Whoo hoo! Lots of successes!

After the email suggesting we all drop-off or schedule a pick-up of our donations or get them out of our homes by other means – many of you wrote to say you took action. Yipppee, I’m so proud of us!  

Another reader question prompted the topic for today’s email. After initial success, how can we stay motivated to continue de-cluttering? 

Here’s one way – what do you think about this? Leave the last task UNDONE. 

Wait, what? Did you read that right? Yes, I said un-done. 

Why? 

So you’ll be anxious to come back and continue. Plus, you’ll know just where to jump back in. 

Consider this: you’re working on clearing a drawer or a shelf or a tabletop or a corner. You bag up some stuff, you stop to go make dinner, planning to come back and do more later. 

But later never comes. 

OR 

You’re working on clearing a drawer or a shelf or a tabletop or a corner. You bag up some stuff, before you stop to go make dinner, you identify a cup that needs to go into the kitchen. Instead of taking it to the kitchen – wait. Go make dinner. You’ll be thinking about taking that cup to kitchen during your next de-clutter session. When you go to get the cup you’ll jump right back into the project where you left off. No wondering where to start, the next step is waiting for you when you come back to do more later. 

If it helps you can leave yourself a note with the next step as a reminder of where you want to jump back into the project.