A Motivating Story
My friend called me all excited. When I asked how she was, she said, "Very, very, very well." I quickly commented that that was more “verys” than I had heard from her in a very long time. She said, "I'm going through my house and getting rid of stuff and it feels WONDERFUL." I asked her to tell me about it—I just love organizing stories—and she did!
"First, I went through all my quilting fabric, five shelves' worth. You know I don't quilt any more, and haven't for a long time. I've had some of this fabric for 15 years or more. I don't like most of it. And even if I did quilt, it wasn't stored properly so I’m not too sure the fabric would hold together if I did anything with it, which I won't. Anyhow, three-fourths of it is now gone! Then there was all that yarn (just in case I got up in the middle of the night with a desperate urge to knit). I didn't like the colors or the textures, so away it went along with many—I don't even want to count—unfinished craft projects. Maybe someone else will complete them, not me.
“Then on to that pile of baskets that seemed to procreate on its own. How I love baskets! Now I only have the ones I truly like. And how about all those clothes, shoes, and coats that well-meaning friends and relatives have given to our family? I got rid of the things my kids wouldn't wear even if I begged them. I tossed the coats with the difficult zippers and those that wouldn't work in our climate; I passed on the shoes that didn't fit our needs. Now I have lots more space available in that part of the basement.
“Next came the extra kitchen things that lived in the basement and never—I mean NEVER—were used. I boxed them up and sent them on their way. I also tackled the children's playroom. You know, the puzzles with the missing pieces and the toys no one plays with anymore. I sorted through books, videos, and those ever-present parts to things that no one can remember. The playroom is now a happier place to play.
“I whirled on through my house during the last two weeks for several hours a day. The kitchen, office, living room, bedrooms, and bathrooms have all been viewed without rose-colored glasses and with the resolve to cut the strings of attachment to all that 'stuff.' I was, however, careful to keep the kids’ favorites and to consult with other family members as I went along.
“I even got rid of the old TV (that had fallen off its stand) that spit out VHS tapes at us or ate them.
“My house has been cleared out and I feel wonderful!
Wasn't that a great success story? Now go to it and write your own!And when you do, send it to me at
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How to Get Buried in Paper
- Always be in a hurry.
- Open all your mail in a different place every day.
- Look through all your papers very quickly (just to see what's there).
- Keep everything.
- Separate mail into categories, then put it all back together and place it on a flat surface (until you can get around to it again).
- Do not put papers away -- you may forget what you have.
- Do not set any time aside to do paperwork.
- Have a tiny trash container that you can't reach.
- Keep any files you might have in overstuffed drawers and inconvenient places. Keep the cabinet where you do the paperwork.
- Have file cabinets that tip over easily and file drawers that only open partially.
- Make sure anything you do label is hard to read or don't label at all.
- When guests are coming to visit, quickly toss all papers into bag or box and hide it.
- Enjoy the lack of paper clutter for a moment.
- Try to forget about the "hidden paper." Ignore twinges of discomfort.
- Accept clutter as a permanent part of your environment.
The practice of the above behavior is guaranteed to:
- Promote chaos
- Annoy and frustrate others
- Maintain your feelings of helplessness
- Support feeling out-of-control
- Cause you to collect signs and sayings that defend messiness
Ready to get unburied? Let's take a look at "How to Get Your Paper Under Control."
1. Get rid of what you no longer want, need, or like.
Letting go/clearing
Releasing
Saying goodbye.
Ask yourself:
- Do I like it?
- Do I use it?
- Do I want it?
- Do I need it?
- Am I willing to take care of it?
(use space, time money)
2. Put all like objects together.
Categorize
When you see what you have, you
may want to revisit step 1.
3. Assign a space or create a system for each category.
Store things as close as possible to where they will be used. This is when you get containers.
4. Maintain order...daily, regularly
If it is not working well...go back to step 1-2-3.
If you don't quit, you can only succeed!
Imagine waking up in the morning and seeing your home in a new way. There is no need to feel guilty or defensive about the clutter, confusion, or broken "stuff." Suddenly you see it for what it is. You realize you have been embarrassed, discouraged, and stuck for quite a long while and that even thinking about getting things in order has brought up so many unpleasant thoughts and feelings that you have ignored it as much as possible.
Today you feel differently. You realized your neglected environment needs to be loved not judged. Suddenly you can be objective. The blame evaporates and you feel energized. You notice some things that need to go in the trash, some things that you don't want anymore.
Start where you are. Work on a limited space. Get black trash bags for throw away and another color or clear for give away. Take it one thing at a time. Go for it!
Do not compare yourself with others!
Do what you know how to do.......
seek to learn what to do next.
One step at a time. One day at a time.
Work toward your goal.
Get the Big Picture then break it down into smaller, doable segments.
(This is known as the "Baloney Method.")
If at all possible...fit into the space you have.
Identify the problem...develop a solution.
Everything seems to take longer than we think it will.
TAKE THE TIME TO DO THE TASK WELL.
Stop at least a half hour before your time is up, in order to take care of the "loose ends."
Organizing is an ongoing process that is part of life.
Be grateful you have the energy and ability to do it.
Things expand to the space available.
Tasks expand to the time available.
Set limits!
"The cost of a thing is the amount of life you have to exchange for it." Henry David Thoreau
LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP!
Backlog must be tackled in larger blocks of time and with more effort.
If (when) you get stuck....PRAY
Slow down, focus
Simplify
Clarify......then proceed when ready.
Complete the Task!
Sometimes even a little improvement feels so much better that we begin to entertain the idea of finishing it at "some other time."
Resist this temptation!
Finish the task at hand. If you have been decluttering and organizing, this means:
- The trash goes into the outside trash can or dumpster.
- The giveaways go into your car or van and taken to the second hand store or to your church. If there is a large amount to be given away, it is all together in a designated area and pick up is arranged.
- The supplies, containers, etc. you may need to get are on a list and these errands are scheduled in the near future.
- The things you have found that go elsewhere in the house are put away.
In other words, tie up the loose ends; clear the decks. See it through to the end--you will be glad you did.
The window of opportunity to accomplish a major organizing task will be open for only a limited period of time.
BE SURE TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF IT.
How to Get Your Paper Under Control
- Do each task to the best of your ability.
- Open your mail in the same place each day.
- Sort your papers as you look through them.
- Toss out everything you don't want or need.
- Have a good paper management system and put your papers away where they belong.
- Make sure the categories you have are relevant.
- Set time aside to adequately do your paperwork.
- Have a good size, sturdy trash container where you sort your papers.
- Have 2-3 inches of extra space in each file
- Have a file cabinet with full-suspension drawers.
- Print your labels with a marker and do them all the same way.
- Before guests come over, bake a cake.
- Enjoy the fruits of your labor. Find any paper quickly and easily.
- Be kind to others who still haven't learned to manage their paper.
- See paper clutter as a sign for you to get busy and do what you have to do.
The practice of the above behavior is guaranteed to:
- Promote order
- Aid and support others
- Maintain pleasant feelings
- Lets you move on to doing other things
- Allows you to get rid of silly signs
Organizing Recipes - Free Videos
Join us as we organize some recipes and review some basic organizing principles.
