Continuing from last Wednesday's Simple Life Series on Clutter,
"If it is broken, torn, damaged, dirty or otherwise in bad shape - don't Duct tape it -get rid of it!"
Mission Two:
Sorting Through Your Undies
Get a notepad and a pencil - no, this is not a test. Go to your underwear drawer (yes, your undies). Pour the entire contents of the drawer on the bed. If you have more than one drawer, pull them all. If you just have piles on the closet floor, pull out all the undies. Get the clean ones out of the laundry basket and, well, let's leave the dirty ones until later......Pull out any that are torn, faded or otherwise in less than perfect condition (yes, even your favorites from your college days) and put those in a TRASH BAG. They are not recyclable (no one wants old undies) so throw them away!
NOTE: This is one of the few times I will ever tell you to throw something away, so get your thrills while you can.
What are you left with? 10 pairs? 5 pairs? None? Good! Even if you have thrown them all away - let me tell you - you needed to! Your spouse will be glad. Your hiney will be glad to be rid of that pair of undies that has the elastic strap that pops your cheeks every time you wear it and, even if you are standing there in a state of shock, you will be glad too. Immediately put the ones you are keeping in one drawer. On your notepad, write how many undies you need to replace. Research shows that one dozen undies is perfect for the average adult. It gives you a fresh pair every morning plus 5 extras for after workouts (you know, one of those "resolutions" you made) and other daily events that cause you to shower or change more than once a day.
Repeat the process for all of your children, even the teenager ones, and try to get your spouse to do the same.
Quick Note: Many times your spouse is the biggest obstacle you face. Don't go through their stuff behind his/her back. If they don't want to do it, ask them if you can do it for them. If they don't want you to, don't pressure. Once they see you in your new undies, they will want to slide into new ones too.
Reminder: Don't cheat and forget about those in the dirty laundry. As soon as they are clean, repeat this process! You are making baby sets to walking towards the bigger piles of stuff, don't slack in the first few steps!
REASON THIS HELPS YOU WITH YOUR CLUTTER: Putting on underwear is something , hopefully, you do every day. By having nice, clean, comfortable undies to start your day - instead of crusty, faded, torn ones - you are shifting another source of negative thinking out of your day. Why search through 50 pairs only to find one that you actually like to wear. Love to wear all your undies! When you love your undies, you will want to take better care of them - keeping them out of the piles of clutter. Hopefully, this love will spill over to ALL the things in your dresser and closet!
EXTRA CREDIT: Ladies, repeat the process with your bras and other lingerie. You deserve it!
Was that hard? Easy? Are you ready go out and go undies shopping or are you still in shock that you just threw away 50 pairs of undies that you've had for 10 years? Believe me when I say that the cost in replacing your undies is small compared to the way you will feel about completing the first step in clearing the clutter.
This series is about SMALL steps. Now, rest from the exertion, reward yourself with new undies, or take your pad and move on to the next step next Wednesday - MISSION THREE: Tackle your towels
Wednesdays in the Simple Life Series are for YOUR CLUTTER (and yes, it multiplies in my home too). I will let you know what I am doing to make simple changes in my own home to clear out my clutter. I hope you follow along and try some of these steps yourself. Please let me know how you are coming along by leaving comments at the bottom of each post. Tell me what works, what doesn’t, if you are bored – whatever – we are learning and growing together.
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