I’ll admit that some days it can be a challenge to think of something to write her that is worthy of hitting that “publish” button. However, I have enjoyed the journey with hundreds of others as we commit to writing for 31 days straight as part of the #write31days challenge. In addition to writing, I’m trying to occasionally check in and read a few others.
Emily’s “It’s Time” Blog Series is probably my favorite, but (as she also told me), it’s probably because knowing the person always helps! It has been super fun though to write through this month with a long-distance friend and get to know each other a little better through the process! Another neat one I’m following here and there is called “31 Days of Neighboring”. It parallels so well with our current all-church study at First Trinity called Joining Jesus on His Mission and I’ve been challenged by her practical ideas of how to care for my neighbors with the love of Jesus!
The final one I’ll tell you about is “31 Days to Live with Less“. This one is less of a blog to follow, but more a challenge to join in on. Both reluctant and excited, it’s a challenge I decided to go for. She’s posted 31 areas of the house to de-clutter, one for each day of the month of October. This was the kind of thing I’ve been trying to get myself to do for …well… don’t we all have this constantly on our “to do someday” list?!? But something about the accountability and encouragement of a group of people all doing it together gave me the extra motivation needed to make it happen. Here are a few things I’ve learned, re-learned, or noticed in the process:
- I have WAYYYYY too much stuff.
- I have way too much stuff that I never use and someone else probably could.
- I’ve remembered through the process how easy it is for us to look to STUFF to satisfy us which is kind of ridiculous when we stop and think about it.
- Embarrassing fact: I discovered a couple boxes that haven’t been opened since I left my apartment in Nebraska… that’s over 5 years and 4 moves ago… that’s ridiculous. Later this month, that’s changing.
- It is freeing to have “permission” of sorts to get rid of stuff that I don’t really need, or even really want, but can’t justify giving it away… now I can’t justify keeping it.
- Related: I don’t have to keep stuff just because I “MIGHT” be able to use it again some day.
(Example: Day 9 – DECOR – “Do you have extra place mats you no longer use? A picture you never really liked hanging in the hall? Decorative pillow that matched your last couch? Search out those unloved belongings and pass them on to someone who can enjoy them.”) - Clutter is stressful.
- De-cluttering is a stress reliever.
While this process is a little crazy and currently my house actually looks MORE cluttered in the midst of it all, I’m looking forward to having a little more space to breathe by the end of the month and know that some of the things I just had sitting around can be used and enjoyed by others!
What’s something you’ve been putting off? Pick 31 days and tackle it bit, by bit, by bit, a little “bit” each day!
joyfullyblessedblog.com 
Thanks for the shout out! Love that we are doing this together! Also, your sharing about the de-cluttering blog might give me motivation to go back to it. When I first looked at it, I thought, “I don’t have time to work on this everyday!” But, I think it’s a good exercise to use to prepare to move and evaluate the amount of “stuff” I have. I cleaned out clothes earlier this month and that was very freeing!