Hallelujah! Spring has officially landed in northwest Iowa and southwest Minnesota. The warmer temperatures have definitely put a spring in my step. Now that I am able to start digging out my spring and summer wardrobe, I realize a couple of things.
- I need a serious pedicure now that sandal season is trying to begin.
- I am going to need to purge a few things.
The second realization is more important to me than the first. I am sure I am not alone in the feeling that spring brings in terms of cleaning and getting rid of clutter. Anyone who knows me can attest I am definitely NOT organized and NOT a good housekeeper, but, this one time of year, I feel like I can undo 35 years of past behavior and don my Power Femme superhero persona along with an apron and a feather duster. Now, while I consciously know my chances of becoming the next perfect housekeeper are slim, let me have this fantasy for a few minutes.
This past week I have found myself perusing decluttering articles on Pinterest. (Like I needed an excuse to surf for hours.) I have found a few tips that I think will actually work on changing my mindset on what I need to hang on to.
The first, and probably the one that has stuck out the most in my mind, says when considering whether to keep an item, ask yourself, “If you had to start over from scratch, would you replace this item?”
Taking a quick look around my home office, I would say my replacement ratio is about 50/50. My family photos, those I can never give up. My mini-Barbie collection? While I do love my wicked witch and Cher dolls, I could probably continue life without them. For now, there are plenty of other things that would go out the door before they will leave my bookshelf.
The warm weather apparently had an effect on Hubby as well. By the time we’d returned home from running errands, he was ready to clean out the cars and start tackling some of the clutter in the house. Riding the euphoria of warmer weather, we tackled my office. It is something I’ve put off for far too long.
When formulating an attack plan for my office, we implemented another handy Pinterest tip. When attempting to declutter a space, an item needs to sorted into one of four categories : keep, toss, donate or sell. To simplify this process we brought boxes and bags into my office. Surprisingly, the process was not nearly as painful as I’d anticipated. What shocked me more, is when I applied the first tip to things I struggled with a decision on, most went to donation or the trash.
Looking around my office now, I still have a way to go. With my work schedule and other plans in the next week, I know it will likely be at least another week before I have an opportunity to put the plan back into action again. That’s okay. It is a work in progress. In the meantime, I can finally see the majority of the floor and I’ll take that as a personal victory.
I’m not quite ready for the golden crown of cleanliness, but I’m keeping the duster.