Tuesday, January 16, 2007
Attack Mode?
There are lots of metaphors when it comes to decluttering and one of them is the war metaphor--waging war on clutter, attacking clutter, doing battle with your things...
I'm more of an akido type when it comes to clutter, but I'm not sure exactly how well that's working for me. LOL.
Here's what I'm up to tonight...redoing and elaborating on some of my work.
*I had gone through and made a pile of stuff that I don't need on my bedroom floor and would be just fine having in storage or in T's garage. (These are boxes & such not loose items).
*I put these things, along with my Goodwill bag and box of books to sell back in the hallway.
*I had to move these things back into my room because my other housemate and her family were coming to visit.
So, last night I made a list of everything on my floor. Then I thought about what things it'd be just fine not to have here.
There are some things (like my toolbox) that T. thinks I should go through and just take out like 2 or 3 tools. But not only do I need things from there 1-2x a week, it's almost always different stuff. Plus, then I have loose tools on the floor (I don't have any drawer space etc.) I have a basic tool box (and some of my tools *are* up at her house--S. and I had a hell of a time changing my car battery with the lack of tools). It's not like I'm keeping my drill down here etc. So, a tool box lives on my bedroom floor. Or really, on the layer of clutter just above it (my disconnected computer). Alas, I'd love to put it somewhere else in the house, and I might ask my one housemate if I can stick it in the closet off the second-floor deck. That would be very useful. I even considered storing it in my car, but I'd like to avoid that.
Other things, like financial papers, I don't much care about having access to 24/7 (although sometimes I do need to find something); it's more that I have been told not to store them in a storage unit because of possible theft (and then identity theft). But I'm ready for the bulk of them to live elsewhere...
I'm more of an akido type when it comes to clutter, but I'm not sure exactly how well that's working for me. LOL.
Here's what I'm up to tonight...redoing and elaborating on some of my work.
*I had gone through and made a pile of stuff that I don't need on my bedroom floor and would be just fine having in storage or in T's garage. (These are boxes & such not loose items).
*I put these things, along with my Goodwill bag and box of books to sell back in the hallway.
*I had to move these things back into my room because my other housemate and her family were coming to visit.
So, last night I made a list of everything on my floor. Then I thought about what things it'd be just fine not to have here.
There are some things (like my toolbox) that T. thinks I should go through and just take out like 2 or 3 tools. But not only do I need things from there 1-2x a week, it's almost always different stuff. Plus, then I have loose tools on the floor (I don't have any drawer space etc.) I have a basic tool box (and some of my tools *are* up at her house--S. and I had a hell of a time changing my car battery with the lack of tools). It's not like I'm keeping my drill down here etc. So, a tool box lives on my bedroom floor. Or really, on the layer of clutter just above it (my disconnected computer). Alas, I'd love to put it somewhere else in the house, and I might ask my one housemate if I can stick it in the closet off the second-floor deck. That would be very useful. I even considered storing it in my car, but I'd like to avoid that.
Other things, like financial papers, I don't much care about having access to 24/7 (although sometimes I do need to find something); it's more that I have been told not to store them in a storage unit because of possible theft (and then identity theft). But I'm ready for the bulk of them to live elsewhere...
Friday, January 12, 2007
How to Start Decluttering
Here's a good article on how to get started.
A few ideas:
1. Don't get all worked up with guilt. It is was it is. Just get started.
2. You can start anywhere; it doesn't really matter. Just do something for 10-15 min.
A few ideas:
1. Don't get all worked up with guilt. It is was it is. Just get started.
2. You can start anywhere; it doesn't really matter. Just do something for 10-15 min.
Wednesday, January 03, 2007
It's not genetic!
Alas, this holiday visit helped me remember exactly how tidy and clean my parents are. T. and I took to calling them "the elves" when they were around, because it was like having the Merry Maid Elf Brigade in residence. They cleaned and scrubbed and helped out a lot, and also maintained their own space--it was spotless, in fact. In one way, I feel this is a lot of energy over a very little bit of dirt. In another way, it was very nice to have their help, and T's place (where we all stayed) was shining and squeaky clean, just the way she likes it.
