however I have been slow to start another project to tackle. My goal was do to one major project per week. Maybe I need to re-examine that and aim for one major project per month. then I could give myself a 10 and be pretty darn happy!

Wow, that was fun. I really feel proud and grateful now. Thanks!

I wish everone good luck with their goals for the year!

In addition, I am bit by bit improving my workspace because I was inspired by the flickr group photographs. I took a before picture, and I’m about two thirds of the way done with what I’d like to finish before I declare it an “after” and take another picture.

I decided to open an ING Direct account. I opened one. No automatic savings plan yet, but the ING account is open and verified.

I decided to see an honest-to-god financial planner. That’s painful, especially when I exist in a state of clutter, both financial and otherwise. But we are seeing him, and we are following his advice. I have a physician. This other guy is our money doctor.

I also decided to unclutter (declutter? – sorry, I’m an English major and technical writer) my stuff. We’ve lived in our small townhouse for 10 years. My wife and I are both packrats. I am FINALLY going through my piles of papers. The other night I shredded acres of old receipts. The shredder groaned and got a bit warm. Worry not. The tax records, and other important records, are collected and safe. I am also going through the piles of articles I promised myself I would read someday.

I am getting ruthless with myself because I am also getting tired of the clutter. That makes it easier in a way. No more shifting piles from one corner to another. If I can’t bear to toss an article, I keep it. If I can live without it, I throw it away.

The “toss” pile is getting larger by the day. Also, instead of saving all this crap for the weekend, when I’m tired from the workweek and trying to rest up a bit, I am actually doing a bit at a time every night while watching TV. Not too much. Maybe just a little. But something. “Just a dab will do ya.” Remember that old commercial?

I am also going through my library of books. I am a certified bookworm, but I have little time to read anymore. I am trying to write a novel, and the clutter weighs on my mind and my creativity.

I love my books, but that doesn’t mean they are immune. If I doubt I will ever open a book, or refer to it again, or ever want to reread it, I am donating it.

My closet is also being purged. Stuff I haven’t worn in two years is being tossed. Some things I am glad to have found. I am now wearing them again. I lost a cozy, heavy pullover that I am now wearing at work when it’s cold out. I love it.

Purging the clutter is lots of work. When I’m dealing with piles accumulated over 10 years, but it is worth it.

And I’m totally killing my shredder. Poor thing.

– A Recovering Packrat

most of my new year’s goals were more long-term, however, so not seeing a huge amount of results has made me think i’m not doing as much. but i truly am!

also, why is it that the couch always feels like the best place to fold/stack laundry?

I have not much made progress on getting healthier, but I have been very active. I would give myself credit for keeping up with laundry and housework, but I have not done much for better organiztion. My husband, surprisingly, IS getting better at this! And my third goal — I haven’t even started yet. Blah.

So, maybe a 7 of 10?

I’ve lost 5 pounds and see now how bad the next 10 still look and feel on me. I’ve started straightening out my finances and discovered errors, blunders, and stupidities under the errors, blunders and stupidities I set out to fix. I’ve been selling off my library, cleaning out my cellar, composting, recycling, burning, reusing, and still the amount of waste that turns into clutter, and vice versa, is boggling.

Signed up to get off junk mail lists and now I’m looking cross-eyed at my subscriptions (one newspaper and two magazines–that I ordered, that is.) Then there are all those membership mags I could do without, from AAA to AARP to charity updates, the Arts Council, my college, my senator, and every social service agency I’ve ever supported.

Declared email bankruptcy (deleting inbox, can’t catch up, must start over,you know…_ and got chatty notes from everyone I informed of my dilemma.

It is all worth doing, and in my case it seems exceptionally difficult, largely because it is so overdue. I’m curious to hear how everyone else is doing with their resolutions and organization.