Friday Report

[adair]

I took 7 books to B2P, so I am still trying for removing 500 books this year; I am not yet halfway there, but I hope to do more in the next couple of months.

Otherwise, I cleared the small dresser top in my bedroom. It was a mess, and things fell to the floor. I removed at least 50 used test strips, 3 old pill bottles -left there for unknown reasons, a pile of change taken from pockets on more than one occasion, tissues pulled from pockets and dumped on the dresses, buttons in various small envelopes that came with new clothes and were just left on the dresser, several pens for writing in my bg test record - I do not need more than one, some neck pieces intended to hold pendants just lying in a heap - well, you get the picture. I had not cleared this space in a couple of months.

I think I am going to concentrate on clearing surfaces, and let the book sorting and decisions wait a bit. My desk really needs work; I can't find anything. The table by the door has miscellaneous paper on it, some from ConQuest, which was 3 weeks ago. The computer desk has stuff that needs to be dealt with and the east end of the kitchen table has a batch of stuff, including paid bills that need to be filed.

Onward!

Comments

[kalloway]

I took care of my desk a couple weeks ago because it had gotten downright ridiculous. Flat surfaces pile up impressively fast sometimes. I should get back to mine, because yeaaaah...

A breather from the book sorting should help, too. Good luck with everything!

[adair]

Yes, flat surfaces - even the bed gets used as a sort area, and desks just accumulate stuff. Yes, the book breather is helping; I really feel like I am getting something done.

[finch]

That sounds like a good idea to me. I get really bogged down in books where I can see progress a lot faster in other areas.

[adair]

Absolutely! Book sorting is so slow, and often stressful. I havea a couple of clear surfaces as a result of Saturday's work.

[yukonsally]

Clearing surfaces is so satisfying.

[adair]

Right On! Without real satisfaction once in a while I do not think I could keep on with this.

[tanaqui]

I find cleaning surfaces helps clear my mind so I can then more easily make decisions about more complicated things. (Probably because I'm not having constant background thoughts/worries about where the clutter on the surfaces needs to go.) So concentrating on cleaning surfaces sounds like an excellent plan to me! But also well done on the 7 books you took to B2P this week.

I've spent the week sorting out very boring paperwork -- not much going out of the house, but what's still here is now vastly more organised and ready to do next steps. Also more weeding and pruning in the garden, with the resulting green waste (usually) leaving each week.

[adair]

Thanks - I think you are right about the satisfactions of clearing surfaces. It also means bits of delayed household business get dealt with.

Gardening is Major Work. We have had nothing but rain for the past week; the plants are happy, but the green waste is growing fast.

[sauscony]

I've also been dealing with my overwhelming book collection. I got rid of a bunch of books last week and mailed several out for swaps. I also put a bunch of books I want to skim through in bags so I can take a few out at a time. It's easier this way than trying to locate them on the shelves or under the bed when I want to skim them.

[adair]

What a good idea to put books to skim and maybe read into bags to group them. I have a number of books I brought from B2P to see if I wanted to read them, but they are all mixed in with piles of books I have for other reasons, and I neved get the skimming or decision-making done. I might or might. Not carry them to work on, but the IDEA of putting them in distinguishable bags is a great one. Thank You!

It seems several of us on unclutter have similar book problems - DW members like to read, and keep things.