What is the technique to quickly sort thru piles of papers?

In advance, thank you.

I read a reference to: Stitch’s .. quickly sort thru piles of papers

Kare
sort quickly thru piles of papers.

in my ever-continuing quest to organize and de-clutter my abode, i kept looking around my apt and re-valuate how i have things, how it could look better, what takes away or adds to the overall “ambience” of the place

Over the years, i’ve realized that often it isnt so much the stuff you have, its how its displayed or stored. I’ve put an amount of money into dressers and cabinates, because they make less of a “cluttered” impression, than if you have the same items on open display.

But an additional aspect i’ve realized lately is that of storing vases and silk flowers. I’ve always liked to have a variety of silk flower arrangements around, seasonal or for incorporating into altars. And when theyre not in use, i tend to stick them on top of bookcases or cabinates. But in looking around the place, i’ve realized how they just add to the huge amount of “Visual Clutter” of the room (and between my books and pictures, i dont need ANYTHING more to add to it)

So thats been my next project: taking down all these arragements of silk and dried flowers, and storing them in sterite drawer units for easy access, but not out in the open.

I also gotta minimize the volume of things i have hanging on the walls. I’ve got posters, pictures, show ribbons, maskes and calendars hanging all over the place….i need to figure out better ways of either arranging things, or limiting what i have up. Overall, its just not working as it is…

<<<< Example of how i have silk flower arrangements piled ontop of a bookcase

Since i’ve yet to permentently solve the issue of clutter in my apt in the 2 years i’ve been “working” on this goal, i’m always interested in understanding the “Why” of it. ‘Came across these decent food-for-thought articles on the subject, that i definately need to chew on….

Focus on “creating space”, not “decluttering things”.

Here’s where I get a bit Law Of Attraction oriented on you. I started my project with the aim of decluttering my house. For the first two weeks I went like gangbusters. But the more I worked, the more I found to declutter! It was strange. When I got to the point where you could really see that I’d made an incredible amount of progress, I suddenly got the urge to pull out all of the stuff we’d been storing and go through it, even though the house was nowhere near being finished! BAM – my house was a total wreck again. Boxes everywhere, hard to find a place to sit, and a visually insurmountable, overwhelming task facing me every time I woke up. I started to slide back into my “it’s all too much, why am I even bothering” mode; and that’s when it hit me: I was sliding back into my comfort zone and had attracted more stuff to declutter to myself to get there.

Because I was focusing on decluttering, rather than creating space, I naturally and unconciously found more things to declutter. Folks who’ve watched The Secret will know what I mean when I say that the Universe found a way to put more clutter into my path – because that’s what I was focusing on and that’s what I wanted to do – declutter! It was also more comfortable for me to stay in my misery, surrounded by my stuff (and it’s not about your stuff, your “stuff” is actually a visual representation of deeper issues), than it was to step into a different world where I was in control, rather than my stuff being in control of me.

Once I realized that (and it took about two weeks of having all of this extra stuff piled around for me to have this realization), I was able to face those extra piles with determination and change my focus to CREATING SPACE. The extra boxes from storage still aren’t completely done, but they’re getting there.

Also, once you change your focus to “creating space”, you’ll start to recognize and appreciate more the space you’ve already made. It won’t be “god, I’ve still got SO much to do,” but instead will be “man, look at how far I’ve come!”

So be careful about what you focus on – trust me, you don’t want more clutter coming your way! (If you get a sudden urge to bring everything down from the attic, up from the basement, in from the shed, or bring home all the stuff from the storage unit to go through….and it’s a true, overwhelming URGE to do it NOW, rather than waiting for the time you planned to tackle that part of the project,,,,then ask yourself if you’re really focusing on clutter or space. My bet is, you’re focusing on clutter and finding a way to re-clutter the space you’ve already cleaned out so that you can get back into your own comfort zone.

The WHY of clutter

Most people never stop to ask themselves WHY they clutter…they focus their attention on HOW to deal with it, WHEN will they have the time to start, WHO is to blame, or ‘WHERE can I stash this stuff?!” Yet WHY may be the most insightful question, the one that can finally bring much-needed relief.

In the decade that I have been working with people to break through their clutter, I have come to realize that your surroundings are like a mini-biography, the tangible evidence of what you are trying to say, both consciously and unconsciously. As an example….If your home is stuffed high with boxes and miscellaneous junk, what are you saying to the world? If your front hallway is impassable, or your kitchen is a tornado-swept landscape, how can people get close? How can you truly nourish yourself?

Until you start decluttering your thought process, the change you strive for simply will not happen. Your clutter has valuable wisdom trapped inside and it is literally shouting to be uncovered. Could it be time to listen?

Decluttering isn’t about redistributing your possessions so they fit better; it is about coming to terms with the issues lurking beneath your stuff. This applies to paperwork, time, debt, overweight as well as stuff.

The energy of the clutter that surrounds you—-sticky, draining and stagnant—is actually suppressing your ability to acknowledge your deepest desires. Your priorities are what drive you to make decisions and get things done (or not done!), but once you start shining the light of awareness inside, you may be surprised to discover that most often, your priorities are not at all in alignment with your desires. This is what is most likely holding you back: you don’t know what you want.

Have you ever even asked yourself what you want? Here is what you can ask:

How am I feeling? When you feel angry, sad, resentful, hurt, or lonely, go stamp your feet, really get that energy moving and connected to your body, then step outside in the fresh air and figure out one of two things: is it time to change the situation or is it time to change your attitude? Those are your two choices. PERIOD.

You don’t have to feel like a victim anymore. You can create forward motion just by asking yourself the right and fearless questions. STOP WHINING and GET HONEST. Ask “What can I do that is within my control to change the situation?”

What aspect of the situation did I create? This is where gut-level honesty really pays off. I believe in situations like this (and we have ALL been there in one way or another, maybe it’s with some authority figure that you resent), it’s about being afraid to be vulnerable and to let yourself have the very thing you are crying for: loving attention. Do you feel you deserve it? I bet not.

I have seen this again and again; we so deeply want to be seen, and yet we put up a smoke screen so thick that no one can get near us. We build fortresses of clutter: weight, debt, procrastination, stuff~ it’s all the same,,,,and then moan that no one is there for us, when it is really US who is not there for us!

Am I willing to take down just one brick of that wall as a start? You don’t have to rip yourself wide open as soon as you finish this post! Just ask yourself if you can begin to move in the direction of vulnerability. You are not a helpless child anymore. You may have been at one time at the mercy of cruel or abusive people, but that is not happening now. You are an adult and can take care of yourself. If something hurts, it’s a message not to do that again. That’s all. You will survive it. You have come this far.

As I wrote those words, I am reminded of a simple and powerful book I read years ago called The Wall. It’s really worth the read. I came across it by accident when I was really hurting and it touched my heart.

Am I hiding or healing? I started thinking there are all kinds of creative ways to avoid feelings, some appropriate, some not, but if you start to ask yourself (gently) this simple question, the ability to choose will allow you to feel more comfortable in your skin. Am I hiding now or healing?

Sometimes, withdrawing and nurturing yourself is exactly what is needed, but if that contraction goes on for too long…it becomes disconnection and isolation and that can spiral into depression and chaos on many levels. Take good loving care of yourself, yes, but make sure you are not hiding from the world.

What do I “get” out of accepting my life as tolerable, rather than joyous?
Sometimes, our idea of survival is so much that we have nothing left over but resentment and loneliness. We cover it up with smiles and a wave of the hand, but we grow weary and bitter inside.

We get a lot of attention from this role and we can play it out for years, sometimes a lifetime. But what we are gypping ourselves of is full participation in life and we are also depriving the world of the gifts we were blessed with at birth.

What am I missing and is what I am doing worth it?
Recently, Daily Om said:

When we connect to our center, we access the fullness of who we are as an individual spirit. We also connect to the energy source of the universe, from which nothing can be lacking. It could be that we have been energetically starving ourselves but trying to feed the need physically, outwardly.

Many of us feel that way, deprived from the outside, when in reality, it’s because we have not been attending to ourselves inside, and so we overspend, or overgive or overeat or disconnect in other ways.

For me, major h’mmmmmm…. Some very key factors raised. Maybe i need to change the intent of this goal to:

Creating Space in my home For The Life I Want, and tear down the walls of clutter that keep me from it

from IVillages’ “Get Organized” challenge…

Papers:

There is no question that this is one of the hardest assignments. We are tied to our papers and going through them often takes us down memory lane leading to various emotions and anxiety. However, today you will tackle the first step to gaining HOURS of lost time. Think of all of the time (and energy) you waste sifting though stacks of paper, not to mention the toll that those stacks take on your brain just worrying about all that you have to do. In my estimation this day is priceless in reclaimed time….

Very very true. However, all the advice they give is: organize your bills (a done deal for me, not the problem), pitch anything from the internet, (not gonna happen, & besides, internet pages disappear), store “letters, memorabilia, & papers you don’t need to access for a very long time in the attic or basement”, (i dont HAVE an attic, and the basement accessible to me is a dark-dank-damp-dirt floor-stone wall remanent from the 1890’s,,,,not at all feasbile for storing ANYTHING of value…

This seems to be the main problem i find with all these “de-cluttering” advice sites i keep exploring: they really dont offer any usable advice, they reiterate obvious basics, or suggest things that are only applicable if youre Rich. E.g: One site advised to go buy all new matching hangers for your closets; “this will make you feel better about the look of your closets !” Well, A- i dont have the money to, & B- nor do i want to waste money buying a ton of matching hangers. It’s not going to do Anything for organizing my limited space. (besides, my clothes closet isnt my problem; i purge clothes fairly well) They also said to switch “your summer clothes, and store your winter clothes in large clothing bags” (in your basement, attic, spare bedrooms). Again, i have A Single Closet for all of my clothes, winter, summer, etc. This doesnot give me any useful technique. Another site recommended to organize your spice rack & dishes in the kitchen (move them closer to stove, use your upper cabinates). Ok, again, my spices are just fine, organized…and i dont have upper cabinates. Yet another says to pitch anything in your kitchen that you havent used in a year. I dont agree with that idea at’all. Somethings i only use when i’m having a party, every year or two. Other things its taken me a long time to accumulate. And I dont have the money to go replace those “speciality items” whenever i might next need them, just because i dont use them alot right now. Yes, i do purge if i get new, or go thru them periodically, see if have too many knives or something, and donate the extra stuff to the freestore… But just pitch things? Thats why are landfills are bulging as they are already…

Then I saw an “Organizing & DeCluttering” special on Oprah one day, and made time to watch the whole show, hoping for good advice. But they assisted a rather affluent couple with a 2-story, ten-room house with an attic, basement and garage, on how to declutter their home. They bought them alot of expensive pieces of furniture that had great storage capacity, and spent more money re-designing rooms. I’m sorry, but if you have a ten-room house worth of space, i cant really sympathize with your inability to organize. I have 3-rooms, 2 closets, and no upper kitchen cabinates – Period, to hold my 45 yrs of life. Just figuring out where to put my xmas & halloween decorations out of season is a challenge. As well as where to put garden/snow shovel equipment, automotive needs, mops & brooms, suitcases, etc. (If i even had ONE extra room, beyond my kitchen/living room/bedroom, i could store all my unpurged stuff in there, make the rest of the apt look reasonable, as i slowly worked thru the pile in the “clutter room”)

About the most useful advice i’ve received in my year of “working toward organization”, was Stitch’s on how sort quickly thru piles of papers. I’ve still got huge amounts of paper to get thru (see attached photo), but it IS a method thats been quite useful! Far better than 99% of the “Professional Advice” i’ve found out there…

I think i might write Oprah & tell her to do a organizing show for the poor amoung us…

this really started with good intentions….

I had a small(er) pile of clothes that had accrued in the corner of my bedroom, that i was slowly getting put away, sorted. Then, in a big fit of Spring Cleaning Inspiration, i pulled out everything from my closet, the one in the living room, and the clothes rack in the bathroom, that was in the “Dubious” catagory of no longer fitting, needing to be tried on, or otherwise sorted thru…

Yeesh, What a Pile. (what a dump !)

I should have let myself get to the bottom of the other pile, so i had SOME sense of accomplishment.

Why is Inspiration always tons easier than the Persperation ?? Now i feel like i’ll Never get thru all these clothes…

(If i dont write again soon, you’ll know what i’m busy with….)
(laugh)

Actually, i need to discipline myself to do the “12 min to GO (get organized) technique, of either setting the timer for 12 minutes, and sorting thru what i can in that time, daily….or just putting away 12 items at a time.

Ok, i’m going to go set the timer…

Another area of the apartment that is bugging the crapola buncombe outta me of late. As you can see, the book situation is totally out of control…

i finally started on some reorganizing i’ve been planning on last night,,,,,i unloaded and moved the one bookcase over (it’s out of the camera frame in this shot), and cleared the surface of the other smaller wood bookstand, which is going to be moved to the other side of the bed. Then to assemble a newer, 5-shelf, bookstand i’d acquired, and also reorganize / restack the “cube units” to the side of the bed…. And of then rearange most effective use of all shelves for storing all my many many books, journals, and notebooks…

i’m Praying that everything will fit… ;D

i’ll post “revised” pictures afterwards (hopefully, it’ll be a noticable difference!) ,,,and if i finish all that, i may move onto moving a storage bureau i have into the living room. That too will be a better use of space. (i do hope)

‘Cant Wait to get those two dressers back from the refinishers; they’ll really help get lots of loose items stored…

‘Been chipping away at itty bitty things around the apt. Things that dont make any huge impact visually, but are still in the realm of “declutter progress foward”....

One problem, with already having completely junked up kitchen, is that its all too easy to keep adding to it. E.g: paper bags & cereal boxes. I’d gotten into a really bad habit of letting the paper grocery bags just pile up around the kitchen, instead of folding them up into the cabinate. (One Lure: the kitties love to play in them, so i tend to just drop the bags to the floor till the kitties are tired of them) =) And the other lazy habit i have, is that i keep piling up empty cereal boxes,,,that when i empty, i dont have the time to cut out the coupons & UPC codes i’m saving.

So, as these things have been bugging me lots of late, i spent time over the weekend, while watching TV, to pile the boxes at my feet (yes, highly plural), and systematically cut out what i wanted, colapse & fold up the boxes for the recycle bin. An hour’s task; amazingly rewarding.

Then i did the same with the grocery bags: folding them up till all were put away. The kitties were bummed, but hey…gotta do what ya gotta do!

Also, altho i havent actually “emptied” any of my paper pile boxes, i have spent a good bit of time in the past week pulling out things i know where to file instantly, and then (shock) Filed Them !

so its a tad minimized,,,a little chip of the huge cluttered block….

_{the pic to the left is what remains to be done….}

...i actually did make another small dent in the purging process. This is the pile of stuff i’d pulled from closets and clothes to go to either the Freestore or Goodwill. Since i didnt even have room in my general apt floor space for the bags, i wound up tossing everything i came across for such into the little ‘corner nook’ of the stairs. Then there came task of sorting what i’d piled up into which was going to which place, followed by the task of carrying on out to the car. Further followed by the task of getting it all TO the aforementioned Goodwill & Freestore during their receiving hours (tougher to do whilst working)....

All of this was at last accomplished completely last week, so i again have a “freed up stairs nook”. Which was getting on my nerves, because i was stumbling over it every time i came up the stairs loaded down with groceries & the like…

now, Onto Creating another Purged Pile -!!

:D

it’s a Different mess, but still a mess….

sigh. Sometimes it feels like i’m never making any progress of “de-cluttering”,,,,just shuffling things around from room to room. This the view from my computer desk to my ‘creative’ desk…and all the crap that’s piled betwixed & between… (oh, and thats my really nice “sit & watch TV chair, that i can barely see the TV from lately…) Alot of the problem is trying to figure out Effective storaqe with the space i’ve got…because, unfortuantely, this IS the “purged” stuff, everything i know i’m keeping…

it just gets tough to keep competing in the daily gymnastic obstacle course event….

_(laugh)

and, the most overwhelming clutter issue of all – years of saved papers and photos