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KonMari 2016 - The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up

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  • PollyWollyDoodle
    PollyWollyDoodle Posts: 2,053
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    GreyQueen wrote: »
    :T

    But how much time over a lifetime is spent doing tip-runs when you could have been picnicking, checking out storage solutions instead of chucking out items (responsibly, of course)?

    ...

    I have to keep reminding myself whenever I am tempted to hang on to useful things in excess quantities to probable usage, that useful isn't the same as used and that good things can die in storage and be rendered useless. That hanging onto excess out of greed and/ or insecurity isn't a responsible way to live.

    So true, and this has reminded me of the story of the monkey trap. (I don't know if this is true but it's a good metaphor). Apparently there was a country where they'd cut a small hole in a gourd and put some rice inside. Monkeys would come along, put their paw inside the gourd and grasp some rice, but then they couldn't withdraw their paw because the clenched fistful of rice was too large to get through the hole. They'd sit there, unwilling to let go of the rice until the hunter came along and picked them up. They could easily have escaped by letting go of the rice but were trapped by their desire to keep it.

    Thought for the day, from PWD! :rotfl:
    Life is mainly froth and bubble: two things stand like stone. Kindness in another’s trouble, courage in your own.
  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 16,073
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    BT sorted. Surprisingly efficiently ... although I'll wait and see whether it actually all goes to plan. The only tried to sell me one extra service. And they seemed surprised that someone else provided fibre in this area and they don't :)

    Guess I should call HMRC and then sort out my stuff for the post office so I can feel virtuous about having actually done something for a change!

    Oh... and I ordered some doorhandles. Which reminds me - I need a shower curtain pole and some bathroom door locks.
  • MMF007
    MMF007 Posts: 1,375
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    * tip toes in to say, now I am a cleaner I need to defend the job. I work hard, often staying over my hours to finish a task and I am extremely hygienic! *

    off to assist a client in swapping winter clothes for summer ones in loft!

    Have a happy day everyone! GQ obviously will have that nailed :D

    M
    I have changed my work-life balance to a life-work balance. :grin:
  • VJsmum
    VJsmum Posts: 6,946
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    edited 12 May 2016 at 8:53AM
    MMF007 wrote: »
    * tip toes in to say, now I am a cleaner I need to defend the job. I work hard, often staying over my hours to finish a task and I am extremely hygienic! *

    off to assist a client in swapping winter clothes for summer ones in loft!

    Have a happy day everyone! GQ obviously will have that nailed :D

    M
    y



    Hi M - don't feel you need to justify, I have had some fab cleaners. My one before this was superb but needed to earn more money and had to give us up. She became a good friend. But given the niggles I have with this one I just can't justify keeping her when my income has gone down. Particularly as I need to hide from her when she comes otherwise I can't get anything done :rotfl:


    Today I read this (some of you are followers I know)


    http://www.becomingminimalist.com/to-do/


    A three item "to do" list. Now THAT'S something I can achieve. I apply it to my exercise already (a half hour walk three times a week as a minimum, anything else is bonus) so I reckon I can do the same. Rather than being frustrated at all the things I haven't done, I can celebrate completing my to do list.




    So today's three things are


    • Ironing OR shopping (i.e. something housey) (sorry GQ to mention the I word :D)
    • Prepare for tomorrow's day of assessing (something that will make tomorrow less stressful)
    • Start compiling my reference list for my PhD (something I should have done ages ago, rather than just dive in, and now seems HUUUGE)
    Now my question to all of you who are far more organised than me, is there a website / app thingy I can use for these lists? Someone recommended "Workflowy" but it seems a little lame - I think it's just cos there isn't a tick box element. Or shall I just spreadsheet?


    I'd like to log it so I can see the progress.


    There are other jobs need doing - tidy office, get oven professionally cleaned and repaired for e.g. - but I can't do those today so they can form another day's list.
    I wanna be in the room where it happens
  • kazwookie
    kazwookie Posts: 13,809
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    Karmcat, if the one you have is genuine, they are generally carved by sailors on long sea voyages, and can be worth quite a bit, can be known as scrimshore horn,/ or whale bone. I suggest you remove the light bulb and any wiring, and take it to a local auction house, or the antiques road show if it is coming near you.

    More stuff flung out.
    Breast Cancer Now 2022 100 miles October 100 / 100miles
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    2024 7/28 lbs to go.
  • essexgal
    essexgal Posts: 2,353
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    Karmacat - sounds like it might be Scrimshaw - there's a collectors website which might be worth looking at.

    http://www.collectorsweekly.com/folk-art/scrimshaw

    would love to see a photo of it :D

    essexgal
    ;)old enough to know better, young enough not to care;)
  • Floss
    Floss Posts: 8,185
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    Greenbee Thanks for the HMRC tip - is that this new financial year?
    2021 Decluttering Awards: ⭐⭐🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇🥇 2022 Decluttering Awards: 🥇
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  • greenbee
    greenbee Posts: 16,073
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    Floss wrote: »
    Greenbee Thanks for the HMRC tip - is that this new financial year?

    Yep. It worked fine last year - then my P60 arrived so I thought I'd make a start, and I can't get in. I'd love someone else to try and report back to me, as I haven't had a response to my feedback email!
  • GreyQueen
    GreyQueen Posts: 13,008
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    :) Evening all.

    Not sure if I will get to the allotment tonight as I am roasting a YS leg of pork and, even though I started it as soon as I came in, it still has time left to go - actually, just looking at the timer, it's only 24 mins left to go so should have time to go out and play.

    A freegler has been this evening and collected something they'd asked for and an additional few things of related type which suddenly sprang to mind and then I thought to offer them as well. They were delighted and I was delighted. Giving something away is just so happiness-inducing, don't you find?:rotfl:

    PWD, I had heard about the monkey traps before and it lodged in my mind as you will sometimes see the greedy human equivalent of trapped monkey behaviour as you go through life.

    Sometimes, the most efficient way of dealing with things is to cut your losses and let things go. It's the decluttering version of the employee who has eff-yew money - you can walk away from Stuff because it doesn't possess you, it's just Things.
    Every increased possession loads us with a new weariness.
    John Ruskin
    Veni, vidi, eradici
    (I came, I saw, I kondo'd)
  • mothernerd
    mothernerd Posts: 4,827
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    My son and I are both self-employed. He tried to do his tax on-line as soon as the new tax year started - his sales and purchases are all done on-line so he has everything to hand). It wouldn't even let him into the 'self assessment bit'. He has completed his tax credit form but still waiting on something in the post from HMRC which he hopes will help. Mine is usually in as soon as I can get round to it but definitely before June - do tax and tax credits on the same day. Last year tax was a doddle but WTC made me fill in an 'experimental' identity procedure (similar to the procedure for verifying a credit card payment) and that took ages - supposedly it makes subsequent log ins easy.

    Unless it's a plot by the gubberment to make us all fail our self-assessment deadlines, then they can fine us.
    My mission in life is not only to survive,but to thrive and to do so with some Passion, some Compassion, some Humour and some Style.
    NST SEP No 1 No Debt No mortgage
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