Question for 365 items out

[dialecticdreamer]

Do you count bags of "recyclable random papers" as one thing? or does the goal imply "usable objects I no longer want, or broken objects to trash?"

I'm supposed to be on item number fifty today, and I'm at... thirteen.

It's disheartening.

I've got a bag of "things to drop in the charity bin when we run errands" but that has to wait for Sunday errands, and I don't want to count the items until they are actually OUT the door. (Things happen to derail that plan, you know.)

Comments

[peaceful_sands]

I think people count whatever works for them and keeps them motivated. I sometimes count recyclables by the recycling container (1 box of paper/cardboard for instance) or 1 bag of rubbish that can't be recycled if it's all random 'nothing'. The only things that I personally discount are food, general cleaning products and day to day toiletries - if they're 'special' toiletries or sets that I give away untouched then I count them.

I think the most important part is keeping yourself motivated and feeling positive about the progress and the achievement.

[peaceful_sands]

Also thinking about the motivation/disheartening aspect - you say you've things packed ready to deliver at the weekend - why not have a mental count of 'things that have gone out' and 'things that will have gone out after delivery' so you can keep positive - or can the things be put in the car now ready to deliver? I find that if they're in the car they're much less likely to end up back in the general mill of things and much more likely to end up at the right destination.

Things going out

[dialecticdreamer]

I have to stay right on top of things or the other people in the house will "borrow" stuff, from the bags to go out, of course, and that means they don't actually LEAVE the house. Harrumph.

Re: Things going out

[peaceful_sands]

Another trick that I use to discourage things making their way back into the house is to pack them in boxes and then tape the box shut with packing tape - no-one knows what's inside then and if scissors are needed to break tape it's another deterrent to them migrating from the box.

"recyclables"

[dialecticdreamer]

I've been counting a full kitchen trash bag of recyclables, but only as a goal for tidying up. Grin, easing up on myself and counting that for uncluttering will help TREMENDOUSLY.

[fred_mouse]

I would only count them as one thing if I sorted them in the one session. And if they were all the same category/from the same source. So, ooh, file of psych 100 notes that hasn't been opened in twenty years? Open, pull out the papers, recycle -> 1 thing. But a file of journal articles I had to go through and decide on the relevance of each? Each one gone counts.

And I count anything where I break the tape of '...but this might be useful..." or ".. I was keeping that in case ...".