Purging

In my last post, I had planned to discuss my success with the 52 Missions. Well, I did succeed in the first mission which was to take 30 minutes and fill as many trash bags as you could with the clutter that you no longer need in your life. Things that are broken, and worn out, and just sitting there because you never got rid of them. And of course, throw out those bags.

People who engage in decluttering often find a sense of openness and freedom that comes from no longer having the junk cluttering up their lives. I've had that experience in the past, several times when I've decluttered. This time was different.

Part of it has to do with being in very tight financial circumstances. The 52 Missions letter suggested that you get rid of things that are worn out that should be replaced. But at this juncture, as I can't afford to replace things, I'm not about to toss things that I'm still using. That's fine and good. But them comes the bigger question about those things that I'm not actively using right now, but could conceivably use "someday". Conventional decluttering wisdom says to toss. But that also presumes you could replace them when "someday" finally comes. Right now I'm not so sure that's such a good presumption in my circumstances.

But I did manage to fill a few garbage bags, and in the process also put a few items up on freecycle. I also did clear out enough of an area, that we finally could move an old computer desk that we wanted to get rid of. (That desk went out in last week's trash.) (I had been wanting to get rid of that desk for a while, and in it's place I have a small area where I can do my exercise DVD's. I haven't done those for the longest time for lack of a space, and so that's another dividend of decluttering.)

However, I am also starting to think about how I want to fill that space (leaving room for exercise, of course.) I'm trying to rearrange my crafts supplies & get them more organized, and I may use some of that space for that.

Which brings me to my second thought as to why that sense of openness is eluding me. Decluttering may get rid of all the old and bad, but it also leaves an empty void which must then be filled with the good. And so at this point I'm working on filling up my life, my challenge is to make sure what fills my life is good. Perhaps decluttering is part of that, but only as a process on the path towards something above & beyond decluttering itself.

52 Missions

If you want to become more organized there are many websites that can help you. FlyLady is very well known. I used to belong to FlyLady, but it became quite overwhelming, especially as I started working & was out of the house for long stretches at a time. FlyLady sends you several e-mails a day with different tasks to be completed. With FlyLady, I always felt like I was running behind.

I recently came across another organizing site. There are many options with this system, although most of them cost money. The one part that is free is 52 Missions. Once a week you receive an e-mail with a mission, and you commit to spending 30 minutes at some point during the week to complete the mission.

I received my first mission last Tuesday. So tomorrow is the last day for me to work at it. The task is to take a garbage bag and go around the house collecting items that are hanging around with no purpose and to purge them from your life. Results will be posted tomorrow.

Journaling

I've wanted to journal for many years. In fact, several times I've gone so far as to buy a journaling book of some sort - often a nice fancy one that should inspire you to use it - and have gone as far as writing a few pages. And that would be it.

Why did I give up? Multiple reasons. I tend to write alot, & ramble. So it's hard to to find the time I need to properly journal. Or maybe I'm afraid of making a commitment. Or maybe I'm afraid of what I might reveal to myself. Or it could be sheer laziness. I'm not really sure what it is.

Last summer, someone involved in my life inspired me to yet again start journaling. To simplify it, I dug out an "fill in the blanks" type journaling template that I had found online several years previous. I adapted it to suit my needs, and prettyed it up with digital graphics. I had high hopes of recording my thoughts for posterity, to leave as a legacy for my kids. I printed out a few copies, faithfully filled it in for about a week, and then our printer ran out of ink.

Unfortunately last summer was extremely tight financially. So it took a while to print more out, & meanwhile the project fell to the wayside. I've wanted to pick it up again for quite a while, but something has held me back. As silly as it sounds, I'm angry at myself for not resuming it earlier. My record of my life will only be from now forward; my past is lost. Of course this means that I keep pushing more off, and leaving more unrecorded, but emotions aren't logical.

Tonight will start my journaling.

(For quite a while I've gone to other people's blogs & downloaded creations that they had made & shared. I've wanted to do that myself too. So,here is a link to the journal page that I've created, that you can download use yourself if you'd like. I'm hoping it will work properly since I'm new to this linking & sharing. If you do want it & have problems, please let me know.)

daily journal

Creating a structure in life

I need some sort of structure in my life. I need an outside guide to direct my life, to tell me how to go, or else I sort of flounder around, unsure of what I'm supposed to be doing, & completely lose my way.

I've given quite a bit of thought on how to create the structure, but what I've recently come to realize is that in order to create the structure, I must structure the time to actually plot it out. And so, in the interest of better commitment by public declaration, this is my plan.

I will make a point every night, before going to sleep to plan out the following day, and as far beyond as is necessary. I will also use that time for journaling on the previous day. Every night at 10p, I will plan to stop everything & use that time for reflection. I will post on how it is working.