December's Challenge

While I think buying less is a great way to put the focus back on what the holidays are really about, I don't think it's enough.  So, I'll also be cutting back on the stuff we've already accumulated.  There really aren't enough hours in the day to do all the things I get an inkling to do, but over the years, I've still purchased supplies as if there were.  Now, I have tons of things that are taking up valuable real estate in my home, and do you know what?  They're not bringing me joy.  In fact, with so much stuff, it actually drags me down.

Visual clutter, even if it's well-ordered, bothers me.  It's somewhat debilitating.  I get overwhelmed just seeing it all, and my well-laid plans to do something about it falter, causing me to withdraw into a tiny bubble where I stare only at the pages of a book, a computer screen, or a television, effectively throwing on blinders to avoid that which plagues me.  Now, don't get me wrong.  I'm not living inside an episode of Hoarders or anything quite so astounding as that, but there's no way anyone would ever mistake me for a minimalist either.

I mentioned a while back that I have been reading "The Year of Less" and have even shared some of what I've done as a result (Sermon on the Mount Month, for one).  Sadly, she'll be ceasing production on that blog, but she'll still post updates on her other blog (her main one), "The Complete Guide to Imperfect Homemaking."  And on that blog, back in October of last year, she did a 31-Day Challenge:



So, just a heads up ... Inspired by the posts from 2011, I will be embarking on my own organizational journey starting on the first of December.  In preparation, I think I'll take a few before photos and get them prepped for the web, so I'll only have the after shots to deal with when its time for posting.  Now, I'm not relishing the thought of sharing my before photos with you.  I don't even want people who love me to see some of this stuff.  But if my posts in December can help even one person to overcome the depression that comes from wanting to live better but feeling almost paralyzed when it comes to figuring out what to do about it, then it's worth it.  Because that's how I feel almost every day, and I don't want to feel that way anymore.  I also know from experience how freeing it feels to have even that first small space handled.

Before the new year begins ... I want a home I can feel happy to call mine.  I want to ring in 2013 with a new resolution, to maintain my home, not to clean it.  Who wants to join me as I begin my journey toward an organized home?