mini-resolution: throw away all those empty bottles

by Meagan Francis on January 18, 2012

Today in the shower I tried – for about the 15th time this month – to get shampoo out of a bottle that no longer contains any shampoo. And then I set that bottle back down on the ledge where it fell off half a dozen times and I had to keep picking it back up and putting it in some other place where it wouldn’t slip and fall. Not a tragedy, but definitely annoying and frustrating.

And then it occurred to me: this is exactly the kind of thing mini-resolutions are for!

Not big sweeping life changes, but getting on top of some of those little sloppy things that you never get around to taking care of because they usually don’t command your attention long enough. They’re dealt with quickly and forgotten…until you find yourself trying to squeeze shampoo out of an empty bottle for the 16th time this month. No huge deal, but annoying and messy and the kind of thing that sucks up your energy in teeny sips rather than one big slurp. Almost unnoticed, but draining either way.

So today, my mini-resolution is: toss all those empty or so-close-to-empty-they-might-as-well-be-empty bottles.

In the shower. In my medicine cabinet. Under the kitchen sink. In the laundry room.

I’m guessing this job will take all of 4 minutes and 30 seconds, tops. But how much mental energy will I gain by getting rid of all those empties cluttering up my path?

And how nice will it be to grab the right shampoo bottle in the shower tomorrow?

What is your mini-resolution for the day? Have any empty bottles cluttering up your shower? Why not take a minute to give ‘em the heave-ho?

For the next three weeks, I’m making mini-resolutions: small, simple improvements in different areas of my life. This week I’m focusing on “home”. I hope you’ll join me!

Tagged as: mini-resolution

Article by Meagan Francis

Meagan has written 709 awesome articles for us.

I’m Meagan, Publisher & Creator of The Happiest Home. I'm a writer and mother of five who has been honing the fine art of satisfaction during my fifteen-year evolution into a (usually) happy mom. Here on The Happiest Home, I share what I’ve learned–and am still learning–about family life, motherhood, and the pursuit of happiness. You can read all my posts here.

{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }

Dana @ Cooking at Cafe D January 18, 2012 at 3:30 pm

I’m so with you!
I finally found a solution that works for me. If I find an empty bottle I close it and toss it on the bath mat. Then it’s on the floor when I get out. for some reason, that makes it easier to toss out

I did a 31 Day series on “31 Minutes to a More Organized Life” breaking things down into tiny tasks. For me, quicker=better!

I’ll be keeping an eye peeled for more-mini resolutions from you!
~

Olivia January 18, 2012 at 5:01 pm

Yes! This is a great mini-resolution but I would suggest maybe a toss into the recycle bin before the trash. I never thought to check myself but now I know that most of my shampoo, soap, lotion, etc. bottles (even shaving cream cans!) are all recyclable. Win-win situation!

Joel January 19, 2012 at 5:15 am: Exactly that’s what I’m doing, too. Before I haven’t given too much attention to recycle these things but heck if I can help in keeping our little planet in better “health” with this little effort then why not.

Reply

Clover January 18, 2012 at 10:06 pm

See, it gives me a feeling of great satisfaction to finish the bottle and throw it out, so that’s one thing I do keep up with. On the other hand, if I press the hand soap dispenser on my kitchen sink one. more. time. without getting some soap, I will go crazy. So, 1.5 minutes tomorrow to fill the soap!

Adventures in Babywearing January 19, 2012 at 10:56 am