Action Needed
September 17, 2012 in Simple Challenge
Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I am a very antsy and maybe an easily distracted person but it really bugs me that we do more talk than action – generally speaking as humans. It is often easier to talk, dream, write about an idea than it is to do it. But life is all about Action Needed.
There is a place for talk, reading, dreaming (and it feels wrong for me to write about this because I am a writer) but we need to put more into application than we do into theory. Thinking and dreaming is fun, action often means uncomfortable change.
Action is why I have written Simple Living – 30 days to less stuff and more life that is due to come out next week (Sep 24). I am super excited to share it with you because it is just that… an action book. 30 projects/assignments that work to simplify your life.
So when I got this e-mail a few weeks ago from Laura I thought it was a brilliant idea and it seemed to be the perfect timing:
“I was wondering if you could post a challenge for your readers? It would be fun. Challenge us in some way and that will create discussion about what was hard and why.” – Laura
So starting next week I will be posting a challenge on Sundays for you to try out during the week. The idea is new and I am not quite sure how it is going to work out and I would love your input to make it the best it can be.
Challenges will include areas of the home, schedule, food, money, technology.. and anything else we can come up with.
These aren’t things you ‘have to do’. I am not trying to add anything to your schedule but changing habits is hard. Sometimes it is a bit easier to get out of routine for a few days just so you understand how you are really living. Then you can make decisions specific to your situation with that information.
Basic idea — Reading about simple living is great, but we need to make sure we do more action than we do dreaming.
Ready?
Challenge #1 – Clothes
Since this is the first challenge I figured this would be an easy place to start.
Could you:
- If you already have a pretty bare closet – get rid of (or put away in storage if you really need to keep it) 1 item from your wardrobe.
- If you have a standard closet – get rid of 1 piece every day for the next 7 days (or pull out 7 items at once and save time)
Challenge: Accepted!
I look forward to reporting back on this!
sounds good
Monday Report: This was much harder then I thought it would be! I have already been pairing down my clothes over the past few months so most of the things I have, I use or still have some sort of attachment to. I decided on a green t-shirt that I don’t often wear any longer. I honestly can’t recall the last time I did wear it but I always kept it because I figured I would wear it again in the future. Glad the first day is over and looking forward to tonight’s trip to the closet!
Does stealing from my husband’s clothes count? It won’t quite be this week, but I recently bought him some summer casual-dress clothes for work on clearance sales and I said ‘Now when we take out the winter clothes and put away summer, we’ll be able to choose some of the more worn summer clothes and donate them or use them for rags.” He seemed to be okay with the idea.
Teresa, I am sure it doesn’t work for everyone but I sort through my husbands stuff for him. I usually make a pile that I think he needs to get rid of and then let him make a final say. He wants a few nice things, always clean things when he needs them, and the ability to find cloths easily so we seem to be on the same page. …I know some guys are much more attached to their wardrobe so this wouldn’t work for them
Challenge 1 is accepted! When I get done with writing this, I’m off to my closet! And I’m sending this challenge along to my sister so she can get in that closet of hers!
I have a pretty bare closet compared to most people, but I’m still going to take the 7 item challenge.
Lorilee, this will be fun and really helpful each week. I look forward to it!
awesome! I am going to tackle my closet this week too and see what I can pull out
There! I did it! 7 things gone! Feeling good about it too!
Challenges sound fun! I got rid of 2 shirts I’ve been keeping too long. I bought them with the idea that they would be staples for my minimalist wardrobe, but it just didn’t work out. I tried wearing them the past few months, honestly just to convince myself I “should” keep them. Probably because I spent a little more money on them than I would have liked, and felt guilty about ditching them.
The closet is still a place I’m learning to be minimalist. You have to think about what you like wearing *and* what will be useful for the seasons with each item. As I’ve been traveling this summer with limited suitcase space, I have a much better idea of what I wear day in and day out. Fall and winter will be a little harder for me because you have to wear (and keep) more clothes to stay warm.
yes, I totally understand. There are things that I think I should keep just because they are a staple. I have pulled a dress and a suit out already this week
Great challenge Lorilee!! Thank you.. I think this is a great idea, and I’ll be looking forward to future challenges as well. I am going to try for 7 items and I’ll report back to let you know how it goes : )
great!
Love this idea! And I like that its not too hard, 7 pieces of clothing I can handle. My entire closet, I can’t even LOOK at it right now!
I’m looking forward to the weekly challenges!
I always wanted to do it but never did. Thank you for getting me into Action!
It was too easy. I wanted to get rid of more clothes but stopped at 8. Looking forward to do it again next week.
[...] How did you do on last weeks challenge? [...]
I’m new to your site, so I’m behind on the challenges. I just started Challenge 1 last week. I started with the intent of getting rid of 7 things from my closet but I got rid of three trash bags full of things. It actually felt REALLY good! Two bags will be going to the thrift store and one bag will go to the trash–I cant believe I was holding onto so many jeans/sweaters, etc. with holes in them! I kept telling myself that I could use them for “cleaning clothes” or “sleeping clothes” or just “lounging around the house” clothes–but I have more than enough of all of those so I just tossed them altogether! I also got rid of a few pairs of old tattered shoes–I cut off some of the decals on some of them to give to my mom b/c she does a lot of arts & crafts stuff so I figured they’d be put to good use with her. I really enjoyed this process (maybe a little too much LOL) and can’t wait to continue with the other challenges. Thanks!
yay! Thanks so much for sharing