New Year

[bluesyjayParticipant]

Happy new year once again

I am stuck with the flu

how’s that for a start

pfff

I read all three of her books (I thing they are three, it was some time ago) on the subject

Have been rereading the first one yesterday, mainly all the parts I have underlined as she integrates her own experience with her research, so I mostly underlined the part that was more general

I find her approach interesting

but I can never find myself when it’s about tendencies/types/categories, I always am way too much mixed in more than one to ever recognise myself in any clearly

[bluesyjayParticipant]

so I just checked…they are four books

the one I read was “better than before” which is the third one

and right now I have too much of a flu to remember if I did read number 4 about the 4 tendencies, or if she was at the time in the process of writing it and there were articles on her blog (or maybe in book number three; because I remember about these 4 tendencies…)

[NanaParticipant]

Just at the moment I am knitting two clangers – the Oliver Postgate characters – a baby clanger and an adult one, and have had my subscription to the Morris side paid as reward.

I don’t have to buy anything in order to make them, and I know where to find the felt for the waistcoats and ear linings – and the small scissors too. Oh the joy of even partial organisation.

[chaosqueenParticipant]

Hooray! That’s exactly how I feel like when I have to wrap a present and know where, paper, tape, sissors and ribbons are!

[Xadta]

Ah I like this thread, so good to hear your goals and these little positive energy bubbles that are around each of us, it shows it’s still there (even if behind some/lots of *stuff*).

How are you all feeling now we’re climbing further into the rabbit hole of the new year?

Also Loving the crafty ideas…clangers yay. Reminds me I want to be more crafty again (but of course need to pull together the crafty stuff and need the time/space….yup *goals*)

look forward to hearing more

*sending good vibes to you all*

[bluesyjayParticipant]

Back again on my baby thread that I abandoned because of one of the worst flus I got in ages!!

That new year’s flu lasted two whole weeks and put me KO really bad on all levels!

then when I finally got back up, in the middle of January, I lost so much work, and had so many deadlines etc, that I got into maniac hyperactive mode

Which also passed on – FINALLY! – to house clearing as well

Now, I would say that it’s more or less 2-3 weeks and I may be calming down – because I cannot take that rhythm anymore

in a good way, hopefully, trying to find more of a balance between REALLY turning this house around

and my life around too

while not killing myself in the meanwhile and not totally sacrificing everything to clutter (and its busting)

so I reread the thread and it was nice and strange to reread my own wishes and to remember how bad I was feeling immediately after, I probably was already in flu mode…it really brought me down emotionally as well

Now I am feeling so much better, and I do not want to be afraid to say it out loud

but there is realistically a mountain to climb

and it is not a sprint, this is a marathon

I have other spaces where I write more of items out and so on, but I do want to keep cultivating the mindset of positive

along with other things that come to my mind

Thanks Nana (what are clangers???) did it all come out as you wished

and Xadta for passing by – wonderful vibes back to you!

sorry I am so late in replying but that bug wiped me out

and the thread go down under after a while

Today I worked the whole day on the kitchen mostly reorganising, cleaning and clearing

still a mess but better

One thing I was wanting to do, as a record for progress is map out the progress with the pictures of the “clutter image rating score” although sometimes I find it difficult, especially because of certain things I do not have (I have others) like all the stacks of newspapers etc

anyway

the kitchen I would say when it gets messed up is around 4/5 after my intervention today it’s around 3

will continue tomorrow on the kitchen and map out the other spaces

sending Light to all of you, with all the energy we all need to make our wishes/resolutions/goals/dreams a reality

one step at a time

in harmony and peacefulness, and possibly with joy along the way too

lets all remember to take care of ourselves while on the journey of taking care of our homes, it’s the same thing at another level

[bluesyjayParticipant]

So I feel like putting an update that is not the min’s game

Today I had a little time in the morning to work on the house,

now I need to get ready to go and will be back in the evening probably too tired to do much

I really did not feel like doing anything, soo fed up,

the challenge for me is really to keep things moving with consistency

but maybe after three whole days buried in the house not doing much else, it’s normal I am not as productive

so somehow I managed to continue reorganising clearing cleaning the kitchen

there is some visible progress

I would like to say that it’s a 2 but not there yet, so lets say 2,5?

there is a corner with things stacked that I need to figure out

1. a huge kitchen appliance I do not want anymore, it was really expensive, but before trying to see if it can be sold, I need to check it, it is used but working, but it may have some scratches etc. and it’s huge and heavy so I need space to pull it out and check, plus bringing it to the consignment is going to be a challenge (I do not have a car)

2. a pile of boxes with gardening stuff, that I cannot just put outside in the backyard because there is no covered space and things get ruined with the rain

3. some pieces of the kitchen I need to re-install after I had to change most appliances in December,

4. a pile of laundry I need to deal with (the washing machine is in the kitchen, and I dry my clothes hanging them on a foldable thing that stays in the kitchen, so I was waiting to finish this part, hopefully tomorrow will deal with that

5. go through meds and supplements again and reorganise them

6. two baskets of cleaning things find a better way to store them

7. 1 huge basket of plastic bags/totes etc

I need to clean the stove and wash the floor and treat it

For the rest, the counters are mostly clear and clean

the cupboards are mostly organised, I went through them many times

there are only some cupboards that still need to be streamlined, but for now it’s too much on a decision level, I need to get back to that later on

I also need to shorten the ceiling lamp (of course the lightbulb broke today because I banged it with the ladder….

that is something I keep procrastinating

I think it would make more sense to have all the boxes that do not belong here in the tight entryway because they should be on their way out somewhere, except that space is also a constant mess and a work in progress

so my next 2 working spaces will be the bathroom (level 3 of chaos) and the entryway (level 4)

I must say the entryway is hard to keep organised because all the bags that are going somewhere are here, and it is a small space, but there must be a better way to do this so I will work on it

I need to focus on the next small steps and not feel discouraged

[bluesyjayParticipant]

Re-energised (mentally) today, my body is still catching up but that’s ok

It helped to get out of the house and work which for me always feels like time off compared to dealing with my clutter!

I need to remind myself of what I wrote up on the beginning of this thread

I am doing this to be well, to be ME, to free myself from burden and obstacles that have no (more) reason to be

I need to substitute the bootcamp mode, or at least alternate it, with the longterm dripping consistency of the water droplet carving stone

everyday a step ahead

There are some urgencies though, I NEED my water boiler fixed asap

I am going to give myself the deadline of March to let the guy in for that (and other repairs)

so in the meantime get the house decent for that (as a minimum)

get all the things I need for the repairs at the hardware store ready

and organise whatever is bulky and needs to be removed so that I can pay him to do that with his truck

budget money for all of this

As for the small goal for today,

I have all the things that still need doing for the kitchen (things I wrote down yesterday, plus a couple more) on a written list and will work through them while I focus on next rooms

but the kitchen is decent, not perfect but much better and totally usable as a “normal” kitchen

I NEED AND WANT TO MAINTAIN THAT

today will focus on the bathroom that has become a mess again even though I suspect it will not take THAT much (optimistic?)

and on the entryway, do as much as possible

I have the morning for this and will be going to work after lunch

I also need to find the 6 items for the game + the book to release

yesterday I brought a small bag of books with me at work and during breaks went through some of them and discarded three (! but they will be counted when they find their location OUT either sold/donated/recycled) I need time to do that,

I am thinking a lot about avoiding decisions because of the time I think it will take, which is not always as much as I fear

this finding items is making me do many small things I have been procrastinating for ages

because I am really pushing myself…if you are not going to repair this thing than let it go…

NO MORE LATER

wishing a lovely day to all

[bluesyjayParticipant]

DONE!

all I can manage for today I am KO

did a lot in the bathroom, not even thinking about the entryway, too exhausted and need to recover before 1 hour commute to work.

I would say it took me three hours maybe (only of work without counting the breaks here and there)

the bathroom has shifted from a 3 to a 2

I would go as far as to say it’s almost a 1 except there are lurking boxes with bath related stuff still in my bedroom and entryway I need to deal with

so it’s a 2 spic and span and spacious and fresh with a few boxes left to deal with

I emptied and moved ALL the stuff around which is some big feat, it’s small and narrow so it’s very uncomfortable to clean

– this of course, because of the amount of things

I scrubbed the walls and the floors and all the wc/bathtub/bidet/sink etc..

all the cupboards and drawers which I had already gone through in January, had another quick go

the floor mats are in the machine wash, next will be the shower curtain, but anyway no hot water so not using the shower,

I cleaned with pots of boiling water from the kitchen, and on my knees

Still needs to be done, but I am knackered for today!!!

1. with the ladder, put up the 2 bins, after I have gone through them again and labeled them

2. with ladder, check the last cupboard that was too high to reach today and the 2 small baskets, declutter as much as possible

3. give a clean up there, dust

4. make a list of the many diy things that need to be done here, and one of the boxes lurking around has the tools, and things for some of those jobs, but I am starting to think if I will invest in the handyman, to help me, I am soo tired, I need to see if I can manage to budget that

I also started catching up with laundry and kept my kitchen clean

did not clean the stove yet though… :mrgreen:

not sure what I will manage to do in the next three days, as for deep cleaning, going forward with house reorganisation

between work plus family birthday and on Friday seeing a friend who lives elsewhere and is visiting, and maybe in the morning going to try and sell the dvds

I will however keep up the mins game

satisfied but really really tired

I still have some drawers and boxes in the bathroom (just like the kitchen) that need to be dealt with but for now, lets call it a victory

[bluesyjayParticipant]

today really tired (slept almost nothing, what’s new)

but really happy coming back home to a clean almost empty bathroom

and to an almost decent kitchen

(slept over at my mother’s where I go regularly also to have hot showers till the boiler is fixed!!!)

managed to find items for the min’s game, for today and tomorrow, so I will take a full break tomorrow

started timidly working on the entryway, only decluttering,

needs a lot of clearing before I can start cleaning seriously

plus I need to take out a door from a cupboard, because those doors take up too much space opening up, will install some kind of curtain

the first door took a lot of time and energy to take out because it’s very old and stuck with paint so not sure when I will have the courage to do that again

that will enable me to move another piece of furniture around and see if it works best

projects……

I wish I could really start doing those things!!

I will get there because I want to !

wishing all positive vibes and energy and courage

[bluesyjayParticipant]

So, back to work on the house

I had two days “off” of house clearing but still kept up with the declutter game

now I want to work on the house during the weekend

first goal is the entry way which I have started working on

would like to have as much possible done by today

will not set myself more than this or more specific for now, because I am tired (as usual, mostly my insomnia)

and there is a lot of stuff

I need to find a way to clear/reorg/clean and then have the “going out” things set up in the best possible way

I went to the park this morning and released 4 books, a build up of the ones that were waiting during the rainy days (2 other books yesterday around town)

it’s still not easy, and there is also the issue of not wanting to be seen

so I think I would rather try to leave them in the park mostly and during a weekdays, which would be great for me to manage going walking again

Today I really wanted to go because it’s a beautiful day but I knew I had to spend the day decluttering

so I was very torn

then I thought I need to find another way, not sure how yet, of balance between working as intensely as possible on the declutterin

while still taking time for the rest, like seeing a friend yesterday, who is visiting in town and I never see

I am feeling quite tired and frustrated with the minimum progress,

feeling I should be letting go of more, it’s still so difficult

have been going through stationary this morning, and there is still sooo much

but it is helpful while I keep working through piles and boxes, to slowly be able to regroup things and start seeing how much/many I really have and letting go of more

long way to go…

[bluesyjayParticipant]

so about to start another day of intensive clearing

yesterday the entryway was attacked

I would say it went from a level 4 chaos to a 2,5

the path is clear and I have been cleaning, reordering and throwing out

but there are boxes of stuff that need to be brought out of the house

plus many boxes of tools and things I need for DIY and I have nowhere to store these things until the works get done

plus still a lot of paper archives I need to go through etc

But I think that for now I cannot “see” more progress in here

I am going to start working my way through the worst room today, which is the living room, also where I spend all my time, I only go into the bedroom to sleep

and get dressed

now it is a level 5, maybe 5,5

I already feel tired looking at it

the most difficult part is that I have no idea how to reorganise things, where to put what, as I am thinking about relocating spaces of usage between entryway and living room

so it’s hard to know where to put things

I probably just have to be ok withe the fact I am going to be making them dance around a lot as I have no idea now what will work and how to reorganise things

so off for working my way

am going to start with clearing the table surface and see from there what next

uggh…

I WANT to do this I really do it just takes the leap out of inertia and confusion

put on blinds, focus on one area, let go of knowing the final layout of the room and find 11 items minimum to go OUT!

[bluesyjayParticipant]

worked an hour or so on the table

I am already fed up cold and tired

not much visible change

it’s the worst part because all full of boxes and piles of tiny things mixed up

I only got 2 items so far (that I am counting, not counting many things I just consider garbage)

will just try and take a longer break and see if I manage to do more in a while

[bluesyjayParticipant]

managed to get re-motivated, but mostly to get some energy somehow and warm up

worked some more, not sure how much

surely an hour or so

the table is still not empty, but now it’s mostly all different sorting boxes on it,

some empty some have items that need to be relocated

and I have started working around the table, emptying and consolidating more boxes

not much progress on the OUT number items, am at 4 (must get to 11 today)

but I really need to focus on clearing up and putting order

also I am not high on the number because I count things in groups and there is A LOT of recycle cardboard/paper stuff waiting to leave

and a whole other big bag of TRASH

and I mostly do not count those

now I need to work a little on another challenge I am working on, that for me goes hand in hand, that is my financial aspect

there has been no more buying of stuff

and mostly no buying at all except only bare essentials

and I am working through budget and goals

for today I still need, as a minimum

1. to at least find the rest of the items for the game

2. ti identify the book I shall release

3. to clear some more in this room, at least the small side table next to the couch

[bluesyjayParticipant]

so far, since I started my “reboot” in January, this has been the worst day I think,

probably because of the game in relation to the amount of time I have been working and the amount of stuff I have been going through

since I have attacked probably the worst room today, (bedroom equal maybe)

I thought that it would be extremely tiring to work on this, but that it would be easy to find 11 items, since so far it has not been that bad

I thought that it would take much more time than today of course to get some real order in here,

but that the 11 items would be out of the way in no time at all

not so

I have just found the last one now and wanted to “close” the day asap and stop and just relax for the rest of the evening possibly

I had to look for the last 2 items in my stack of “maybe” books, that are in their own dungeon of purgatory, waiting for their fate

that’s where I go and find the book to release every day…and it’s getting harder

today I picked three books, 1 for the release (= exercise in detaching myself from books)

and 2 for the game

I have been going through piles and boxes and all around the table and started getting really frustrated

I have thrown out a lot of paper stuff to recycle and a lot of trash

but finding “real” items to discard has been extremely difficult

and that is discouraging and worrying

because I know I need to let go of a LOT of things in here, no way I can keep all this stuff so how come today was so hard?

I also know that I have spent all day going through what seems like endless piles of “random” things, sorting, putting like with like, starting to find (and remember) temporary places for things

I had just gone through stationary yesterday and made more space, and today that space is full again, things do not fit anymore

so I need to pair down again

same with stuff related to the bathroom, as I had anticipated, I have been finding more things that need to find a place (or be shown the way out)

which means I need to continue in the bathroom asap before I lose what I have conquered there

I am not even going to think about how I am going to find 12 items tomorrow, and I only have a couple of hours here and there

maybe since tomorrow I will not have time for cleaning and organising, only focusing on what to let go of will be easier

but since this whole thing is for me to work on my awareness while I am letting go, today has been very hard and a bit alarming

I am just hoping that all the mess I have been in (still am in) has not helped me make decisions and maybe it will get easier when things get a little better

I started off with a 5,5 level of chaos,

after HOURS I would say it may be around a 5…sigh

but I am going to give myself a gold star for sticking thorough, not giving up, not trowing a tantrum against myself or going down in paralysis, depression etc

I am just alarmed at myself, tired, worried and fed up

[Author]

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