One of the posts other bloggers do around this time is the “Word of the Year.” Never really thought much about it before, but it seems like a good time to start. After many internal debates, my word is something that will help me tremendously (especially if you know me personally). That word is:
I’m notorious for making lists, Pinterest boards, and collecting things I want and plan to do, but the first step before doing anything is to get ORGANIZED. Slowly, but surely I started to do this. The first stop is my office. It became my dumping ground for a few months, to make the rest of my place look decent. I’m happy to say I’m almost there. I’m still at step one, which is – getting rid of stuff.
The First Step to Organizing: Get rid of stuff
Last year, I learned about the Buy Nothing Project. One of the moms in the UBC Mom’s Group I attend told us about it and she was also the admin for the West LA area Buy Nothing Project Group. Buy Nothing Project is a hyper-local gift economy that uses Facebook as a tool. Members join the group in their local area (there is a map admins use to determine neighborhood borders), and are approved if they respond to the admin’s message request and agree to follow the guidelines and rules of the group. In this gifting economy, you post an image of an item you don’t want or need. Then, people in the group comment on that image requesting it, usually with a reason as to why they would like it. The gifter chooses who they want to give the item to, and pick-up arrangements are made via personal message.
It’s a great way to know your neighbors, build a community, and feel good about the items you get rid of. I’m happy to say I’ve gotten rid of a few things, such as a lamp to a friend in the group, and speaker to someone in the neighborhood I just met.
The “getting rid of things” process can be little emotional, so this is a wonderful way to know your items are going to a good home.
To learn more about Buy Nothing, go to : buynothingproject.org
Stay tuned for my weekly ORGANIZING updates! Happy New Year!
Great word! I would like to be more organized as well. I’m a bit of a “pack rat” so my home office needs to have an overhaul. It would do me some good to get rid of some things. I’ll have to check out the “Buy Nothing” group on Facebook. Sounds neat!