“No! Not now!” my mind pleads with me whenever I think about retackling the clutter in my office. “You have so many other things to do. This whole process is such a pain!”
Like a whiny teenager it goes on and on reminding me of deadlines looming, articles that I want to write and marketing tools needing to be prepared. It comes down to the battle of dividing my time between the urgent, the necessary, and my long-term goals.
Some days my clutter-busting goals win the battle. For example this week I went through all my bathroom cupboards, threw out a lot of outdated products, rearranged things to a more convenient place, and added a huge check mark on my list of to-dos in this process! I transferred the now unneeded shelving unit to my office closet. With a new home for them in sight, I took inventory and organized my CD's that are still waiting to be sold. Instead of carboard boxes on the closet floor, I now have a neater and more efficient arrangement for that part of my career. This is good, and encouraging.
Some days though, it seems like I am in survival mode, just trying to maintain what I have done so far. Spring arrived this past week with temperatures around 15 C. My cat is not the only one in this household with Spring Fever! Being an avid gardener I am just itching to get my hands in the mud. Good thing it snowed again last night. I don't want to rush the process out there. I am recognizing though that my timeline for indoor cleansing is shortening. Soon the garden will call and I will be lost to indoor activities unless it rains.
So when my brain howls, “No! Not now!” I need to remember my long term goal. Even if I don't feel like it, the answer must be, “Carpe Diem. Now IS the time!”
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Showing posts with label home. Show all posts
Friday, March 20, 2009
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Day 13 – Letter N – New Ideas
On coming home from work today, I decided to watch a little TV. Oprah was on, and what do you suppose her theme is this week. You guessed it – decluttering! I decided to pass along some of the ideas that I found helpful.
There is a connection between what your house is like, and what your life is like. Does your house tell you that your life is cluttered and disorganized? Decluttering your house will actually help you to improve your life.
The speaker mentioned that it is important to think through what you want from your living space. Knowing that, will help you to know what to keep and what to throw away or donate. That was a new thought for me, an interesting thought. As I ponder what I would like my home to be, the words that come to mind are such things as peace, beauty, freedom, a sense of comfort and ease, a thoughtful ambiance. Perhaps to attain that I need to clear my shelves and only have a few carefully chosen items on display. Those scraggly- looking plants that I am trying to overwinter ...they certainly do not add to the atmosphere! And the collections that I started, when I am really NOT a collector....what is that about? Get rid of them, Helen.
He suggested that one must set strict limits as to what you allow in your office and desk area. I already knew that! It is how to achieve it and keep it that way that is my challenge. Joking aside, it is a good piece of advice. What am I going to allow in the office? Just my materials for my writing? Or am I also going to use it as my bill and records centre? That makes sense since I make my payments on line. But what about the closet full of materials left over from my teaching days? They need to go! My books...yes, I think they will stay, but after I clear the unwanted items, I will have a better idea as to whether this is the right place for them.
He suggested using the same approach in other areas, like the closets, the kitchen, the bedroom. I could add the cellar, the laundry room...you get the picture. As you work through each area, set a limit as to what you will allow to be there! For some of us it would be encouraging to know that he had his client decide what she could sell, and what to just donate, or pitch. A little extra cash never hurts, and if it provides incentive for you, then go for it!
The last idea that caught my attention was his question, “Does your house say that you don't care about what you own?” When you spend money on something, you should value it, and therefore take care of it. Otherwise, why buy it? Save your money! If it is lying around, guess what? Maybe you don't think enough of it to keep it. If you do, then pick it up and put it away in a place that shows it is important. Here he was not talking about precious items, but clothing. Are your clothes neatly folded or hung in their spot? ...a thought for me to remember on those nights when I come home tired and just want to crash.
Thank you, Oprah and friends, for providing these new insights in the quest for peace and order in the home. This week on www.Oprah.com there is a program you can sign up for, Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour. You will find the things I have been sharing and a lot more.
Remember to keep smiling, and enjoy the ride!
There is a connection between what your house is like, and what your life is like. Does your house tell you that your life is cluttered and disorganized? Decluttering your house will actually help you to improve your life.
The speaker mentioned that it is important to think through what you want from your living space. Knowing that, will help you to know what to keep and what to throw away or donate. That was a new thought for me, an interesting thought. As I ponder what I would like my home to be, the words that come to mind are such things as peace, beauty, freedom, a sense of comfort and ease, a thoughtful ambiance. Perhaps to attain that I need to clear my shelves and only have a few carefully chosen items on display. Those scraggly- looking plants that I am trying to overwinter ...they certainly do not add to the atmosphere! And the collections that I started, when I am really NOT a collector....what is that about? Get rid of them, Helen.
He suggested that one must set strict limits as to what you allow in your office and desk area. I already knew that! It is how to achieve it and keep it that way that is my challenge. Joking aside, it is a good piece of advice. What am I going to allow in the office? Just my materials for my writing? Or am I also going to use it as my bill and records centre? That makes sense since I make my payments on line. But what about the closet full of materials left over from my teaching days? They need to go! My books...yes, I think they will stay, but after I clear the unwanted items, I will have a better idea as to whether this is the right place for them.
He suggested using the same approach in other areas, like the closets, the kitchen, the bedroom. I could add the cellar, the laundry room...you get the picture. As you work through each area, set a limit as to what you will allow to be there! For some of us it would be encouraging to know that he had his client decide what she could sell, and what to just donate, or pitch. A little extra cash never hurts, and if it provides incentive for you, then go for it!
The last idea that caught my attention was his question, “Does your house say that you don't care about what you own?” When you spend money on something, you should value it, and therefore take care of it. Otherwise, why buy it? Save your money! If it is lying around, guess what? Maybe you don't think enough of it to keep it. If you do, then pick it up and put it away in a place that shows it is important. Here he was not talking about precious items, but clothing. Are your clothes neatly folded or hung in their spot? ...a thought for me to remember on those nights when I come home tired and just want to crash.
Thank you, Oprah and friends, for providing these new insights in the quest for peace and order in the home. This week on www.Oprah.com there is a program you can sign up for, Oprah's Clean Up Your Messy House Tour. You will find the things I have been sharing and a lot more.
Remember to keep smiling, and enjoy the ride!
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Day 4 – letter A – ALL THOSE BILLS!
One of the frogs that I referred to yesterday is my ever-growing stack of bills and other assorted papers awaiting attention.
Last year a speaker at Christian Women's Club tried valiantly to give us the magic solutions to clutter in our homes. I must admit I learned and incorporated this wonderful filing system that she advocated into my office. I ran out, bought and carefully labelled the multicoloured file folders. I added yet another small file holder to the wonderfully wide window sill by my computer. And I must admit I am more organized than I used to be because of this system. All my financial papers are in red files, ministry things are in blue, my writing projects in yellow, my home business in green. It looks beautiful, this rainbow in my office; beautiful that is, except for the overflowing of the papers within!
Despite the lovely system, I still have to deal with those papers that get stuffed into the “Bills to File” folder. Those are the ones that have graduated from the first folder, the “Bills to Pay”. I must confess that sometimes the “out of sight, out of mind” rule has taken over with that folder, and I have learned by paying the consequences that I do have to keep an eye on it, or better yet, deal with it immediately.
This morning was an hour-chunk morning. I cleared off the kitchen table and took the bulging folder of bills to sort. All of 2008 is now safely esconced in yet another file box awaiting Income Tax time, with each bill sorted under the appropriate heading. During this process, I decided to add a few more red files to the sorting area on my window sill. Next time I won't have to go through all the bills. The Hydro has its own little folder, as do all the other utilities that need tracking. What a novel idea! It's amazing how creative this cleansing can be!
Now to relish the victory. One section of my overflow of papers is neat and tidy. I am not even going to look at all the others stacked on that window sill. They are for another day, another letter. It's beautiful and sunny so I am off for a walk before work.
Blessings to you, and my your clutter pile begin to disappear for you...one little pile at a time.
Last year a speaker at Christian Women's Club tried valiantly to give us the magic solutions to clutter in our homes. I must admit I learned and incorporated this wonderful filing system that she advocated into my office. I ran out, bought and carefully labelled the multicoloured file folders. I added yet another small file holder to the wonderfully wide window sill by my computer. And I must admit I am more organized than I used to be because of this system. All my financial papers are in red files, ministry things are in blue, my writing projects in yellow, my home business in green. It looks beautiful, this rainbow in my office; beautiful that is, except for the overflowing of the papers within!
Despite the lovely system, I still have to deal with those papers that get stuffed into the “Bills to File” folder. Those are the ones that have graduated from the first folder, the “Bills to Pay”. I must confess that sometimes the “out of sight, out of mind” rule has taken over with that folder, and I have learned by paying the consequences that I do have to keep an eye on it, or better yet, deal with it immediately.
This morning was an hour-chunk morning. I cleared off the kitchen table and took the bulging folder of bills to sort. All of 2008 is now safely esconced in yet another file box awaiting Income Tax time, with each bill sorted under the appropriate heading. During this process, I decided to add a few more red files to the sorting area on my window sill. Next time I won't have to go through all the bills. The Hydro has its own little folder, as do all the other utilities that need tracking. What a novel idea! It's amazing how creative this cleansing can be!
Now to relish the victory. One section of my overflow of papers is neat and tidy. I am not even going to look at all the others stacked on that window sill. They are for another day, another letter. It's beautiful and sunny so I am off for a walk before work.
Blessings to you, and my your clutter pile begin to disappear for you...one little pile at a time.
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Day 2 - letter R - Raising the Bar
Upon waking this morning, my mind was a-buzz with subjects I could discuss that begin with R.
I settled on Raising the Bar.
I definitely need to raise the bar on how I care for my home. Not that I don't love my place. I do. But I'd much rather be puttering in the garden, or working on my writing, than wandering through my space with a dust cloth. I'm sure at least some of you will understand this mindset.
So Raising the Bar it is. But the question remains. How do I do it?
Realism certainly needs to play a part. I am not suddenly going to change my personality. I do have a life other than tidying, cleaning and organizing. So I need to be realistic. How much time am I prepared to donate to this cleansing of the clutter? If you are joining me in this adventure, how much time can you realistically afford? Deciding this is definitely an important first step in getting ready.
Resources are needed too. This time, (thanks to the book I picked up yesterday) I did not run out to buy containers and a mountain of cleaning supplies. I already have those, and they will do just fine.
I told you yesterday that as we work away at this creative cleansing, I would share things that were helpful to me. The first one is a website, which puts the fun into cleaning and motivates to boot. A friend who shares my aversion to housework recommended http://www.flylady.com/to me several years ago. Last week I pulled out the things I had learned from it. To encapsulate her teaching is difficult, because she shares a wealth of wonderful, crazy, humourous ideas, but one thing that struck me is her constant theme that one should use small blocks of time, and not let yourself get overwhelmed. The new book, Common Sense Organizing, by Debbie Williams that I purchased yesterday, picked up the same theme.
A few years ago, as I was going through a time of healing, my doctor said, “This is going to take time, Helen. It took years for you to get to this place.You won't heal in a day.” It was good advice for that area of my life. It is also good advice for this. Don't rush. Slow down, set aside the panic that may have arisen just thinking about this cleanse, and enjoy the process.
“So, what did you do today?”, you ask. Let's see.
As soon as I got up, I made the bed. I learned that from Flylady last time around and have done it ever since. The other day I had started on her 27 Boogie Fling, so I had my boxes already gathered.
1. Toss
2. Give Away
3. Keep
4. Not Sure
5. I have added a Put Away box for the things whose storage place I know and that I can do
easily.
After I dressed, I boogied around the bedroom picking up 27 things. Guess what! My dresser top and windowsill are now tidy. Amazing! (If you are intrigued with the idea of me boogieing around my bedroom, do check out the Flylady website and have some fun yourself.)
Raising the Bar and the whole cleansing idea has another element. How am I looking after my body. I tend to be slack in the area of feeding myself well. So, while cleansing the house, I decided to also work on caring for my own interior, so to speak. Sitting down to a bowl of healthy cereal, I planned out my day. Included in that was a block of 15 minutes to start on my office. I will probably work in another 15 minute block later this afternoon, but right now I have a clear table top beside my computer except for the work laid out to do immediately after I write this. The toss bag is waiting by the front door to go out the the garbage can. Taking another 5 minutes to empty the Put Away box is essential for me. If that isn't done immediately, it will become another box waiting to be dealt with. My give-away collection is growing. I decided to leave that box in the room until it is full. Then it will go out to the car, ready to be dropped off.
I put supper in the crock pot and forced myself to make a healthy wrap for lunch. The dishes are either done, or rinsed and collecting in a dishpan under my sink, my version of a dishwasher as a collection place for dirty dishes, another hint from Flylady that preserves water and keeps my kitchen looking tidy. I have done that one, more or less, since I first met Flylady, but lately my kitchen counter had become quite cluttered, so I am really trying to do apply it more faithfully.
That's it for today. How do I feel? Great. Join me tomorrow for day 3, letter E.
I settled on Raising the Bar.
I definitely need to raise the bar on how I care for my home. Not that I don't love my place. I do. But I'd much rather be puttering in the garden, or working on my writing, than wandering through my space with a dust cloth. I'm sure at least some of you will understand this mindset.
So Raising the Bar it is. But the question remains. How do I do it?
Realism certainly needs to play a part. I am not suddenly going to change my personality. I do have a life other than tidying, cleaning and organizing. So I need to be realistic. How much time am I prepared to donate to this cleansing of the clutter? If you are joining me in this adventure, how much time can you realistically afford? Deciding this is definitely an important first step in getting ready.
Resources are needed too. This time, (thanks to the book I picked up yesterday) I did not run out to buy containers and a mountain of cleaning supplies. I already have those, and they will do just fine.
I told you yesterday that as we work away at this creative cleansing, I would share things that were helpful to me. The first one is a website, which puts the fun into cleaning and motivates to boot. A friend who shares my aversion to housework recommended http://www.flylady.com/to me several years ago. Last week I pulled out the things I had learned from it. To encapsulate her teaching is difficult, because she shares a wealth of wonderful, crazy, humourous ideas, but one thing that struck me is her constant theme that one should use small blocks of time, and not let yourself get overwhelmed. The new book, Common Sense Organizing, by Debbie Williams that I purchased yesterday, picked up the same theme.
A few years ago, as I was going through a time of healing, my doctor said, “This is going to take time, Helen. It took years for you to get to this place.You won't heal in a day.” It was good advice for that area of my life. It is also good advice for this. Don't rush. Slow down, set aside the panic that may have arisen just thinking about this cleanse, and enjoy the process.
“So, what did you do today?”, you ask. Let's see.
As soon as I got up, I made the bed. I learned that from Flylady last time around and have done it ever since. The other day I had started on her 27 Boogie Fling, so I had my boxes already gathered.
1. Toss
2. Give Away
3. Keep
4. Not Sure
5. I have added a Put Away box for the things whose storage place I know and that I can do
easily.
After I dressed, I boogied around the bedroom picking up 27 things. Guess what! My dresser top and windowsill are now tidy. Amazing! (If you are intrigued with the idea of me boogieing around my bedroom, do check out the Flylady website and have some fun yourself.)
Raising the Bar and the whole cleansing idea has another element. How am I looking after my body. I tend to be slack in the area of feeding myself well. So, while cleansing the house, I decided to also work on caring for my own interior, so to speak. Sitting down to a bowl of healthy cereal, I planned out my day. Included in that was a block of 15 minutes to start on my office. I will probably work in another 15 minute block later this afternoon, but right now I have a clear table top beside my computer except for the work laid out to do immediately after I write this. The toss bag is waiting by the front door to go out the the garbage can. Taking another 5 minutes to empty the Put Away box is essential for me. If that isn't done immediately, it will become another box waiting to be dealt with. My give-away collection is growing. I decided to leave that box in the room until it is full. Then it will go out to the car, ready to be dropped off.
I put supper in the crock pot and forced myself to make a healthy wrap for lunch. The dishes are either done, or rinsed and collecting in a dishpan under my sink, my version of a dishwasher as a collection place for dirty dishes, another hint from Flylady that preserves water and keeps my kitchen looking tidy. I have done that one, more or less, since I first met Flylady, but lately my kitchen counter had become quite cluttered, so I am really trying to do apply it more faithfully.
That's it for today. How do I feel? Great. Join me tomorrow for day 3, letter E.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Idea
February 2, 2009
It is the beginning of a new month. Wiarton Willie has seen his shadow, so we will stay bundled up for six more weeks. I spent some time on the road today, prowled a new bookstore and went with my purchase to an adjoining cafe. Finding yet another book on organizing your home reminded me once again that although I vowed when I retired three and a half years ago (Can it really be that long?) that my number one priority would be to get myself organized and efficient, I am still sitting in an office crammed with papers and break into a sweat every time the doorbell rings.
As I drove home, I had this idea that maybe if I committed to you, my readers, to faithfully organize for the next month or so, and to be accountable by reporting my progress; maybe, just maybe, I would manage to tame the monster, or whoever it is that keeps messing up my home!
I am a creative person, sometimes too creative for my own good perhaps...but that's a whole other issue. “So,” I proposed to myself as I drove along, “if I can find a creative way to do this, maybe I will actually achieve my goal, have fun along the way, and still get to write, which I love,...and which, if truth be told, often draws me away from duller chores like housework. (Who needs tidy when one can escape into the wonderful world of the imagination?)”
As I waited in the lineup for the car wash, ( That's a first step, right?) my plan was finalized. I am embarking on a 35 day accrostic journey for the “CREATIVE CLEANSING OF MY CHAOTIC CLUTTER” (I do have a penchant for alliteration.) Perhaps you would like to journey with me. Check in each day to find out what the next letter of the title entails, and join in the fun. I hope you will share some of your own joys and successes by using the comment option...and, although I don't want to envision such a possibility, maybe you can encourage me to keep going if you sense I am falling off the rails.
So here we go: Day 1, letter C – CONTRACT.
I am contracting with you to make the most valiant attempt possible to embark on this creative cleansing of my chaotic clutter. I promise to keep you posted and to share any little tricks I learn along the way. I have a feeling we are going to have a good time, and come through at the end with happier households... or at least a better handle on managing our now calm and comfortable castles. Ready? Let's go.
Check in tomorrow for Day 2 – letter R
It is the beginning of a new month. Wiarton Willie has seen his shadow, so we will stay bundled up for six more weeks. I spent some time on the road today, prowled a new bookstore and went with my purchase to an adjoining cafe. Finding yet another book on organizing your home reminded me once again that although I vowed when I retired three and a half years ago (Can it really be that long?) that my number one priority would be to get myself organized and efficient, I am still sitting in an office crammed with papers and break into a sweat every time the doorbell rings.
As I drove home, I had this idea that maybe if I committed to you, my readers, to faithfully organize for the next month or so, and to be accountable by reporting my progress; maybe, just maybe, I would manage to tame the monster, or whoever it is that keeps messing up my home!
I am a creative person, sometimes too creative for my own good perhaps...but that's a whole other issue. “So,” I proposed to myself as I drove along, “if I can find a creative way to do this, maybe I will actually achieve my goal, have fun along the way, and still get to write, which I love,...and which, if truth be told, often draws me away from duller chores like housework. (Who needs tidy when one can escape into the wonderful world of the imagination?)”
As I waited in the lineup for the car wash, ( That's a first step, right?) my plan was finalized. I am embarking on a 35 day accrostic journey for the “CREATIVE CLEANSING OF MY CHAOTIC CLUTTER” (I do have a penchant for alliteration.) Perhaps you would like to journey with me. Check in each day to find out what the next letter of the title entails, and join in the fun. I hope you will share some of your own joys and successes by using the comment option...and, although I don't want to envision such a possibility, maybe you can encourage me to keep going if you sense I am falling off the rails.
So here we go: Day 1, letter C – CONTRACT.
I am contracting with you to make the most valiant attempt possible to embark on this creative cleansing of my chaotic clutter. I promise to keep you posted and to share any little tricks I learn along the way. I have a feeling we are going to have a good time, and come through at the end with happier households... or at least a better handle on managing our now calm and comfortable castles. Ready? Let's go.
Check in tomorrow for Day 2 – letter R
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
