Day 23 - H - How Am I Doing?

Every now and again, it is good to sit back and evaluate. How are you coming along with your decluttering?

I look at my place and I realize a few things, some positive, some negative. If you are at all human, you are probably the same!

On the positive side I am sitting at my computer with a relatively clean table surrounding it. Notice the word “relatively”. I found a great organizer at Staples. I believe they call it a Bankers Box. It is one of those cardboard boxes that you put together with 8 compartments that will hold 8 ½ x 11 sheets. I have it together and have been using it to TRY to organize my writing papers. I have held back from sticking on the labels provided until I am sure how I want to use it.

I also picked up a gizmo for holding my office phone and desk lamp. It has a place at the side where I can keep the phone book, some notepads and pens. This sounds like a silly little thing, but for me it has been most helpful in that it frees up the table space beside my computer desk so I can lay out other things that I am working on. In the little cubby that is beneath the phone, I can store unsightly but important things, such as bills to pay and other business items that need immediate attention!

I have this wonderful colour-coded filing system I developed for such things (I think I mentioned that earlier). My problem was that once I filed things, I tended to forget them...not a good idea with bills. I am hoping that having them somewhat visible in this little cubby will help me to keep more on top of this part of my life.

So, I am making progress with the office papers.

Another great motivator for the rest of the house was getting my carpets cleaned. I had a professional coming in to do it. I decided I needed about 2 ½ weeks to be really tidied up before he came. Well, I got sick for about 2 weeks. I'll tell you, it is amazing what you can accomplish with a tight time line! Mind you I was up EARLY the morning he came and was still putting the last boxes away as he was setting up, but hey, it worked! What I have found is that once it was tidy, I was more motivated to keep it that way...and I actually started doing extra cleaning of things I haven't touched for a long time. e.g. washing my artificial plants. Good grief, I think I'm getting domesticated!

On the negative side, as you no doubt noticed, I had let this blog slide. I was focusing on another blog which I write, My Stratford at blogspot.com. Thank you to Susan Barclay of the Word Guild for giving me a push to get back on track here. I find that I get gung ho on one thing and then get easily distracted onto something else. Maybe I'm ADD or something. I prefer to think "too creative for my own good". I need friends who will hold me accountable. With decluttering too, it is easy to get motivated for a while, but hard to keep going. Gathering a friend or two who are working on the same type of thing can be very helpful. So please do comment, do keep me at this, and together we just may move a more peaceful co-existence with our home environment.

Day 22 – C - Chaos

Once again I find myself in my messy, disorganized office. I have lots of excuses! Someone came to visit and I did a quick scurry through the house, threw everything in here and shut the door. My purse got too heavy so I took everything out and set the things I didn't need on my table...to go through when I had time. I haven't been feeling well and just don't have the energy. My children's program finished up, so I had to bring my paperwork home to sort it here in the comfort of my office. Really, Helen? You find this comfortable? I have lots of boxes collected for my purging efforts...but there they sit.

I feel like I am stuck here back at the beginning. Somewhere along the line I missed following up on that motto. “Everything has a place and everything in its place.” In my case, and possibly yours, it all comes down to self-discipline.

So this is short today. I am determined to clear the flat surface by my computer. I'll let you know tomorrow how that goes.

Why don't you join me and just pick one little spot to clear? Good luck! Happy cleaning!