New Year, New Plans and Hopes

Topher

suki1964 wrote: »

I'm still very very slowly getting through the decluttering. It's the 'office' and my wardrobes I'm struggling with

The wardrobes , it's because I've a pile of expensive clothes which no longer fit or are suitable at my age, but I'm loath to throw them away. And the office, well that's full of junk, seriously junk, boxes of programmes for Windows XP, a couple of computers in bits, piles of paper work.

I've got as far as bringing up a black plastic sack. If I can get in this week and clear the floor area so I can get in there it will be a start

I really don't know what is blocking me from this area, the rest of my house is quite orderly and I'm ruthless in other areas when I decide a clear out is required.

But like all that are posting, the seed has been planted and grow I will

Oh my goodness, I had to check that a) this wasn't me writing this, and b) you don't have a spy camera in my own wardrobe and office, I mean really, I've nothing more to add, you've summarised my own stumbling block.

LameWolf

Topher wrote: »

Tartan cushion covers not made (I got the material out and felt guilty about the prospect of slicing up such a lovely large piece of high quality wool fabric ..... hmm, could do with some advice on that attitude methinks).

Topher that's the same problem many artists and writers have, when faced with making the first mark on a brand new pristine piece of paper.

I had the same thing when I started my First Aid For Dogs course, and had a brand-new notebook to write my course notes in. It was, in fact, a notebook that came as a freebie several years ago, and I'd always felt it was "too nice to use" iyswim. But what was I going to do - go and buy a cheap notebook for the course when I had a perfectly good notebook sitting there? Logic won, and I used the notebook I had. :T

Take a deep breath, put scissors to material, and make the first cut; from there on, it's easy.

nannywindow

Suki and Topher I too have an "office" like that . I walk in with purpose then look at all the stuff and come straight back out.
There is an old computer tower unit and an unusable laptop in there, however my DH won't get rid until he has removed the hard drives ( I think that's what he said they were called ). We already have replacements ( 2 home computers and 4 laptops ) so they can go as they are obsolete. I think I'll have to resort to pulling them out and start to demolish them myself, that should get a reaction. But I am determined to get rid this year !
Well done all, whether it's big steps or baby ones, we will persevere, persist and continue.
nan

frosty

Hi everyone,I posted here at the beginning of the year saying I was going to alter the house and let a couple of rooms on Airbnb .Its taken a lot longer than I thought mainly because we had to wait for workmen.....and they were very busy.We are finally ready and posted our rooms on Airbnb last Friday.We had a very tight budget and all the rooms contents were either what we had already of charity shops.
Really pleased because we have two bookings.

PollyWollyDoodle

I was also feeling a bit disheartened, because one of my aims - to walk every day - hasn't happened. However, on reviewing what I posted at the start of this thread I'm not doing as badly as I thought.

Meal- planning and cooking has been happening most of the time, I'm getting much better at making my own 'ready meals' for the freezer and not relying quite so much on jacket spuds. Bread making has happened a few times with varying degrees of success, I've decided the only way to get better at it is to keep practising.
The decluttering is an ongoing thing, I think it's now become an ingrained habit so I'm confident I'll carry on.

I'm doing fairly well with the 'more fun', by trying to book things in the diary with friends rather than just waiting for things to happen.

'Do more sewing' hasn't happened, I was very busy in January and February and since then I seem to have lost my mojo a bit, but things are a bit quieter now and I've got a pattern out to prepare.

The holiday is on hold for the moment, but I've got some short breaks planned this year, I've decided not to stress about it, I'll know when the time is right.

So, three months in - this has helped me focus, and the aim of walking every day is my next challenge - no excuse now the weather is better.

Good luck everyone with your hopes and plans.

suki1964

Phew Im so glad Im not the only one with the "office" from hell

Im sitting here thinking whats in there and I know for a fact Ive a huge envelope of pay slips from when I worked for the NHS - I left in 1999 :eek:

Theres years of copies of Computer world,Ive not bought that since windows 7

and leads and cables and bits of computers galore

It really is all pure junk, none of it is of use to anyone, yet Im holding on - pure madness

Oh and just to add to the complete madness, my "office" is actually the hot press. Think a room the size of a single bedroom. So Ive the immersion in there and one side is shelved for linens, bedding and towels etc.

Ive something like 40 single bed sheets, 20 single bed duvet covers, about 6 spare single duvets, and Ive only 2 single beds

I won't mention the doubles and king sizes I have

I will get there, I will I will I will

Mrs_Salad_Dodger

To all those with offices/storage rooms - my DH does at least 15 minutes of decluttering a day - little and often seems to be the order of the day the old ‘eating the elephant’ He has practically cleared the floor :T

I read somewhere about picking a section and decluttering & clearing completely - pick up each item just once & make a decision e.g. bin, recycle, cs, relocate, deal or put in a keep box. The keep box will be sorted when you have cleared the room & organised your filing system/storage. There is no necessity to work your way round a room - you can flit around but the intention is that all the cleared spaces will eventually meet :rotfl:

Sorry if it reads like trying to ‘teach my grandma to suck eggs’ but it was a light bulb moment to me, as I had got so used to just seeing the entire mess & just not knowing where to start

From experience this method does work in any room. Granted you will have the rubbish/recycling/cs bags or boxes but those will be disposed of as appropriate. It is difficult to describe the joyous feeling from seeing all the little spaces you clear finally meeting so that you have one clear, clean & tidy room :j:D - a place for everything & everything in its place.

Forgot to mention - once a space is cleared it should remain as clear as reasonably possible

Apologies if I have offended anyone :embarasse

MrsSD

Lilith1980

JackieO - congratulations on becoming a great grand-mamma!

Mrs SD - I've gone through a major declutter, and am now doing little bits here and there as I see them. I took some more clothes to the CS the other day because they no longer fit me and I also had a sort through some more clothes I hardly ever wear too. I think doing a bit at a time is a great way to keep on top of things

suki1964

Ok, don't anyone faint - I made a start

One bin bag full

Two drawers emptied

One box of "stuff' that needs to be gone through to decide what is binned, what stays and where


So thats the chair, part of the floor and two desk drawers done. Now Ive the desk top, a long shelf and a 5 drawer filing cabinet

Ive even found my wedding cards, got married in 2003 and they still not gone into an album lol

nannywindow

Evening all.
It's been a lovely day so have been out in the front garden taking down a dwarf conifer. (8ft high by at least 8ft wide, some dwarf that is! ) There are two more like that in the back garden waiting for the chop this year too.
Most of the new windows are in and so the cleaning/tidying/de-cluttering has begun. Today a radio ( no longer working ) and some old hair straighteners have been binned. The process is slow but it's going in the right direction.
Hope everyones plans/hopes are still on track. Good luck all.