unclutter | (no subject)

For the last few years I've started out with a lot of energy for decluttering, and then, sometime in the winter/spring get derailed. And once I'm derailed, it's been hard for me to get refocused. (Oh hi there feelings of incompetence and inadequacy, you are not my friends)

So this morning I'm starting with a bit of reading, hoping it will inspire me to get moving. And I think I'll turn off the radio news, and turn on the tunes.

READING

Flylady - yes, she's relentlessly cheery, but sometimes I need that. I've been following Flylady off and on for years, and her 15 minute timer trick is my default cleaning tool.

Happiness Project - Eleven Myths of De-cluttering, including:

"I need to find the perfect recipient for everything I’m getting rid of."

All the cds I sorted as "out" are still sitting on the piano bench, because I'm not sure where to take them. They're beside a stack of children's books that I sorted in SEPTEMBER to give to a prison programme, in a prison two hours away. And let's not talk about all the things in my house that belong/ed to my best friend who decided that I was the perfect recipient or that I agreed to store indefinitely.

Zen Habits - Trying to give myself credit as I read through this list of 15 Tips, because some of these are habits that I am on my way to establishing.

*deep breath*

Okay. I'm going to crank up the music and get started. My goals are to get some stuff actually out of the house today, and to clear off some surfaces.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Ah, yes, the perfect recipient problem. That freezes a lot of attempts to let go of things, as does the must recycle, save the planet problem.
I spent this weekend trying to sort and let go of cds - I have a lot, but I really don't listen to many of them. I achieved 16 plastic shoe boxes of organized cds on specially built shelves. I also have two printer paper boxes mostly filled with cds I know I probably won't want out, but can't bring myself to get rid of - I might want them some day.

I have a box of 11 cds I will take to work - a university library - and offer to anyone who wants them. Notably, 3 of them are duplicates of cds that I am keeping in my public access shoe boxes. I need to be more aware of what I have, and will probably look for a good way to do data entry on the cds I am keeping. Maybe that will help me limit my acquisitions, and possibly help me let go of more in the two printer paper boxes that will be under my bed.

I hate how hung up I get on where the stuff goes. I'll sort it to go out, to somewhere slightly complicated, and it will sit round for months.

I think next I'm going to tackle the video/dvd shelves.