The 10/10 Way
Spring Cleaning Our Space & Lives
March 19, 2024, is the official first day of Spring. It’s a month to refresh and restart. To begin we must let go of the old and fully close one door to enter another. Allow me to introduce to you my 10/10 System. It’s a system I use to keep myself focused on “the one thing.”
Here is how the 10/10 System works. Use a timer. For ten minutes focus on just doing one thing, one room, one activity. It helps to turn off all distractions. Say you want to focus on your bedroom, set the timer, make the bed, put away items in their space, dust, open the window, cleanse the air. In ten minutes, you will have a fresh space ready for your enjoyment.
If you find that you cannot find a place for an item, ask yourself the following questions: Do I need this? Do I use it? Do I have a place for it? Do I even like it? Why am I keeping it (Don’t keep things out of guilt, that is not good energy to have with you)? And as Marie Kondo, a professional organizer asks, does it bring you joy? All items in your life, people and things should be those which bring you joy. Honor those items with good energy and space. “A place for everything, everything in its place.” Benjamin Franklin. The most difficult items to let go are those from a past loved one. Honor that person by releasing the item and giving it a second life! Open space without guilt for an item that brings you joy for the life you are living today. I find doing a small ceremony to thank the item and the person for being in my life and releasing it with a blessing helps.
When you look around your space is there something that stops you in your tracks and you feel annoyed by it, that itself is a reason to get rid of it. Sadness brings sadness, anger percolates anger.
Another part of the ten-minute system is to delve into a project or goal. Get rid of the notion that you don’t have time and make time. Just ten-minutes daily will build the steps necessary to advance on any goal, activity, or project you want to achieve. Set the timer and jot down a plan, the next day, break down the plan, by the third day get started. In one week, you will have dedicated more than an hour.
The other part of the system is tackling ten items around your space. This is a great way to declutter, organize or clean a space. Start with four bags or boxes ready for this job. One for trash, second for donation, third for keep, fourth for undecided. At the end of 30 days donate and find an honored place for your keep items. Set the timer, begin releasing. The decision process can be emotional, draining and at times overwhelming, give yourself the grace of patience and do it in small doses. Make on the spot decisions. If it is difficult to decide, place item in undecided receptacle where you can see the item, and the item can see you.
Releasing items, releases stagnant energy. If there are things you no longer use, they become stale. Give them and you a new life, a new opportunity! This can be clothes, kitchen items, tools, old hobbies you no longer venture into. Anything collecting dust or caught up in the dark corners of your home, mind, closet, or storage area is a “Let it Go” candidate. Sell your items or take them to a consignment shop and utilize the money to treat yourself to something you have been wanting. Free yourself and enjoy life!
10/10 System Recap:
10-minutes in one area to pick up and tidy up.
10-minutes to work on a goal or a project.
10-items. If they don’t have a home, question if they belong in your life.
“Honored Space and honored Time make for an honored Life.” Sara Rubalcava
