THE 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS DECLUTTER CHALLENGE

Feeling the Urge to Purge?  Let’s capitalize on that urge with a new Challenge beginning tomorrow! Consider this your engraved invitation to join the 40 Bags in 40 Days Declutter Challenge.

WHAT IS THE 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS CHALLENGE?

It’s a declutter challenge where you commit to removing 40 bags worth of household clutter within a 40-day timeframe from your home. The Challenge started as a lenten challenge so it typically begins on Ash Wednesday and ends the day before Easter.

If you did the math, and you’re thinking, “That’s more than 40 days,” you’d be correct! Apparently, we get a day off from lenten resolutions on Sundays, so each week, you’re granted one day off from the challenge.

So in keeping with the 2018 lenten calendar, we’ll begin the Challenge on February 14th (that’s tomorrow!) and end it the day before Easter (March 31st).

WHY IS THE 40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS CHALLENGE SO AWESOME?

• If you’ve attempted to declutter before but haven’t made much progress, a short-term challenge like this can be just want you need to kickstart your decluttering efforts.
• If you observe lent but struggle with what to “give up”, you can focus on giving up your clutter to meet your lenten obligation.
• You’ll have others who are in the trenches with you (and we all know that it’s easier to tackle a goal with some cheerleaders and accountability partners!)

40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS CHALLENGE — THE DETAILS

• What defines a “Bag”? You aren’t required to fill a certain sized bag. In fact, you don’t even have to use a bag. Any size or shape of container is okay. It’s up to you to determine what makes sense.
• Do I have to donate everything? Nope! You’ll likely end up with items that are trash, items that can be donated, and items you want to sell. All of it counts (even the trash)!
• Can I work ahead to build in some days off? Absolutely. In fact, remember that you technically have 46 days between February 14th and Easter Sunday, so there are built-in day off days each week during the Challenge. If you’re feeling super motivated and on a roll, you might end up filling up several bags on a particular day. In that case, you’ve carved out some wiggle room to take a few days off when life gets in the way. Just make sure that you’ve removed 40 bags out of your house by the end of the Challenge period.
• What if I don’t have 40 bags-worth of clutter? If the idea of removing 40 BAGS worth of stuff from your home feels impossible, count your blessings because you are in the minority! You can still join in on the decluttering fun by getting rid of 40 ITEMS during the Challenge period (consider it the lite-version of the Challenge!)
• How can I stay motivated and connect with others doing the Challenge? Join the Refined Rooms Facebook group and share your successes and challenges with others who are participating! Also, share your progress on Instagram using the hashtag #RR40Bags40Days.

40 BAGS IN 40 DAYS CHALLENGE — PREP WORK

• Write down what areas of your home you plan to declutter. Keep this list handy so that you can refer to it during the challenge.
• Complete the decluttering prep tasks outlined in this post (gather containers, designate a staging area for donations/sellable items, decide where you’ll donate/sell your items).
• Become a subscriber. Subscribers have access to a many decluttering goodies housed in my resource library, including this 40 Bags Challenge Tracker printable & the Declutter Tool Kit).

Will you join me for this year’s 40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge? Comment below with the room you plan to declutter FIRST!

Refer to these posts for motivation and practical decluttering tips during the Challenge:

GENERAL DECLUTTERING

NO BRAINER THINGS TO TOSS BY SPACE

SELLING DECLUTTERED ITEMS

Photo Credit: © Depositphotos.com / @PhanuwatNandee