momofacutie
New Member
I'm also under the user name Alexandra. :)
Joined: August 2013
Posts: 36 
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Post by momofacutie on May 21, 2015 10:07:33 GMT -5
For me, it's looking at news articles--and videos and pictures--about squalor.
I show my son videos and pictures, and I say, "Do we want our apartment to look like this?" He shakes his head no, and I say, "That's why we need to keep things picked up."
Sometimes if I don't feel like picking up, I look at a video or pictures, it helps!
Now to reclaim the kitchen table....
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Post by lucie on May 21, 2015 10:19:48 GMT -5
What motivates me? People here, I want to have something to report  And once I get started, it is easier to carry on. |
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ra
New Member
Joined: May 2015
Posts: 61
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Post by ra on May 21, 2015 10:41:40 GMT -5
space after I have decluttered motivates me to clean...if it is uncluttered I want it to look nicer  or...visitors  |
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momofacutie
New Member
I'm also under the user name Alexandra. :)
Joined: August 2013
Posts: 36
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Post by momofacutie on May 21, 2015 10:43:18 GMT -5
That's my biggest hurdle--getting started. After I get started I get the snowball effect going. Oh, and I just mopped the entryway. New tile was put down a few months ago and the property manager suggested to me that I get a mat. When you open the front door, immediately you can go up the stairs, or go to your left into the living room, which is carpeted. Between the front door and the stairs new flooring was put down. Well, I bought a couple of $2 mats (they're called carpet remnants on the label) and I have one just on the carpet, in front of the shoe tray, and once the flooring dries I'll put down the bigger one. If my apartment is one of the chosen random apartments for tomorrow's inspection, the manager will see that I took her advice. My pastor's wife coming to visit this past Tuesday kick-started me, so I have only a little bit to go to get ready for tomorrow. |
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Post by larataylor on May 21, 2015 11:15:22 GMT -5
Decluttering definitely motivates me to clean. I can hardly stop myself, in fact. If a space is clear of stuff, I really want to clean it.
That's only when I'm in my energetic phase, though. In winter, I don't want to do anything.
I guess I'm motivated to keep things tolerable … dishes, laundry, litter boxes … even in winter. But it's much harder.
Washing the dishes feels like cleaning up clutter. Once they're done and out of the way, I feel very motivated to wipe counters & such.
The motivation to declutter is much harder!
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Post by danny15 on May 21, 2015 11:22:06 GMT -5
Watching hoarding shows used to motivate DD and I. Now a show called Love It or List It is great motivation. We see spaces turned into beautiful living areas and although we wouldn't be doing any renovating it shows us how nice things can be and we want that for ourselves. The people on this site motivate me hugely especially Unswamping and angela reading about all they get done. Lots of others but those 2 pop to mind first. Waking up from a good night's sleep is a good motivator for me. A new day, a fresh new start. |
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Post by ohblondie on May 21, 2015 11:36:42 GMT -5
I think that the biggest motivator for me is having to report out here what I have done. Being accountable and gertting positive feedback from people here keeps me wanting to do more.
Also - when I was a newlywed and desperately in love with my spouse (newly in love?) I was motivated to get up every saturday and clean the apt top to bottom. I did that every week until I got pregnant and started getting wiped out and exhausted. And hubby was not used to helping so he never chipped in.
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Post by angela on May 21, 2015 22:55:47 GMT -5
Thanks danny15 that is so nice of you to say. I am really blessed that the messages I have heard over and over (x100) here are finally sinking in especially regarding excess stuff. I've been having Love It or List It just playing on the tv while I work. I peek in for the reveal. I was watching Hoarders too for a while, it was good for me to hear the participants say out loud the same things I've been saying out loud, the justifications and distorted thinking about the stuff especially. The last couple of weeks I've been watching Tiny House Nation and it has been very reinforcing to hear the home owners be so very positive about their radical downsizing experience. A lot like what aquamarine has said to me over and over, that cutting right back on work then possessions along with dreams and ideas that realistically won't come to pass results in a healthy, manageable lifestyle. AND the feared regrets just don't happen, certainly not to the degree that we think they will. When I see those Tiny Homes, as cute and creative as a little living dollhouse, well I can really get motivated to jettison anything that wouldn't fit. |
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Post by aquamarine on May 22, 2015 0:02:37 GMT -5
Yes, it was mainly repetition and digestion of ideas and expressions that got me started and kept me going. You may need to sacrifice surplus belongings and unrealistic plans and dreams, but you get to feel in control with spare capacity.
Experiencing the many benefits of being in maintenance helps to ensure that I don't backslide, as do lists, habits and routines.
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Post by europegirl on May 22, 2015 3:54:11 GMT -5
Experiencing the many benefits of being in maintenance helps to ensure that I don't backslide I agree with what aquamarine just wrote there, that's one of the main factors motivating me too! Now that I have been in maintenance for only 4 months, I still have really bad days where I don't get much housework done, I still have days where I'm busy with work/life and got no time for housework (or tell myself that I don't got time  ). And I still have laaazy days where I "let myself" relax way too much or just "accidentally" relax too much and end up not getting much or any housework done.  - And I still have days where I'm physically ill where I don't feel like I physically can do housework, and end up doing nothing. I even still have days, even if it's rare now, where my impulses to buy items for my "collections" gets the best of me, and I cave in and order some craft items online even if I know that I have way too much at home already...   " And I still have days where I just feel overwhelmed and hide from cleaning and from all the responsibility of being an adult.  " And a day or 2 or even 3 is OK- ish, but more than 3 days... no, it's not OK...then I need to stop up and tell myself; "If I do not do any housework today and nothing or little tomorrow too, I'll slowly start losing all the benefits a cleaner home can give me...". - "Do I want to lose this newfound *zen* a cleaner home has given me...??". - The answer is: " No way, I do not. I deserve my zen!". And in my case (with added buying/collecting issues) I also need to stop and remind myself that obsessive collecting is called an obsessive compulsive disorder for a reason. I do not ever want to go back to having a "crisis cleaning" or a stressful and draining marathon cleaning before I'm having family over, or before having a plumber - or even worse - the landlord over... @momofacutie - HERE ARE MY MAIN MOTIVATIONS TO CLEAN:1: Avoiding having a "crisis cleanings" ever again. Marathon cleanings are too draining, too stressful, and after them it feels like you have zero energy to keep up maintenance because you feel exhausted, and then you slip back into old habits again... 2: Living a more "zen" life without stress and anxiety for having unexpected guests over, and without stressing to find lost important items like keys, papers you need for work, health or finances etc.3: Experiencing the daily benefits of being in maintenance (like how good it feels to get up in the morning and take a shower in a clean shower and do your makeup by a clean mirror next to a clean sink. And to think "this if for me" (as in opposed to thinking that you've cleaned just to please your familymembers/landlord/plumber etc). 4: Providing a clean home to familymembers/pets/guests. (I live alone, so my dog is my main motivation here). If thinking about the above doesn't help, typing in "hoarding" in Google image search can help... And also a cup of coffee and a RedBull energy-drink + putting on music when you are cleaning. And reading both your own old posts here on this forum, and the posts of the newbies and the wise advice from older senior members. Hoping more people will post about what motivates them, I still need more motivation myself... |
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Post by calypso on May 22, 2015 9:00:52 GMT -5
What motivates me? People here, I want to have something to report And once I get started, it is easier to carry on. Yes, this place has been a tremendous help already. I've gotten more done in the past 5 days than I usually get done in two weeks, or maybe two months. I can only hope that the early enthusiasm continues and that I don't lose momentum, which is often the case. I get started and am all gung ho but it rarely lasts. Hopefully that will change as I learn how to be more flexible, to find ways to keep going even when I don't want to, etc. |
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Post by dtesposito on May 22, 2015 9:34:43 GMT -5
Things that motivate me:
Fear: of someone having to come for a repair, etc.
Challenges/Work-alongs on this site: As other people mentioned, having other people working along with me is very motivating.
Results: Probably the thing that motivates me the most has been seeing my apartment look (relatively) uncluttered and clean for the first time ever, I want to experience that every single day.
How much better to use the second two motivators that I listed, rather than the first one! I'm hoping eventually that the need for the first one will disappear.
Diane
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Post by dtesposito on May 22, 2015 9:37:56 GMT -5
Calypso, it's natural for your initial burst of enthusiasm to lessen--that happened, and still happens, with me, and I'm guessing with a lot of the other people here. The important thing is to NOT let that make you think you've "failed" or that you can't ever change things. Your energy/motivation will wax and wane--the trick is to come back on here for fresh motivation and KEEP GOING! Eventually things become habit, but if you give up at the first roadblock the habits won't have a chance to form.
Diane
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Post by dayeanu on May 22, 2015 12:02:33 GMT -5
Visiting a clean, uncluttered, house, apartment, or even a motel room makes me want to clean and clear out.
When I clear out any of my own space, that is motivating. (I noticed last night I almost swagger walking across the empty kitchen.)
Setting a timer for 8 minutes makes me actually get up and move.
Having a plan or a designated day to do things helps. Today is Friday. It's the Flylady "clean out your car" day. Ad soon as my brain realizes it's Friday, I gear toward cleaning out my truck. And do clean it out, most Fridays.
Watching hoarding shows doesn't motivate me to clean, but it does remind me.how sick my thinking is when I want to keep junk.
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Post by dayeanu on May 22, 2015 12:04:02 GMT -5
Reading here about someone who works toward clearing their mess motivates me.
Seeing pictures of clean, uncluttered rooms motivates me.
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