Inspired by this piece here in the Washington Post, I am going to challenge myself to do a “trash dash” and see how many of these things in my home I can get rid of in less than half an hour:

1. Expired food, including spices.
2. Branded freebies and promotional items like plastic cups, water bottles, koozies, insulated tumblers.
3. Takeout detritus including plastic utensils, takeout containers, sauce and spice packets, and paper menus.
4. Food storage containers.
5. Reusable bags.
6. Plastic dry cleaning bags and unused wire hangers.
7. Clothing that is torn, stained or stretched, including items in need of repair
8. Promotional swag like T-shirts, tote bags and bandannas.
9. Orphaned socks.
10. Paper bags.
11. Receipts and product manuals.
12. Magazines or books you’ll never reread.
13. Calendars and newspapers.
14. Junk mail.
15. Expired or barely used beauty and personal care products, including makeup, sunscreen and bug spray.
16. Hotel toiletries.
17. Dried-up markers and pens.
18. DVDs and board games you don’t use.
19. Completed coloring books, puzzles with missing pieces and other kid stuff that has run its course.
20. Decorative items.
21. Unused hobby gear.

Give it a try. And if even that seem too overwhelming for you, set a 5, 10 or 15 minute timer and see how much you can collect. I bet you’ll be surprised by how much you get rid of, and how inspired you are to do more.

Don’t make it hard by overthinking it: just grab any old garbage bag or old box and start throwing things in it. If you aren’t sure, toss it in the bag/box and reconsider it AFTER the challenge. The need here is for speed, not contemplation. Go fast, toss things in the bag, and move on.