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| The Book Room |
2013. A new year. A clean slate. Twelve months of untapped opportunity. What should I do with all that opportunity? One leisurely stroll through my house was all it took to bring the answer home loud and clear.
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| The Bookcase |
All the experts say, "get rid of the clutter." Um, I did. At least, I thought I did. (I gave away lots of books last year. Obviously, they sneaked back in when I wasn't looking.) For instance, take my book room. Last year, I bought sturdy storage containers, alphabetized all my books and stored them in the book room (formerly the second guest bedroom) where I could find any book at any time. Because they're alphabetized. And contained. Right? It worked! For about a month. Until I needed a few of the contained books and "forgot" to re-contain them when I was finished. Repeat that a few times (a month) for the next twelve months and guess what? I have clutter. Add to that all the new books that arrived throughout the year and, oh yeah, we have major clutter! And what happens when I have major clutter? I can't find anything!!! Sorry. Got a little emotional there. :-)
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| The Book Armoire - 3 rows deep |
I've decided that this year will be the year I get rid of clutter once and for all. New opportunities. I've already begun. Last weekend I started on the bedroom closets. I finished one of them. Only four more to go. I already have the makings of a really good yard sale. Yesterday, I started on the paper. (something else that seems to multiply while I sleep.) I shredded six bags of paper and made a few interesting discoveries. One of them was an Amazon gift card with $50 (yes, that's FIFTY DOLLARS) on it! Obviously, I need to shred more often. ;-)
This time around, I've decided to approach the "get my life in order" project in a more methodical way. I'm taking one room at a time and not working in any other area until that room is finished. (I'm easily distrac...CHOCOLATE!) I've also resolved to ask myself the tough questions (If I haven't worn this outfit since 1987, do I really need it?) and listen to the answers. (No, I don't really need it. Off to Goodwill it goes!)
A clean, clutter-free house is a serene house. Serenity. Such a lovely word. I could use some serenity in my life. I'm naturally a positive, upbeat person but over the past year, stress has taken a toll. That's about to change. Cutting back on my work hours was project number one. Allowing management to nudge my hours up and up until I was routinely working 35 hours a week (on my feet) instead of the 20 hours I had originally requested was taking a major toll on my physical health. I've cut back on my hours, am making healthy food choices (instead of grab and go), gradually strengthening my knee until I'm able to begin a full exercise regimen again and (this one's important) spending more time with friends.
My ultimate goals? To create a better me: healthy, happy, serene. To create a clean, clutter-free environment in which I can thrive. To become better organized so I don't find myself facing this same dilemma next year. And lastly, to give away books. Lots and lots and lots of books!
What are you hoping to accomplish this year? Have you set goals? Do you struggle with clutter as I do? Any tips for controlling the beast? Want some books? Leave a comment on today's blog and you'll have a chance to win a box of books from my "banish clutter" stash. I'm giving away five boxes! (US addresses only)
Pssst...Don't worry if you're not one of today's lucky winners. There's still a lot more de-cluttering to be done! :)
~PJ
