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posted by [personal profile] janetmiles at 03:59pm on 25/11/2011 under ,
Day five -- got started on my desk.


Before:







After:






The small pile on the right is "stuff I think I need to keep, but don't have a place to file yet", with the Magical Housekeeping book next to it.


Same ritual, this time with chicken broth spiked with salt, pepper, cayenne, chili powder, and a splash of lime juice.

Worked for a solid two hours.

Three full trash bags, including the shredding.

Notable event: when the shredder overheated, I didn't say, "Oh, well," and stop for the day. I said, "Okay, shredder needs a break, on to Plan B" and kept sorting stuff into the trash or into keep and shred piles.

Crossposted to http://flylady.livejournal.com/1019636.html
There are 20 comments on this entry. (Reply.)
 
posted by [identity profile] gnomentum.livejournal.com at 09:15pm on 25/11/2011
WOW.
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 09:53pm on 25/11/2011
I know! Nearly all of that was things like 10-year-old pay statements, and, um, er, well, missed payment notices for loans long since paid off, and receipts for appliances we no longer have, and so on and so on.

Whitehurst says that clutter is stuck energy, and it *can't* have been good for me to have all that in my peripheral vision all the time, even if I wasn't consciously aware of what was in the pile.

Tomorrow, the hutch!
 
posted by [identity profile] gnomentum.livejournal.com at 08:42am on 26/11/2011
Karen Kingston says the same thing, and I firmly believe it.

Whether you believe in Feng Shui and the flow of chi, or whether you believe in the subconscious impact something you know should be done but hasn't been - there's no doubt in my mind that clutter, even hidden clutter, has an effect on my mental wellbeing and that of my family.

Also? I know exactly what you mean about the paperwork. We're trying to purge our own and finding similar things! Honestly, a week or so back I found a load of old bills from 2004, for accounts I no longer even have, three homes ago!
 
posted by [identity profile] memyselfi11.livejournal.com at 08:27pm on 26/11/2011
Funny you say that... I was cleaning out a box today and found a stack of reciepts from our wedding in 2000 that I didn't even know I had!

'Clutter is stuck energy' - I agree completely. I've always thought of it in similar terms but didn't have a good phrase to express how I was feeling about it - this however hits the nail on the head :)

I am so looking forward to de-cluttering and then seeing what sort of changes will happen to my family and myself and our lifestyle...

P.S. You really got a lot done on your desk, it looks much better!
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 08:01pm on 27/11/2011
Thank you, and best of luck and success to your progress.
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 08:00pm on 27/11/2011
Yay you for purging that old paperwork!
 
posted by [identity profile] gnomentum.livejournal.com at 09:48pm on 27/11/2011
I had huge amounts but I'm now down to less than a magazine file worth. It takes ages as I cut out the names, addresses and account numbers and recycle the rest. But I'm getting there at last!

My DH has about the same amount.
 
posted by [identity profile] amaebi.livejournal.com at 11:12pm on 25/11/2011
You are a noble and productive person.
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 12:39am on 26/11/2011
Um, er, well, thank you.
ext_29896: Lilacs in grandmother's vase on my piano (Default)
posted by [identity profile] glinda-w.livejournal.com at 12:23am on 26/11/2011
I am so impressed with the progress you're making.
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 12:40am on 26/11/2011
Thank you! Me too.
 
posted by [identity profile] guruwench.livejournal.com at 05:09am on 26/11/2011
Janet, thank you so much for sharing this project with us. You inspired me to do some work on my own office clutter, and I made some progress on my desk. More to come. :D

You're making amazing progress, and I'm thrilled to see it. Yay you!
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 03:21pm on 26/11/2011
Go you! Progress is a good thing.
 
posted by [identity profile] hitchhiker.livejournal.com at 06:24am on 26/11/2011
impressive progress!
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 03:21pm on 26/11/2011
Thank you!
 
posted by [identity profile] galingale.livejournal.com at 10:51pm on 26/11/2011
That looks like a much more relaxing work environment.

I noticed something, I wonder if you did too. Your "before" picture shows your cluttered desk & to-do pile -- and your "after" picture includes a sunny view out the window! I'd like to think it means a brighter perspective for you.

Good job!
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 07:59pm on 27/11/2011
That's actually an artifact of some LJ oddity; it kept cutting off the edge of the desk where the small stack was, and I had to keep moving farther and farther to the right. I couldn't even see the window in the picture when I posted it.

I've since changed journal styles and do see that right-hand edge of the picture. It is a nice change!
rahirah: (Default)
posted by [personal profile] rahirah at 02:45am on 27/11/2011
:applause:
 
posted by [identity profile] janetmiles.livejournal.com at 07:59pm on 27/11/2011
Thank you!
 
posted by [identity profile] chanda-m.livejournal.com at 12:56pm on 28/11/2011
Somehow I missed this post... WOW Well done, what a huge difference to the desk for just 2 hours!

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