be more organized

I went through all of my son’s schoolwork and selected a few pieces to keep. I’d like to keep everything, but I know I shouldn’t.
We also got rid of some empty paint cans.
Baby steps…

into another “bigger” layer: we have a small w.c. that slowly turned into some kind of catch-all, since we obviously don’t have an attic or basement or even garage in our small city apartment. I began to de-clutter it, but halfway through I wanted to sit on the floor and cry. Surprise! My husband decided to help me. He’s much better than me at saying ruthlessly: “This can go” (at least with most things, I’m better with others…). It all got done in less than two days.
What will be next?

what I call another “layer”. I was saving small glass jars because I hoped I would make strawberry jam, small candles, something… It1s not going to happen anytime soon. So there went a bag full of the jars I was collecting under my sink. I suppose it’s a good thing.

a renewed urge to de-clutter. There’s paper everywhere. I need to reclaim my home.
Obviously, most paper is due to the dissertation, and I have to organize it, file a lot of notes away, but can’t really just get rid of everything. On the other hand, I feel it is now a lot easier to get rid of things (books, papers, notes) that are not related to my current interests… Things that belonged to other paths, paths I left behind, things I gave up… At least I hope so…
Well, I already returned all books (but one) that were lent to me to their rightful owners.

can learn to delegate. Specially when s/he has no other way of getting things done.
So it turns out my husband is completely capable of taking his own jacket to the cleaner! And a wall can be washed by some other person (not me!) and still get clean! Who knew?

I’m happy with the progress I’m doing on this, considering the circumstances. I’m not taking baby steps, it’s even less than that… But still: one drawer cleaned, one mattress put away, some art projects and a broken toy truck gone, scattered recipes neatly copied into a binder… it’ll eventually all add up.

In April I’ve also worked a lot on de-cluttering, throwing out papers, giving magazines away… Also toys and clothes for charity…
I want to make a last round (for awhile) of clothes by the end of the week.
Then I’ll have to pause and make a list of what would be most important to organize next.
Small improvements around the house have also made our life better, like a decent curtain for the living room and shelves for my son’s bedroom.

...our storage room is ready. It’s ridiculously tiny, but it has some shelves, and I think I’ll be able to get some papers and objects out of my sight. It will also be a good test for those things: I’ll see if I ever really need them.

Clothes, sheets and towels… I made good use of the de-cluttering day in the mind-body challenge.
I “found” a bag of black clothes I meant to organize but never got to it. I weeded and then laundered and put away the ones I’ll keep. I feel as if I received a gift!
Also, last Friday I went through my socks drawer, throwing out the ones that are useless and organizing all the others.

I was thinking of consolidating some goals in a “future/some far away day” list. I have no idea when I’ll be able to swim with dolphins, for instance, but I don’t want to give up either. I still don’t know what to do, but I know I’m already evaluating things in my mind.

...Yule is approaching, so it’s time to evaluate these goals again.
I want to mark some as done. I think I’m almost beating procrastination, and that was one of my most important goals, because it really connects to everything. Even so, some of my goals are big ones, like finishing my degree. That will stay on my list for a long time.
I will put other goals on hold, using the now available “I give up” option. I’m not really giving up, but I want to concentrate on the most important ones. Maybe “prioritize and focus” will be my motto for 2006.