Inside: Learn how to declutter nearly 500 items from your home in just one month with the Mins Game.  Download a free toolkit to help you reach your decluttering goals!

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During each month in 2018 I am focusing on a different simplicity challenge or mini SMART goal.  So far I have practiced daily gratitude, meditated every day, moved my body for at least 15 minutes every day, and completed a no-spend challenge.

It has been so encouraging to work through these challenges each month and share my experiences on social media and in my newsletter. Follow me on Instagram and Facebook to stay in the loop! Or sign up for my newsletter below!

-> Do you want to set your own mini SMART goals? Download your free guide here and I’ll send it straight to your inbox.

This month I am completing a decluttering challenge.  Spring is a great time of year to focus on clearing out the clutter in our homes and create some breathing room before the summer months.

The decluttering challenge I am completing is called the Mins Game and I am so excited to share the details of this challenge and my experience with you this month.

>> Before we jump in to the post, grab your FREE Mins Game Toolkit here. <<

So you’re probably wondering, what is the Mins Game?

The Mins Game is a decluttering challenge developed by The Minimalists.  Essentially you declutter one item on the first day, two items on the second day, three items on the third day, and so on until you reach the end of the month.  If you follow this decluttering pattern you should declutter almost 500 items from your home by the end of the month!  Woo hoo!

How amazing is that!!

Related post: 5 Decluttering Challenges to Finally Get Rid of Your Junk

How You Can Be Successful With the Mins Game

The Mins Game is a challenge so it is not supposed to be easy.  However, there are a few things I learned after my first round of completing the Mins Game that I think will help you ensure success with your own challenge.  If you follow these tips and put in the work, you’ll be on your way to a less cluttered and more peaceful home. 

Let’s jump right in!

Know Your Why

“Minimalists don’t focus on having less, less, less. Rather, we focus on making room for more, more, more: more time, more passion, more experiences, more growth, more contribution, more contentment—and more freedom. It just so happens that clearing the clutter from life’s path helps us make that room.”
― Joshua Fields Millburn, Minimalism: Essential Essays

If you have read my other posts you know I talk quite a bit about understanding your why. I think this is a crucial step in knowing the reason behind simplifying and living with less.  This is deeply personal and will be different for everyone.  Take some time to articulate your own why so when the going gets tough, you have something specific to keep you going!

Related post: What is Your Why?

Have a Plan

The first time I completed the mins game I was looking anywhere in our house for stuff to declutter. This time I am going to be much more methodical and intentional about which areas I declutter.  I think this will help me to see my progress and also try to keep these areas free of clutter.

Click the image below to download your FREE toolkit to complete Mins Game with intention!

The Mins Game toolkit will:

• Walk you through the tips below and provide space for your own answers.
• Create your own checklist of areas to declutter, or you can use mine!
• Track your progress with a daily tracker.

Start Small

I mean reeeeeeeeaaaaaaallly small, like your purse.  Or one drawer.  Having your own personal checklist of areas to declutter will help keep you on track and enable you to start with something that is small for you.  For me, it’s the car and my purse.

Have Accountability

When you have accountability to complete a goal studies show that you are twice as likely to follow through on that goal.

Accountability can be in the form of a friend, your spouse, a facebook group, a calendar reminder on your phone, posting on social media, or using hashtags to connect with others, just to name a few.

I will be posting on Instagram every day, so follow me over there if you want to check in! Just knowing that my readers are expecting me to follow through makes me want to do everything I can not to quit!

I would love for you to tag me @idreamofsimple on your photos so I can see what you are doing too.  It is so much more fun when you have others doing this challenge with you.

Track Your Progress

Taking before and after photos are a great way to keep track of what you have decluttered.  The last time I did not take before photos, just photos of the items I was decluttering.  This time I plan to take before photos as well.  I think this will encourage me to see the difference I am making in my home.

Remember, if you post your photos on social media use the hashtag #minsgame so I can see your progress as well!

There is also a page in the FREE Mins Game Toolkit that has a 31 day tracker to keep track of what day you are on.

-> Download your FREE Toolkit here.

Get the decluttered items out of your house as fast as possible.

The Minimalists recommend getting the decluttered items out of your house every single day.  However, I am a little more flexible with this.  I just don’t have time to get to Goodwill every day and it doesn’t really seem like the best use of my time. So I am going to have a designated area for donation items and ensure my family doesn’t start going through them.

What is your plan to get the decluttered items out of your house, and quickly?

Celebrate!

What will you do to celebrate your success of completing the Mins Game?  Will you go out for a nice dinner?  Take a day trip?  Go out for a treat?  It really doesn’t matter what you do, but I would encourage you NOT to fill up the spaces you just decluttered with new stuff.

Enjoy the white space you just created for a little bit!

Are you ready to get started?

Grab your FREE Mins Game Toolkit now!

More Decluttering Resources:

Hashtag

Follow the #minsgame hashtag on Instagram to see what others are decluttering from their homes.  This is also a great way to connect with others completing the challenge.

Decluttering Challenges Pinterest Board

Other Decluttering Posts

8 Steps to Clear the Clutter

100 Things to Declutter Checklist

How To Prevent Clutter Creep

Read More in the Simplicity Challenges Series

January: Daily Gratitude

February: Meditation

March: 15 minutes of physical activity

April: No-Spend Challenge

May: You are here!

June: Declutter Your Digital Life

July: Project 333 Summer Capsule Wardrobe

Are you ready to complete the Mins Game?

Let us know you are committed in the comments!