 4 jeans!
I love my books! There are quite a few that I haven’t read, but intend to, and each time I look at them, I think I’ll get to it soon. I removed 20 today…it hasn’t made a huge dent, but I’m taking baby steps.
The hardest thing for me will be doing another resort through all of my dance memorabilia. It’s quite sad (and hilarious) that I kept a lot of my old dance things (trophies, ribbons, Christmas parade sweaters) for a sport (yes, it’s a sport) that I actually had a love/hate relationship with. It wasn’t until a few years ago that I realized that I only danced my way from the age of 6 through freshmen year of college to please my mom. I told her I wanted to quit and play soccer in the 5th grade, she declined my request claiming the “I’m paying for it deal.” I’ve parred down the box heavily throughout the years (starting with those tutus) but I still plan to par down more because it’s not worth lugging around those boxes each time we move or the emotional weight of it either.
The hardest thing for m has been to realize I need to donate things instead of holding onto them to sell when I have time. My time and space are more valuable than using it to deal with stuff that can bless someone else. I realize that now. I also feel better knowing that the items I donated went to a local mission that sells the items and uses the money to help others get back on their feet in a faith based environment. I chose them instead of Goodwill based on this. I feel like my old things are blessing more people and doing more good in the hands of the mission.
I love to “hold onto” magazines, just incase I wanted to revisit an idea or reread an article. A couple of days ago, I dumped all the ones I had been saving and it cleared up a whole area of clutter. I must say that part of my living room looks so much lighter!
Yet another bag full of clothes my older son has outgrown and my younger son will never wear! Thanks for the motivation.
The hardest thing for me to get rid of is my clothes. I know I have a pile that I want to fit into again since having babies. Not quite there yet. I know I should just let go of them and buy some more later as I continue to lose weight.
A stocking. Silly, huh? I threw it away, went back a few times to get it out, but didn’t. Finally someone threw away some gross stuff on top of it, and I no longer wanted to get it out of the trash can even though I still wanted to keep it.
The hardest thing to let go of was a baby gift that I had been holding onto for one of my best friends, however after numerous miscarriages, I knew it was time for someone else to enjoy and i can always buy a new gift later.
The hardest thing so far is just coming to grip that it’s not things its people and memories that should matter most when I die nothing will go with me and if I act now and make a lifestyle change it will be easier on those I’ve left behind and I thought I was a organized clutter free person until I open up doors. So this is the hardest thing to do mental surrender.
Hope it’s not too late to join the challenge. We don’t have issues with gadgets and stuff, but I have difficulty letting go of paper, memorabilia and anything that has personal significance. I want in! When I went on maternity leave over 2 years ago, I brought home 7 years of boxes from my office. Mostly papers, some pictures and things my kids had given me over the years. It is a challenge to dispose of those memories because I don’t want to forget all the kids I had the honor of working with. But, I think it’s letting go of the identity that I had before I became a mom, which I love, but it is different nonetheless.
Oh man . . . I so want to win the cat too. Bummer. I am a huge cat lover! The hardest thing for me to get rid of is baby stuff (everything). my daughter is six and my husband doesn’t want anymore children. Another hard thing for me to let go are books. I love and collect them! I definitely have to declutter my house this year!
I so far didn’t really have a hard time getting rid of stuff. I got rid of 206 things from one corner of my hoards basement.
I didn’t, repeat did not, comit to getting rid of one thing for everyone brought in. However I did find myself questioning this week, would this new item be worth something already in my house?
Thanks!
I have been working on cleaning and organizing my craft room, which I’m very sad to say is in complete disarray. I get into a crafting and creating frenzy and seem to leave more mess laying around (if only I could get in the habit of cleaning as I go but that totally distracts from the creative process – or so I tell myself 🙂 ) I just went through and sorted out a bunch of my stamp sets – ones that I no longer use or have never used. I was able to sell over 70 stamp sets to another local crafter, which benefits both of us … and I now have some more room to better display the stamps I do use more frequently! I think it was easier selling these ones because I know they were going to a good home … I’m such a craft supply hoarder!!
The hardest thing for me to donate is my six-year-old’s crib ensemble. Yes, I still have it — sniff, sniff. Her room is still decorated in the same motif, which I was careful to pick so it could “grow” with her. She’s my last baby of five girls. I know it’s just stuff, but all the memories attached to it just makes it hard. Sounds a little pathetic, but true…
I got a new stove and since it’s a double oven, I lost the bottom drawer where I store my baking things. Most of it was able to easily separate in keep/donate/trash (some of those baking pans were really gunked up). But I have two sets of 8″ cake pans (the kind you make layer cake with). Both really good quality, one the lighter aluminum, one set the darker non-stick. Now, I haven’t made a layer cake in ages, but I figure one set is reasonable to keep. But for the life of me, I can’t decide between the two! So both are sitting on my kitchen table right now, until I decide. It’s the silliest things that give us trouble sometimes.
The hardest thing for me to donate was clothes. I have some in a few different sizes and it was hard to let go of what I don’t wear because someday I might get back into them.
Go ahead and let them go. After 15 years, I finally did get back down in weight to fit into sizes of things I’d held onto, but they were so pitifuly out of style that I wouldn’t wear them now! I found thrift stores and clearance racks to buy a cute, new, and up-to-date wardrobe!
I know and I could use new clothes but I am getting ready to have surgery and expect to lose weight. I am setting a date and if I am not into them in 3 months out the go!
Last summer I was browsing in an antique shop and saw a whole wall of old wedding photos. I was filled with a terrible feeling of dread! I don’t want my wedding pictures to end up in some little old shop, for people to walk by and laugh at my hairstyle and dress choice. The hardest thing for me to get rid of is photographs – but I am working on it! I have boxes, envelopes and albums of pictures from over 50 years. So I am scanning the ones that touch me, and throwing them all away. I even email some to friends to remind them of fun times in the past. So far I still have my wedding pics!
I have been saving my son’s table and chairs from when he was little. My hope was for him to someday use it for his children. He is now 25 and not married yet. I have come to the conclusion that whomever will be his wife one day may not think a yellow, blue and red Fisher Price table is what she wants for her children, so I am sending it out my door and doing her a favor so she won’t have to feel she has to use it to save my feelings! 🙂
I took 3 big baskets of kids clothes to a consignment shop. (The took about 30 items). The. I took a huge basket (about 30 or so items) of my clothes to a different consignment shop. This difficult because I lost almost 60 pounds last year. And I’m working on losing another 90 or so. It was kind of scary to get rid of my “safety net”–the clothes to fall back on if I regain the weight.
Julie – you were the winner of this week’s book. Contact us at info at kathilipp.com with your mailing address!!!
My hardest thing to get rid of would be things my kids make in school! I keep most artwork or crafts but it just piles up very fast. Trying to let them choose their favorite artwork of the week and send others to grandparents to share the joy of the art!
I like to sew and I had this great pre-cut fabric set for making a
quilt. I found it in my mom’s sewing room after she passed away. Since
cutting the fabric is time consuming, tedious and more than a little
boring, this was a great find, or so I thought. I absolutely hate the
colors of the fabric (which is why I haven’t used it) but I’ve held on
to it because it belonged to mom, it would save me time in cutting
fabric and the cost of fabric just keeps going up. In one purge I moved
it from my sewing room to the gift trunk to give away. The problem with
that was the colors were too awful to give away… After all this time,
it’s on its way to someone else through the local free store. How
LIBERATING!!!!
I have a REALLY hard time getting rid of clothing. There are so many “what ifs” and “maybe if I lost a few pounds” or “it cost a lot of money….it’s a shame to get rid of it”.
Clothes because I think well I might wear that again or regret it later.
My old Christmas stuff. I kept 4 boxes of items I used to use at Christmas. There were memories from our home in another state attached to those or so I thought. 🙂 I packed them up to give away to our youth’s thrift store surprise game. Its hard to accept your trash is really no one elses treasure at this point! Lol
The hardest thing I let go so far is a raggedy stuffed bear, a rainbow colored chenille covered bear. It has been sitting on a table in my bedroom since October 31, 2012, the day my dog Ziva was killed, hit by a car. I didn’t see what happened; she came when she was called, and seemed fine for two minutes, but then had a massive seizure and collapsed. She died in my arms that day at 4:06pm. That was her bear.
Hardest part was going through journals and getting tossing them in the trash.
So the hardest has been clearing out the bins of “maybe another baby?”. God has blessed us with one amazing kiddo but after 4 years of trying and a year of unsuccessful fertility treatments I am finally letting go of the toys, the clothes and the stuff that I was holding onto in hope. Time to focus my hope on what better plan He has in store for me!