During a couple of seminars that I attended recently, the speakers mentioned goal setting. Last night, I read an article from a January magazine (yes, I am still back in January in some of my magazines!). It was all about New Year's Resolution, and how this author decided not to make any but rather to live with resolve day by day. Interesting food for thought when applied to my clutter.
In the house there could be benefits in breaking down the tasks, just like we do our goals. Today let's focus on one yearly task.
I happen to be involved in a couple of organizations with minutes, agendas, etc. I am TRYING to keep these on the computer now, but I still tend to collect things at the meetings and bring them home to join the pile. Once a year it would be a good idea for me to cull what I really don't need to keep. I have decided that now is the perfect time, because the meeting season is winding down for summer. If I do it now, when it all starts again in September I'll be ready with a tidy file system . And maybe, just maybe, the effort that it is going to take to do it this year will teach me to cull as I go in the future!
So why not grab your resolve and join me in a paper purge!
Showing posts with label paperwork. Show all posts
Showing posts with label paperwork. Show all posts
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Thursday, April 16, 2009
DAY 19 – Letter F – FOR GOODNESS SAKE!
“For goodness sake, Helen! Just get at it and get it done!”
I was talking to myself once again about the state of my office.
Then I thought, for whose sake am I trying to master this paperwork? It is certainly not a sign of goodness, in my estimation. (Good housekeeping, maybe, but not goodness!)
It should be for MY sake. But sometimes that just doesn't seem to be enough motivation. At times it is, but then it gets away on me again, as I find more interesting ways to occupy my time.
But, aha! My son called and is coming home for the weekend. I haven't seen him since January...when this project was already underway with boxes piled all over the office. Have I told you that my office also serves as the guest room?
Usually when someone is coming, all the papers go into a box and get hidden away. (That's partly how I got into this problem in the first place!) I am really going to TRY not to do that this time. I have cleared away a few containers, but I do have my work cut out for me before he arrives tomorrow.
So, whether it's for goodness sake,
or for your sake,
or for the company that's coming...
for whatever reason, KEEP AT IT! Don't give up.
The reward will be the ability to see the top of the desk and the closet floor. It will be the knowledge that there are no hidden boxes awaiting your attention. It will be that wonderful feeling of overcoming a huge hurdle and the warm glow of victory.
I was talking to myself once again about the state of my office.
Then I thought, for whose sake am I trying to master this paperwork? It is certainly not a sign of goodness, in my estimation. (Good housekeeping, maybe, but not goodness!)
It should be for MY sake. But sometimes that just doesn't seem to be enough motivation. At times it is, but then it gets away on me again, as I find more interesting ways to occupy my time.
But, aha! My son called and is coming home for the weekend. I haven't seen him since January...when this project was already underway with boxes piled all over the office. Have I told you that my office also serves as the guest room?
Usually when someone is coming, all the papers go into a box and get hidden away. (That's partly how I got into this problem in the first place!) I am really going to TRY not to do that this time. I have cleared away a few containers, but I do have my work cut out for me before he arrives tomorrow.
So, whether it's for goodness sake,
or for your sake,
or for the company that's coming...
for whatever reason, KEEP AT IT! Don't give up.
The reward will be the ability to see the top of the desk and the closet floor. It will be the knowledge that there are no hidden boxes awaiting your attention. It will be that wonderful feeling of overcoming a huge hurdle and the warm glow of victory.
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.
Friday, February 6, 2009
Day 5 – letter T – TAKE TIME
I had an inner debate this morning. Would the letter T stand for True Confessions? Would I tell you that when I looked at my dresser this morning, I discovered that the clutter monster had snuck back into my room, not leaving a huge trail of chaos fortunately, just enough to let me know that he was still lurking in the shadows. As I walked down the hall I saw he had passed by there as well, and into the kitchen too. It was rather disheartening. Here I am doing this creative cleanse, and I still haven't been forceful enough to let him know he is no longer welcome here.
But then I thought to myself. “It's OK, Helen, this is only Day 5.” They say it takes 30 days to create a new habit. That is why this cleanse is geared for 35 days. So pick up the little trail of stuff, smile as you hear his muffled groan, and move on.
In my office it was reinforced once again, that turning on one's computer before the morning routine and the 27 Boogie Fling (See Day 2 and/or Flylady.com if this sounds bizarre.) can prove disastrous. One e-mail led to another, and before I knew it, it was time to head out to help a friend. (That's why I had to turn on the comupter in the first place. I thought I had enough self-discipline to just read the one note that I needed. Hah! It can't be done!...at least not yet.) I DID delete a few files though, to justify the time spent.
The errand led to coffee. You know how it goes. I was back around noon, and settled on my target area, the office. I have decided that if I boogie in my office for a few days I will actually gain a fair amount of control in here. So boogie I did. My computer table now shows its wood! I moved to the desk and worked my way through a pile or two. It's amazing how much paper one can recycle when cleaning the office! Another friend called who I hadn't spent time with for a while. That allowed me to get out to enjoy the sunshine as I walked downtown and to run an errand after the obligatory coffee. After a further appointment that took longer than expected, I got home just in time to make a salad and head out for supper and a video.
Coming home around 8:30 gave me time to reflect on my day and how it fit with this cleansing process. I realized that it's all right to experience a delay or two when life brings along a more important choice. For me, being there for my friends is high on my agenda, it is part of what God calls me to do. I think carefully before closing the door on opportunities to build relationships or to be of service. It really is a matter of balance. If I left the clutter constantly, and forgot the goal, this cleansing would not happen. But occasionally...I think that's OK. It adds to life's sparkle. And after all, life is not so much about sparkling kitchens as sparkling moments in time. This process of cleansing the clutter will take time, but while I'm going through it I need to be true to myself, and to occasionally take the time required for that.
I hope you will too.
But then I thought to myself. “It's OK, Helen, this is only Day 5.” They say it takes 30 days to create a new habit. That is why this cleanse is geared for 35 days. So pick up the little trail of stuff, smile as you hear his muffled groan, and move on.
In my office it was reinforced once again, that turning on one's computer before the morning routine and the 27 Boogie Fling (See Day 2 and/or Flylady.com if this sounds bizarre.) can prove disastrous. One e-mail led to another, and before I knew it, it was time to head out to help a friend. (That's why I had to turn on the comupter in the first place. I thought I had enough self-discipline to just read the one note that I needed. Hah! It can't be done!...at least not yet.) I DID delete a few files though, to justify the time spent.
The errand led to coffee. You know how it goes. I was back around noon, and settled on my target area, the office. I have decided that if I boogie in my office for a few days I will actually gain a fair amount of control in here. So boogie I did. My computer table now shows its wood! I moved to the desk and worked my way through a pile or two. It's amazing how much paper one can recycle when cleaning the office! Another friend called who I hadn't spent time with for a while. That allowed me to get out to enjoy the sunshine as I walked downtown and to run an errand after the obligatory coffee. After a further appointment that took longer than expected, I got home just in time to make a salad and head out for supper and a video.
Coming home around 8:30 gave me time to reflect on my day and how it fit with this cleansing process. I realized that it's all right to experience a delay or two when life brings along a more important choice. For me, being there for my friends is high on my agenda, it is part of what God calls me to do. I think carefully before closing the door on opportunities to build relationships or to be of service. It really is a matter of balance. If I left the clutter constantly, and forgot the goal, this cleansing would not happen. But occasionally...I think that's OK. It adds to life's sparkle. And after all, life is not so much about sparkling kitchens as sparkling moments in time. This process of cleansing the clutter will take time, but while I'm going through it I need to be true to myself, and to occasionally take the time required for that.
I hope you will too.
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.
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
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