And More ...

Day 200


Wow! 200 days! I am feeling pretty proud of myself. To celebrate, I will share more changes in my life that are definitely working:

• My filing system: Like most areas of my home, by bills and documents were poorly organized and often ended up in a pile instead of a file. I did an organization overhaul back in February, used the shredder until I could fill Easter baskets for evermore and promised myself I would file everything properly as soon as it was ready to be put away. It is working! At first I had to remind myself to follow through but it has become habit. 
• Storage: I organized almost every area in my house and by spring, I was 90% finished. From my bakeware, to serving pieces, to candles to linens, each area has remained organized. I have purchased very little now that can actually see what I have. A little trick I employed was to avoid leaving too much blank space in any one area. My knee-jerk reaction is: see a blank space--fill it! Even if it means things are spread out a bit more, seeing little blank space makes me feel like I have enough.
• Happy with what I have: I could simply suffer for a year but I am really trying to embrace the situation and be happy with what I have. Sure, I complain (often) but I have many fine clothes that I love to wear. I have not had to pass on any event, activity or gathering for lack of a garment. Although I wear things a bit more often, I notice I am taking greater care of my clothes and shoes. I have even embraced mismatched socks. I can't even believe this one! At the start of the challenge, I inventoried about 8 pairs of low cut, athletic socks. As a result of socks that disappear from the dryer (a completely true phenomenon) and a daughter who borrows them, I am left with 7 socks. Not pairs, just 7 socks. This means that most of the time, my socks do not match. If you have ever heard me chant under my breath, "it's okay, at least I have socks" this is why.

For years I had tried to implement these practices into my life. It took the big challenge to give me the motivation to finally make the changes. Strangely, I have inspired myself to maintain these practices because I am proud of sticking with the challenge. I inspired myself. Even to me that sounds strange.