UPDATE: You can now get your weekly organizing mission delivered direct to your inbox. Learn More
Welcome to the first of our 52 Organizing Missions.
In some ways this is a challenging one – but you’ll feel so wonderful, liberated and light when it’s done I think it’s worth diving in the deep end right away.
And remember – it is only 30 minutes.
Ready?
Get Organized Mission #1: Fill a Hu-u-uge Trash Bag
Step 1
Get a giant trash bag. (If you don’t have one find 20 small ones, or ask a neighbor, or go to the shops, or use boxes, or pile things up on a rug until you get to the shops tomorrow. There are no excuses!)
Step 2
Set a kitchen timer (or your clock radio or iPhone alarm, etc) for 30 minutes.
Step 3
Start filling the bag and continue doing so as you move through your house, until either the timer goes off or your bag is full.
Throw into the bag anything you don’t use, don’t like, that has negative associations, is broken or tatty, or is no longer your style. See below for room-by-room examples.
Step 4
Take it straight out to the trash or even the tip if you’re so motivated. Just be sure to remove the temptation to look in the bag or to rescue released items.
Dos & Don’ts
- Don’t try to organize rooms, cupboards or drawers at this stage.
This mission is about getting rid of stuff so do keep an out-it-goes mindset.
- We’ll have another organizing mission for charity items, so don’t get bogged down with that now. I don’t suggest giving lame stuff to charity – decent, usable stuff: yes; crapola: no.
So do feel fine about ditching all the dross.
- I want you to move fast – so don’t overthink it.
If your gut feel is to release something from your life, then do toss it into the bag.
Examples of Items For Your Bag:
Living Room
- Old magazines
- Tatty rugs and cushions
- Old/no-longer-used videotapes, DVDs, CDs
- Unloved ornaments, gifts, vases, etc
- Dead plants
Study
- School/college notes and texts (unless you just graduated they’re probably out of date)
- Old paperwork, bills, mail (keep if needed for taxes or reference; shred if sensitive or confidential)
- Excess stationery you won’t use this decade
- Knickknacks that provide no meaning, beauty or inspiration
- Reading piles you know you’ll never get to
Bedroom
- Tatty dressing gowns, slippers, and anything you’d be embarrassed to answer the door in
- Tatty bed linen
- Ancient pillows harboring various non-human life forms
- Anything on bedside tables that detract from a comforting bedtime sanctuary
- Anything in your closet you hate (we’ll tackle closets in detail in another organizing mission)
Kitchen/Dining
- Chipped or stained crockery
- Rusty or mismatched cutlery
- Expired food and condiments in the pantry or fridge
- Cookware, plungers, teapots, gadgets, utensils or sundry infomercial purchases not used in the past 12 months
- Cookbooks and recipes not used in the past 12 months
Bathroom
- Tatty towels, bathmats, etc
- Expired or old toiletries, hairbrushes, combs, etc
- Empty or mildewed bottles
- Yucky bathroom accessories – eg rusty shower caddies
- Unloved bathroom ornaments
Kids’ Stuff
- Tatty, no-longer-used toys
- Outgrown clothes
- Torn posters
- Outgrown CDs, DVDs etc
- Outgrown back-packs, drink bottles, etc
Extended Organizing Mission Options
- If you run out of time or your bag fills up and you want to keep going, then do. Put on some music and have fun with it. But your basic mission is only to fill one large bag or keep going for 30 minutes.
- If other household members want to participate give them their own bag and encourage them to let go of stuff.
- If you want to tackle extra, unneeded items that are in good condition, do a second run with a charity bag. (I guarantee you’ll still have plenty to do when we get to our charity-bag organizing mission.)
Ready, Set, Go!
Remember – move quickly, act fast, don’t overthink.
Before You Go – Check In
Have you completed this week’s Get Organized Mission?
You’re now accountable to your organizing mission-mates – so please add a comment to let us know you’ve completed your assignment and you’re keeping your commitment.
(Click ‘Comment’ at the very top of this post or scroll down to the bottom. Depending on how you’re viewing this post, one of those options will be available for you.)
And see you back here next week.
UPDATE:
Image by Material Boy
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Related posts:
- Get Organized Mission #34: Donate 50 Things
- Get Organized Mission #2: Detox Your Briefcase/Tote/Bag
- Get Organized Mission #8: Declutter 50 Items
The 52 Missions Home Organizer program is achievable, motivating and proven.
You tackle simplifying, organizing and decluttering challenges, step by step, in just 30 minutes a week. Break free of clutter - save time, money & energy. Find out more.
Are you accountable for being better organized? Your first organizing mission is now available! http://is.gd/tG6C
I did it!! I threw away 40-50 pounds of junk! Thanks for giving me permission to throw away clothes. I hate throwing clothes in the trash, would rather give to charity. But I didn’t want them and who else would?? NOBODY! That’s why it is trash! Thanks.
btw- you are my husband’s new best friend.
Melissa,
This is absolutely fabulous – congratulations!
Isn’t is funny how our blocks in life can turn out to be long-held beliefs that just don’t serve us anymore.
You’re a shining example to your fellow mission-mates.
Michele ♥♥♥
Yay 4 Melissa! She threw out 40-50 pounds of junk in this wk’s Get Organized Mission. http://is.gd/tG6C (see comment)
We have not long moved, which I can recommend for a good chuck-out
In fact that is quite a good way to evaluate how much you really ‘love’ something – Would you be prepared to carefully wrap, pack, move and unpack it?
However… I didn’t have time to evaluate a heap of notebooks + various ‘paperwork’ that have been occupying a corner of my new office so today… with timer set… I’ve gnawed into a chunk of it -
Looking fwd to having to be accountable for another chunk next week
@Adriana_G Wow-u’re powering! Remember if u want accountability 2 check in & comment on Organizing Mission #1 on the blog http://is.gd/tG6C
Have u completed this week’s Organizing Mission? Give it a go – only 30 mins & u’ll feel fabulous! http://is.gd/tG6C
Done! Filled my black bin with plenty more to go in! Looking forward to the next mini-mission to prod me into action!
I love getting organised – keep the missions coming!
I did this last night and got rid of one and a half bags from my bathroom and kitchen alone!
RT @MicheleConnolly: Have u completed this week’s Organizing Mission? Give it a go – only 30 mins & u’ll feel fabulous! http://is.gd/tG6C
cathartic or what?!
I actually did this a few week ago as I was about to start a new job and thought that I would clear my head by ‘tidying’ up.
I threw out 2 black bags worth of crap, loads went to the carboot sale and some went on to a ‘freecycle’ website and were picked up the very next day.
Can’t wait for week 2!
@Andrea_Moore Sorry link was funky last week, Andrea. It’s now good to go if you’re ready for some organizing! http://is.gd/tG6C
Finally stopped procrastinating and started chucking. A big bag went to the tip and a huge pile of books has gone to a good home. My Dad always used to say “a tidy room, a tidy mind”. It may not always be true but it sure does help!
These missions are brilliant, thank you!
I did it!! I was late, but I did it this past weekend and I’m now in the mood to do more.
Thanks for the motivation!
@JodiAceVA Awesome! Just quietly, add a comment on the relevant post (http://is.gd/tG6C); there R prizes 2 come… Shhh!
Wow! I have so much junk. So great to see some of it gone now. Feel clean and revitalised.
Whew! Just catching up! Filled a big bag in my office and bathroom. Woo-hoo!
I just joined today and did this already. One big bag downstairs and one upstairs- plus I gathered up some stuff to donate! Woo hoo!
This just scraped a bit ice from the top of the iceberg but it is a start.
I ended up throwing:
-frozen sauces that I never used in a year from the freezer
-black bean salsa, never used chutney from the fridge
-cooking magazines that have been laying on the ground for months. I never got a chance to scrap them.
-a big can of lollipop that I have collected from my visits to a restaurant.
-4 dead plants
-empty soap dispensers that I hung onto because they were so cute.
-catalogs that accumulated
-old invitations that I thought I would use for crafting
-stale crackers
I need to repeat this again.
Very therapeutic. Going to have to do this with the desk at my office. Might start doing everything in 30 minute bursts!
I did this task by myself a year ago, but today I understood that time passed and lots of new things could be thrown away. I went around 2 rooms and found a lot of little objects to give to my friends and to charity as well as real dross.
on my side, I can recommend to try to sell several lots on Ebay or some other local auction, and you’ll see that only few people would like your staff, and they aren’t ready to pay a lot. it helps not to buy a lot of new useless and inutile items in future.
RT @micheleconnolly Get Organized Mission #1: Fill a Hu-u-uge Trash Bag | Get Organized Wizard http://tinyurl.com/dgcxh3
Well I’ve steped this one up a notch for myself. I put in my personal calendar a 30 min trash bag full for each day this week, for each room.
I will be starting with my office when I get home tonight from work. I can’t wait to get started.
I’ll tell you how I do by weeks end, and how many garbage bags I fill up.
I’ve done it…it wasn’t so bad…actually it was quite easy to find a big garbage bag full.
woohoo!!!
Done. But I could easily have kept going for a few hours. Looking forward to more missions. And I love that 30 minutes in one go. I tend to tell myself that I will do 30 min of this or that to get myself motivatet. Always ends up spending an hour or two instead. Great!
Done. I did it for a little more than 30 minutes. My wife was just watching and approving my decisions to throw away unnecessary stuff. Not a big bag but still the feeling was quite good – to get rid of unwanted things. It felt like we were cleaning our minds. Thanks a lot. We are looking forward to the following missions!
I was really slow at getting started but after I started I filled three (3) bags. This is great!! I was so empowered after I got started that I even washed a few windows to make things seem even cleaner. I am ready to start on the next mission!!
Getting the 4th of July started with a bang by filling giant garbage bag!!! Look forward to Mission #2
Done. Can’t wait for the next mission.
Done!
Did this. I had a HUGE trashbag full of needless useless stuff.
I felt so good after. I also did my daily chores and my husband was so inspired that he degreased and washed his motorcycle. Thank you
Done. I think this was just the push I needed to take care of some long neglected piles!
Done!
It was difficult to me to separate from my stuff!!!
But I did! And now I am lighter!!!
I periodically go through my stuff so I didn’t think I had anything to discard, but instead found stuff I was hoarding and got rid of that! Gonna share with my girlfriends to see if they want any of it, then it’s off to donate.
Well, I confess to tripping myself up on my first 30 mins by starting with the cupboard I keep meds, first aid bits etc. Reading the packets, checking dates was time consuming and I didn’t feel I achieved much – until I realised that having that cupboard straight was an achievement in itself.
Anyhow I’ll spend 7 x 30 mins this week making a more general sweep of a fresh room each day. It will be a superb start! I’ll let you know how I get on!!
Well,
I didnt’ quite do the spirit of this either, but I worked with my son to re-organize his toys, and we got rid of more than a huge trash bag just from that area, (although it took more than 30 min), so I guess that’s something.
Done! I thought it would be difficult because I’ve been working through clutter for a few months, but no!
Once I got into the swing of not ‘umming and aahing’ over everything, it has become easier. Three days of 30 mins each day have yielded a sack full for the Charity shop, a sack full of recyclable paper and one bag of non-recyclables. I’m hoping to get two more sessions in this week and this will be an excellent start.
It’s done but there sure is a lot more to collect
To be honest, I had my doubts if I had enough junk to fill an entire bag, but I ended up filling two – and now I see so much more unnecessary stuff, waiting to be tossed
Done:) this was so satisfying, took no time at all, wish i had’ve started this sooner!
Throwing away is exhilerating. That I added recycling has made me feel very smug.
Done! I have been renovating for several months, so at first I didn’t think I’d have much to toss, until I discovered the contents of my (now) grown up and moved away kid’s bathroom cabinet. ewwwww! Half opened bottles of stuff from the mid 90′s!! GONE!
I helped my hubby clear out our garage today (took a lot longer than 30mins!), but we both felt really good afterwards and have been able to set pool table up in there for the kids, so they were pleased too. Kids are on school hols now, so going to get them to help me do a 30min clear out every day this week!
I definitly can get rid of some things around here…. See you in 30 min. with 1 garbage bags of stuff that I am ready to be seperated from!
How good does that feel!!!
I filled one bag this afternoon and plan on filling at least one more before the week is done.
Done! This was a very liberating task!
I am moving house so what a great opportunity to get started. I went straight upstairs and grabbed two green garbage bags and started in my office. I got rid of two bags full in around 30 minutes. My office is now so much more organized in readiness for the move. Thanks! It was so easy.
I got this mission done a week ago. I filled several big bags of trash and around 4 or 5 to take to the local donation center. It feels great! Thanks for these missions.
I did this last week and got rid of 3 laundry baskets full of junk. Don’t tell but quite a bit of as seen on t.v. junk got tossed. My girlfriend is a believer of the junk. She knows on tv it sells for 19.95 so when she finds it for 3.00 she buys it.
Hi Terry,
I won’t tell. *seals lips and throws away key*
See you at Mission #2.
M
I filled one more bag during the week and I didn’t even make it the basement where my office is located.
Done,
Though to let go but now I want to do a couple more bags before the next mission!
Got rid of lots of stuff! Thanks. Mission 2: bring it on!
DONE!!! Two very large bags in the trash. Actually done last week, but I forgot to report..
I find this a little difficult as I am disabled and can only stand/walk for 2 minutes max – so I did lots of little chunks and I had to count my husbands help too – he did the bathroom for me. Also I am a dedicated recycler, so throwing stuff out is a real no-no (even old clothes can go to certain charities/recyclers to be used as rags), so I listed loads of stuff on freecycle and watched other people take it away and put other bits out to recycle (washed plastic bottles/bags and glass jars all get recycled, as does paper of any description and cardboard). So it’s taken me longer but it is cathartic to get rid of stuff (especially if I feel I have done my best to recycle).
Wow Sally Anne – this is impressive!
I don’t make *too* big a deal about recycling because:
(1) Many people have a giant barrier to letting stuff go, and I want to make it as easy as possible for them to start the habit.
(2) A lot of stuff is, sadly, just junk, and often the feeling of throwing it away changes people’s habits about buying what they don’t need in the future. So there’s less waste in the long run.
But your tenacity AND high recycling standards are very, very cool.
Thanks for sharing!
M ♥
Having a time limit and instructions makes filing the bag easier! I filled 3 trash bags. I will need to do this exercise at least one more time this week.
Done!
I did what i thought was a big clean up a few weeks ago so didn’t think I would be able to find enough stuff to fill a bag. But following your room by room list I started at the pantry – I filled a bag before I moved onto the next room. I had all this out of date food! Things that I was given in Christmas hampers etc that I was saving to use when we entertained etc. So I ended up getting too much rubbish and I couldn’t fit it all in the bin!
Last night I decided it was time for another huge bag effort and got rid of another bag of stuff.
Loving the missions. and I’m telling so many people and they are all exactly the same – their lives need organising!
I completed exercise 1 on Monday but gave it a second round today.
A 30 minute organization exercise http://bit.ly/hZxWD
Check! That was easy.
I was suprised to see how much could be accomplished in 30 minutes!
I was surprised to see how much could be accomplished in 30 minutes!
I did it…can’t wait to get back to it because I am finally making a dent…and eliminating clutter
Done….I got rid of ‘old’ food that expired in 2007!!! Now it is gone! And it feels great. I think I will do this every week!
Well, as I said, got kids helping me during school hols. Their rooms have never been so organised! I’ve found someone who’ll come and collect unwanted toys, etc., and sell them at “table top sales” for children’s charity.
Still not done! But trying
Are we supposed to only do this once this week? Because quite frankly, I didn’t really get passed my kitchen/dining room. Who knew so much junk could be crammed in such a small space???
Hi Amy,
This first mission is meant to get some of the surface clutter out of your life.
If you’ve used your 30 minutes in the kitchen/dining you may want to do the extended mission and keep going.
Or, if the kitchen dining is a particularly tough zone, you might want to treat what you’ve done so far as a pre-decluttering ‘bonus’ and simply start again.
But do keep going with the missions!
Michele
Done!
The first bag was easy, a huge plant that has been almost dead for weeks filled over half of it. So a grabbed a second one and filled it too
DONE — AGAIN. I had already completed Mission #8 (Declutter 50 Items) last week when I happened upon the site. So I simply confined this mission to paperwork that’s been accumulating. I’m on a roll, so now I’m purging 50 books to resell or give away. Those are my only 2 options because I can’t bring myself to throw away a book! And this will obviously take longer than 30 minutes. I’m looking forward to the next challenge.
Well I thought this was going to be really hard because I have been doing this for a few weeks now and have thrown out what I thought was HEAPS of stuff but to be honest I think I just rearranged a lot of it.
The first 15 minutes were a little slow but once I got going I was amazed at how much more STUFF I really don’t need, am never going to fix, or really don’t think will come in handy one day.
I feel as though I have made such a small dent in what needs to be done but I also feel as though I have made a start and that is great.
i filled up one bag. but i stopped in the middle to look at old pictures i found (kept half). so i tacked on 15 more minutes to make up for it. and i threw away a pile of ratty underwear. yuck!
thanks!
Threw away so much stuff ! Feel a lot less decluttered now !! Bring on Mission 2 !
Done. I did it! 30 minutes of purging! I realized that purging isn’t my biggest issue… It’s organized the stuff that’s left behind. Well, that will be another mission for another 30 minute missions day! This feels pretty good.
I did it! Went to the dump with it today
IT FELT SUPER AWESOME CARRYING THOSE BAGS DOWNSTAIRS INTO THE TRASH CAN OUTSIDE MY HOUSE, AWAYY FROM MY ROOM!!!
Sigh, I should do this every month.
wow did that feel good!
This felt really good! Can’t wait to do more.
Ok, so I started, I walked and filled. Suddenly I noticed, the bag was dragging and was bursting at the seams. Huh, ok another bag. hey my 30 minutes is up, still I can’t stop now I’m just into the swing of things. So on and on and on. 4.5 hous later 6 bags….and I haven’t even went into my garage yet. Hey this was a wonderful task, not only did I feel I uncluttered my home, I feel more room in my brain too. I origanially decuded to sighn up for this for my wife…..ah hum….she said no way. So I decided to do them all myself. One of the best ideas I ahve had in a long time. Ah, I know she’ll catch on.
Wow John – this is amazing!
Your comment impressed me so much I wrote a post quoting it:
http://www.getorganizedwizard.com/blog/2009/08/from-procrastination-to-action/
Keep up the awesome effort!
Michele
Done…today. Tomorrow I´ll do it again. I need more time for each room !!
This is a good one to do. I try to do it often, but now with this mission, I’m going deeper and see that I still have more to do. That’s okay. This has reignited my ‘mission’ to declutter on an ongoing basis.
Filled three bags. Took a little longer than 30m, but I had the time and wanted to purge! Feeling lighter!!!
Yeah! Even though I have done a few recent cleanouts this one was different and I actually chucked out some things like wedding gifts and crockery that were chipped – and even some wooden flowers my mum gave me ages ago whichwere ok but were taking up a spot for something beautiful … which I ahve yet to find. Fiona
Done!
Mission number one done and dusted!
Tips & tricks that are working for me:
* decided to hold an impromptu garage sale (with 2 days notice), which enabled me to throw items into a pile and keep adding to it, even the morning of the sale. we didn’t sell much, but once I’d disconnected from items enough to sell them, it was easy to get rid of them
*hung a large purse in the boiler room, which I’ll fill but never open (no peeking means no changing my mind) until it’s ready to donate
* since the chaos of clothes is in the laundry room, I put a bag to be filled there so that I’d constantly be reminded of needing to get rid of clothes. I’ve filled 2 already and have another bag waiting to be filled
Thanks to Michele and good luck to you all.
What a good idea – let the impending sale drive the clean-out!
Thanks for sharing these helpful tips, Sarah – and keep up the organizing momentum.
M
Done! But there is so much left to do. One step at a time, right?
Hi Flora,
Keep doing the missions and you will get there!
In coming weeks you’ll have plenty more chances to tackle the clutter.
But for now, feel great that you’ve made a start.
That can be the hardest thing for many people.
See you at Mission #2!
M
I read the mission and then instead of just the trash bag, I also used a box for charity. I only had 30 min. with my work schedule, but I felt so good I’m going to tackle more. I feel “cleaner” after this first purge. I should be awesome after another.
Hi Tammy,
30 minutes is all I ask – and it’s enough to make a difference if you give it some energy!
Congratulations on a great start – and see you at Mission #2.
M
Just finished my 30 minutes . Decided to do it at 10:30 in the evening after procrastinating too long. Feels great. tomorrow I am going to try it again.
thanks for the great positive motivation from you Michele and everyone else who is participating. Good to know that I am not alone out there.
Hi Cheryl,
It’s great to have you along!
And well done on making a good start.
M
OK, I did it! Threw out a lot of junk, random papers, and some stuff that was painful to get rid of but REALLY needed to go. Not sure I made a huge dent or tossed as much as I could have, but it was a start and it feels good. Will have to do another purge soon. My entryway looks almost clean now!
A good start is all you need – so well done, Lauren!
Keep doing the small chunks when you can, and it will all add up.
M
I started this mission today and filled one trash bag before I even left my kitchen. I think I did not do this mission justice. So I am going to fill another one tomorrow.
I am glad I did this. I didn’t get through all the house but I did get some freed up room in my kitchen. There were things in there that I hadn’t seen in years and really didn’t need. They would have stayed in there too if I hadn’t done this challenge.
Done! I think I need to do this mission once a week for a while…
So it is Sat. Mission 1 has proven to be a huge success. I filled 3 large trash bags (for trash) and 1 huge trash bag for donate. I finally began working my way through the 4 trunks in the garage with all of my childhood and family stuff in it. Yay!
@Joey,
What a fab start! Make sure you give yourself a huge pat of the back – some people go their whole lives without ever clearing out their stuff.
I also wanted to mention that I’m starting a Hall of Fame Gallery for everyone in the 52 Organizing Missions community to share achievements and inspiration.
If you’d like to share a pic, please send me:
- An ‘After’ photo
- A ‘Before’ photo if you have one
- Your name as you’d like it shown
- Your blog or website URL if you’d like a link attached to your name.
And see you at Mission #2.
M
WOW! I had no idea that I had so many things to throw out. I got the biggest strongest lawn bags I could find, and started tackling the clutter. Needless to say, I did several go arounds and still have more to go. I have done a great deal of reading on decluttering and organizing and have picked up some new behaviors along the way. I am going in the right direction to becoming clutter free for life.
Congratulations Lydia, on moving in such a positive direction.
Freeing yourself from clutter will change your entire life.
You’ll feel like you’ve lost a weight you’ve been dragging around for years.
Thanks for sharing your journey with us!
M
Its Monday. When do I receive my new mission in my email. I’m waiting and ready to get started?
Hi Joey,
Thanks for your enthusiasm.
Your next missions should be turning up real soon. The emails are are set to out each 7 days, but this might not be at the exact same time of the day you signed up… that said, we are in the process of moving over to a new email system, which will improve things.
Cheers,
Craig
OMG…I can’t believe I am going to do this tonight!
I did it! The bag wasn’t as huge as it probably should have been, but I did it.
DId it!!!! Can’t believe I tossed so many clothes! Looking forward to next mission!
Just finished! 1 bag of trash and 1 bag of recycling later (and that was just from my bedroom!)
i found this site few days ago and its great and exactly what i needed this days.
I started my de clutter mission 2 monthes ago and it help me to clear my head and to be more focus and have some balance in this crazy time of my life.
thanks guys.
oh i forgot to say- DONE
That was better than a chocolate binge!
I did it! My 3 year old wanted to ‘help’ so I took 1 hr instead of 30 min (and 2 big bags!) to allow for her little helping hands meddling! Feels better already.
Hi Karen,
How wonderful that your little daughter helped!
That makes such a sweet picture in my mind.
Thanks for sharing!
M
This bag was not so much garbage but recycling all unnecessary paper. Looks so much better, I’m doing a second bag.
trashbag=check, 2 filled with old clothes
declutter briefcase= check
computer bag totally empty of crap
no more freebies= check
relativley easy one
organize bills= check
i feel so much better with every bag and box
i have to move another mountain so much paper so much junk
I DID it!!!! I filled up a garbage bin, AND the recycle bin!!
While doing this I also reorganized my laundry room so ONE room can begin to have a sense of organization!!
It feels GOOD to be rid of that stuff!!!
WHEW!!!
jim
Done!
2 baskets of recycling in the bin, 7 small bags and 1 large bag in the bin and a bag of clothes to the Samaritans.
Can’t wait for next week. In the meantime I’m about to tackle the mountain that is the laundry.
Done!
Rock on! The bigger the bag got, the more liberating it felt!
Done! Ready for the next mission…
DONE! Felt great!
First step is done!
I also asked my husband to help me, since there are a lot of stuff that belongs to him. Actually the greatest thing is that he is willing to participate in this ‘program’.
We sent our child to have a bath, took the bag and started out. OK we only stuffed one bag but in 30 minutes we couldn’t do more. I haven’t even opened my wardrobe yet… I think tomorrow I’m going to continue with another bag.
Waiting for next week’s mission! Thanks!
Viki from Budapest, Hungary
I did it!!!!
Next!!!
I finally did this
feel wonderful
can’t imagine why it took me months
did not think i could fill a huuuuugggee bag. believe me when i say i did. this feels great.
Well, this one was easy. I had been meaning to clean out my hallway of all the junk that has accumulated there-it has been used as extra storage of clothing, etc. I cleaned out 3 bags and one big box full of old clothes that no one looks at or even thinks about anymore. I so love the nice clean, empty look to my hallway. I am thinking of doing this one once a day for a while to clean out the other areas of my home as well. I have a tremendous amount of unused items laying around…the kids left for college and left behind their castoffs.
I did not want to stop when the 30 minutes were up! I am going to do this once a week.
Well it took me a few days to do this Mission but boy when I did. Lets just say in 30 minutes I got three bags full. Imagine if it had been an hour. LOL
Thanks so much. Can not wait til the next one
Wow! I filled one with trash and two with give aways! Thanks for the inspiration!
My fam filled 2 bags of throw away stuff and 3 bags of giveaway, we went above and beyond! (took a little more than the 30 minutes but it was well worth it!) Now if I can do this in my storage basement….Can’t wait to try this technique out again in my master bedroom aka storage room!
I have completed the first mission. Thought I wouldn’t find anything, because I’ve been attempting the declutter thing for a while, but managed to fill my garbage bag anyway. Need to be more ruthless I think.
Done!! How can I have declutted that much and STILL have my house look like a tornado?
I did it. It was strange at the beginning, I thought I wouldn’t find anything I didn’t love or use, but I managed anyways. Threw away a few books I’ve had for over a decade and didn’t really liked them anymore and of course much other stuff. I should do that weekly…
done on wednesday.
Mission #1 Accomplished!
great, i’m in !
Mission #1 Accomplished! And I’m oh so happy that the clutter doesn’t feel overwhelming anymore….but my hubby and I did it together! It really was a total team effort and in a surprising way turned into a new bonding time for us =) Who knew we would actually enjoy cleaning as much as we did?! lol
Sarah & Dave Grup
Gone 1 Bag!!! Lots more to go.
We had to move rather suddenly the end of August. Didn’t have time to organize and purge then. We downsized from 2600 sq. ft. to 1400 sq. ft. I have taken 15 large bags to charity and innumerable others to the dumpster. I’m so proud that our unexpected “downsize” has turned into a gloriously organized space full of only the things we love, use and need!
Done and Done!! NEXT!!!!!
I must be really really disorganised because I do this at least twice a month, so when I do it this week, I will be more ruthless.
I filled five large trash bags and put them out for garbage collection. I still have a ton of stuff but it felt good to begin. The 30 minutes flew by. I was surprised. Am thinking of doing more.
Done – in NO time!
That was good, but I barely made dent…every little bit helps though.
I recently ‘went through’ everything in every room, closet, drawer in my house and got rid of many many bags of junk/trash/charity etc…. I was surprised by how easy it was to find another giant bag full of trash that I thought worthy of hanging on to. Let’s see if I can continue with this mission beyond this one short 30 minute task!
Done! Could get past the closet, though, before the 30 min were up. There were loads and loads of yukky stuff: almost transparent t-shirts, hideous underwere, ghastly outfits. Strange thing was: the things I kept were all second hand finds. Why buy “new” if you’re only going to wear it once?
i worked on my home office – got rid of books and stuff, hard time not trying to start organizing but didn’t.
i’m going into my dressign room now – i tried that first but couldn’t do it – maybe i’m ready now.
#1 done. Right in time for Thanksgiving at our house. good pick for first mission. Ready for more
all done, even my eldest daughter got on the band wagon, her room has been transformed!
Done – Soundtrack: loud mambo music. I only got to 2 rooms in the 30 minutes, but I’m looking forward to another sweep of the house with another sack.
I did it … took a whole boot load of garbage to the dump and it felt SO good.
Have filled my garbage bag with junk that was taking up precious space. How great is this!!
Forgot to check in on Thursday, but I did it last week! I had already gone thru the house about 2 weeks before and thrown away a ton of stuff. I threw away even more this week. I also went thru the Christmas decorations as we were putting them out and got rid of several that were looking pretty ratty – mostly silk flower arrangements & ribbons & bows that were being saved to be used on a wreath “someday!” I also donated some that were in good condition but just didn’t go with anything I use anymore. I’ve got another donate box that’s full of clothes I will be taking to the local charity. YAY! I feel lighter already!
figuring this out. Shared the challenge with friends. Gathering up trash beginning NOW.
OK, I’m disabled and unable to lift a 50 lb bag but I am using smaller ones, I did my mission yesterday and I think I’m going to have to do it again and again, my problem being that I can’t be on my feet for too long without lots of pain. I just moved into a new house and my family keeps giving me things, lots of things, like I now have 2 coffee mills, 2 blenders, 2 toasters (I’m rebuilding my household after losing everything.. Things that have been in storage for years are now in my garage, my living room is full of boxes and clothes are everywhere in my den, I need all the suggestions/help I can get or my house is going to to horrible.
I would love to talk to people who are going thru the same thing as me. Email – melissamengler@yahoo.com
I did this before I found this website, but I am ready for number 2!
I recently joined 52 missions, and my boyfriend and I completed the first mission (and then some!) yesterday in thekitchen where we through out a bunch of plastic storage containers that were cracked, unusable, and not needed. and also spent a few hours in my sewing room which has been unusable for months since it became a storage bin for things I didnt know what to do with. He moved in with me at the beginning of the year and is very spartan and my holding on to things I didnt need has been driving him nuts. I too like Felicity am physically challenged (my problems are respiratory related) and he has been the one to do most of the housework that I cant do and all my stuff has been making it difficult for him to clean. So he’s been helping me break my hold on stuff. Sometimes it’s hard, but I know life will be easier for both of us. Looking forward to the next missions.
well, its funny i was all ready started doing this to day, thats what triggered me to go to this web site. strange thing are happening to me .
Mission one completed….I sent 10 garbage bags to the Red Cross
Finished mission 1…. and filled 2 large contractor bags with clothes that are going to my free cycle group. If any one is interested you can go to freecycle.org to find a group in your area.
well in half an hour i only filled one bag working solidly but at least it’s a step. i decided to actually stop after half an hour because if every mission blows out to a whole day etc I won’t be able to make myself continue.
Done!!! Feel absolutely fantastic!
Mission # 1 completed. Ready for #2!
I started in the closet and was really surprised how many of my little paper notes I had.
Then I moved on to the medicine cabinet — how liberating that was. Next time I won’t have to sort through a bunch of “just in case” expired meds to get to the 2 or 3 our family really uses.
Also, old shoeboxes didn’t have a chance against my mighty trashbag today! Thanks for the focus and encouragement…looking forward to more!
Mission 1 accomplished. Cleaned out the plastic storage containers, got rid of old drinking cups and purged my dresser. Ok, I worked longer than 30 mins but it feels great. Thanks for the encouragement.
Mission accomplished! Toys, clothes, the expired items in the medicine cabinet and linen closet. Once you start, it is easy to fill 3 or 4 trash bags! It is just a matter of looking around and finding a place to start! I went over the time limit this time, because I had a few hours, but I think I will make it a habit to repeat this mission often so it doesn’t accumulate again. I feel so free, week two, here I come!!!
Done – now to fill a bag of usable items for charity too!
Done!!!
All done! I ended up with 11/2 bags. So I am pretty please with myself.
Week two, here I come!!
My husband has been very good recently going through many of the areas of our home and decluttering. There was still work to be done in the basement. We managed to get rid of a lot of things that had “made the cut” in previous decluttering sessions. It was fun working on the project together and we relived some memories while sorting through certain items. My husband tends to be a bit of a pack rat (fortunately in a neat and organized manner!). He keeps a lot of items that I would be ok with throwing out. The solution to that is I don’t chuck anything I know he would like to keep, and he’s responsible for organizing and managing those items. It works out very well!
Mission #1 complete!!
Three carloads to Goodwill, woohoo!
@1 done – three contractor bags– know more has to go. Shock for family too.
Done and will do it again next week probably! Could do many of those garbage bags!
Mission #1 complete.
I do this every Sunday night since trash/recycle day is on Monday. I also keep a box in the bedroom for donations and can usually fill the box every month. If I try someting on and it doesn’t fit or looks terrible on me, it goes in the box and I don’t look at it again. When this mission came up (I’m late on posting) I was having a french foor put in which required me to remove some kitchen cabinets. In 30-45 minutes I had filled 2 large garbage bags of trash, 3 boxes of donations, and 1 box of recyclables. It was a success. I just need to pick a room each week because there is lots more to go……..
When my husband first sent me this site in Sept. I thought it sounded perfect for what I needed. I did the first mission on a Saturday with the whole family. We easily filled eight large trash bags. Things got busy after that, so I rededicated myself for the new year. I was again able to easily fill two large trash bags by myself in about 20 minutes. I’m on to the next mission, but when my family gets home I’m sending them on mission #1 again (ha ha ha).
Hi finished mission one! Took out papers from last year, ads, old food in refridgerater, trash from basement dungeon, aka laundrey room.
Hi did I miss the next mission? I don’t know how many were posted yet?
Finished Mission 1, but need to do it again. Wasn’t that good at throwing things away without thinking too much.
Am I the only one?
Done!
Will be making this a weekly job!
We did the FIRST bag. I have so much clutter I need to sort, too! But we got it done. Old books nobody would want, old magazines, trash, etc.
Thank you!
Mission 1 is complete…I filled a large kitchen trash bag in 30 minutes. Yay.
done
@CozyCoach Bet u find LESS stuff gives u MORE energy. U cld try Mission 1 & see how u feel. Or just read the comments! http://is.gd/7chmr
Mission #1 is complete thanks to the help of my husband. We couldn’t believe how easy it was to fill up one bag in so little time. WOO-HOO!
Been doing this “all” week….made several trips to the thrift store to donate!
One h-u-u-u-g-e box filled and burned. On to step two.
Wow! Filled up a huge bag, took it to the trash, came back, and still had 20 minutes left!! Mission 1 completed. I have another bag half filled, and will make it 2 by garbage night (tomorrowt). Looking forward to Mission 2.
Done!
Done! Actually, we filled the trash can with yucky stuff and the back of the van with boxes we’d broken down and we took them up to the school to their recycling bin. So, the school gets some cash and I get a cleaner space!
I’m hesitant to post, but going to risk it for the sake of accountability. I’ve been working on my own all week and found this just last night. I’ve filled more than 1 bag this week, so I’m marking this as DONE. Feel free to follow my progress… hopefully… at http://messieconfessions.blogspot.com/. Fingers crossed!
I actually did this a while back when we reno’d the floor and after Christmas to sell/donate old toys and kids clothes. So I made it my mission to finally haul the stuff to the thrift store!
Done. Late, but better late than never!
Did this one again today… I’m thinking of continuing Mission #1 daily (or at least every other day). I can tell I could do this a few more times if I tried! I also tackled my kitchen junk drawer! And I actually made a trip to Goodwill and the local recycling center to get rid of a lot of stuff I’d worked on earlier this week before finding this site! I’ve got a long way to go, but this week has been a really good start!
Done, On to mission 2
Done with Mission 1 – Actually, it was harder than I thought it would be. But I made it & ended up with way more than 1 bag full and several other things. Will work on this one throughout the coming week.
Done. Fairly easy. Want to do more – Have a huge house with lots and lots of junk.
Done, I didnt have a HUGE bag, so I did 4 biggish grocery bags, i ran out of time before i finished the fourth bag, but i declutter pretty often already. My 4 bags were mostly bits of paper from around the house that needed to be thrown out. Also some old stuff in the bathroom cabinet that we havent needed or used in over a year.
Finally… We just moved, so I didn’t think I had much to get rid of. Boy was I wrong. Keep it coming!
Done #1-phew!
I finally did it! Took me a week to get started, but it’s done. But I see I still have so much to go, it is overwhelming. I’ll just keep taking it a mission at a time….
It was great to accomplisch this first mission! My locker is free and the trash bag is full!!
I had done that 1 month ago before I visited the site but to complete the mission I checked for new unuseful stuff and damn there was still something !:)
One garbage bag, DONE! WooHoo! Wonderful feeling!
I got one bag just on one floor in 30 minutes. I topped it off by doing a run through of my vehicle. It is a wonderful feeling!
I like to think that I chuck out most of the useless stuff as soon as I come across it. I decided to go through my pantry (I’ve been meaning to do it for 2 years!) so while the kids were asleep I set the kitchen timer and off I went. Admittedly, I didn’t throw out much as there wasn’t much to throw out, but I now have a sink full of containers and empty cannisters that have been sitting in there for goodness knows how long needing to be washed then I can put them to better use!!
Thanks for the great ideas and the missions! I might not have followed it to the letter but my pantry is neat and tidy and not full of junk!!
one mission down, 51 to go. Bring on the next one!
What a relief to get rid of clutter. I am excited to have a plan and have someone keep me accountable! Looking forward to a nice clean and organized home!
Mission 1 – Completed !! First came relief , then joy to have wonderful space !!
Done, will do again tomorrow… I’ve got to let it go!
All done. On to week two!!
I started this challenge in my car. It’s gotten so completely out of control my poor kiddo can barely get in her seat. I ended up pulling 2 big trash bags and 2 baskets of STUFF out of my little tiny Honda. OH lord. Well it feels really good to have it cleaned out. I think we’ll go do the vacuum and wash at the car wash tomorrow.
I can’t believe I had enough trash around to fill up the garbage bag. I was most surprised by the number of videotapes I’ve replaced with DVD’s but never threw out. They just blended in with the scenery. Yay!
Mission 1 completed – no worries!
done and it’s a great feeling
YAY!!!! done…and I did both my car and my living room.
This was such a great idea! Im done!
Didn’t have much to bin – knowing I’m not a hoarder made me feel good
That was simple, the bin is full! Hope all the missions are as easy as that
I did it. One entire bedroom held lots of junk
I finished 1! It was great!
I got FIVE bags filled and taken to charity!
Just did this yesterday! I think we had 3 garbage bags of garbage,2 recyclables, and 1 lawn bag for charity.
I am not one to have alot of un-necessary stuff in my house – very few knick knacks, excess furniture, etc. however it is amazing how much stuff I was able to purge. Surface clutter is definitely my downfall – counters, tables, desks, dressers – all get covered with mail, receipts, school papers, broken toys and more. Using this 30 minute method is awesome because it kept me focused and pushed me to purge, purge, purge. I didn’t have alot of TRASH per se, but filled my entire huge recycle bin for the week, with a box waiting for next week. I also have 4 boxes of books, puzzles, games and other stuff to take to our local bookstore for trade. Also have started a couple of charity boxes for clothes and other stuff. I also have a bag of diapers for the diaper bank (my son is out of diapers now), 3 boxes of food for the food pantry and a box of items to return to family and friends.
What an awesome start!
I just completed my first task and feel better already! I didn’t do the upstairs because my son was napping but went through the rest of the house with my large trash bag. I’m eager to see what the next mission will be.
Done!
Done! And will probably do this mission again a few times.
Finito! One gigantic trash bag to the trash, two gigantic trash bags to charity. I had a hard time throwing some useable, working stuff away. As long as it’s out of my house, I don’t think it matters where it goes!
Done! I finally did it! I was procrastinating a bit but got it done! Wow it was mostly filled with garbage!
I got a bag full… Lot less trash than I thought I would get. I finished my task with like 2.5 minutes to spare. Woah! I am so committed to getting super organized.. For me this is as big as the olympics.
Finished mission #1! Got my bag full in 25min of just going over the top. Now going to go back and sort through things!
Done! I was very inspired once I completed the mission. After throwing some things out of the fridge, I realized that if I didn’t use the vegetables in the crisper, they would be garbage soon. I decided to make all a vegetable soup, which finished cooking and cooling.
Done!! It feels sooo good!
YAY!!!!! Completed the first mission and got rid of alot of stuff it’s so liberating there was alot of rubbish but also alot of things that were gifts that I really didnt like or want. So thank you for giving me “permission” to get rid of these things. Feeling much lighter and keen to do Mission 2
Thank you Michelle.
DONE!!!!
Well, I did it but I’m not any where near done. I could keep doing this for several months before I would see real results. But, none the less it was empowering to see so much stuff go out the door. My plans are to keep doing this along with the other organizing missions until I have completely purged all the unnecessary junk in my home and I am back to basics.
I did it!
I loved how filling a huge trash bag with crap made me feel better about myself. The satisfaction I felt when I threw that bag into the trash was awesome
All done and feels wonderful … but definately only a start. Filled 1 charity bag, 2 recycling and 2 trash.
I did it! It feels great to know that at least something was accomplished, even if it’s only a small dent. Thanks for the motivation! Keep the missions coming!
One big garbage bag down – I feel like at least 4 more are needed – but one step at a time. At least I am not losing ground.
Done! Still, I probably need to tack this mission on to future missions for a while…
done
Two big bags of clothes donated!
I did it!
one done today–all from my toy room! tomorrow I’m going to do one or TWO more upstairs in the kids and my bedrooms!
Yea! This was not as bad as I feared. Great reading the other posts as well — I can hardly wait for Mission #2.
wow that was awesome…i know it was supposed to just be half an hour, but i decided to do an hour coz im actually sorting through stuff from a family home thats been sold so theres a LOT of stuff…& i did it speedy anyhow…not getting stuck on any one thing…actually i just moved through the rooms list…grabbing stuff like a crazy woman!…so good…
it helped me along with a mission job…& i really do need to get it done quicker than i was moving…
so thankyou michelle…im looking forward to doing next weeks challenge…
Done! I spent the whole 30 minutes in my family room and still could have gotten rid of more. Will try to do 1 room a day until mission 2 arrives.
Done! I spent the whole 30 minutes in my family room and still could have gotten rid of more. .
DONE!!!!! Set the kitchen timer, went through the house and tossed. I actually tidied my linen closet in the process!
Bring on the next mission!!!!
Done! Looking forward to next week’s mission!
Mission #1 Complete! Although it wasn’t difficult since I moved a week ago, so I got rid of most of my junk before we moved.
) No need to move things we didn’t want. I am ready for Mission 2!
OK, mission accomplished! I didn’t even have to set the timer. I was cleaning my kitchen, laundry room, and a corner of the garage in preparation for the arrival of some new appliances and before I knew it I had filled SEVERAL large kitchen garbage bags with: mystery ingredients from the fridge and pantry, outdated coupons and old grocery receipts, a blender that didn’t work, two old, grungy cutting boards and baking sheets, old containers with no lids, old and empty cleaning product bottles and boxes, Styrofoam packing material from old empty boxes, and so on. In addition, I recycled a 6ft high by 4 ft wide stack of old boxes from appliances, electronics, and other items we no longer own or use, but that hubby was keeping “just in case,” a stack of old magazines (address labels removed) and newspapers (many unread) along with a variety of empty jars from peanut butter, jam, pickles, etc (again, that hubby couldn’t part with). As I go through each room of the house this summer, I plan to do the same. What a release! Bring on the next mission…
Done! That was not too hard.
I am re-starting the 52 missions because I got way behind. This time, I’m putting them into my schedule with reminders. 2 bags emptied and didn’t take long at all!
DONE!!! I can’t believe how much useless stuff I just threw away
:):)
I was able to fill a bag. I wish I had time to continue with other rooms but I didnt have it. I might do another 30 minutes this week and do it by 30 minute chunks.
YES!!! I filled one bag and was so motivated after seeing the dent in the corner that I kept going. This is one project that I will do more often along with the other weekly projects as I see more results.
One bag will not do a whole lot, but it is rewarding to see what a small amount of time can do when it is focused on one task without the rest of the mess calling to me.
I will be back.
Who knew there were so many little odds and ends floating around in the bottom of that bag. The place where “no one had gone before”. Now it is so much lighter. And I got paid! How much change is floating around in the bottom of your bag? Now I can buy myself a reward. Well, at least I can have a little extra gas money. lol.
See you again soon.
1 bag for bin, 1 bag plus a box of books for Salvos
Well I did mission 1 – my house is such a mess it seemed like it hardly made a dent! Two big bags and two small baes and a big pile of papers was thrown out. I'm feeling moviated to keep going!
The bag was enormous and quickly full. Though my house looks neat and tidy and there is little obvious clutter – it was surprising what was on shelves that I did not use, need, or wasn't in any way decorative. That was before going into drawers….
I did it! For the first round, I didn't set a timer, I just tackled the garage with my heavy duty trash bag. I had to do a bit a sorting, because much of it was recycling. I filled my bag and my recycling bin in about an hour. It felt so great seeing the clutter disappear that I got another garbage bag and started the online timer. Wow! What a difference. It really was just useless junk filling our space. I'm so glad it's gone, and I'm ready for my next mission!
All done feels good. Two BIG bags in the trailer ready for the dump
done! Not as bad as I thought and it only took me a week and a half. Oh well better done then never….
I did it. One trash bag out in the dumpster. I think I need to do this for two weeks.
then you might be able to tell.
I did it – I actually have 2 bags full of trash and 2 for donations
Very freeing… and contagious!
Mission accomplie!
Managed several extra bags for the trash pickup. Lots more to go. Just a little bit at a time.
FLO
I did it. Mission #1 completed!!!
WHEW! That was fun. And way easier than I thought… maybe I can skip a bit ahead to the next mission …
I did it. I can not belive some of the totally stupid things i have held on to,well now they are gone and so much easier to do than i expected. I am going to stick to the 30 minute plan but repeat it every couple of days untill i get rid of all the stupid things i have collected and then move on to the stuff that i can donate.
I did it. Two 30 min sessions and I have 3 bags of trash and a ton of magazines to recycle. I’ve still got a couple of rooms in the house that could do with a quick sweep but I should get those done today and be able to move on to mission 2. It was actually easy, getting started is the hard part. It then becomes quite addictive, I now find myself wandering around looking for more stuff to get rid of!
I did it again, I did not acually time my self this time, i have a bad cold so just did bits and pieces here and there and collected 3 rubbish bags full and that mainy consists of old sheets and tablecoths that i can no longer use (dont have the single beds anymore). the tablecloths were engagement and wedding presents that I have probably only used once and after washing them it took hours to iron them a really difficult cotton fabric,by the way i have been married now for 26 years. I will takle this challenge again in a couple of days.
oK, i THRU 3 BAGS OUT IN 30 MINUTES.. BUT IT DOESN’T LOOK LIKE I DID MUCH
DID SOME BEFORE PICTURES OF MY DINING ROOM TABLE. IT IS CLEAN NOW
AND SO ARE ALL THE LIVING ROOM TABLES.
WORKING HARD……….
Wow, that felt good. But just the tip of the iceberg….this is an EXCELLENT first mission! Thank you!!!!
Did this twice yesterday when I first signed up and have done it again today….could probably do it once a day every day
threw out heaps and could keep going except the bin is almost full and it only went out last night. This could become a weekly challenge for a while. Ready for challenge no.2
Threw out 6 bags of garbage! Mission #1 accomplished.
I just finished this task. Wanted to do more but had to stop because I was going out! Might re-do it later on
Mission 1 completed!
Mission completed. Amazing how much junk is laying around. 3 garbage bags full. I think if we all did this once a month then the trash wouldn’t accumulate.
I think with the time limit, it makes you move so much more quickly.
Done! Dadda
Mission 1 complete! Many items purged esp. school papers for the last year that are just piling up.
OK, I am just starting this and I am excited about it. I am starting this year out with a ‘simplify MY LIFE attitude’… LESS STUFF! we have a great kids used store here, so I’m making an appointment to bring stuff in. If the appointment is SET, I’ll HAVE to get it all done before that date on the calendar! Kids stuff is hard to throw for me, I can make money off of it!
YES, I am making my goal two 30 minute slots and 2 garbage bags! I’ve got tooooo much CRAP!
Mission one completed. Tackled a cupboard that contains files of newspaper clippings “to be read” (ALL went in the bin bag unread), research notes relating to either completed or abandoned projects (dumped) and precious clippings relating to things I have achieved and congratulations cards from friends and colleagues – KEPT. So I got through half of this cupboard in 30 minutes and got rid of a whole bin bag of useless paper. Brilliant.
@Jenny: I love this! You kept what mattered and let the rest go. There will ALWAYS be interesting stuff to read, but space and mental clarity are so very precious. M
@Priscilla: If the money potential is creating clutter and stress, maybe you can think of it this way – you’re SAVING money you would have to spend on a therapist by clearing the clutter!
I am already organized, well except for two rooms in my home. The Basement and the Office/Craft room, my two (just close the door rooms). I did the 30 min. bag grab in each room and wow I cant believe the space I just gained. Now I am going to tackle the basement and organize my Easter, Summer, Fall and Christmas decor. I plan to throw out or recycle all junk. I volunteer at a local shelter so I already know that people don’t want our junk. If you wouldn’t give it as a gift, please toss it because even the needy have their dignity. Well I am going in for one hour see you when i surface.
okay, I did it at least 50 pound bags each–6 of them. That was just the laundry room cabinets.
Ahhh.. it’s great to be focused on hand – the tip that mostly worked for me is that ‘this is not a bag for charity” …this is for throwing out…. normally i get stuck with the items that can be given away… and then the day is over…
@MM: You can put the charity stuff out of your mind because we’ll have a whole mission for that later!
Done! Wow, I can’t believe how easy it was to get rid of so much stuff, especially right after Christmas. With a 1.5 and 4 year old, sometimes what I think is junk, may not be to them. So we all did the mission together. I led the troops, followed by my 4 yr old son, then my 1.5 yr old daughter, then my big hairy Charlie (He’s our Collie), and then last but not least Jack. Out 6 month old kitten that was more intrigued by the dog’s tail in from of him, then what we were getting rid of, which did inlcude some chewed up tailess toy mice!! That was cleansing and entertaining.
Did it! Probably need to do another 30 minute session tomorrow.
Made the kids do this with their books (got rid of unloved, torn, battered books and papers, magazines, and other junk off their shelves). Lots more room!
I did it! : ) Week 1 complete. That was easier than I had imagined. I’m ready for week 2. I filled 2 trash bags without having to put much thought into it at all.
Ok, just found your site and so far enjoying it greatly! I found time today after homeschooling and day to day that comes with a family with 5 small children at home to complete mission #1 – some of it was just actual papers and junk lying around, but it helped fill the bag. I figure it was garbage and needed to be tossed and was there, so I put it in. I might do another bag later when baby is in bed and I can get into super messy areas I’d rather she not follow and be a lot more productive then. Looking forward to mission #2 and thankful to have a guide to keep me motivated and focused! After almost 11 years of marriage and 5 children, we have a ton of stuff! The baby stuff has never left b/c we’ve always had another coming along, and the bdays/Christmas/etc. gifts just keep coming each year X 5 children now – it’s TIME TO PURGE!
@Catherine: Sounds like you’ve made a fantastic start! Even with 5 small children, you can do a lot in 30 minutes if you have a plan!
Looking forward to seeing you in future missions…
1 huge bag of rubbish gone…and I do believe that I could fill another 1 or 2. While I was sitting down after dinner and the kids were in bed I even wrote down things that I will put in there as I did a “mental” walk through some of the rooms in the house. These things will be the first into the bag tomorrow, with whatever else I come across on the way. Thank you for getting me started with such an inspiring site.
Not one but 2 bags in 30 minutes. Hopefully I can do this 5 days this week!
Did a huge bag tonight with help from my husband. Great start but will continue tomorrow night. Yep, there is a lot more to get thrown away. I was leery not knowing how cooperative my husband would be but was pleasantly surprised that he got into it! We had brought 2 households together 11 yrs ago when we moved in together which wasn’t too much at that time but the stuff we accumulated over the years has been crazy!! I didn’t know how or where to start until I found this website. Thank you!
I did it!!!!!!
Wohoooo!! A huge bag so heavy after filling it up that I had to ask my hubby to carry it out, by the way he loves you now!!!! ooh and I also filled up a box with old papers and trash from out home office, I feel sooooooo much lighter, although a little concerned, I can’t beleive all the trash we were storing! Thanks for opening my eyes
Another 2 bags filled tonight! Woohoo! Also a pile of outdated electronics. Started a donation pile which will be packed up tomorrow & dropped off to a good charity and a small pile to be sold on Ebay by my hubby. I gave him this month to get it listed and sold or out it goes! The room I did tonight was the worst. It was a junk collection room now it is a nice guest bedroom again and hey, we can see the bed, floor and dresser again
Gonna hit it again tomorrow.
Done! One bag filled last weekend, and plans to fill more when I have a few spare minutes. It felt great to get rid of some of the junk, and there is still more to go, but you have to start somewhere! My kiddos even got involved, which made me have to watch a little closer, but it’s great they helped and had fun doing it!
Can’t wait to clean out my bags tonight!
I did it and realized that I could do this a fe times more without even digging deep!
Yeah me l did it to.
I need to do the 30 minute thing over and over again. In every cupboard and every room. Feeling good as my two little daughters answered me as I said in regard to every item in their cupboard – keep it – throw it. They would say throw it to items, I would not have thought they would send out.
Done!
Great achieved, could probably do this once a week and still find something to throw.
Wow! This did feel great. I had old clothes which I had meant to give away for the last one year. It is amazing how quickly the year had passed and the clothes were still lying around. What I was not able to achieve in 365 days got done today in 30 minutes. Thank you!
What a heavy bag…done!
Done!
Done – but how scary! The best part was going shopping to “restock”.
My first mission was nit a huge success. We don’t have a lot of items that are trash. I even went through drawers and the fridge, but still ended up with only a quarter of the bag filled. Better luck with the next mission, i guess.
@Marla: If you want a more organized life, then chances are you’ll have to get rid of stuff. Look back at the preceding 326 comments and you’ll see that everyone has been able to fill one bag – or many bags! – with things they can do without, in exchange for more space and mental clarity.
Is it possible you’re feeling resistant to letting your stuff go?
I wonder if this might help:
But I Might Need It One Day! [How To Stop Making Excuses & Get Organized, Declutter & Simplify]
http://www.getorganizedwizard.com/blog/2010/12/but-i-might-need-it-one-day-how-to-stop-making-excuses-get-organized-declutter-simplify/
Hope you don’t mind my ‘encouragement’ to look again at your stuff. M
Thanks for the motivation and the great iPad app – I stay motivated for over an hour!!!!!!
The first mission Huge Trash Bag was fun an easy. I had alreay begun culling items from my home since last October. Dumping all the unused skin care items without having to consider experation dates, how complete systems were and if I had wasted my money. Simple question Am I using this? I was left with just two creams, plenty of relief, space and no regrets.
My husband participated( he carried out the trash) .
Can’t wait to do the next one.
By the way for those who eel they have broken their New Year resolutions, don’t despair. Today is Chinese New Year.
I just completed the 1st mission…Whoo Hooo! I filled 3 huge garbage bags!!! I kept going after the 30 minute time limit…but it felt good! I actually feel like I accomplished something! I hope this feeling continues with the next mission!
@Bambi: See! You’re more motivated than you give yourself credit for.
Don’t expect the feeling to drive you, though – JUST DO IT regardless of how you feel. That’s how to keep the good feelings flowing.
Wow i have done it but i did 15 min in each room, It as made a little change but i am glad i done it i fill 2 huge bag and watch the bin men collect and take a way
Mission 1 and 2 completed! After all that procrastination it wasn´t hard once I started. I actually managed to do mission 1 twice, only to realize that it probably could be repeated once every week. – Maybe I will! Anyway it got me going, so I also tidied the house for 30 minutes as well as folding clean clothes in the laundry room. Regarding mission 2, I almost thought it wasn’t necessary since I got a new bag only two weeks ago, but its funny how receits, wrappings and post-it notes tend to accumulate. – I’m glad i did it.
Done!!
I am so excited to get started with these organization tasks, I’m hoping to complete all 52 and live a much happier organized life.
@Patricia: You can definitely do it, Patricia! I’ll be looking out for you on future missions… M
Done
Wahoo! done … 2 bags of rubbish – gone!
This one took a bit longer time, because I wanted to do my whole house! The mission is completed! It is a nice feeling that I have seen all the stuff I have. I threw away everything I don’t need anymore and it feels good!
Started!
I completed Mission 1, and I’m excited to see the next baby step to a more organized life. : )
# 1 complete!!! Going to do it a couple more times this week and get the basement and garage.
Well I was completely amazed by this first challenge! I didn’t think I would be able to fill a garbage bag with ‘stuff’ but it was easy…in fact it was so easy that I have actually done this mission every day this week. Sometimes I haven’t had a full bag but I have been blown away by how much stuff was just sitting there that I didn’t seem to see anymore until I really focused on it. Thanks for getting me started!
I just stumbled upon your website, and it couldn’t have happened at a more perfect time! I have the urge to purge, and you have inspired me further!! I have the house to myself today, so here goes…
I just filled a bag with papers I have had lying around since December! Will need to do some more work, but at least I have started to get rid of some clutter.
I completed my first mission-emptying w/the trash bag. Every mental wall that has always stopped me from starting the venture of organization/full life mastery kicked in. My trash bag was white and I thought no, Ill wait to buy a black one. I don’t have a timer so I thought, Ill wait till I get one. Then a true miracle (and it was-if you could hear my mental WEAKENING voice for 10 seconds , to my excuses/fears/thoughts that “I can’t do this so I won’t even start”, etc, you would have heard a true shift. I still can’t believe it. My true voice that is the real , powerful me said (and I didn’t” think” this, it was a thought that came in of it’s own accord)-”Bull. We have a white trash bag and will begin with that. No timer? We are going to download one RIGHT NOW onto the iPhone. I obeyed the command of my self, got a kick ass timer, and I. DID mission 1! I threw out everything that does not serve and enhance my life right now including these morose, sad journals where I wrote about how my ex girlfriend was so mean, I loved her so much, why oh why am I not getting love”-I had thought before initiating the Mission that those victim-mentality writings I some how needed to keep so as to review them and thereby “grow” but my mission commander-that is, ME, without the too frequent self imposed shackles instintually immediately put all these writings in the trash bag and, along with other stuff that is NOW in the OUTSIDE trash-and I can’t express how strong I feel, my condo FEELS lighter, and while the 30 minutes flew by and I covered a part of a part of a room I know that was the exact way it was meant to go (none of my “look slowpoke why didn’t you get through more stuff, etc). So I am really on the move, I feel clean, strong, motivated, proud and you who are reading these words right now -know that I AM BLESSED to have you and I couldn’t have started this withoutcha. So love to all from Bexley, Ohio, USA.
Harry
@Harry; Wow – this is awesome! You’ve taken an amazing step and I’m thrilled that you shared it with me. The only way is up from here!
What a relief, I managed to get 2 garbage bags full in 30 minutes.
I was really surprised…I suppose the fact that I had to do one bag in 30 minutes without thinking too much, made me even go faster.
I thought I would never be able to get even 1 bag full, as I find it very hard to let go of stuff. I always make up excuses to keep it: ‘I might use it in the future’, ‘I will regret it if I throw it out.’
Now I was not allowed to think. That made me step into my power of releasing.
Thanks, it is a shame that it ‘s only 30 minutes. I would love to do it again tomorrow.
@Peggy: Congratulations on your two bags! I love comments like this.
By the way, you might also like this article:
But I Might Need It One Day! [How To Stop Making Excuses & Get Organized, Declutter & Simplify]
M
Big black sack already out to the curb!!! Feels great!!!
I feel better already !
Wahoo! 30+ minutes
So liberating, especially regarding throwing away things
with a negative feeling attached. I tossed a map of Rome I
used when I went there with an ex boyfriend 3 years ago. I
have a fiancé now and it’s better to let go the past in all
of its forms.
@Maria: It seems to me that kind of stuff takes up physical and emotional space. Good on you for clearing out your home and your heart. ♡♡♡
done, done and done !
Done and still being done, the hardest part is getting rid of the off casts. My garbage bin will be full for a few weeks.
It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I think I can fill another bag if I try hard enough!
Finished!
Done!
Did it! I had a feeling of dread to start with, but felt a little bit of relief when finished. However, it took me 75 minutes to actually fill the garbage bag, but did have a paper sack full of magazines for the recycling bin and a big box of charity stuff. This reinforced what I already knew – I get off-track when I start any clean the clutter project. So, although I finally filled the bag, and made progress, I need to focus!!
I completely agree with Bonnie’s comments above. I finished my 30 minutes but didn’t even get through my entire downstairs, never mind the upstairs and basement. I think I will need 30 minutes every other day for a while to learn to focus and to just get caught up with all that needs to be done.
done with mission 1! now if I just repeat that every day for a month, I’ll be getting somewhere!
Feels pretty good to purge!
I did it!! It was hard to get started but by the time the timer went off I was throwing away things left, right and center. Feels good now on to the next mission!
Done!
Mission #1 is completed.It feels very good.
Off to 52 Mission land…starting now!
Done!
This one was not my favorite. I tend to throw out junk most of the time, so I got a bag only half full. I appreciate getting it done, but look forward to the organizational tasks more. I lost everything in the divorce so all my stuff is a bit tatty, what I throw out I cannot afford to replace so I keep using it. I look forward to organizing what I DO have, and starting over with a fresh outlook.
Thank you!
Did it! Still could fill another bag, but all in due time.
Done. I feel like such a grot living in such a messy house – and when it takes so long to tidy before you can clean, a messy house quickly becomes a dirty house which I hate even more. I’m an intelligent creative person, but buggered if I can keep my house tidy. Really looking forward to learning how to!
Didn’t have large bag but over the course of the week, filled 4 large kitchen bags full. maybe not a lot of bags but we are a military family getting ready to move next summer and we are always concerned about weight and these 4 bags were quite heavy
Also donated 6 bags of clothes!
Done – not bad for a begining
First mission done – with kids helping! 3 bags gone to the trailer.
Done. Actually, I have been doing this over the course of the last few months. I’m really trying to let go of things that are duplicates or that I don’t “love” and not to keep them just because they are “perfectly good” and I “might use them some day.” It goes against my packrat DH’s nature, but I’m not letting that stop me either!
Is this mission ever really done? I say no.
Mission one done!!!! That was a lot easier than I first thought. I am now on a roll. I go into a room, see something and think I can put that in my black rubbish bag hehehehehe. Onto mission 2.
3 bags to throw away and 3bags to give away!! It felt great!!!!
Wooo Hooo!!! I threw away all kinds stuff and junk I had been moving with me from place to place that I never even look at. It was all just stuffed in drawers and taking up dusty shelf space. No point in having it around anymore.
Well…done! I managed a FULL 171litre contractor bag…..2 of my daughters worked together and they filled another contractor bag full from their rooms. Bags are out with the trash!
Two big bags plus as pile into the recycler….I have a tendency to keep packaging from computer equipment and household appliances so that all went too!
Also got rid of a pile of old business stationery which was out of date. My home office is a work in progress as far as getting organised goes. Feeling motivated though
wow I couldn’t believe how good I felt after I completed Mission 1. have been so disorganised before this. looking forward to next one
Done. Only took 15 minutes and 2 rooms. I might do another tomorrow!