I have no ABCs - I just wanted to write about being ADD and thought that was a clever title.
So I guess I'm not really ADD ... just focus-challenged. My dad used to call me a "jack-of-all-trades, master of none". I just figured it was because I have so many interests - kind of a Renaissance Woman. Yeah. That's it.
But back to decluttering. I mean well - I really do. See, the problem is that usually I do this whenever we move. For a while there we were moving fairly frequently: 1993, 1994, 1997, 2000, 2002, 2005. And now we've been in this house for 7 years. Seven years worth of junk. Some stuff that belongs to people who don't live here any more or who don't live here very often. But mostly stuff because I haven't had time to sort through it lately.
I'm NOT a hoarder. That title would belong to my dear husband. Because my theory is that in every marriage, there is one who likes to keep and one who likes to throw/give away. The latter would be me.
So what's the problem? Part of it is time, and with having been in this house so long, it has become overwhelming to deal with. However, the bigger part is being focus-challenged.
I go into the family room and decide I really need to deal with paperwork - sort, file, shred, organize. So I start doing that. Then I have to put something away in the bedroom and I get distracted by things that need to be done there. On my way, I go to throw something away in the kitchen. But I need to empty it and put a new bag in first. I finally put the thing away in the bedroom. While I'm there, I grab the laundry basket and go to the basement to put some things in the washing machine. Oh - the basement - while I'm here, I'll grab those boxes of books to take to Half Price Books and put them in the van. Done. I grab a piano book from the van and put it back in its place in the family room. Oh yeah - the family room. What was I doing in here?
And so it goes. I accomplish quite a bit, but it never looks like I've accomplished anything because it's a little here and a little there. In fact, in some ways it looks worse because I have things "torn up" in several places.
I need to focus on one spot at a time. Hm. I wonder if I'm capable of doing that? I'm a great list-maker. Awesome list-maker. Not so great or awesome at working my way through the list.
Oh well. My porch is pretty and I can just go sit there and think about it.
But first I'll unload the dishwasher.
I'm sometimes like that, especially now that I'm a mother. I find myself doing things here and there. However my best organization and cleaning happens if I have the time to just give it all to a space. Sometimes I go on this crazy binge where EVERYTHING has to be clean and in order. Other times not so much. The not so much times are winning these days.. haha.
ReplyDeleteI'm like you, I like to purge stuff a lot. Not too happy with clutter. I think Joel feels the same, however I think he tends to hold on to stuff longer than I.