I read somewhere that 2019 has 365 days full of opportunity. I love that! I also (sort of) read Marie Kondo's The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and have started watching her new Netflix series Tidying Up. I adore her! If you know Marie's method, called KonMari, you know that step one is taking every single article of clothing you own and putting it in a giant (or in my case, an unbelievably colossal and just plain embarrassing) pile to begin sorting, discarding, and organizing. Then you move on to your books, all papers, Komono (which consists of the kitchen, bathroom, garage, and miscellaneous) and sentimental items, and in that very specific order.
And...I can't do it. Marie, I'm just not ready. I will get there, but not today, doll. I'm a busy girl and my weekends are precious. I work hard and I need to recharge when I have downtime. These are not excuses. These are cold, hard facts. I really want to begin purging my life of excess stuff, clutter, and junk but Marie's KonMari method feels like too massive of an undertaking right now. So I figure that if 2019 has 365 days full of opportunities it also has 52 weeks of opportunities. And 52 seems much more manageable than 365. You know what else? Each day only has 24 hours, and I'm realistically willing to spend 30 to 60 minutes during each of those 52 weeks to reorganize my home in order to create more joy and harmony in my environment and life. Introducing THE MICROPURGE PROJECT 2019.
My theme for 2019 is CONSISTENCY. I firmly believe that anything will work if you are consistent. Healthy eating, exercise, skin care, weight loss, sleep training, meditation, yoga, and the list goes on. The absolute key to anything and everything in life is consistency (not fits and spurts, not quick fixes, and not expecting immediate results). Consistency is the twin sister of another key concept for happiness: balance. Balance is about not going to extremes, but finding a reasonable pace that you can maintain enjoyably. Therefore, during each week in 2019 I have committed to performing an enjoyable and consistent micropurge once per week of one small area, like a single drawer, one cupboard, the backseat of my car, underneath a sink, a single pantry shelf, etc.. The theory: after 52 weeks of little micropurges my environment will be remarkably decluttered, far more clean and organized, healthier, and happier, which is the overall goal of KonMari but without the major overhauls, time commitments, and strict rules. The micropurge gives you all the feels (and results) of purging through consistent little changes, while still maintaining balance and not feeling like you're climbing a giant mountain of clothes to get there.
The Warm Up. Before January 1st, I performed a trial run on my cooking utensils drawer. Just one small drawer, but one that has been bothering me for a long time. It was completely filled with wooden spoons, plastic spoons, slotted spoons, spatulas, ladles, strainers, and on and on. I literally had some utensils that I bought pre-2009 (which is the year I purchased my first house). The drawer was a disgrace, overflowing, and crying out for a purge. It irritated me every single time I opened it. I was ready, and went for it! Everything I didn't want, I put into a donations bag or recycling. In 15 tiny little minutes I had a perfectly balanced utensils drawer that optimized utility and was totally free of excess and junk. Just 15 minutes!!! That drawer had been driving me crazy forever. Now, each time I open the drawer I feel positive. I literally feel better in my soul by simply opening a drawer. This micropurge thing is...a thing!
Week One: My make-up drawers. I went into my master bath prepared with a garbage can, a recycle can, Lysol wipes, a vacuum cleaner, and a giveaway bag. I sat down at my vanity, told Alexa to start my playlist, opened my two vanity drawers, set the timer on my iPhone for 45 minutes, and got to work. Why did I set my timer? This kind of project can launch you into a deep abyss and before you know it, you've been at it for 2 hours. No. This was going to take 45 minutes or less - micro, not macro. Keep, clean, discard, recycle, donate (yes, I have makeup that I've never opened or used that friends will want). With Marie Kondo's philosophy in mind (Does this item spark joy in my heart and is it something I need to bring with me into the future?) I purged an obscene amount of old, outdated, never used, and bad-decision make-up purchases. I wiped down all of my make-up containers. I removed the drawer liners, vacuumed, replaced the liners, and put my items back into the drawers in a considered way. It took 37 minutes. Over the last week, sitting down at my vanity has been so much more enjoyable! I feel organized, clean, and proud of myself every time I open a drawer. The micropurge really is a very small investment with a big and ongoing payoff that brings positive emotions along with it!
Week Two. This week I will tackle my silverware drawer. I open that drawer multiple times every day and it annoys me. The drawer needs vacuuming and the liners need straightening and smoothing. Random pieces need to go. The 350+ pens and highlighters that have somehow made their way into this large drawer have to be given a new home. (It's not filty, don't judge! It's just cluttered and needs some TLC.) Once I finish in 45 minutes or less, I know that every morning, afternoon, and evening when I open that drawer I will be reminded of my work, progress, goals, and the overall positive effects of micropurging.
The Micropurge Project isn't about cleaning a huge area all at once like your entire closet, garage, the whole bathroom, entire guest room, etc., while sweating and losing an entire weekend day (or two). It's about smaller projects that are manageable and not overwhelming, but will have an overwhelming cumulative impact on your life week after week as the project progresses. That's not to say you shouldn't tackle your entire pantry, but maybe take it one small bite at a time. Spices one week, then a single shelf another week, and so on. The key is to commit to making one small adjustment once per week. Every. Single. Week. The consistency will pay off. Just think how your home will look and how you will feel after completing 52 weeks of small projects. I am convinced that those 52 micropurges will feel like you've KonMari'd the heck out of the place but in your own measured way. And if you choose to work for 2 hours rather than 30 minutes, that's your choice but feel good knowing that even a 15 or 30 minute project is better than nothing!
I am so excited! And I simply can't wait to evaluate this project and share my results with you in 2020! Care to join me? If you plan to take this 52 week journey with me please go to our Instagram @thepearlandpepper and comment on the corresponding post to let us know that you're joining our Micropurge Project. I would be so honored to have you on the team and to receive your thoughts and hear about your successes! And I will share mine too! Happy purging!