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Started 12 months ago by Mahitahi
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Mahitahi
Member

I'm making so much effort to decisively de-clutter,after years of indecision & shifting muddled paper piles.
I can visualise the Zen-like simplicity I aspire to, but I'm clambering into a spare room full of muddled papers. It seems impossible to know where to start.
I've switched off the radio & television.
I've already eaten a huge breakfast.I'm a chronic stress eater, baled up on Twitter, trying to stay out of the kitchen to stick to yesterday's new resolve.
I have such a strong urge to go and buy a shredder on my credit card.
I product search...$$$!!!??? Which one? My pile is so huge, would a home shredder cope?
I long to load a deeply meaningful screensaver,and a Trojan virus warning leaps onto the screen.
Mother rings for the third time...alone...wanting to tell me how good her day is going.It would be so tempting to shift my self-irritation onto her, but I've been here before too many times to deceive myself.
I saw her mail muddled across her table yesterday, ruefully musing on the reality that my paper muddles go way back!
I still haven't mastered the goal I wake up every morning determined to achieve.

I should be planning the next week's perfect plan...
I want to end today liberated from this cycle.

I feel locked in rigid armour.
How do I ever get past this too familiar stressful inertia on a sunny Sunday morning?

Posted 12 months ago #
Another Deb
Member

Hello Mahitahi,

Set a timer for 15 minutes. For that 15 minutes, start sorting the papers into two piles. One to discard (by whatever means)and one to keep. You can choose to shred, or take the papers to a commercial shredder, just get them separated for the time being. It might not be the entire pile, but you can work in baby steps.

Then, take the pile to save and sort it by another criteria: bills to pay, letters to reply to, whatever.

Sort the remaining pile another way, each time just splitting the pile two ways.

I sort my school papers this way and it helps a lot. After 15 minutes, you may want to set the timer again and act on the sorting. Answer three letters, pay the bills, make a folder for the tax papers, etc.

If you know you only have to do something for 15 minutes, it helps you stay recharged, and once you see the progress, you get motivated to keep going!

One other thing I have found is that if I decide I can't sit down while I am decluttering, I get a LOT more done!

You are making that mental image of the life you want to lead, so keep that image in your mind and when you get bogged down, think : "Will this action lead me to that life?" Good luck! Lots of us are here doing the same thing.

Posted 12 months ago #
Mahitahi
Member

You're a gem, Another Deb!
I went and did the laundry, just to get moving.
Weekends are too precious to waste.
Just two piles-Keep & Discard.
I can handle that.
Thanks!

Posted 12 months ago #
bandicoot
Member

committing to a 15 minute start is a really good strategy.
like deb says, just start the timer and start sorting.
the only way to eat the elephant is one little bite at a time and that is how most of us manage to acheive anything.

it can be paralysing and overwhelming to look at a whole big mess all at once.
so, give yourself permission to look at it just for fifteen minutes at a time and ONLY the part that can be managed in that fifteen minutes.
chip away at it.
keep us posted in the ATAD thread...paper definitely counts!
you can absolutely do this!

and, you do not have to answer the phone every single time it rings!
it is your phone, for your convenience.
make it convenient.
it's perfectly ok.

Posted 12 months ago #
susanintexas
Member

All good advice!

You used one word that set off alarms with me -- PERFECT!

There is no perfect plan, so give it up. Just start doing it. I found it useful to go for the easy stuff first so I could see some progress. Each step you take will reveal the next step. It's not just a zen-like life at the end of your decluttering -- the process itself is zen-like, rooted in the moment.

On a more earthly note, we have an inexpensive shredder and I have used it for mountains of paperwork. It works great still, but you have to take it slowly. Only 4-5 sheets at a time, and let it rest every half hour or so to keep it from overheating and/or jamming. This is not a bad thing.

Here's a review page on shredders:
http://www.consumersearch.com/paper-shredders/best-paper-shredders
The one we have is similar to the Fellowes that is recommended as costs about $60.

Posted 12 months ago #
Emilie
Member

One small thing that helped me with a totally overwhelming room (in my case, a storage unit full of random stuff) was to take a before picture. It can be too easy to discount the progress you do make, so having photographic evidence of your work can be motivating.

Posted 12 months ago #
Mahitahi
Member

I appreciate the support from you all so much!
I feel so relieved to be really honest, and onto the heart of the matter.

I didn't even realise I'd written the word " perfect."
My workplace is governed by "perfect planning prevents poor performance."

The shredder review is timely-the recommended Fellowe's model is on special 10 minutes way.
Thank you!

Posted 12 months ago #
bandicoot
Member

we say "prior preparation prevents piss poor performance".
so it doesn't have to be perfect...it just has to be prior!
it doesn't matter which corner you start on nor what order you work in....as long as you commit to chewing it fifteen minutes at a time, it will all get done.

how i wish i had before-and-after photos of my office and wardrobe.
and kitchen, omg.
i did it a little bit at a time, and sometimes, i got a huge burst of inspired energy and did a whole day's worth.
comparing notes here, it seems that lots of us have decluttered like that.
all you have to do is set the timer and start.

Posted 12 months ago #
Jackthetiger
Member

This advice is very sound and should get you underway in no time. Paper clutter is so frustrating in this "paperless society" we supposedly have now. It seems that every bill arrives with a quarterly newsletter telling us how lucky we are to be their customers! While you are going through the decluttering process, try to avoid bringing any new paper in to your house. Resist that flyer that someone is trying to push into your hand. If you get things in your letter box, pop them in the recycling bin on your way into the house. If you want to, you might be able to get your bills sent to you online, but make sure you deal with them promptly.

Good luck Mahitahi

Posted 12 months ago #
Mahitahi
Member

"Prior!" I'm definitely adopting that change of emphasis.

"Mindful" kept coming to mind, releasing and re-connecting the senses to a single action.That's been so beneficial.

Setting the timer I've done before, like a grim race under pressure. It was much more fun today, reminding me of you all.

Your encouragement really helped me to make small decisions, one at a time.
There is now a clear path between the bags of papers to sort.
I've set up one place only for filing at home and I've decided WHAT I will do WHERE.

I feel very satisfied and grateful tonight.
Bedtime in NZ!
Thank you, again.

Posted 12 months ago #
Mahitahi
Member

"Prior!" I'm definitely adopting that change of emphasis.

"Mindful" kept coming to mind, releasing and re-connecting the senses to a single action.That's been so beneficial.

Setting the timer I've done before, like a grim race under pressure. It was much more fun today, reminding me of you all.

Your encouragement really helped me to make small decisions, one at a time.
There is now a clear path between the bags of papers to sort.
I've set up one place only for filing at home and I've decided WHAT I will do WHERE.

I feel very satisfied and grateful tonight.
Bedtime in NZ!
Thank you, again.

Posted 12 months ago #
JuliaJayne
Member

It sounds like you are doing very well, learn quickly and have a great attitude. You have been given very good advice. (no surprise from the people on this forum) Getting control of the paper is a slow, methodical process, but it feels so good once it's under control.

Posted 12 months ago #
bandicoot
Member

oo whereabouts in nz are you?
i am a jaffa, now living in oztralia!

Posted 12 months ago #
Another Deb
Member

Bandicoot, what language is that? LOL!

Mahitahi, Yay! Here's another mantra for you: "I can, I know, I will".

I can make my life decluttered, organized and calm.
I know some strategies to do this.
I will use the timer 15 minutes, three times a day to work on the papers.

Posted 12 months ago #
DM613
Member

I have to admit it's quite annoying when 3 of those are in your face. Kinda hard to aim when your screen is full of blinking red dots. And in a dark map like that, you're a pretty easy target for snipers when your head is covered with those
RS Gold Tera Account Cheap Tera CDKey

Posted 11 months ago #
Astreja
Member

Could someone declutter DM613 the gamer/spammer, please?

Posted 11 months ago #
Mahitahi
Member

All set for a 3-hour session.
JuliaJayne- Thank you for seeing positive strength in the midst of my challenge.
bandicoot-I'm in Wellington, and love it!
Another Deb- I can, I know I will....O.K.
I can speed sort Keep/Discard/Not Sure
I know I can achieve a lot in one afternoon if I keep going.
I will drink tonic water instead of stress eating, while I cull.
DM613 message seems unrelated.
Astreja- Hope you got the help you asked for!
3,2,1...Go!

Posted 11 months ago #
Mahitahi
Member

Hallway cleared.
Home office culled & systems sorted.
One room, full of papers.
Reading zen habits/The Illusion of Control helped me to lighten up and enjoy the job.
Thanks for encouraging me to tackle the hard stuff.
Very liberating.

Posted 11 months ago #
Rosa
Member

Congratulations! That is a huge accomplishment.

Posted 11 months ago #
luxcat
Member

well done!

Posted 11 months ago #

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