Emergency, Feeling Over-Crowded
Feng Shui is the only way!
Panic has set in! HELP!!! I must roll it back.
It's like Kudzu under my own roof.
Have to save myself from being completely swallowed up in a sea of obsolete ideas, notes, how to's, and paper clutter that has been accumulating over the past 10 years.
Not joking. What a mess! I don't like clutter in any form. I'm usually uncomplicated, neat, and you might say organized. I've never been so scattered before. All over the place. Not practical.
Clutter affects your thinking and your creativity.
Was sleepless last night. Fish eyes, counting sheep, insomnia. Couldn't sleep a wink because I couldn't stop thinking about the huge amount of useless clutter that has taken over my life.
There are three tall file cases in my office that are packed with folders and files having to do with online marketing.
In contrast, I have a little 3 drawer file in my studio reserved for my design business, and it contains everything I need. Even that one needs to be edited and updated.
Information becomes obsolete. Even contacts and resources become obsolete. Ideas in note books, or on paper napkins, or random slips of paper are worth preserving though. You never know. Something you thought of 5 years ago may suddenly come into its own time. It's happened to me.
Where did all this IM stuff come from? How did it pile up? Ugh! Can I sell it on EBay? In truth, can't even give it away.
I don't remember some of the names on the files, or what they were for. I paid for the programs, because the receipts are there. So, they must have had some value at the time.
Uh oh, I'm in a dangerous mood.
Don't like stagnation. Information overload alert!!! No one can absorb all that plus all the current info online as well. However, if it's irrelevant, what does it matter?
In the middle of the night, I started pitching. I'm pitching now. I imagine I'll be pitching the rest of the summer. Probably will work my way over to clothes closets and housewares. Then the garden is going to get relieved of excess and certainly the weeds. My websites are getting a 180.
Nothing is safe.
TOTAL CHANGE! Keep only what's relevant NOW! The rest is baggage. Out with the baggage!
No one performs at their best in the midst of chaos.
I have a work table that I share with my most current files, files with things like usernames and passwords just in case I forget. I guess that's okay for now.
Clutter impedes your progress. It makes you hysterical. Stresses you out. Well, most of us anyway.
You make fast tracks when you streamline.
Anyways, when you get rid of unused material, you forget it was ever there, and you've opened space for the "new" to happen.
Message to self, and to you too, if it applies: GET RID OF CLUTTER. Simplify. Focus.
Now, I'm tired.
Happy weekend guys!
Nitey nite!
Your buddy, J.
Recent Comments
18
haaaa... it's not funny.. I used to do the same thing. Then one day I deceided to just clean my files up a little bit, make some room for more junk. Long story ... shortened
If you haven't used or needed all that baggage for at least 6 months? There's a real good chance you will never need it.
There is 40% more new information every year. That means 40% of what you learned last year is out dated. Would that mean 80% of the info you saved 2 years ago is outdated?
I took 3 file cabinets full of good stuff to the paper recycle and never looked back. Wasn't much in there that I missed. Now I have lots of room for more junk!!
Sometimes its easier to start new rather than delve thru reams of old files, folders and info which distracts you from your original search, then end up looking at stuff you aren't looking for!!!!! Stop doing that.
Randy
Hi Randy, thanks for sharing your clutter story. I like what you said about sometimes it's easier to start new rather than delve thru reams of old files. Rings true.
Hi there. Been there done that, wasted lots of time, and I think from what I read we ALL do this at some time. I also experienced it in my corporate life when I filed every email instead of deleting those that could be. I ended up with over 15,000 emails to sort when I moved to a new position - never never again!
What others are saying here though is very true, it's a case of changing working habits. I found this very hard to do because my background thought is always - I might need this (scrap of info), and on reflection I never use it. Way I broke the habit was to go for a month and look back at how much I had used of the info I stored. I sat and analysed it and concluded - complete waste of time. I now only keep anything I want to electronically which gets rid of the paper clutter, well 99% of it, and that means I am not distracted and can move forward with the constructive work.
Hope this helps,
Hudson.
Hi Hudson, yes we've all had an encounter with clutter. I have a friend who throws everything out, but to the extreme. If he changes his furnishings, he throws his old furniture out, furniture that is in excellent condition and expensive. Someone could use it. I think there's a happy medium. It's hard to part with cards and letters, but they add up and take up too much real estate. Feng shui! Even the electronic clutter makes me crazy. Thank you for your advice.
I totally relate to what you're saying. I have been so overwelmed with all the stuff in my house & garage, I feel like I'm drowning. I'm usually very organized, but have ended up being just the opposite, with stuff from crafts, jewelry, inventory for my space at the antique mall, stuff I plan to repurpose to sell, sewing room clutter, garage clutter, craft room clutter, and now I've given up my dining room to my jewelry making supplies, and more clutter. I bought some lateral files and two upright file cabinets for the garage, just to store things! Anyway, I've been trying to simplify for awhile now, and love mama2karsten's advice, so will be trying that.
The bad thing about all this clutter, is it inhibits your progress, in everything, and you become a major procrastinoator, or I know I have. I'll have all this stuff to do, and will just sit and watch TV rather than deal with it all, since there's just stuff everywhere, so time to get rid of what I don't need, including the TV, and organize what I do. The bad thing is we think we need it all, just in case, so I'll try to get past that.
Anyway, I think a lot of us are in the same boat, and it's funny how clutter can just kind of sneak up on you. Anyway, this is getting me motivated to tackle some of it today. Good luck with yours.
Pitch it out Cindi. Just don't throw out anything you'll regret later. Craft supplies are expensive. My studio and office have to be organized and clean, or it reflects in my work. Julie gave us good advice.
Here are some thoughts from one who has been there... First, stop what you are doing... you must break the pattern of behavior you are beginning to establish.... walk out of your house... get in your car, and drive to a beautiful place to take a nice long walk(close to water if possible), cleanse your mind and begin bringing it back into focus... turn on some inspirational music along the way... something that has meaning to you... ( I have a special disk I have created just for exactly these kinds of moments)... this one song from my collection... to get you started: I sent it to private message as it won't let me post it here.
As you walk and think... turn it into a project... Break that huge overwhelming project into little pieces, create an outline for the first week... perhaps you will start with the bottom file drawer... allow an hour each morning (even if you have to get up earlier) to complete what you can in an hour... something you can finish and look at it and realize it is a first step and you finished it !!! :) have a designated time that works for you and stick to it for the week.... you may just decide to empty that drawer in the trash, then so be it... do it and let it be and you are done until the next day... go take a 15 minute walk, come back and begin the rest of your day... leave the thoughts about the project outside until tomorrow... just have a designated time to deal with it consistently until it's done. you must take it in small increments and see the progress... the sense of accomplishment of each small task each day will begin to give you a sense of control... you will now take control of your allotted time... at the end of the week you will see much progress. It will get you to the finish line, one step, one day at a time... This is what works for me... a friend shared this with me and I am so thankful for that... has changed my life.
You may have something that works better for you... at least try small manageable pieces at a time. You can pm me any time if you need guidance or support... or if you just want to share your progress with me... would love to hear about whatever solution you use or create for yourself... Julie
It's a major project right now. Good thing my house is big. I have boxes of letters and statements in the attic, dating way back when. Sentimental about the letters, but they're just sitting there. It's neatly packed, but too much.
I like your calming ritual. Love walking on the beach. Listened to the Michael Bolton song too. He's good. Thank you.
I know EXACTLY how you feel! I even bought a new filing cabinet a few weeks ago to organize my chaos. You know what happened? I took all the piles of stuff and just dumped them into the drawers. Didn't sort, didn't file. I can't work in chaos either. That's why I bought the new cabinet. Ok, it kind of backfired but I'm trying to stay focused on the priorities of my IM stuff. When I have a spare hour I will spend one hour and go through as much as I can. Maybe you can try it that way? Just organize it incrementally. Don't let it overwhelm you! Hope this helps! You are not alone! :)
Well, now you have new filing cabinets. It's really bad when boxes of old files end up in the attic. Then you'll have to get a dumpster. Dumping a little at a time is less overwhelming. Good plan. I wish you success with it. Thank you.
Poetry.... of some sort. :) Sometimes it's just good to get rid of the old and start fresh. Burn them, just let go of old information and ideas. Or if you don't have that little pyromaniac inside you, dump'em. That cluttered data is just dead weight.
Feng shuing them would mean that you have information filled boxes around your house in perfect flow. But does it really look good?
Actually, I have a library in almost every main room. Very nice books on those shelves. Those dead weight files, however, look boring. Wasted real estate. And I saw the dragon trying to enter my office. Not a good sign. Thanks for the good ideas.
Excesses of any kind will cramp the mind and spoil the joy you deserve. Good luck from someone who understands clutter.
"Feng Shui is the only way!" Rubbish. It's entirely unnecessary to use martial arts on the maids, although occasionally tempting. What are you like, Joan?!! Just speak slowly, clearly and LOUDLY at them and dock wages for broken items. :) R. x
Just a little karate chop. Wait a minute now, I'm the maid. But you gave me an idea. Maybe I should hire someone to throw out the obsolete files while I cruise on the Mediterranean. Nope, that won't work. I'm a control freak.
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Love it!