cleaning out the clutter

A while back I read this post from Donald Miller and was inspired to simplify and online life. So I went through all of the blogs that I subscribe to and got rid of half of them. It was hard to do, but I have to say my life is fine without those blogs and I am actually aware of the extra time that has magically been added to my every day.

The strange thing is that after I rid my google reader of these blogs, I actually felt the exact same good feeling I feel when my house is clean, or after I clean out a closet. Simplifying and organizing just plain feels good.

And on a sort-of-related thought, I have been cleaning my house differently lately. It used to be that I would start cleaning the bathroom and take a water glass from in there and bring it to the kitchen, and then I would load the dishwasher and clear off the counter, bringing papers to my desk where I would get hung up trying to organize my paper life. While organizing my desk I would return a book to the living room where I'd see the mess on the coffee table. And after 30 minutes of this, I had nothing to show for my efforts. Every room looked "sort of" clean.

So I am now cleaning only one room at a time. And it works. If I completely finish the bathroom first, I often find the enthusiasm to hit the next room. If I tucker out in the next room (or more likely, Ivar wakes up) I still have one clean room to show for my time.

Try this cleaning method. I know it sounds obvious, but it was hard for me to do at first. And it has actually changed my attitude towards daily house work. (well, that might be a bit extreme...)