Simplifying Life

mary43

Bin bags been collected and I'm not de-cluttering for a bit now.........give my head a chance to get itself together a bit.
Having the last of OH's christmas pressie voucher........facial/lipwax/eyebrow shape and hair do............might even get myself some nail varnish.........having this sort of treatment has made me realise I maybe ought to make a bit more of an effort............never a great one for make up at all but could spoil myself with my nails.............why not:j
Fell by the wayside a bit with the 'weekly challenge' I'm ashamed to say. I said I'd deal with paperwork/bills etc. as they arrived .........first week no problem but somehow this week it got left and left and left.......so there's a heap to do -making that tomorrows little chore.

Charis

mary43 wrote: »

Fell by the wayside a bit with the 'weekly challenge' I'm ashamed to say. I said I'd deal with paperwork/bills etc. as they arrived .........first week no problem but somehow this week it got left and left and left.......so there's a heap to do -making that tomorrows little chore.

I found I got behind when I didn't file the bills I had dealt with and the heap got in a muddle. I bought a two-tier tray from a cheap stationery outlet and now I open all post as it arrives, toss the junk mail (remembering to shred the personal details if any). The shredder is right beside the waste bin. The items for attention sit to the left of my keyboard, where they will annoy me until I have dealt with them. Those dealt with go in the bottom of the tray, to be filed when I have a quiet few minutes. Those that need further attention or are dealt with but awaiting replies go in the top tray for when I have the time and inclination to sort through and see if I can hurry them along a bit. That way nothing urgent gets buried until it is too late. I only wish I was as efficient at menu planning and getting the meal on the table at a consistent time :rolleyes: We all have our weak spots

Most of my bills are paid by Direct Debit or Standing Order. The only exceptions seem to be house and car insurance, road tax and annual subscriptions. The latter I have pruned to almost none. I have tried, with limited success, to get the bills sent online if they are paid by Dir.Deb. I have OneNote on the computer and keep the bills/statements in there, but a Folder full of Word documents with them pasted in would be as effective, if not as neat.

The only paper that drives me mad now is my 'lists' (family think my lists are a laughing matter) and my notes for writing (I'm on a Creative Writing course, and as a writer one is supposed to take notes of everything and anything. Difficult if you get inspiration in the shower :rotfl: ) I have lots of lists waiting to be typed up. At this rate I will be very busy in my old age. Typing.

mary43

I normally go through my letter rack once a week and file stuff that needs it, deal with other stuff. Most things are paid by direct debit but there's just a few bits and bobs that I pay by cheque. Have to admit to a weakness of sometimes shoving the junk mail in the letter rack as well..............must stop that habit ! I was so determined and the first week went so well..........oh well, I can always try again !
I do tend to get surrounded by bits of paper........notes about family tree scribbled down, then stuff I've printed off gets shoved in a drawer...........oh I am disorganised with it all............I love it when I've sorted it all out and it all looks so good and tell myself I'll keep it like that.............then within a week I seem to be back to square one
Fallen down badly this week on the 'hotspot' of a kitchen table that we've got.............junk mail, newspapers, pens, box of tissues.........you name it, it'll end up there....................lol
Can't remember what else I said I'd do as a 'challenge' this week so you can bet your life I haven't done it....................lol

How lovely to be doing a creative writing course.............often thought of that myself but one of those things I never got around to,like a lot of others

Aril

Hello virtual friends:j
Not been around much this week as have had my head down studying every evening for this course for work. Initially I set myself targets that realistically with all the other commitments I have [like being a full timeworking Mum and running a home with an OS approach] these days I was never going to attain and putting myself under too much pressure. I did something I would never normally do and spoke to my boss before the situation got out of hand and I got too stressed [usually I would keep quiet and turn it into a drama] Instead by simplifying my approach I am now far clearer in what he is expecting from me...basically to try and pass the thing but not spend too much time on it as he's confirmed that what I do on a day to day basis in my work is of far more value to him. Anyway thanks all my virtual friends..without the inspiration from this thread over the last few months I don't think I would have been able to go in with the attitude that being good enough not perfect is sufficient:j
Hope you all have a peaceful and enjoyable weekend. A short quote for you tonight on the topic of change [wish I'd read this 2 months ago when I first heard I was going to have to do the course]
Change. It has the power to uplift, to heal, to stimulate, surprise, open new doors, bring fresh experience and create excitement in life. Certainly it is worht the risk.
Leo Buscaglia

Aril

mary43

Aril - you are doing well to combine your course with running a home/family and all that entails. Well done, and well done for speaking to your boss before a drama became a crisis. It's all too easy to keep things inside........much better result if any problems are tackled earlier in the day, so to speak.
(says she who so often says nothing !)

Love the quote.........it makes so much sense and yet so many people carry on and on and on -including me, until something happens to give them a 'wake up' call.
We can all change, just that old habits die hard.

Good luck with your course:j

groatie_queen

Hi everyone

Another week, made simple - loads of rest on my days off.

I'm currently preparing for 6 weeks of being off work and under light restrictions while I start the two years treatment I mentioned - I will be acutely photosensitive - so over the past few weeks I've been blacking out windows, stocked up on the essentials for food, cleaning materials, toiletries etc. My dearest friend has agreed to be my gofer for fresh food, and I have a meeting with my manager in the middle of the month to discuss adjustments to my work when I start back again after the intitial time off.

I'll probably be a lurker more than a poster over the next few months, but will try my best to drop in from time to time even if only to say a quick hello (my time on the pc will be limited due to light restrictions).

It's taken 18 months of planning to get to this point, and I'm now due for the ride of my life! And good health to regain as the goal - well well worth it.

I'll be with you all in the spirit of simplicity and tranquillity, and cheering you on

Best wishes

GQ xxx

do_it_today!

hi all :hello:
spent some time down the allotment yesterday clearing out weeds and sowing seeds. Have put off my interior design course for a year as the demand is too much at the mo.... keeping it simple by doing the minimum at the moment
Good Luck Groatie Queen :j

mary43

groatie queen - good to see you again and hope all goes well with your treatment. You certainly seem to be well organised for it.

do it today - Makes sense to delay the course at the minute. Trying to do too many things at the same time usually means either several of them don't get done or if they do, then not very well.
Sounds like you're getting the allottment sorted out.
We've got potatos planted and seeds in trays scattered everywhere ! We can't grow a lot except what we can do in containers and chances of an allottment around here are nil. Still, we do ok with what we grow and have found some things do better than others so stick to the successes rather than keeping on trying and losing out again.
In one of OH's vegetable tubs some flowers are sprouting up.........they're quite nicely spaced out so it looks as if I must have planted something there when whatever it was he'd grown last year had finished. Blessed if I know what they are so it's a bit of a 'wait and see' game. I told him to go and get another tub.................lol But no, he's going to make use of an old bathtub and stick the runner beans in there............it's further down the garden and will be in full view ......still, at least they should look pretty...............lol

I've had a lazy weekend and expect I'll carry on like that now till I get back from Mums. Limited to what I can do on the garden due to back problems and I feel I've done my bit of 'de-cluttering' for the time being, till OH clears his stuff out a bit.

Rowan9

haven't been on here for a wee while so off to read back through the thread. Well done all for keeping going with the simplifying! I've been back at work so trying to find time hasn't been so simple!
w

mary43

Good to see you wmf..............must be difficult trying to keep up with work/home plus catching up with all this too.
I shan't be about Tuesday and Wedneday next week as I'm off to see Mum then I see my Counsellor Thursday morning.
I've tried to simplify not just my life but my head as well..............both aren't easy to do.......especially as I keep finding myself little 'projects' to do.......and really I've got to get some sort of order in my life if I want to achieve them. There's a goal for me................:j