justdo
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Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 20, 2013 19:58:34 GMT -5
Good job keeping at it nekomom! I feel good when I see it moving out too! No progress for me today. Tomorrow morning I plan to do a one hour session and call it quits for the day even if I'm not done. Slow and steady.
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justdo
New Member
Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 20, 2013 20:00:42 GMT -5
Sorry, double posted.
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Post by sidestep on Jun 21, 2013 6:34:42 GMT -5
Hi nekomom & justdo! I really should join you here on the paper purge. Congrats on how much you both have managed to purge! My tendency is to always let the junk mail pile up since I hate going thru it! Due to the huge backlog, I will try to eliminate 1-3 grocery bags of old mail per week. I'll update this post with my progress. Week 1 6/23 thru 6/296/23 4 handfuls of mail sorted & trashed! It's a start with a long way to go! 6/24 2 more handfuls of mail sorted & trashed! (Approx. 10 pieces in each handful.) 6 MORE handfuls of mail sorted & trashed!
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justdo
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Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 21, 2013 10:46:53 GMT -5
Hi sidestep! Welcome to the paper party! I'm back at it today! The mail just keeps coming and coming! No break! I need to add a goal and create a routine of collecting the mini piles from all over because even though I've established a location/procedure for incoming mail... the paper still manages to leak out! Sometimes it's a flyer, receipt, a random copy of something, or a piece of paper I've brought it from the car and I'm noticing those aren't going into my "mail system" so I need a method for these randoms as well! Any suggestions for those? Right now my plan is "round up and toss" likely that I don't need to file any of these. Learning to trash upon walking in the door would be good but for now...?
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justdo
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Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 22, 2013 13:05:49 GMT -5
Oh man.... I can not seem to get back to this last box and in the mean time new stuff is still coming in! Instead of one hour I will set a 15 minute timer RIGHT NOW and do 15 minutes of purging from this last big tote!! What on EARTH is keeping me from doing this??? Bah!!!!! Thinking too much! just do it! just do it! just do it! just do it! Set timer for 15 mins & PURGE PAPERS from large tote
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justdo
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Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 22, 2013 13:29:41 GMT -5
Set timer for 15 mins & PURGE PAPERS from large tote Well... I did it. 15 mins. It was a sloooooow 15 mins! I think this is the bin where I put anything form the other bins that I just didn't know what to do with so I have to make lots of decidisons. A lot of it is not obvious trash and I have to really choose. Lots of notebooks that are "perfectly good and I need to go through and tear out and shred the stuff inside" ... finally got to my son's old speech exercises... and my husband's vision and PT and speech exercises... maybe I should think about creating folders for some of these and deciding to keep or not after I sort. Whew.... decisions!
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justdo
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Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 22, 2013 16:30:06 GMT -5
Did two more 15 minute sessions. This is exhausting! I'm seeing the progress in the bin now though. Created folders for those "tough" issues that I didn't want to deal with plus I still have my "I don't know box" I did add more from this bin than any other box so far but I still only have30 papers in there maybe so I'm feeling like I'm making good choices. It's just hard. I don't want to do this again. I want to deal with it before it becomes a monster. I think I'm going to call it a day. Maybe shred the stuff I have pulled to do something else. But no more sorting for today. I am calling it good!
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Post by missjean on Jun 22, 2013 17:08:30 GMT -5
Justdo, you're doing great! I think Nekomom and you have tackled a really tough job because it's time-consuming and can be both boring AND emotional. :/ Hats off to you two!
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justdo
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Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 23, 2013 19:01:35 GMT -5
Thanks missjeanclean! This is a toughie for sure. I flew through the beginning so I was kind of shocked when I got to this newer stuff which has been emotional. I am still having a hard time getting motivation to finish sorting the last papers. The thing is, after all I've done, it's NOT that many... but the content is heavier! Whew... I don't know that if I wasn't on this forum I'd have talked that out with myself and I think it's a really good thing to do. At least I know why I'm procrastinating! I'm proud of me for that part. I guess I can be gentle and just do a tiny bit more each day. A tiny bit that's all I'm asking of myself! I need more folders so I can throw those issues in so they will be filed for real and then I can purge individual items in each folders at a later date. So, I did no paper purging today BUT I did complete goal #5 for my office! GOALS for my office: 1.) I have a habit of writing things down while I'm on the phone with people. Notes, phone numbers, etc. I even write down my own phone number as I say it to people to be sure I'm giving it at "reasonable writing speed" :/ I know I can't stop that habit (at least not ready to try right now!) but I can keep all my writing contained instead of on scraps of paper all over I am going to keep a journal type note book on my desk and do all my writing in there. Progress: Doing well! Have kept desk clear of "notes" and written in journal long enough to give myself a check on this--- must keep it up! It's nice to have it all contained! I know where to find my notes now! 2.) I have a shredder right behind me, a recycling bin right behind me AND a trash can right behind me. I will use them. I will not set paper down on my desk unless I plan to do something about it THAT DAY. Progress: Doing well so far... Told myself I must keep this up for a week before I will check it off. If I have shredded, recycled and trashed continuously by 6/26/13 (Wednesday!) I will check this off. I have set papers on my desk because I am still sorting and using it to sort but they are actively moving from the desk too.... so I won't count that. I am being mindful of it.
3.) I need to find a wall mountable inbox/outbox for daily mail. So that way my husband has an UNDERSTOOD place to put mail when it comes in. Progress: Found a cheap one that is exactly what I wanted!!4.) Need to hang the calendar board that has been sitting by my desk for probably a year. Progress: DONE!! Wrote myself reminders about keep desk clear and shredding etc on white board.5.) Need to hang husband's artwork. Spent money to have that framed at Christmas and it has just been sitting in the corner. If the kids end up breaking it because I haven't put it up yet, it's not fair to be mad at them. Progress: DONE! DH helped me pick out the right screws but then we got into a little tiff about and he walked off so I hung them myself. We're over it now and he said I did a good job. 6.) Need to get phone/router/modem off the floor and up onto bookshelf. To do this I must: A.] Unplug internet (daunting!) B.] Drill hole in back of shelf to feed cords through (where the hole goes is a "permanent" decision that I've been putting off) C.] Replug in all the cables
7.) Icky stain under my desk from the "shoe spot" need cleaning and then maybe a little rug or mat to stop future stains?
8.) Continue paper purging at least one 15 minute session per day.
I've added three new goals: 6, 7 & 8 I feel like now that the paper is gone almost gone (don't get ahead of yourself!) this is a space that I LOVE being in! And I WANT it to be paper clutter free!
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Post by sidestep on Jun 24, 2013 9:57:19 GMT -5
justdo, you're inspiring me & doing GREAT! Shoutout to nekomom, I hope your paper purging is still going strong as well!
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justdo
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Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 24, 2013 15:16:09 GMT -5
Thanks @sidestep ! I'm trying to do tiny bits. I'm finally SEEING it become something which has been awesome! I keep seeing little things I need to do now when before it was one big PILE! Now I can look at the room and see a task, i.e. "I need to take my coffee cup back to the kitchen"!!
Spent all day at the hospital with 3 kids so nothing in the paper purging dept for me yet today.... just need a 15 min purge to meet my goal! But I'll try when it's cooler... too hot here. No A/C in office and it's about 8 bazillion degrees.
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Post by nekomom on Jun 24, 2013 15:20:25 GMT -5
Way to go sidestep and justdo! My husband finally had a weekend off from work so I was away from the computer for the majority of the weekend. I'm still purging papers a little each day, but did not get to purge any yet today. I'll reply in more detail a little later. At the moment I must focus on defrosting my frozen fridge. It's one of those newer models that have the holes in the inside for air flow and it seems like little cups of almond yogurt fell behind the Brita water filter and blocked up the air flow holes on one side and some bags of lettuce on a shelf clogged up the holes on the right side. This happened once before except that time the fridge stopped cooling. This time it was still operating and keeping a cool temperature so I caught it in time, but I'm sure I'm not supposed to see visible ice inside of the fridge. So we unplugged it and I am purging fridge contents and reorganizing the shelves in such a way to prevent it from happening again. I will purge papers for at least 30 minutes when I am done with the fridge.
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Post by nekomom on Jun 24, 2013 15:28:21 GMT -5
I hope the children are okay, justdo, and it was nothing too serious. You are making great progress. I read how you are doing on your goals and your progress is truly remarkable! It's wonderful that you are noticing small tasks that need to be done before it becomes a great big overwhelming pile. Keep up the great work. It is encouraging for all of us to read of your success. Truly inspiring. I must go back to the kitchen. I'll get back to this and read all the comments that I missed/skimmed before. I am actually wanting to get to my 30 minutes of paper purging. I loved seeing/knowing I was making progress.
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justdo
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Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 24, 2013 15:51:43 GMT -5
Nevermind! I decided to do 15 minutes anyway!!! It was hot and yucky but now I'm DONE! I ended up on an "easy" stack too!!! No big decisions needed! Just shows that I am psyching myself out! I came across a few "baddies" a few days ago and now I'm convinced the WHOLE box must be bad. But not true! I may try another 15 later tonight. For now I'm going to hang out with my kids in the A/C upstairs! This box never seems to END! ! Also noticed I seem to be hoarding binders.... empty binders! I need to determine a reasonable amount of empty binders and let some GO!!!! Need criteria to help with that.... what is a good binder? Size? Do I really NEED an empty binder at all?? ugh.
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justdo
New Member
Joined: June 2013
Posts: 39
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Post by justdo on Jun 24, 2013 16:01:48 GMT -5
Oh I just saw your comments after I posted nekomom! Fridge problems?!?! UGH! It's so annoying when you have a project you want to work on but something "MUST DO" comes up! Bleck. That is one of my pet peeves! I hope it's not too much of a ordeal and you can get back to your paper party soon We need a new fridge eventually.... ours is a REAL dinosaur... it's good to know that those air flow holes are so finicky! I'll keep in mind the positioning of the holes when I look for a new model. We are all OK, we just "live" at the hospital... it's basically our full-time family job. you can read my story in the Introduction section to find out the whole backstory if you're interested! It's also basically the SOURCE of my paper problem!!! :/ I'm off to the A/C of the playroom now! After I lounge on the couch up there for a bit (feel like I earned it!) I will try a 15 min toy declutter. We're working on toys too now, those seem to multiply like rabbits!
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