One Step at a Time

On Friday, I wrote in a hurry and didn't really have time to edit, so I hope it made sense. What has happened since then? A number of things...

I had friends over for dinner on Friday night, and those who are readers of this blog were invited to take a look at the area surrounding my desk. :) On Saturday morning, I wasn't really up for going to synagogue, so I sat down on my couch and wondered which of the several books on my list I should read--and then I remembered that I had a stack of magazines. I skimmed through them all, dogeared a couple pages to return to later, and recycled the rest. (FYI--I have now pulled the two pages of interest, one of which is highlighted here, and dumped the magazines.)

Later in the afternoon, I removed an old 13" TV from where it has sat unused on my dresser--for the last four years. Does anybody know how to recycle a television? I moved it into the living room, but I'd like to get it out of here as soon as possible. I dusted the top of the dresser and replaced the TV with framed pictures of friends and family. I'm not sure those pictures are arranged the best way or that that location will be their permanent home, but it works for now. (FYI--learning to be satisfied with something that's good enough, rather than perfect, is a big step for me. I'm working on it.)

I have started the arduous process of cleaning out my bedroom closet. It was surprisingly easy to part with a number of articles of clothing that I don't wear anyway--even a bridesmaid dress from one of the slimmest points in my life. I now have a HUGE bag of clothing to be donated, and it's only the beginning.

I went through a couple of boxes of stuff I described a few days ago as something akin to let-me-throw-this-over-here-maybe-I'll-look-at-it-in-a-few-days-and-sort-it-appropriately-but-shhh-i-might-forget-about-it-forever. My garbage bag got fuller, and my shred pile also grew, too. (Last night, I had so much fun with the shredder that I had to give the machine breaks a couple times because it started overheating from extreme usage. Yes, it was fun.)

I have noticed one issue...I seem to be easily distracted, but in a bizarre way. When putting items away in one location, I tend to then move over and declutter in that location next, rather than sticking with one location start to finish. This isn't bizarre--it's ADD. (Relax. I know it's not REALLY attention deficit disorder. If you're going to jump down my throat for something, pick something better.) Anyway, this is bizarre because one of my personal challenges is precisely starting a project when I cannot see the finish line. I haven't wanted to start the closet until I had a Sunday with nothing else scheduled, but now I see that I can do this in multiple steps over multiple days. It's really all about breaking down huge goals and tasks into simple, specific steps. You can do it, too!

And finally, the STUFF BOX has grown so much that I have put everything into a larger box (and yes, recycled the old box). What stuff do I have now? Here's an abridged list:

art project for 4-year-old
self-teaching chess set
mancala
The Game of Life
two jigsaw puzzles
Boston mug
U of Iowa mug
Starbucks mug
mascara (still in package)
two mouse pads
Ulta cranberry hand cream
non-CFL light bulbs
athletic armband that holds 3rd-generation iPod nano (ipod not included)
charger/radio transmitter for ipod shuffle
Office 2003 (hmmm, is it legal for me to post that?)
ginormous red candle
silicone pot holder
Bath and Body Works creamy body wash (unopened)
cotton bag for holding all those plastic bags from the grocery store
Remember those flag pins we made years ago out of safety pins and beads? I have an American flag pin and an Israeli flag pin.

Let me know if you're interested in anything, or feel free to come over to look through the whole box.

Happy Decluttering!