Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Day 99: Trim the Fat

I returned to work after the New Year with several co-workers asking me what my New Year's resolution was for 2010.

That question evoked fury in me as I responded, "Obviously you don't read my blog? That little challenge to do something new every single day for one year?"


I guess that's my resolution: "Finish what I started. Finish the blog." Isn't that enough?

Blog or not, the new year is a good time to clean house with a fresh start, so instead of a resolution, I began on Day 99, as the thing I've never done before, trimming the fat from my life.

"What do you mean, trim the fat?" people asked me when I told them Day 99's activity.

No, I had to explain, I didn't mean the actual fat from my body (though that would be nice too, I suppose). And I didn't mean cutting ties with bad friends or guys that have done me wrong, either. I fortunately don't really have any toxic people in my life.

When I decided to "cut the fat," I actually meant I wanted to reduce the excess clutter polluting my life. Thanks to living in the same apartment in Atlanta for five years, countless marketing campaigns, credit card companies, charity organizations, and catalogs have all found me and they all fill up my mailbox with massive amounts of junk mail each day.

I am disgusted with the amount of trash one person (me) can produce.

So on Day 99, I started by signing up to have all of my bank statements to come to me via email instead of through the regular mail. I also got in touch with J.Crew, Pottery Barn, Williams-Sonoma and all of the other companies sending me catalogs and told them to stop it! If I want to buy something from you, I'll find you, no need to inundate my house with your latest catalog.

I realize my actions have positive environmental implications, but I confess that was not the reason why I decided to do it. I was tired of sorting my mail! And I'm really tired of taking my trash out every other day.

Speaking of trash, I also made a commitment that I would not buy any trash bags until the mound of grocery store plastic bags living underneath my sink has been eliminated, or at least significantly decreased. And I've switched to canvas grocery bags, so I'm not adding to the pile anymore.

I think I’d be lying if I said I was aiming to simplify my life by this little exercise. I’m a female, and I’m me, so rarely do I keep anything simple. I'm just cutting out the trash.

1 comment:

  1. I need to do that. I have 4 piles stacked high of magazines that I haven't read yet. At least 1 yr subscriptions of 8 mags. I've been thinking about taking them to and old folks home or the hospital.

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