Photo by Alex Russell-Saw on Unsplash

The prompt for January 12 is “what chore do you find the most challenging to do?”

Decluttering is the most challenging chore for me. I have shifted four houses in the past ten years and every time we shifted I have given away so many books, clothes, things yet the pile never seems to get over.

Ten years back, I had more boxes of books than any house could hold. I had stacked books in my kitchen, living room, dining room, bed room, passage, attic, under the bed. In addition to these books, there are the journals that I write every year. There are atleast 3 journals/diaries that I write every year and every time I sit down to sort out books and note books, I end up sitting amidst a huge pile on the floor, reading them one by one. Decluttering books is an ongoing challenge for me.

The second challenge is sorting out the clothes wardrobe. It is always spilling over – I do the laundry every day, and fold clothes and stack them regularly, yet once in a week, it all becomes a mess. When I clean up and arrange the clothes it feels good, Here again the real challenge is decluttering, giving away clothes that I don’t use. There are so many dresses that are a little too tight, I keep them in the hope that when I lose weight, I would wear them. There are many that have been gifted by a loved one, so I don’t have the heart to give it away. There is a story for each of the dresses that I am holding on to.

I thought writing for this prompt was easy. Yet, as I write, I wonder – is there a change in attitude that is required? Is there a better solution to my challenge?