40 Bags in 40 Days Lent Plan

I stumbled across the idea on the internet to give up clutter for Lent via the "40 Bags in 40 Days Challenge" (see https://www.whitehouseblackshutters.com/). Basically, you remove 40 bags of stuff from your home during the course of Lent, through giving away, throwing away, recycling, or selling your possessions. In terms of simplicity, this plan hits the mark! Last year I tried to give up multiple things at once, form entirely new habits, and overhaul my life in one fell swoop. This year's plan is uncomplicated. 

I think I've decided to ditch using a particular method. Each decluttering/tidying approach is proclaimed to be The One, isn't it? They can't all be The One. I'm just going in with a bag, buckling down, going through stuff, filling the bag, and then either emptying the contents in the trash or recycling bin, or taking them to a new home. There's enough clutter available that I can just tackle whatever I feel like on a given day. 

Have I filled a bag every day in the last week? No. But I aim to reach the 40 bag goal by Friday of Holy Week. I had the thought that at the end, I may have barely made a dent in my clutter, and that would be so disappointing! That's the devil talking. Why bother to begin if you will never reach the end? he taunts. Flick him off your shoulder.

With each bag I fill, I'm coming out of hiding. I'm rediscovering lost bits of myself and my life, and I'm letting go of what no longer serves me. 

Personally, I don't want to make the effort to sell my stuff. That could easily turn into procrastination. The exception would be homeschooling materials that are worth a substantial amount of money that my husband could put on Ebay. Otherwise I'd rather donate, and it is the prime season for almsgiving, after all. 

How large should your bags be? I recommend small bags so you can quickly see the clutter leaving your home. I don't want to let bags sit for days on end, waiting to be filled and then getting too heavy for me to haul out on my own. Yesterday I filled a plastic bag with paper clutter, dumped it into the recycling bin, and took the bag back to the room to use again. However the plan works best for you is the best plan. Maybe don't even count your bags. Just spend 15 minutes a day letting go of things that you don't find to be either useful or beautiful. When you figure out what you really need to keep, you'll have only what you truly need to live your best life. Isn't that an end worth pursuing?