Clutter. Even just saying the word ... makes me bristle. When I cook ... I realize it is logical to clean up one mess before you begin another, but often, I don't. Or at least, rarely. Can I tell you how many recipes I've screwed up because I've got 2 or 3 dishes going at the same time. And, since I'm the type of person that can be side-tracked by a piece of lint . . . mixing up recipes can be brutal on the taste buds. Many a night we've had to whip out the cereal because dinner was a bomb.
Quite frankly, I am of the opinion that those of us that are cluttered in one part of our life, typically have it spill over into other parts. After awhile, that can become a real problem or at the very least, incredibly frustrating. I "thought" it all started with the "black hole" in my basement but, if I was really honest with myself, I have to admit that I have lots of little black holes in my life (the basement one is just the most obvious).
There's the over-stuffed bag I tote to and from school - trying to find anything in that bag is an exercise in futility. My laundry room - a very busy place - can go from tidy to chaos in short order. It generally gets cleaned up after I find myself in one of my, "I'VE HAD ENOUGH" days. The book shelves have been overstuffed for years - I've actually found duplicates! Just because they get dusted and are lined up doesn't mean that I need to keep them, does it? If they aren't getting read - what in the world do I need them for? Yes, I paid a lot of money for them but the likelihood of me re-reading them again, are slim to none. It took me years to even realize I had multiple copies! Maybe I just need to pack them up and drop them off at a used book store for others to enjoy. The suitcase closet has become its own nightmare (I'm wondering when the right time is to get rid of ancient wheel-less baby blue luggage that's been taking up valuable space).
The garage is now housing random cardboard boxes that we might use "one day" to take the stuff from the basement to the charity organizations, and so on. Saving things that you might one day find some use for has become my crutch. Keeping some things makes sense, but if it's not organized and stored away - it only adds to chaotic clutter. I'm starting to sound like a potential hoarder, huh? I'm not, but I guess even they had to start somewhere.
I know some people believe that clutter is "their style" and that may be true. You always hear of people saying that they think better and work better surrounded by their "organized clutter". I am pretty sure I've used that line, too. Only problem is . . . one's clutter not only spills over into other parts of our life but other people's lives, too. How many times have family, friends or co-workers sat waiting for us while we've torn our desk, house, car, etc. apart looking for yet another thing?
Years ago, I read a statement from the Fly Lady (an organizational website - I've mention her before - she's got herself a very helpful and detailed website) ... 'you can't clean clutter.' I think that's fairly accurate. In fact, if you have too much clutter ... it's quite overwhelming trying to figure out how and where to start. I won't re-invent the wheel - check her out (flylady.com).
I, for one, find that when I am surrounded by clutter of any kind . . . it definitely affects my presence of mind. Not only that . . . my sleep and how I go about my day. The busier I am, the less restful sleep I seem to get. Rarely can I relax during the day when things are whirling around in my head. The more I have on my plate, the more I have on my mind. So, in essence - clutter clutters your mind.
When I say clutter, I am not just talking about physical clutter. That's something that we would normally think of when we envision clutter. But - clutter can be other things, too. How about the mail, unpaid bills, and/or returning phones calls/e-mails. They need to be dealt with, but how often do we throw our mail in a pile and get busy with life. We check the answering machine or open e-mails with the intention of returning the message. Time flies, you get side-tracked - it doesn't happen. But - you don't totally forget . . . at the most inopportune time (like 2:00 a.m.) you suddenly remember. And, then you start thinking on it. Before you know it, it's 3:00 and you are punching your pillow trying to nod off, "Oh, man - I've got to get up in a few hours. I have to remember to take care of that." Then, you drift off into an unsatisfied sleep and a week goes by before you get around to dealing with it. We never really forget it though, do we? Our sneaky little subconscious won't let us. It's "there" just sitting at the back of our mind - refusing to allow us to be totally relaxed. "Out of sight" doesn't necessarily mean "out of mind". Keeping a note pad or Post Its and pen by your bed, in you bathroom, car, and other key places is very helpful.
I've mentioned before that I have my small note book that I carry around with me, and it has been a life saver and a time saver. I'm always surprised when I open it up to see reminders about things that I had temporarily forgotten about! It's saved my hide on more than one occasion! I've had to admit to myself that I'm terrible at paying bills, so now, when I pick up the mail, I plunk the unopened envelopes down on my husband's counter (he's really the one who seems to manage to deal with those pesky bills in a timely fashion, anyway). I've started deleting unnecessary e-mails right away (often without reading them) and avoid opening e-mails, if I can't respond immediately.
Maybe your schedule is causing you to break out in a sweat. Too much going on. Could be that you are just taking on too much. I recall telling my husband that if I could just get through that month ... things would get easier. He laughed and said, "Hon, you say that about every month." Turns out, he was right! In the not so distant past, I would be the first to jump on board with the good ideas. Now, I am not breaking down the doors so quickly. I'm holding out for the great ideas, instead. Training yourself, not to commit yourself to a yes or no on the spot, is a good way to give yourself some time to think. I've told my kids in the past, "if you need an answer right away, then it's no. If you can wait, it MIGHT be yes." It's funny how when you free up your schedule. . . what a difference that makes in your outlook (and sleep). There will always be good causes, time slots that need to be filled, and events to attend. Sitting down and looking at your calendar is always a good thing. We don't always do that ... maybe it's time to be a little more diligent about it. Your sanity will thank you!
We always KNOW that last minute things are bound to happen - expect them, so don't make your life so full that when a sick day is in order, you can afford to take one.
Having a Plan B is not such a bad idea. That's my slogan for 2013, as I mentioned in my first post for the New Year. Life is .... Plan B. While, you can't live your life always anticipating every little thing that could go wrong, you do need to give a little thought to the more important things that might need a back up plan.
Food for Thought:
Any change you make matters. The trick is to be consistent. Cut yourself some slack –Rome
Guess, I'll head off to the garage and stick one of those boxes in my car!
Images by: homesofstartandstripes.blogspot.com;
indulgy.com; thislittlepiggywentgreen.wordpress.com; latinavega.com; ptsdforum.org; blogmyprojecttracker.com; sodahead.com
Quite frankly, I am of the opinion that those of us that are cluttered in one part of our life, typically have it spill over into other parts. After awhile, that can become a real problem or at the very least, incredibly frustrating. I "thought" it all started with the "black hole" in my basement but, if I was really honest with myself, I have to admit that I have lots of little black holes in my life (the basement one is just the most obvious).
The garage is now housing random cardboard boxes that we might use "one day" to take the stuff from the basement to the charity organizations, and so on. Saving things that you might one day find some use for has become my crutch. Keeping some things makes sense, but if it's not organized and stored away - it only adds to chaotic clutter. I'm starting to sound like a potential hoarder, huh? I'm not, but I guess even they had to start somewhere.
I know some people believe that clutter is "their style" and that may be true. You always hear of people saying that they think better and work better surrounded by their "organized clutter". I am pretty sure I've used that line, too. Only problem is . . . one's clutter not only spills over into other parts of our life but other people's lives, too. How many times have family, friends or co-workers sat waiting for us while we've torn our desk, house, car, etc. apart looking for yet another thing?
Years ago, I read a statement from the Fly Lady (an organizational website - I've mention her before - she's got herself a very helpful and detailed website) ... 'you can't clean clutter.' I think that's fairly accurate. In fact, if you have too much clutter ... it's quite overwhelming trying to figure out how and where to start. I won't re-invent the wheel - check her out (flylady.com).
I, for one, find that when I am surrounded by clutter of any kind . . . it definitely affects my presence of mind. Not only that . . . my sleep and how I go about my day. The busier I am, the less restful sleep I seem to get. Rarely can I relax during the day when things are whirling around in my head. The more I have on my plate, the more I have on my mind. So, in essence - clutter clutters your mind.
When I say clutter, I am not just talking about physical clutter. That's something that we would normally think of when we envision clutter. But - clutter can be other things, too. How about the mail, unpaid bills, and/or returning phones calls/e-mails. They need to be dealt with, but how often do we throw our mail in a pile and get busy with life. We check the answering machine or open e-mails with the intention of returning the message. Time flies, you get side-tracked - it doesn't happen. But - you don't totally forget . . . at the most inopportune time (like 2:00 a.m.) you suddenly remember. And, then you start thinking on it. Before you know it, it's 3:00 and you are punching your pillow trying to nod off, "Oh, man - I've got to get up in a few hours. I have to remember to take care of that." Then, you drift off into an unsatisfied sleep and a week goes by before you get around to dealing with it. We never really forget it though, do we? Our sneaky little subconscious won't let us. It's "there" just sitting at the back of our mind - refusing to allow us to be totally relaxed. "Out of sight" doesn't necessarily mean "out of mind". Keeping a note pad or Post Its and pen by your bed, in you bathroom, car, and other key places is very helpful.
I've mentioned before that I have my small note book that I carry around with me, and it has been a life saver and a time saver. I'm always surprised when I open it up to see reminders about things that I had temporarily forgotten about! It's saved my hide on more than one occasion! I've had to admit to myself that I'm terrible at paying bills, so now, when I pick up the mail, I plunk the unopened envelopes down on my husband's counter (he's really the one who seems to manage to deal with those pesky bills in a timely fashion, anyway). I've started deleting unnecessary e-mails right away (often without reading them) and avoid opening e-mails, if I can't respond immediately.
We always KNOW that last minute things are bound to happen - expect them, so don't make your life so full that when a sick day is in order, you can afford to take one.
Having a Plan B is not such a bad idea. That's my slogan for 2013, as I mentioned in my first post for the New Year. Life is .... Plan B. While, you can't live your life always anticipating every little thing that could go wrong, you do need to give a little thought to the more important things that might need a back up plan.
Food for Thought:
Any change you make matters. The trick is to be consistent. Cut yourself some slack –
Guess, I'll head off to the garage and stick one of those boxes in my car!
See you next week!
Images by: homesofstartandstripes.blogspot.com;
indulgy.com; thislittlepiggywentgreen.wordpress.com; latinavega.com; ptsdforum.org; blogmyprojecttracker.com; sodahead.com
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