"The physics of clutter is that it will come into your office without your assistance, but will not go away without your assistance."
-- Julie Mahan
Can you remember all the grand predictions that the invention of personal computers would change the world and create a paperless society? Well, no one could argue that they have indeed changed many, many things but they have certainly not done away with paper. In fact, it could be argued that they have increased it.
Paper clutter is one big area where I see a constant reminder of what Regina calls the failure to make a decision. Life gets busy and maybe a week goes by that I haven't been able to take the time to clean off the table I have by my front door. It is supposed to be completely empty except for a thin woven basket to hold important things like bills or notices. So, the flyers begin to add up, for one thing. There are a lot of stores in this city who want to entice me to buy things and they are relentless in giving me pieces of paper full of self-promotion.
Magazines are another thing. Some I have subscriptions to, some are gifts, and some have simply been sent in the hope that I will like them and then subscribe. I also receive invitations to various local events, and postcards from realtors who are hoping they can entice me to move. Credit card companies constantly send me letters which tell me that I work hard, need a break, and wouldn't I enjoy a relaxing vacation? As well, restaurants and take-aways from this area of the city hope that I will come home from work hungry, have a busy night ahead, and opt to order dinner rather than spend time in my own kitchen. It really does add up.
Regina has some good simple advice here: immediately toss out the junk mail that you KNOW you don't want or need. As for everything else, either toss it out, file it away, or deal with it straight away. That is the hard part. Sometimes the biggest challenge for me is simply not knowing what to do with it. Regina talks a lot of setting up a proper filing system, but cautions: "Files are storehouses of the active information we need. They are not meant to be paper cemeteries."
So, I have gathered up all of the paper on the little table, as well as all of the paper clutter that came out of my newly spruced up bedroom, and put it all into a plastic bin. This weekend I was busy with yard work, had errands to do, and had company, so I couldn't get to it. It was inspiring to see the table completely clean, though, so I am encouraged. This week I will spend some time, probably watching the Food Network, and quickly plow through all of this paper. I find it somehow easier to do this when my brain is semi-distracted.
I hope to get rid of a lot of this clutter, and to come up with a way to organize the bits that are important to keep. And I think from now on I'm going to pretend there's a big paper barrier at my front door so I will inspire myself to be more ruthless. Only pieces of paper which can prove themselves to be of value to me will be given a pass. But not a free pass. No, they will very quickly be shown the filing system and invited to step inside.
Have a good, paper-clutter-free week!
Diane
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
My Beautiful Bedroom Sanctuary - At Last!
"I would be the most content if my children grew up to be the kind of people who think decorating consists mostly of building enough bookshelves."
-- Anna Quindlam
Life, as we all know, is hard to fit into a box most of the time. And this month was no exception.
Last month, of course, was about creating a bedroom sanctuary and that was a very high priority for me. At the beginning I was feeling rather depressed because of the enormity of the task. It really did seem impossible to me.
My closet was bursting at the seams and my dresser drawers as well. There was far too much furniture in the room making me feel quite claustrophobic. The walls, ceiling, and all of the trim were a sickly pale yellow. Plus, the walls had numerous cracks and the ceiling had a big, ugly, warty area of cracked and peeling paint.
I had come to the point of being extremely enervated by my bedroom and it kept on getting worse. Of course, that led me to procrastinate because I simply did not know where to begin.
After finding some strong inspiration in Regina's chapters, I managed to somehow find the courage and the energy to just begin somewhere. And I just kept on doing that - one small thing at a time.
Once the closet and dressers were tidied up and decluttered, we moved everything out and started to work on the repairs and the painting. Every single step took us much longer than anticipated, but we just kept plodding along. Week after week.
And, at long last, during the past week it has all come together beautifully! The paint looks fresh and clean and soothing in an old-world sagey green. The doors and windows and all of the trim are an old-world off-white called 'French Canvas'. The curtains are very similar in colour to the trim and they float so easily and delicately with the breeze.
The room seems so much more spacious now; there is nothing extra and no clutter whatsoever. I painted both bookcases in 'French Canvas', moved the tall one to the living room and the smaller one back into the bedroom where it looks lovely against the green wall. The new bedding goes perfectly with the paint and looks quite cool and refreshing even during these hot summer days. It really does feel like a sanctuary to me now.
The project took a long time and so has kept me from being able to really act on this month's topic of tackling paper clutter and setting up a proper filing system. But that's okay. I still have this week and next to get going with that.In truth, having successfully completed this major overhaul, I feel I feel I have built up some momentum, so I'm confident that this can be done as well.
Right now I just love walking into my bedroom and admiring its zen-like vibes. What an absolute delight!
Thank you so much, Regina, for being such an inspiration. Perhaps I COULD have done this without your inspiration and advice, but I don't believe I really WOULD have...
Cheers!
Diane
-- Anna Quindlam
Life, as we all know, is hard to fit into a box most of the time. And this month was no exception.
Last month, of course, was about creating a bedroom sanctuary and that was a very high priority for me. At the beginning I was feeling rather depressed because of the enormity of the task. It really did seem impossible to me.
My closet was bursting at the seams and my dresser drawers as well. There was far too much furniture in the room making me feel quite claustrophobic. The walls, ceiling, and all of the trim were a sickly pale yellow. Plus, the walls had numerous cracks and the ceiling had a big, ugly, warty area of cracked and peeling paint.
I had come to the point of being extremely enervated by my bedroom and it kept on getting worse. Of course, that led me to procrastinate because I simply did not know where to begin.
After finding some strong inspiration in Regina's chapters, I managed to somehow find the courage and the energy to just begin somewhere. And I just kept on doing that - one small thing at a time.
Once the closet and dressers were tidied up and decluttered, we moved everything out and started to work on the repairs and the painting. Every single step took us much longer than anticipated, but we just kept plodding along. Week after week.
And, at long last, during the past week it has all come together beautifully! The paint looks fresh and clean and soothing in an old-world sagey green. The doors and windows and all of the trim are an old-world off-white called 'French Canvas'. The curtains are very similar in colour to the trim and they float so easily and delicately with the breeze.
The room seems so much more spacious now; there is nothing extra and no clutter whatsoever. I painted both bookcases in 'French Canvas', moved the tall one to the living room and the smaller one back into the bedroom where it looks lovely against the green wall. The new bedding goes perfectly with the paint and looks quite cool and refreshing even during these hot summer days. It really does feel like a sanctuary to me now.
The project took a long time and so has kept me from being able to really act on this month's topic of tackling paper clutter and setting up a proper filing system. But that's okay. I still have this week and next to get going with that.In truth, having successfully completed this major overhaul, I feel I feel I have built up some momentum, so I'm confident that this can be done as well.
Right now I just love walking into my bedroom and admiring its zen-like vibes. What an absolute delight!
Thank you so much, Regina, for being such an inspiration. Perhaps I COULD have done this without your inspiration and advice, but I don't believe I really WOULD have...
Cheers!
Diane
Sunday, June 13, 2010
Save Time
"The bad news is that time flies. The good news is that you're the pilot."
-- Michael Althsuler
If only time could be 'saved'! Just imagine having a cache of extra hours set aside for when you'd really like to spend some more time on something, or someone.
This week, the emphasis is on making the best use of the time we do have. A primary suggestion is learning how to effectively multi-task. I am afraid that when I first read these words, I cringed a little. Oh, no, I thought. Is this going to make me feel even worse? I was imagining the various 'workaholics' and 'I'm-so-busy-all-the-time' freaks I have known, and the way they look down their pointy noses at anyone who (shockingly!) appears to be NOT frantically busy every second of the day. Oy vey.
But, thankfully, I was wrong. Regina's key word here is 'effectively' and I was relieved to read these words: "In our modern world, we feel that we need to be on the landline phone, the computer, and the cell phone, shuffling paper, and reading today's newspaper simultaneously." I agree wholeheartedly! And I felt like giving Regina a big 'high five' when I read, "When you splinter your focus like this, you fry your nervous system."
OK, but what is the 'happy medium' here? How can I 'effectively multi-task' without jeopardizing my nervous system? Regina answered my question. "Do I denounce multi-tasking? No. But I think it's an art, and this week I'd like you to cultivate the healthy way to multi-task."
She goes on to give several very sensible examples. For instance, you should always have something to read (or a notebook for writing) if you know you are going to be sitting in a waiting room, or travelling. "Nothing is accomplished by staring at the walls." Amen to that! I was thrilled to have gotten this one right. I hate waiting of any sort as it really is such a complete waste of time. But when I can use the time to dive into a good book, or to study Spanish, or to write something, the waiting time goes by quite quickly. Plus, instead of feeling bored, restless, and impatient, I end up feeling quite energized, positive, and relaxed.
Her next piece of advice was, "When watching TV, have something to do during commercials." Another ace for me! One day last week I came home from work to an empty house as the kids were out for the evening. It had been a gloomy, rainy day and more thunderstorms were on their way. On days like this, my rheumatism acts up and so my knees were very swollen and painful and my energy was very low indeed.
I really felt I could do nothing other than rest my weary bones and joints, so I turned on the Food Network and curled up on the couch. I wasn't actually feeling relaxed, though, because there was too much chaos around me. Most of it was from all of my bedroom contents still being in the dining/living rooms, and the rest was from the kids having eaten, showered, changed clothes, and rushed out the door without tidying up after themselves.
I really enjoyed getting lost in the cooking show and being temporarily distracted from all of the clutter - until the first commercial came along and I began to feel restless. My joints hurt a lot and I was tired, so I knew I couldn't expect myself to just jump in, work hard, and set things right. But I also knew I couldn't truly enjoy an evening of pure sloth while there were tasks calling to me right and left.
And so, during the commercial, I dragged my weary body into the kitchen and began to do the dishes.; a few more commercials and they were all washed. A few more and they were dried and put away and the counter and the island cleared and cleaned.
I ended up spending the entire early evening this way. During every commercial I did just one small thing, and they really added up. A few hours later I turned off the TV and revelled in the satisfaction I felt. It had been 'the best of both worlds.' I had had a completely relaxing, comforting evening and yet everything was so much tidier - almost as if by magic.
It really didn't feel like multi-tasking to me! It wasn't draining, or difficult, or endangering to my nervous system. It actually became a sort of game - seeing how much I could accomplish during the few minutes of each commercial break. And the end result was very, very satisfying indeed.
And so, to reward myself for my unanticipated productivity, I poured myself a glass of nice, red, Chilean wine and curled up with a good book. I was proud of what I had done, I was relaxed, I was happy, and the house was tidy and quiet. My goodness. Luxury!
Cheers!
Diane
-- Michael Althsuler
If only time could be 'saved'! Just imagine having a cache of extra hours set aside for when you'd really like to spend some more time on something, or someone.
This week, the emphasis is on making the best use of the time we do have. A primary suggestion is learning how to effectively multi-task. I am afraid that when I first read these words, I cringed a little. Oh, no, I thought. Is this going to make me feel even worse? I was imagining the various 'workaholics' and 'I'm-so-busy-all-the-time' freaks I have known, and the way they look down their pointy noses at anyone who (shockingly!) appears to be NOT frantically busy every second of the day. Oy vey.
But, thankfully, I was wrong. Regina's key word here is 'effectively' and I was relieved to read these words: "In our modern world, we feel that we need to be on the landline phone, the computer, and the cell phone, shuffling paper, and reading today's newspaper simultaneously." I agree wholeheartedly! And I felt like giving Regina a big 'high five' when I read, "When you splinter your focus like this, you fry your nervous system."
OK, but what is the 'happy medium' here? How can I 'effectively multi-task' without jeopardizing my nervous system? Regina answered my question. "Do I denounce multi-tasking? No. But I think it's an art, and this week I'd like you to cultivate the healthy way to multi-task."
She goes on to give several very sensible examples. For instance, you should always have something to read (or a notebook for writing) if you know you are going to be sitting in a waiting room, or travelling. "Nothing is accomplished by staring at the walls." Amen to that! I was thrilled to have gotten this one right. I hate waiting of any sort as it really is such a complete waste of time. But when I can use the time to dive into a good book, or to study Spanish, or to write something, the waiting time goes by quite quickly. Plus, instead of feeling bored, restless, and impatient, I end up feeling quite energized, positive, and relaxed.
Her next piece of advice was, "When watching TV, have something to do during commercials." Another ace for me! One day last week I came home from work to an empty house as the kids were out for the evening. It had been a gloomy, rainy day and more thunderstorms were on their way. On days like this, my rheumatism acts up and so my knees were very swollen and painful and my energy was very low indeed.
I really felt I could do nothing other than rest my weary bones and joints, so I turned on the Food Network and curled up on the couch. I wasn't actually feeling relaxed, though, because there was too much chaos around me. Most of it was from all of my bedroom contents still being in the dining/living rooms, and the rest was from the kids having eaten, showered, changed clothes, and rushed out the door without tidying up after themselves.
I really enjoyed getting lost in the cooking show and being temporarily distracted from all of the clutter - until the first commercial came along and I began to feel restless. My joints hurt a lot and I was tired, so I knew I couldn't expect myself to just jump in, work hard, and set things right. But I also knew I couldn't truly enjoy an evening of pure sloth while there were tasks calling to me right and left.
And so, during the commercial, I dragged my weary body into the kitchen and began to do the dishes.; a few more commercials and they were all washed. A few more and they were dried and put away and the counter and the island cleared and cleaned.
I ended up spending the entire early evening this way. During every commercial I did just one small thing, and they really added up. A few hours later I turned off the TV and revelled in the satisfaction I felt. It had been 'the best of both worlds.' I had had a completely relaxing, comforting evening and yet everything was so much tidier - almost as if by magic.
It really didn't feel like multi-tasking to me! It wasn't draining, or difficult, or endangering to my nervous system. It actually became a sort of game - seeing how much I could accomplish during the few minutes of each commercial break. And the end result was very, very satisfying indeed.
And so, to reward myself for my unanticipated productivity, I poured myself a glass of nice, red, Chilean wine and curled up with a good book. I was proud of what I had done, I was relaxed, I was happy, and the house was tidy and quiet. My goodness. Luxury!
Cheers!
Diane
Sunday, June 6, 2010
"Organizing the Business of Life"
Month #3, Week #1 of "One Year to an Organized Life" by Regina Leeds
"The journey is the reward."
-- Anonymous
This month will be all about "Organizing the Business of Life" and that means getting control over "the paper bogeyman", as Regina calls it. She says, "For some reason, paper seems to strike fear into the heart of most adults."
I read the introduction and chapter one and started thinking about just why I find controlling paper clutter so difficult. I totally agree with Regina when she says, "...getting organized is about making decisions and piles are merely stacks of unmade decisions made visible..." So true! I think that is a really big reason for my paper clutter. I simply put off making decisions and eventually it becomes so daunting that it just increases my tendency to procrastinate. So, this month will be a really big challenge for me.
I would love to tell you how I started to get a system going and was working toward this month's goals. But instead I will be honest. Unfortunately, reading and thinking are all I've been able to do this week.
Last Monday and Tuesday evenings I had to be away from home, and then on Wednesday I started to become ill with a terribly sore and swollen throat and glands, fever, headache, dizziness, and a total lack of energy. I wanted to go to a clinic but wasn't up to driving. I was hoping to be much better on the weekend, but it didn't work out that way.
This really was unfortunate because my 'bedroom sanctuary' is still very far from completion. All of my bedroom's contents are still in the living/dining room and it is really starting to affect our ability to keep the rest of the house tidy. On Saturday we managed to do a little painting of the trim, but I just wasn't up to it. Mark would have done more painting, but he had more repair work than he anticipated. Plus, he got the grass cut, and at least that looks tidy.
On Friday our back door lock broke; we should have tried to fix it or replace it on Saturday, but with my sickness and Mark's busyness, it just slipped by us.
This morning we started on the painting and then suddenly remembered the lock. We thought we could take it apart and fix the problem, but we just couldn't. We ended up driving to the hardware store, returning it and buying another (more expensive) one. We tried for hours to try to install it but just couldn't. So, we took that one back and bought yet another. A few more hours later and we were both feeling extremely frustrated at our failure to install this new lock. We just couldn't tell what we were doing wrong.
In the end our entire day was taken up with this futile project and Mark had to get going as he had his motorcycle and the temperature had dropped quite a bit in the evening. I am still not feeling well, unfortunately, and am just exhausted after this wasted day. Sigh.
So, sadly, here it is Sunday night and I feel tired, and sick, and frustrated. Everything is upside down and I can't do anything about it right now. I know that this sickness is frustrating me as well, and no doubt that is one reason I am feeling discouraged.
However, I am trying to keep the big picture in mind and not let it get to me. I believe it will ultimately all come together, we've just got to hang in there. By next weekend, I'm really hoping the bedroom will be back together - and beautiful.
And as for the wretched door lock, tomorrow I will ask my friend, Dan, if he could find it in his heart to help me out. He's a very kind person, Dan is. And, fortunately for me, he knows everything. A good friend to have!
Cheers!
Diane
"The journey is the reward."
-- Anonymous
This month will be all about "Organizing the Business of Life" and that means getting control over "the paper bogeyman", as Regina calls it. She says, "For some reason, paper seems to strike fear into the heart of most adults."
I read the introduction and chapter one and started thinking about just why I find controlling paper clutter so difficult. I totally agree with Regina when she says, "...getting organized is about making decisions and piles are merely stacks of unmade decisions made visible..." So true! I think that is a really big reason for my paper clutter. I simply put off making decisions and eventually it becomes so daunting that it just increases my tendency to procrastinate. So, this month will be a really big challenge for me.
I would love to tell you how I started to get a system going and was working toward this month's goals. But instead I will be honest. Unfortunately, reading and thinking are all I've been able to do this week.
Last Monday and Tuesday evenings I had to be away from home, and then on Wednesday I started to become ill with a terribly sore and swollen throat and glands, fever, headache, dizziness, and a total lack of energy. I wanted to go to a clinic but wasn't up to driving. I was hoping to be much better on the weekend, but it didn't work out that way.
This really was unfortunate because my 'bedroom sanctuary' is still very far from completion. All of my bedroom's contents are still in the living/dining room and it is really starting to affect our ability to keep the rest of the house tidy. On Saturday we managed to do a little painting of the trim, but I just wasn't up to it. Mark would have done more painting, but he had more repair work than he anticipated. Plus, he got the grass cut, and at least that looks tidy.
On Friday our back door lock broke; we should have tried to fix it or replace it on Saturday, but with my sickness and Mark's busyness, it just slipped by us.
This morning we started on the painting and then suddenly remembered the lock. We thought we could take it apart and fix the problem, but we just couldn't. We ended up driving to the hardware store, returning it and buying another (more expensive) one. We tried for hours to try to install it but just couldn't. So, we took that one back and bought yet another. A few more hours later and we were both feeling extremely frustrated at our failure to install this new lock. We just couldn't tell what we were doing wrong.
In the end our entire day was taken up with this futile project and Mark had to get going as he had his motorcycle and the temperature had dropped quite a bit in the evening. I am still not feeling well, unfortunately, and am just exhausted after this wasted day. Sigh.
So, sadly, here it is Sunday night and I feel tired, and sick, and frustrated. Everything is upside down and I can't do anything about it right now. I know that this sickness is frustrating me as well, and no doubt that is one reason I am feeling discouraged.
However, I am trying to keep the big picture in mind and not let it get to me. I believe it will ultimately all come together, we've just got to hang in there. By next weekend, I'm really hoping the bedroom will be back together - and beautiful.
And as for the wretched door lock, tomorrow I will ask my friend, Dan, if he could find it in his heart to help me out. He's a very kind person, Dan is. And, fortunately for me, he knows everything. A good friend to have!
Cheers!
Diane
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