40 Bags in...well, a lot of days

Yesterday on Facebook, someone pointed out a decluttering group that was about to start a challenge. It's called 40 Bags in 40 Days 2014 Decluttering Challenge, and the point is to break up your home into 40 different spots and take a day to declutter each one. The trick is to pick small spots so you don't get overwhelmed.

The challenge starts today, and I've decided that since I can't dedicate the next 40 days to it (we're gone for 4-5 days in two weeks), I'm just going to do it when I can. As close to that 40 as I can make it, but still, I'm being realistic about the whole thing.

The woman at the blog where I found it has two printable schedules you can download, one for the next 40 days and one with the date left blank, so you can get started. On my agenda today is my desk area.

Sad, isn't it? There are things in that cupboard over my desk that haven't been touched since we moved in over four years ago. The drawers at the side have become storage units for crap, and the top of my desk is pretty much everybody's favorite dumping ground when they're asked to clean off the table for dinner (which I am standing next to take this picture, so you can see how convenient it is). 
I've already got one room designated for garage sale stuff (I'm definitely having one this year, so I'm starting my organization early so I don't talk myself out of it again), and there's a local FB group I'm a part of that sells/gives away a lot of stuff, so I'll likely try that avenue as well. 
I'm not looking forward to the days I do shoes, purses, and jewelry. Those will be scary, scary days. The one thing that definitely won't be touched is my TBR books. Those are the most organized thing in my house, and there is no way I'm changing my system, lol. On the other hand, I might go through my keeper shelves. There might be some in there that I've changed my mind on.
Life is better without all the stuff we don't need bogging us down, right?