Thread: 1st Annual “Junk-A-Thon” Challenge

3rd Junk-A-Thon Mini-Challenge

Doesn't look like we have many folks on the challenge, but for the silent participants hear is another mini challenge:

"Gut a room or corner" Junk-A-Thon Mini Challenge

Basically mentally walk through your house or apartment and identify the room or corner of your apartment you use the least or just store junk in and gut it, remove everything from that area (everything includes furniture and pictures on the wall). Bust ass, do this in 30 min, don't take extra time here. Take all the crap and move it to a high traffic area in your house (living room floor, dining room table, kitchen floor...)

Then set the room up for one simple purpose. I'll use a reading room or corner for an example. Just set it up for that purpose, a comfortable chair(s), good light, very small book case or a small end table. Only bring in a couple of your current books. Don't load it up with every book you have been wanting to read for the last year, it is not a library. Just your current two or three books (a fiction, current magazine issue and motivation/business book) Make thing cozy as needed, pictures on the wall maybe a vase or something sentimental, motivating or relaxing but NO CLUTTER, NO EXTRA CRAP, NO COLLECTIONS.

After it is all set up, then deal with the crap you pulled out. Only rule none of it is allowed to go back into the new space, NONE. Find new homes for it or THROW IT OUT. It is in a high traffic area so you are forced to deal with it.

My wife and I are doing this with our computer/office area currently. Of course after we pulled everything out we have decided to paint the room (I hate painting) But we found all sorts of stuff that has migrated into the area that has no related purpose.

Repeat the challenge to each area in your house until each place has a purpose (exercise area, office, bedroom....)

OK folks only a few days left, so clean out what you can and post your final results!

Final Results for myself:

$$$: ~$225
Donations: 25 grocery bags worth
Garbage: 6 Large garbage bags

Basement and Office gutted and cleaned out.

I bit dispointed but I never touched the room above the garage (posted pictures). Always more to be done.

Here's my final list for the month. Not bad, but still have a long way to go.

Took too long selling them on forums, so I just listed the bottom items on ebay when I had spare time.

Have to subtract shipping/paypal/ebay fees from the final price and I live close to the post office so didn't spend a lot of time on that.

NOVEMBER

+ $91.94 (headphones)

+ $77.38 (claes sz. 12)

+ $38.54 (foams)

+ $145.35 (lv case)

+ $51.26 (ipod)

= $404.47

+ $28.26 (lacoste cardigan)

+ $32.76 (seahawk jacket)

+ $39.77 (lrg night jacket)

+ $48.77 (dunks purple/black)

+ $57.77 (claes)

+ $37.77 (polo flag sweater)

+ $37.77 (adidas tennis jacket)

= $687.34

Well done CoMp1ex you are the official:

1st Annual Junk-A-Thon Champion!

What are the odds going back through the posts and it was almost exactly a year ago that the "First Annual Junk-A-Thon” was launched.

Is anyone up for:

The 2nd Annual Junk-A-Thon

Let me know and we will start it Nov 1st...you can't get in the fastlane if your dragging all your extra uneeded crap behind you...

Not exactly all junk, but I have been decluttering now since late summer. I am back in the US now at my house in NC and have been clearing out stuff every day. I don't even remember all the stuff.

I have sold 4 motorcycles - I forgot the amount but somewhere around $14k
I have sold hundreds of books to the used book store - the usually only pay about $1/book
I have sold some excess furniture - no idea the amount, my wife sold it
I have given away even more furniture
Took at least 10 trash bags of clothes to goodwill
Took at least 5 bags of toys to goodwill
Taken 4-5 loads of stuff to the dump

It has been absolutely amazing seeing all the stuff go away. Very liberating. When we started the process in September, I kept finding file folders from the '90s!!! I had shoes that had holes in them!

Next up is the house. Anyone want a 4br/4ba on 7ac in a neighborhood in NC?

GlobalWealth

Well Done! That is enough reason for me!

2nd Annual Junk-A-Thon starts tomorow...

Why is that when you declutter your environment, your mind also seems to declutter? When my desk is neat and tidy, I get shit done. When it's messy with folders and crap laying everywhere, nothing gets done.

Originally Posted by PhxMJ

Why is that when you declutter your environment, your mind also seems to declutter? When my desk is neat and tidy, I get shit done. When it's messy with folders and crap laying everywhere, nothing gets done.

I agree. I noticed that this past week actually. My Girlfriend and I were cleaning house for a Halloween party we were hosting on Saturday night, and it became evident as we started to straighten up that we had definitely been lacking in the housekeeping department the past month or two. We had all sorts of crap everywhere (from stuff piled at the bottom of the stairs that never made its way UP, junk-mail piling up on the kitchen counter, to cluttered end tables and shelves, closets, etc. However, I found when it was all cleared up and looked "show-worthy" again before the party (lol), that it made me want to DO even more. I even contemplated painting our hallway on Sunday morning/afternoon, but opted to do so some reading and researching instead.

Its cool that something as simple as tidying up your home base can free your mind and put you into ACTION mode, and motivate you to get stuff done.