Can you imagine? “A place for everything, and everything in its place.” The well-known mantra for decluttering enthusiasts seems like a far-off vision at times.
I like to imagine what that kind of world would be like, what that kind of home would be like. I keep trying, but somehow, I haven't arrived yet. Perhaps it's because I take these long hiatuses in my journey to decluttering.
It's great to have grown kids, to see them every now and again (like at Christmastime)...and yes it's great that they hold me accountable when I need it.
“Mom, I haven't seen much on your decluttering blog lately! How's it going?” OUCH!
So here I am again, imagining, and trying to bring reality into line with my dreams.
Christmas is a great motivator for tidying! My house looks terrific when you come in the front door. Welcoming lights twinkle on the garland over the door. The living room is in order with all the newspapers and old magazines safely tucked into recycling. I can even see the dresser top in my bedroom. The windowsill beside my reading chair has an orderly feel, with all non-current material put away. My kitchen counter is gleaming, and the dishes are done.
Where did all the clutter go? Unfortunately it found its way to the usual spots in my home...the laundry/storage room and the office! Once again I have boxes sitting nearby as I type waiting to be sorted and put into their proper place. On the positive side, I did clean off the table by the computer this morning, knowing I was going to be getting back to my writing work, AND I do have another full bag of papers ready for recycling!
I guess it is a step by step process for me. Sometimes, when I am being hard on myself, it feels like one step forward, two steps back. If I look back over this blog though, I realize I have made significant advances this year. And for that I am happy. Here's looking ahead to 2010...hopefully a year of two steps forward and only one step back. I may as well accept the fact that I am never going to be a Martha Stewart, but I can enjoy being me and celebrate my small victories along the way.
Here's wishing you a good year on your journey to household sanity. I hope you will feel free to share your successes, and yes your failures with the readers of this blog as we battle on together. Maybe we'll encourage each other so much that by 2011 we'll feel like we have come through as conquerors!
Showing posts with label encouraging. Show all posts
Showing posts with label encouraging. Show all posts
Saturday, January 2, 2010
Saturday, March 7, 2009
DAY 15 – Letter I - INPUT FROM OTHER “CLUTTER CLEANSERS”
The informative and inspiring comments that I have received from some of you have prompted me to dedicate this blog post to letting you encourage each other to keep on with the task. If I were to tell the truth, I would have to say I totally fell “off the wagon” this week. Working full time at a particularly exhausting placement, leaving early and arriving home physically and emotionally drained, left my good intentions crashing down around me.
Dealing with my internal “clutter” by going to bed at 7:15 last night has me feeling much better this morning. I was up early, have put through two loads of laundry and done the dishes that were beginning to pile up on my counter, as well as in my “dishwasher” under the sink (see day 2).
So here are some ideas and encouraging news from other readers.
My sister Kathy from Massachusetts shares, “Isn't it encouraging when there's something that has immediate visible results? (That's why I like to make the bed first- a big swatch of space is cleared and tidied right away. It feels so satisfying that I get inspired to keep on going). I have been realizing that everything I have ever accomplished happens pretty much step by step. I learned to play the piano one note at a time; the sticking to it is what helped me get good at it."
"I remember Dad having a cartoon on his desk - something about procrastination being "the thief of time". That has stuck with me since I often puzzled over that cartoon. I dusted his desk many times, with all those gazillions of knick-knacks on it, and I think that helped me decide to be a little more Zen in my approach when I grew up. Keeping it simple seems to work best for me in terms of my surroundings. Otherwise I lose stuff and get stressed out about it."
"I do notice when I am in a creative right-brain phase I become obsessive about whatever I am doing and everything else goes out the window. Chaos reigns. (Boy, can I relate to that!)"
"I tend to get overstimulated really easily and have noticed that I am much more calm if I keep the mess at bay. So I try to clean things when I see them so they don't escalate. Somehow it is easier for me to put something away right away than to have to pick it up later."
Elena, (Kathy's daughter) says the most important thing for her is that everything HAS a place, so that everything can be put IN it's place.
A friend here in town has been telling me about shredding mounds of paper records from years back. We do tend to get in the habit of keeping those financial things for income tax, but often keep them for many more years than needed. She has also culled those recipes, you know the ones that you clip thinking “I'll try that sometime.” Really, if you haven't tried it yet... will you ever? After clearing my mother's recipe clippings when we were getting our family home ready for sale, I remember thinking I would NEVER allow myself to do that, and with each move over the years, I have gotten rid of a few more recipe books. But they do have a way of building up again, so that corner of my kitchen needs to be a little side task some day soon.
It has been very gratifying to have people write or catch up with me to say, “Hey, I am enjoying the blog and guess what I've done?” Please do leave your comments on this site so others can see them and be encouraged as well.
That's it for today. My desk top (yes, it also fell apart somewhat this week!) is calling my name.
Dealing with my internal “clutter” by going to bed at 7:15 last night has me feeling much better this morning. I was up early, have put through two loads of laundry and done the dishes that were beginning to pile up on my counter, as well as in my “dishwasher” under the sink (see day 2).
So here are some ideas and encouraging news from other readers.
My sister Kathy from Massachusetts shares, “Isn't it encouraging when there's something that has immediate visible results? (That's why I like to make the bed first- a big swatch of space is cleared and tidied right away. It feels so satisfying that I get inspired to keep on going). I have been realizing that everything I have ever accomplished happens pretty much step by step. I learned to play the piano one note at a time; the sticking to it is what helped me get good at it."
"I remember Dad having a cartoon on his desk - something about procrastination being "the thief of time". That has stuck with me since I often puzzled over that cartoon. I dusted his desk many times, with all those gazillions of knick-knacks on it, and I think that helped me decide to be a little more Zen in my approach when I grew up. Keeping it simple seems to work best for me in terms of my surroundings. Otherwise I lose stuff and get stressed out about it."
"I do notice when I am in a creative right-brain phase I become obsessive about whatever I am doing and everything else goes out the window. Chaos reigns. (Boy, can I relate to that!)"
"I tend to get overstimulated really easily and have noticed that I am much more calm if I keep the mess at bay. So I try to clean things when I see them so they don't escalate. Somehow it is easier for me to put something away right away than to have to pick it up later."
Elena, (Kathy's daughter) says the most important thing for her is that everything HAS a place, so that everything can be put IN it's place.
A friend here in town has been telling me about shredding mounds of paper records from years back. We do tend to get in the habit of keeping those financial things for income tax, but often keep them for many more years than needed. She has also culled those recipes, you know the ones that you clip thinking “I'll try that sometime.” Really, if you haven't tried it yet... will you ever? After clearing my mother's recipe clippings when we were getting our family home ready for sale, I remember thinking I would NEVER allow myself to do that, and with each move over the years, I have gotten rid of a few more recipe books. But they do have a way of building up again, so that corner of my kitchen needs to be a little side task some day soon.
It has been very gratifying to have people write or catch up with me to say, “Hey, I am enjoying the blog and guess what I've done?” Please do leave your comments on this site so others can see them and be encouraged as well.
That's it for today. My desk top (yes, it also fell apart somewhat this week!) is calling my name.
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