10% Tuesday: Game On

Pin It Last Tuesday, I shared with you my goal to reduce the things that clutter my life by ten percent.  Now, ten percent may not be measured strictly per se, but rather in the abstract sense.  I simply want to end 2013 with less stuff than I started with.  After much thought, I put together two strategies to help reach my goal.

Strategy #1 - Clear out ten items per day for the first 90 days, and then ten items per week through the end of 2013.  This comes out to 1300 items to either recycle to Goodwill or other favored recipient, use up (and not restock) or toss out.  Necessary food items and hygiene products don't count.  Electronic clutter (files, photos, links, pins) does count.

Strategy #2 - Reduce my Body Mass Index by ten percent.  As it turns out, I need to lose 13 pounds to lose 10% of my BMI. 

I've placed a scoreboard on the blog sideline so you can see how much progress I'm making.  You can see I've made some great progress to clearing out already!  Each month, I'll be focusing a pre-specified area of the house.  January is all about the bedroom and the clothes closets throughout the house.  It's hard to believe that my closet is bigger than my childhood bedroom, and yet there is not enough room to store all of my things!  I think there is a reality show looming.

Here are the game rules I'll play by as I whittle away at that ominous ten percent.  

Game Rules:

1.  Banking points is allowed (if I clear out more than the allotted count, then the extra is banked towards another day).
2.  Necessary food items and hygiene products don't count.  Electronic clutter does.
3.  Touch every single item in my house this year.
4.  One thing in - one thing out.  Purchasing items is permitted, but for every item brought into the home - one must leave.  Same goes for gifts received.
5.  Deal with it when it comes in the door or arrives in my inbox.
6.  Ruthlessly deal with piles and stash. 
7.  If I don't love it, have a use for it or if it doesn't inspire me, out it goes.
8.  If I haven't worn it within six months or it doesn't fit, bye-bye.
9.  Unsubscribe to catalogs and store emails.
10.  Shop only with a specific purpose in mind.  Stick to the shopping list.
11.  Use what is on-hand and in reserve first before buying new.
12.  Implement a trial period if I'm not sure about an item.
13.  Keep score.  Emply SMART goals (Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Time-bound).

I'm happy to say that my husband and my Maggie are in on the game too!  Maggie is having so much fun ripping the stuffing out of her toys thereby making it that much easier to send 'em to the trash. 

My helpful husband working on widdling down the library.

Wishing you well towards reaching your new year's resolution!