with very little effort is my kind of thing. Knowing that baby Birdy will be here soon, I've taken a renewed interest in streamlining things in our lives. I checked "The Clutter Diet" by Lorie Marrero out of the library and read about half of it. It's full of great ideas, but I was close to being overwhelmed which would most definitely NOT result in my taking the advice offered. I will check it out another time when I'm ready to tackle more. Here's what I took from this reading and actually implemented painlessly:
- Get a Motivation Partner. The person can be via email or phone (not recommended in person as it can turn into a time suck). You both present what you intend to accomplish in a week and then check in with each other on a given day and time. So... I didn't really implement this one. Y. has been very busy and I intend for her to be my partner... for real. I'm gonna do it.
- Rather than deleting each email I receive because I've ordered from a company or signed up in the past for a newsletter, I've spent the past two weeks actually "unsubscribing" from each of them. The reduction in trash emails is tremendous.
- These three sites remove you from credit offers, magazine offers, and catalogs: www.dmachoice.org , www.CatalogChoice.org , www.optoutprescreen.com . As much as I look forward to going through the daily mail, the amount of waste (paper, resources, and time) is alarming. I can't wait to see the effect this has on our mail. DMA Choice even contacts the catalog companies directly on your behalf. All of this is FREE.
- Finally, I also updated our information for the state and federal do not call registries. Federal: www.donotcall.gov and State: ww.callcompliance.com/regulations/statelist.html
Even the items on here that don't really drain THAT much time, DO drain energy. Their very existence means that I must do one thing more -- even if it's hit the delete button. I'm also hoping that the lack of marketing results in a lack of spending. It seems logical that if I'm not hearing about these great 'deals' I won't be purchasing as much. Freeing up brain space AND money -- do you guys have any tricks I can add to my arsenal?
4 comments:
I was just reading someone saying how they wanted to get rid of stuff and "simplify." Well, you know what? IT IS A LOT OF WORK TO SIMPLIFY. I get overwhelmed thinking about it. That involves sorting stuff, cleaning it, selling it, or giving it away, or hiring a dumpster to come get it (but that makes me feel guilty when somone else might be able to use it). We're talking DAYS worth of work, here. ALL day days! It's so much simpler to just let the stuff sit in the garage.
But, oh, I am so SICK of junk mail.
I am LMAO, Robyn. I felt the same way as I worked through that book. That's why it's going back to the library -- one more chapter might just cause me to become a hoarder rather than follow their cute little acronyms and 'simple' steps. I need like fetal steps.
Thanks for the tips. Someday if I feel like working at simplifying I now know where to get the info. ;)
I'll be your motivation partner, preggo girlfriend.
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