Evil Genius at Work

Year of decluttering – day 6

Ang. — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 12:42:03 +0000

2 old lotions (trash)
2 old lip glosses (trash)
1 Yankee Candle (charity box)

Total items so far: 35

Year of decluttering – day 5

Ang. — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:24:09 +0000

Today:

5 CDs (ripped the songs I want, the rest to the used book store box)
2 travel books (used book store box)

Items so far: 30

Year of decluttering – day 4

Ang. — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 20:09:39 +0000

Today’s decluttering:

2 tubes of foot scrub (trash)
1 bookmark (charity bin)
5 books of manga (used book store)

Total items decluttered so far: 23

Challenges

Ang. — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:31:29 +0000

I am entering another knitting challenge. One day I will complete one within the specified time frame. I have made this one quite challenging for myself, but I am optimistic.

I seem to find myself entering challenges all the time: knitting, writing, getting in shape, decluttering. Why do I do that? I’ve never really thought about it in depth, but maybe this is something I should explore about myself? Hmm…

Year of Decluttering – Day 3

Ang. — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 14:19:14 +0000

Today I decluttered:

3 pairs of socks (charity box)
1 lonely sock without a mate (trash)
1 old magazine (working my way through some back issues)

Total items so far: 15

All before breakfast.

I told my partner that I was doing this, and of course he did the mental math. “So, you think you have over 1800 things to get rid of?”

“Oh, easily. But even if I just throw out a bent paper clip, that’s a thing.”

Wow, 1800 things. Thinking about all the stuff crammed into my desk, my drawers, shelves and boxes… yeah, I bet I do. I sometimes feel as if I’m drowning in stuff. I go into the front bedroom, which I’m trying to make into a kind of study/retreat, and I don’t even know where to begin. This is where we’ve stuck everything we don’t want to deal with yet, and man, there’s a LOT of it. Time to deal.

Five/day decluttering – Days 1 & 2

Ang. — Sun, 29 Aug 2010 03:16:58 +0000

Yesterday was my birthday, and for this new year (new year of me, anyway) I have made a resolution to get rid of five things a day for the year. On Friday I decluttered:

2 linen dresses (charity box)
1 pair of old underwear (trash can)
2 cookbooks (box for used book store)

And today I decluttered:

1 more cookbook (used book store)
1 half-empty bottle of old styling product (trash)
1 old bottle of eye drops (trash)
1 ruler (charity box)
1 old magazine (recycling bin)

That’s 10 things! Planning to work on my clothes tomorrow. I have way too many socks and t-shirts.

Will it take a year? The final decluttering push begins.

Ang. — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:37:29 +0000

Tomorrow I turn… old enough not to have to tell. Suffice to say, it’s a birthday. My home is feeling more open and comfortable, but there is still this one room… and all these drawers… a bunch of “hidden” clutter that needs to be dealt with. So, starting tomorrow, I will get rid of five things each day for a year. This is the hard stuff we’re talking about here – either hard to get rid of because of emotional attachments, or inconvenient to dispose of because it should be disposed of “properly” – such as my comic book collection that has a number of very valuable items and a bunch of items that I can’t begin to value. Ugh. Anyway…

I can’t claim that this was my brilliant idea – I’m totally ripping it off from a comment someone left on a post somewhere, and they got it from someone else who got it, I think, from a book. But it’s a great idea, and I’m doing it.

So starting tomorrow I will get rid of at least five items each day, and post them here. If anyone is reading this, why don’t you join me? I’m sure I have enough items to get rid of five a day and still have more to do at the end of one year – but maybe I’m wrong. Will it take a year? Only one way to find out.

Other People’s Stuff

Ang. — Fri, 04 Jun 2010 15:26:19 +0000

It’s true what they say, you can’t declutter other people’s stuff. Last weekend I spent a few hours going through my parents’ garage. There was so much stuff that really needed to be tossed out, or sent to Goodwill, but I didn’t have the authority to do it and I couldn’t ask them about it because my dad would say, “Out it goes!” and my mom would say, “That’s mine! I might need that!” Although, what an 89 year old woman with Alzheimer’s who never leaves her house is going to do with 80 Zippo lighters is beyond me. I did manage to fill a garbage can with trash, and sneak a few knick-knacks off to the thrift store, and sweep up all the leaves, debris, bent nails, and spilled laundry detergent. I rearranged the shelves so that all the Xmas decorations were in one place and things were easier to find. At least now I have a better estimate of what I am going to be dealing with when my parents pass and I have to clean out their house.

On a positive note, I returned home with an even greater desire to cull my belongings. I only wish I didn’t have so very many commitments for the weekend. If I can just clean out my (already greatly purged) closet and drawers I will be a happy camper. If I can organize my yarn stash and assemble a few more projects to complete, I’ll be ecstatic. I think I’ll shoot for ecstatic.

Moving Forward

Ang. — Thu, 20 May 2010 21:35:39 +0000

It’s almost a week now since losing Kitty. The hardest part is coming home and not being greeted at the door, or seeing her running into the room when she hears the key in the lock. But I framed a lovely picture of her, and am trying to focus on the positive (fewer dust bunnies, no litter box). I have lost pets in the past, but she was the pet of my adult years, and was with me the longest. Anyone who has lost a beloved pet knows it’s not “just a pet.”

One of the difficult decisions I had to make was whether I wanted her ashes. The vet’s office gave us this option, and my b/f and I discussed it at length. I finally decided that it was better not to have them – not because they would eventually become clutter (because honestly, what would I do with them?), but because I came to the conclusion that hanging on to such a memento would keep me in the past – it just wouldn’t be emotionally healthy. I’d look at the box, or urn, or container, or whatever and remember the hard times at the end. Better to move forward with a lovely picture and good memories.

I did do a lot of decluttering and organizing and cleaning last weekend – it helped keep my mind occupied. I went bowling with friends, but didn’t mention her passing. It was better to spend time with them, laughing and joking, without them feeling like they needed to comfort me. It was as good as it could be, and I accomplished things I was able to feel good about.

The last couple of days I have been feeling very energized and motivated. I have started writing again, and am now over halfway finished with the manuscript I have been neglecting since December. If I continue at this rate, I could have a final draft by the end of June, and a submission-ready copy and synopsis by the end of July.

I spent a little time today re-reading this post from zenhabits.net. This is one of the posts I have bookmarked and return to now and then for inspiration and motivation. What really spoke to me today were items 16-18. Tonight I plan to spend some time envisioning my ultimate life and setting some goals. I know my ultimate life includes a calm, uncluttered home, time to garden, and the ability to quit my day job and write full time. I look forward to exploring my vision more closely!

When Minimizing is Sad. When Decluttering is Therapy.

Ang. — Thu, 13 May 2010 15:06:43 +0000

Tomorrow I will be following through on the most difficult decision I have ever had to make, and this weekend I will be doing some hard core minimizing to get my mind off of it and get past it.

The “semi-continent cat” referred to in my site description? Her time has come. She is 17 (or 18, I’ve lost track), on medication for hyperthyroidism. This is hard on her kidneys, which are already too small, so she eats special prescription food to deal with that. She also takes medication for the irritable bowel syndrome which is keeping her from absorbing necessary nutrients. And don’t forget the monthly injections for her arthritic hips. She weighs less than 6 pounds, has stopped grooming herself, and walks around drooling on herself. I won’t tell you where I found poop yesterday. It’s not pretty, it can’t be good, and it’s reached the tipping point where it just seems cruel to keep her going. Poor kitty. But she has had a good, long life. She has traveled across the country a couple of times and seen more of the world than most kitties (she LOVES riding in the car and looking out the window). She has also helped me declutter by breaking her fair share of my knick-knacks over the years. I’ll miss my girl.

This weekend I will have to dispose of her toys, and litter boxes (yes, multiple – semi-continent, remember?), and other cat-related paraphernalia. I will keep her dishes, because they are cute, remind me of her in a good way, and can be used again in the future if/when I get another cat. I know I would regret it if I got rid of those bowls.

I’ll also do other decluttering, and organizing (all my summer clothes are at the back of the closet, and this seems like a good opportunity for yet another wardrobe purge), and cleaning this weekend. I’ll start thinking about the chairs I can reupholster now that I don’t have to worry about her chewing on them. The Sash Guy is coming to work on my windows next week, so I need to make sure they’re all easily accessible (much easier now that I have been decluttering).

I will be able to take things to the next level on the decluttering and minimizing front. I won’t have to watch my step or work around the litter boxes or put throws over select items of furniture. I will focus on the positives.