No one has to say it but 2020 has been a weird year. Weird good for me though, but I know for others it's been weird bad instead. I've taken advantage of the extra time and energy — two things I never thought I'd have again until I retired — to take steps to make my life easier once/if life returns to the normal that everyone keeps hollering for. Normal? That life kind of sucked, to be honest. It was overly filled with things, and filth, and obligations. I don't want normal.
But since it's inevitable that life will fill up again in some ways, I took and am still taking the time to declutter my life in new ways. This isn't just a Marie Kondo kind of list, this is different things most other lists don't talk about.
Make A Password List
If you're like me, you probably spend a lot of time resetting your password on websites you visit maybe a few times a year. Declutter your desk of post its full of old passwords, declutter your email of reset emails, and declutter your mind from having to think about it. Make a log of your passwords once and for all. Depending on your level of security and personal preferences, you might want to use a notebook to write them down, or an address book with ABC tabs, or even a word or Google doc that's secured in some way. Some people also prefer password keeping programs too. This will also come in useful if you become incapacitated or die, just make sure someone you trust knows how to access it.
See Which Pens Work
Everyone has a boatload of pens somewhere in their life. Maybe it's your home office drawer, or a pickle jar on top of the fridge like us, or a kitchen junk drawer, but it's where the pens are. But not all of those pens work, and there's maybe two pens you reach for over and over.
It's time to take out a sheet of paper, and all of those pens/pencils/markers and see which ones work and which ones don't. Toss the non-working ones, keep the ones you like the most — for me it's the clicky pens — and donate the rest somewhere. Nonprofits or blessing boxes would be great places to put things like this, because when you need a pen, you need a pen. You just don't need 20 pens at once.
Clean Out Your Cleaning Supplies
I have like, 15 rags wadded up in my cleaning supplies rolling cart. Why? I never use more than four or five at a time. So it's time to declutter my rag collection, along with unnecessary cleaning supplies, like the carpet cleaner solution we still have despite no longer having carpet. I also got real with myself and realized I was never again going to use the wood polish I bought and used once.
When buying new cleaning supplies, I've gotten smart and made sure that whatever I buy can do double duty, like this amazing smelling all purpose Puracy cleaner in the green tea and lime scent. But, after a few years of streaky windows from stupid all purpose cleaner though, I will 100 percent concede that if you want shiny windows, the single-purpose Windex is the only way to do it. Everything else though, has to clean in two ways, if not more, to earn its spot in my cleaning caddy!
Delete Old Digital Files
Does your hard drive space look like this?
Take some time to go through and delete or store old files. Erase the work documents from your last job that are irrelevant now, put the photos that are worth keeping on an external hard drive or in your personal cloud. Uninstall any programs you no longer use, and update the ones you do that need it. Then when you're done, back up your entire computer in your preferred way. Doing all of this will make your computer run faster, your files easier to find when you need them, and it'll feel good. Digital clutter is still clutter. If you're feeling high from this digital decluttering, clean up your bookmarks folder and Pinterest boards while you're at it. I like to do this kind of task while I'm semi-ignoring a tv show or movie.
Pare Down Your Cups
Who else inadvertently collected dozens of pint glasses when craft beer was becoming A Big Thing? I've pared down our collection once or twice already, but the cabinets are still quite full. We've come to the conclusion that straight pint glasses are the ones that get the most shelf space, and I'm keeping a half pint, a few snifters, and other unusual shapes, but the rest have been cleared out. Even what we have is probably twice as many as we need, but I'm sure some will break eventually. Others have sentimental value from travels, or breweries which have closed.
Coffee cups are another one that can get overwhelming through the years without a second thought. When I was stacking cups precariously in the cabinet even though I only use the same three over and over, I knew it was time. But again, we attach emotional value to these cups. This cup is the biggest for Those Mornings, this cup was bought on that special mountain trip, this one is sooo pretty — there is a reason to keep every cup in my cabinet. Well, except Patrick's company branded cups, but he got those for free and well, you see how we all end up with mug mountains. Do your best here, someone else will now be able to have a great story about how they found the cup you let go in a thrift store and now it's their favorite.
While you've got the cabinets empty, take the time to add a fun textured shelf liner. Form and function, all in one roll.
Five Decluttering Tasks
These five ways to declutter your life in new ways is a good and not too overwhelming start! Do one every weekday and you'll have a better life by the weekend. Or do one every other day and it'll be done in less than two weeks. If you're a true champ, you could knock all of these out in one weeknight or weekend morning. Nothing could feel better than getting a few bags ready to take to the thrift store in one fell swoop!
What other ways have you decluttered your life a little in 2020?