I am tired of living in a messy space. Little Cuter didn't even go into the library when she was last here; it's too overwhelmingly, oppressively cluttered. My usual excuses (no attic, no basement, no crawl space, little closet space) worked for the first ten years we lived here, but they are a tired bunch of losers at this point. I must resolve to fix this.
There must be a reason that my eye is drawn to postings on this topic; my soul must be seeking clarity and harmony and a oneness with the inner calm residing beneath the chaos. That's what they promise, anyway. Apparently, surrounding myself with things that bring me joy will keep the crap from accumulating on my desk.
Would that that were so. I seem to love everything I see, here amidst the clutter.
The stack of family photos, awaiting replacement once the holiday decors are put away; my Kindle, my current crochet project, my address book, a crossword puzzle, a book to send to FlapJilly.... and that, denizens is the crux of it all. Everything I mentioned could be put away someplace else. I just don't have it organized in a functional way.
The woman who helped me with my pantry and desk drawers is living a new life in SoCal. She created an organizing miracle: a system which is still neat and useful years later. I had another, less successful, attempt and I'm reluctant to try a third time. This year, I am going to read up on clutter and see if there are tips I can adopt.
I have been thinking about the 15 minutes at a time concept. You may have a gigantic project, but you may only work on it for 15 minutes. You set a timer and when it goes off, you are done. You can come back to the project later, but you have to stop and regroup, first. I think you're supposed to stay with one area until it is finished, so that you recognize that progress is being made, but that may be my own personal overlay. As I said, I've been wrestling with that idea for a while; it doesn't go away.
This leads me to believe that considering clutter is targeting the possible. I'm adding it to the list.
That 15-minute plan definitely resonates with me. Sometimes that's all I can muster. I will dust or polish wood for 15 minutes and then say "done," until the next time. Same with the social media. Fifteen minutes and then move on to something else.
ReplyDeleteAs for stuff and clutter, we have a storage unit where I put stuff like seasonal decorations. Right now all of the house fans are stored there for next summer's heat. All of my journals are in the storage unit. Books I'm collecting to hand out at school are in boxes there. Backpacks I picked up on clearance this year and will give away at the start of the school year are tucked into a big box. The patio chairs are stored until the weather turns warm. It keeps things simpler around the house to have those things out of sight.
15 minutes is hard to say no to, isn't out!
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I just finished Marie Kondo's book, "The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing." While I can't say that her method will apply completely to my life, I did pick up many helpful tips that I've already started to use. It might be worth a look. Good luck. I think most of us battle clutter to some degree or other.
ReplyDeleteHappy New Year to you and yours!
I did a mini version of her prices in my closet last year and it's true .. It makes me happy to go in and see only things which give me joy
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We just moved into a smaller home (the second time we've downsized) and I am bidden by my family to de-clutter once again. But, you see, it's MY stuff!! And MY stuff is important to me. I still miss the stuff I got rid of 2 1/2 years ago and I don't want to get rid of anything else!!
ReplyDeleteI'm with you, kenju! Hang onto it!!! It brings you joy!!! If I figure out a solution, I'll post it. Till then, stay strong!!!!
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