Another 40 Hours of Decluttering Using Flylady's Timer Method: Dec 2018 - Feb. 2019

[ejchase]

Bought the file cabinets and spent 8 hours in his office yesterday.

Wow, Teacher Terry, that's a lot! Good work!

I finally made my first big push today. At first, I just walked around and looked at all the clutter and got overwhelmed, aimlessly picking things up and putting them down. There were certain things that I just didn't know what to do with, so I have tabled them until later.

Finally, I started saying out loud the mantras that I always have to say to myself at this point: "Start with what's easy" and "Any step forward is a step forward," and that and other forms of talking to myself, got me going. I filled up a couple of grocery bags with paper to recycle and started a bag for Goodwill and a bag for the expired drugs drop-off site. By the end of the four hours, I felt like I had a certain amount of momentum going.

New total: 12.5.

[Gardnr]

aimlessly picking things up and putting them down. There were certain things that I just didn't know what to do with, so I have tabled them until later.

EJ: Here's a new tactic. Pick up an item. Will you use it? If yes, where will you look for it? Take it there immediately. If you won't use it, it goes into the OUTbox. Focus on each single item rather than the entire space. Each item then becomes a success.

[ejchase]

EJ: Here's a new tactic. Pick up an item. Will you use it? If yes, where will you look for it? Take it there immediately. If you won't use it, it goes into the OUTbox. Focus on each single item rather than the entire space. Each item then becomes a success.

Gardnr, this is such wise advice, but I'm afraid I have severe hoarding tendencies and at this stage of decluttering, I just freeze up and have trouble being decisive. What I've discovered works for me when I'm starting another 40 hours of decluttering is to start with the stuff that is easy (boxes of paper that are mostly trash, etc.). Then, when I've cleared some space that way, I gain confidence and start to be able to make decisions about the stuff that is harder for me for me to deal with.

[ejchase]

plus 1 hr, total 11 hours

EJ, I think you are undercounting--I was looking for my total on the thread and I think you were at two hours already on the 7th so aren't you at 3 hours now? Yay, you!

Ack! Just saw this comment!

Yes, it turns out I did undercount! Yay! So my current total is actually 13.5! Thanks, Tybee, for your eagle eye!

[Teacher Terry]

EJ, you are doing great! I have worked 8 hours every day since Monday. Then last night I had a dinner party at my house. Today I cleaned up from the party, went to a birthday brunch and then was so tired I got into my pj’s and watching tv the rest of the day. All this decluttering and cleaning is physical and I am old )

[ejchase]

EJ, you are doing great! I have worked 8 hours every day since Monday. Then last night I had a dinner party at my house. Today I cleaned up from the party, went to a birthday brunch and then was so tired I got into my pj’s and watching tv the rest of the day. All this decluttering and cleaning is physical and I am old )

It definitely sounds like you earned that break, Teacher Terry. Good for you!

[Chicken lady]

TT, that’s a lot!

ejchase, I completely understand.

i did 4 hours in the studio barn on Friday. Not all at once, broken up. Honestly, you can hardly tell I was out there. I filled 2/3 of a can fir trash pick up, and have a recycling pile almost as big, but there is just so much. I ended up bringing some things back to the house in boxes, because they were small, and all jumbled up, and if I am going to keep them, they would go in the house - I guess.

there are two approaches that work for me - one is to start with the easiest stuff and keep working until everything is hard (because the longer I work at a stretch, the harder each decision becomes) when I do that, I just move hard things aside so I can keep going. The other is to choose a few hard things to deal with right away when I am fresh and motivated and then use the momentum to continue in that area. I think I get less done overall on those days.

it is like exercising - you can keep doing sets of reps or laps for a long time, getting lighter and slower at the end, or you can max out and do a quick set or sprint for a short time. Either way you end up tired, but slowly get stronger.

in General, over time, the more decisions I make, the easier it gets. And when you peel a layer back, the next layer becomes the “easy” layer

[Chicken lady]

TT, that’s a lot!

ejchase, I completely understand.

i did 4 hours in the studio barn on Friday. Not all at once, broken up. Honestly, you can hardly tell I was out there. I filled 2/3 of a can fir trash pick up, and have a recycling pile almost as big, but there is just so much. I ended up bringing some things back to the house in boxes, because they were small, and all jumbled up, and if I am going to keep them, they would go in the house - I guess.

there are two approaches that work for me - one is to start with the easiest stuff and keep working until everything is hard (because the longer I work at a stretch, the harder each decision becomes) when I do that, I just move hard things aside so I can keep going. The other is to choose a few hard things to deal with right away when I am fresh and motivated and then use the momentum to continue in that area. I think I get less done overall on those days.

it is like exercising - you can keep doing sets of reps or laps for a long time, getting lighter and slower at the end, or you can max out and do a quick set or sprint for a short time. Either way you end up tired, but slowly get stronger.

in General, over time, the more decisions I make, the easier it gets. And when you peel a layer back, the next layer becomes the “easy” layer

[Gardnr]

Gardnr, this is such wise advice, but I'm afraid I have severe hoarding tendencies and at this stage of decluttering, I just freeze up and have trouble being decisive. What I've discovered works for me when I'm starting another 40 hours of decluttering is to start with the stuff that is easy (boxes of paper that are mostly trash, etc.). Then, when I've cleared some space that way, I gain confidence and start to be able to make decisions about the stuff that is harder for me for me to deal with.

You know yourself best. Sounds like for you, the key is to keep going as you have committed to here.

[Teacher Terry]

CL, you are making progress. When my friend came over and opened s cupboard to get a glass she noticed how neat and uncrowded it was. That felt good. The woman st the thrift Store said their donations are up since Marie Kondo show on Netflix. I am hoping that I can finish today. The more tired I get the easier the decision because I just want it all to go away. It’s snowing and we are supposed to get a foot so will be stuck home a few days so will definitely finish. I have went through every closet , cupboard and drawers in our house.