I did it last year, and used the month of October to get a little happy started. It was a huge challenge, and looking back, I'm still not quite sure why I did it...we just finished our 2012 taxes, and it was painful to go through all the receipts and see the trips to the Post Office and WalMart to send one shirt, buy one shirt...exchange that shirt, then hurry and mail another one...seriously, I question my sanity for the last few months of 2012 last year. That's something for another post, though--I'll just say it, I'm happy to make shirts for people, but I don't have much time for a little happy if I'm doing my other jobs (and life) well. I'm glad we got it going, and I'm so grateful for all that I've learned...but I've accepted that this is a season of my life when I need to focus on my faith, my family, and my paying gigs. :)
With all that said, it's October again. I think of October as 31 days of purpose, rather than change, because often I just need to focus on the why of something to make it work. This year, I decided to focus on being purposeful in finally clearing out my scrapbook clutter. This stuff has been in progress around here for months...okay, fine, years. When I really got into Project Life, I dragged out all of my childhood memory stuff to organize. And promptly shoved it under my dresser and under my bed and any place it would fit. It's a mess. I tried to get it out this summer and organize it, but my system was clunky and hard to look at. So I shoved it back under my dresser and under my bed...you get the picture.
I'm way behind on Project Life, if you're wondering. Like, 2 months. And I'm okay with that. When I got caught up at the beginning of August and got it all organized, I decided that I needed to go back and journal what I had so far before adding anything else. Well, needless to say life's been pretty busy with multiple jobs and family stuff, so I haven't spent any time at all with my markers and Project Life book. But I will.
Because my 31 days of purpose this month? To spend a minimum of 15 minutes each day on scrapbooking. Whether it's journaling to catch up on Project Life, making a new page, sending photos to print, or organizing the tons of junk under my dresser, under my bed...and in my closet. Did I mention the closet? Sigh.
Yesterday's 15 minutes was actually a trip to WalMart to get organized, and time spent setting it up. I've still got to go in and put dates on the little folder tabs, but that'll be today's 15 minutes. You see, I figured out the problem: my box organizing system was too clunky. I had to drag it all out and put it all away again, and it was messy and time consuming and ugly. A friend and I have been working on organizing Sunday School curriculum, and while I'm a binder girl she's a folder girl. She went and bought file boxes and folders and we went to town--and I love it. It reminded me of why I *used* to use hanging folders to organize my classroom stuff. That got me thinking, if I use file folders I only have to have ONE box and it's fairly attractive and it won't kill me to see it. So, I got organized.
(day 2 of photo a day, btw: organized. Voila--this is the box this morning, pre-tabs.)
P.S. See our bed? IKEA finally got a good toile, y'all--I'm loving it! I do need to go back and go up a size, but for the price, no biggie. We use standard pillows on our queen size bed, so I needed the pillow cases from the full/queen and the duvet cover from the King. And yes, sometimes I do drive myself nuts with my crazy. But the toile? It makes me happy.
So, that's my 31 days: clearing out the clutter of years of stuff I need to scrapbook/have intended to scrapbook. I bought stuff to do a wedding book back in April (dear God), and still haven't--but I don't plan to get to it this month, either. I want to focus on the stuff that's cluttering up the not-so-hidden spaces in my room, and getting caught up on 2013 in Project Life.
Oh, and here's the cool part: my Boy wanted to do a 31 day project, as well, and he asked if we could go meatless for this month. You know I'm all for that! So, we are. He is at a plateau and wants to get down a couple more pounds, and I just need to detox (and lose a large child or small adult, but you know that). I figure in for a penny, in for a pound, so I'm also cutting out alcohol at home this month (I'm not dumb--I know we'll want to drink at his high school reunion and if we're out...I want to be healthy, not legalistic).
So there it is: 31 days of purpose. Or change. Or whatever you need it to be. I encourage you to head over to the Nesting Place and check out what the "real" bloggers are doing! That's how I found out about the William Morris Project (which is actually the inspiration for my scrapbooking project!).
Man, talk about an abrupt ending.
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