Miles of Piles

In an effort to "organize/purge (live with less, be realistic)," Andy and I started going through our files. These piles represent the file drawer of the desk plus the four drawer filing cabinet in the basement. It was about time we went through to purge and reorganize. Between the two different filing systems, we had duplicate file folders (financial, medical, manuals, etc.) representing our whole married lives basically (six and a half years worth) that desperately needed to be combined and reorganized.

But although we had accumulated quite the mass, we can't take credit for every scrap saved. Two of the filing cabinet drawers were full of Andy's Mom Judy's belongings just waiting to be sorted through. I'd say about half of it was various clip art that I will keep to use for kid projects, and most of the other half was reference material (mostly religious) sorted by topic. Of course we were able to save a generous file of Judy's handwritten talks, notes, and thoughts, which was the reason for saving the stash in the first place. It will help us (and our children) understand and remember her better since she is gone.

The three nearest piles on the edge are either for recycling or shred. One box simply holds empty folders, dividers, page protectors, etc. Another box is organized clip art and activity ideas from Judy. There is one box of files still to be better organized, but it is now all together. So there is still work to be done, but the purge pile has kept me motivated during the process.

One more check for goal #2.

Loaded

Use What You've Got

How this...

turned this...

into this...

Check one for goal #2.

Goals

I've been inspired yet again, only this time it is to proclaim my new goals for my life (not just the new year). This is the first step in being accountable to myself.

1. Clean one thing (not just straighten)

2. Organize / Purge (live with less, be realistic)

3. Read physical things (books, scriptures - both ancient and modern day)

4. Write those letters (you always mean to)

I hope to accomplish the first three once a day/weekday. It appears very overwhelming, and I know that if I bite off more than I can chew the likelihood of my success is slim, but I really am going to take these things seriously, but in small doses. Allow me to elaborate...

If I'm having a regular day, I already work to keep the house straightened up, why not simply add one more simple task? On Monday I accomplished this by simply wiping down the shower door with a dryer sheet (see next goal) as a test to see if it worked. It worked surprisingly well considering the amount of hard water build up the door had. If I had expected myself to deep clean the entire shower, it might have happened this time (being the first), but the probability of me keeping this up is pretty farfetched. I assume taking several small steps will eventually result in a clean, maintained home, not one that is neglected.

Next, I should be striving each day to organize my home, or purging something that realistically I haven't used and probably won't. Again, this could be as simple as making sure the twisty ties are separated from the paper clips in the desk drawer, or finally letting go of one simple item (like the thingamajig that carves stamps - I neither make stamps nor use them). I spent some time on Pinterest (which I already love) to organize my Cleaning/Organizing board. I deleted duplicate pins, and edited each pin to link directly to the original post and describe the tip/instructions without having to click into individual links to compare/decide which to use. I may have been browsing on Pinterest anyway, why not make it more helpful for me to use in the future (saving time and suggesting easier/homemade ways of accomplishing goal #1).

I have never been one to casually curl up with a book, and yet I can easily keep up with several blogs (mostly design related) and now Pinterest. I am totally a visual person, so being able to browse images in this way allows me to get the information/inspiration I want, and then move on. If I'm already taking the time to "read" in this way on the computer (although I don't take the time to ready each blog, only spy the pictures), why not reserve some time to really read - books, Ensigns, scriptures. Again, I'm not going for overwhelming, and I can't kid myself by suggesting that I won't be on the computer, but one verse of scripture won't be hard. It will be small, but it is something - something that I wasn't doing before, anyway.

And then there is writing. I always mean to let others know in a thoughtful letter how much I appreciate a certain lesson, appreciate their appreciation (yep), or simply admire them. I can accomplish this daily by having things available to me to write on the spot, even if I am not writing daily. I can carry notes at church so that they can be written and given then and there (because I know I don't go home to do it, and the delivery or postage is a hassle).

I plan to keep a simple journal of sorts, not anything that requires a full entry, just simply jotting down how I have accomplished these goals as a visual way to keep me going and on track. Then I can also see my progress and motivate me to keep going.

I am hopeful that I can make these things happen judging by other modest goals I have kept recently, like flossing my teeth every night since my last dentist appointment (why are the simple things so hard). And also more impressive is that I started a regular work out routine (even though I dread it every morning) by getting together with a friend.

My motto should be "don't make simple things hard."