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I Clean Out, You Clean Up?

by Ruth Ann Harnisch on 01/05/10 at 10:49 am

Day 5

Among my sabbatical promises to myself: deacquistion.  Call it recycling, repurposing, sharing, passing along – it boils down to this: things go away.

I intend to get rid of physical things every day during my sabbatical year.  You could do this, too, in your mini-sabbatical.  Offloading physical possessions makes more room in your life.  You bless others with your usable,  lovable, no-longer-needed things.  This is addictive  because it feels so good – it’s pleasurable to create clean space, to eliminate clutter, to stop hoarding material goods you do not use or appreciate as much as someone else would.

Just as I’m sorting email into three categories (Action, Archive, Delete), I’m sorting possessions the same way.

Active – I’m using it, I like it, it works.

Archive – I’m keeping it, because it has significance if not utility, or it’s “Active-In-Waiting” pending repair,  change of season, etc.

Delete – Move it out. Find a better home for it, creatively, with “trash” as a last resort.

Speaking of which, I need a better home for a 366 Day Creative Planner called “Plenty of Time.” The tagline is “It’s not what you have to do…It’s who you get to be.”  It was written by Terces Engelhart (a founder of Cafe Gratitude ), and illustrated by Jon Marro.

It’s attractive, filled with excellent thoughts for sabbatical – and way too big for me to schlep around with me on my travels. It deserves to be used. It’s hefty, but if you don’t mind that, it might be for you.  If you would use it to inspire your mini-sabbatical, let me know.  My clean and unused copy could be yours.

In every room (not to mention in every drawer), I see at least one item I will be happy to pass along to someone else,  sell on eBay , regift, or donate to Goodwill.

But I’m not going to obsess or turn it into a job. It’s just something I’m doing every day  in moderation, mindfully,  on my sabbatical.

As I get into the habit of asking “What can go?” it begins applying to more than material goods.  For example, right now, what can go is…me.