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Post by creativechaos on Dec 13, 2015 13:30:12 GMT -5
This is an action thread, no matter how small the actions. It's for people still stuck in the "contemplative" stages of hoarding but at least willing to do some sustained actions to turn that into the "action" stage. Sometimes, for a hoarder like me, things get so bad that you are too low or exhausted or ashamed to even go on WITs or chat. This thread is for people that are NOT "cleaned out", cleaned up, or in maintenance. Chronically disorganized people are welcome. People suffering complex PTSD are welcome.This may be my thread alone, that's OK. Others are welcome to join in, in either a supportive way, or with their own actions to dig out, or just occasionally - as a springboard back to where they can join another list thread or chat, once they get back on track, or use this thread while you are working on your goal IN chat. Good tips, or advice on how you handled something, are always welcome and appreciated.
Some of the stuff listed will be like the stuff in the "BDG" method, since some of us may be ill or in poor physical or mental health. If this thread isn't working or useful, please ignore - don't criticize. People who hoard, who KNOW they hoard and are NOT happy doing it - are miserable enough with the battle.RULES: NONE - but please play nice - if you are disgusted by hoarders, or angry at one (and I don't blame you), this is not the thread for you. SOME THINGS THAT CAN BE DONE: pick up 5 things (or whatever number) pick up 5 pieces of trash off the floor (or clothes, shoes, or whatever, in whatever number) take a dirty dish to the kitchen when you get up. resist acquiring something release something make a decision on keeping or releasing something throw away (god forbid!) something "excavate" to an uncluttered surface clear a foot of floor space find the bottom of your sink (cleaning up all dishes and detritis on the way) whittle down a pile commit to changing one small bad habit or implementing a good one sit in a chair and bend down to pick up all the trash or things that don't belong there around you. or work on a table next to your chair. every time you have to walk to another room, have something in your hand to put away or toss list just one small goal for today and set out do accomplish it break some project that seems too big, down into baby steps face that one thing today that you dread facing. if you fall down, keep getting back up, or ask for a hand up. we'll be there to give you one.ETC. you get the idea. add your own...
luv, cc
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 13, 2015 13:46:31 GMT -5
This is where I need to start today. I hope this thread will be useful. I'm laying out a big project that may take days to accomplish, but it must be done soon. GOAL: bring up a large dresser for my clothes, instead of the shelves and cubicles that are not working: RESULTS FROM MEETING THIS GOAL clothing will be reduced, more organized, and covered so cat can't lie all over them and access is hopefully easier 1)empty one side of walk in closet so that a dresser can be brought into the house that will help me organize my clothing. 2) sort and cull more clothing as I go. 3) must release what I'm using now to make this work. cubicles fold down flat so no decisions necessary except to break those down. Shelves and baskets will have to be reused in another way (something else released) or let go for donation or sale. STEPS: many, many, many OBSTACLES: 1) floor is covered, all spaces are covered and piled except bed. there is no place to really put things as I'm doing this. 2) may be unwilling to release and may make an even bigger problem for myself. 3) need more boxes & bags for the process. got more boxes.4) there are a lot of other things down on this side of the closet - tall basket with stuff in it like yoga mat, other baskets, boxes of fabric. where will those go now? FIRST STEPS: drink a big glass of water. take vitamins, eat breakfast NEXT STEPS: 1) put clothes on existing shelves/racks into boxes - yikes! over 12 boxes! the dresser has only 9 little drawers.2) decide what clothes i am keeping. over half; more like 3/4 of all of my folding clothes need to go if this system is going to work - yikes. am i ready to let THAT many clothes go? (feeling much anxiety)3) put all winter-y clothes into bags to hopefully consign what i can. donate or toss what is not in the best condition. 4) for now, set aside other stuff that got mixed in with the clothes on floor and everywhere. MORE STEPS: entry hallway will have to have all junk there moved, so we can get the dresser in. outdoor stairs and landing will also need to be cleared more to make things safe. bedroom path needs widened. downstairs neighbor has offered to help carry dresser up here when i am ready. (horrors. someone else will have to *SEE* this place.) MORE STEPS: vacuum out the place where dresser will go. stack boxes in the cleared out space, to be able to sleep in my bed tonight. move dresser in (tight fit - may have to also clean out OTHER side of closet - move whatever is on floor, or impairing space to get dresser in.) re-fold clothes i'm keeping, to fit into dresser drawers IF THIS WHOLE THING FAILS: (IE dresser doesn't work up here) 1) see about getting help carrying dresser back down into the neighbor's soon-to-be-empty storage closet, for a week or so, until I can sell it. (hoping i can sell!) 2) put existing system back together - at least hopefully with less clothing. this project is so huge. i may have bit off way more than i can do right now. OTHER STUFF DONE: put away some clean dishes wash some dirty dishes UPDATE: EVALUATION: Too bad i had to tear everything apart to know this, but i had to "see" it for myself. I decided not to take the dresser. for one thing, i still have other things in the closet that presently fit. don't know where i would put them if i put a big dresser in there.
i have the folding clothes in boxes by category. i will cull what i can of them - kon mari style. I hope to cull at least 1/3 of them, and will use existing shelving and cubicles until i get the money to invest in shelf standards, and brackets; and wood with which to cut the boards.
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Post by ridoutrubbish on Dec 13, 2015 14:58:44 GMT -5
I want to get rid of a rabbit cage in my LR and the pile of gallon milk jugs in the kitchen.
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Post by Di on Dec 13, 2015 17:33:54 GMT -5
Write a comment for thread . Try to post it. Watch it disappear. See thread look neater. 1 nongoal accomplished.
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 13, 2015 21:16:11 GMT -5
Thanks for joining in, ridoutrubbish and Di. (Hate it when your comment gets "disappeared," though.) Gone much of the day. Back; here it is night-time already. Started boxing up clothes - not sorting yet. Just trying to get them out of there. Yikes - there are so many. Went to get more boxes - they are broken down but I can put them back together. There are so many more steps to do this project than I thought. I guess I will not finish it anytime soon, but since I need my bed tonight, I'm in a conundrum as to where to put the boxed clothes. I just brought one drawer up here to see how many clothes I would have to release to make this work - all folding clothes in the dresser. Turns out a piece was coming off the bottom of that drawer, so I glued the drawer back together. New (unanticipated) plan - go down and take better look at the dresser, to see what kind of shape the drawers are really in. Will bring glue with me. Wondering what I've gotten myself into.... went and looked over dresser. did a little gluing of drawers but had no clamps so things will probably need doing over.
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Post by Di on Dec 13, 2015 23:22:16 GMT -5
Trying again for the real comment.
Clean the floor in my bedroom--at least the traffic areas.
Reasons:
Safety Access Clean Feet -- right now one walk through the room and they're black!!! I am ruining my sheets and I can't afford to replace them.
STEPS:
Pick up carp Deal with it
Hang the wardrobe rejects back in the closet and try them with something else, later.
Sweep Vacuum Mop.
So far: I have a hamper of rejects ready to go to closet. I have a box of shoes and handbags ready to be put away. I can sort of see my sewing machine (I don't have THAT Chair -- the sewing machine catches the pile of clean, unworn, rejected wardrobe options.
I moved my bed and swept under it. I swept trafficking paths. If I look at it with generosity, I maybe tidied the top of my desk.
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 13, 2015 23:53:34 GMT -5
great work, Di - you did a lot. i ended up freezing and churning. i am not sure if this project will pan out, even if i can bring myself to get rid of 2/3 of these clothes. thinking maybe the best option now would be to put up shelf standards and build my own shelves the way i want them. this, of course, all costs money. i am rethinking whole dresser project and its feasability. i have decided not to take the dresser and still try to get rid of as many clothes as i can let go. i need that closet space for other things right now and if i get the dresser, that will not happen. shelves seem to be the best option for me, so i will build them and try to make sense out of the clothing thing. back again as soon as i can.
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Post by Arid on Dec 14, 2015 15:32:02 GMT -5
creativechaos: A number of years ago, DH decided that he needed our "doom room" that was in the basement for a work space for his business.
I knew that I have a problem with "decision fatigue;" so, this is what I did:
I told him that we both--TOGETHER-- would work on the "doom room" for 30 minutes *EVERY* Sunday afternoon until the job was finished.
I would set a timer for 30 minutes when we began.
He asked me if the timer was to make sure that I/we worked for 30 minutes at a time. I told him, "No; it's to make sure that we/I don't work for 31!!"
Much to both of our amazements, it took only a few Sunday afternoons of working together to get the job done! He's been using that space for his business every since; it was time well-spent.
So, my advice is--limit yourself to working in small increments of time, if necessary. They really do "pay off" in the long run! It's better than "burning out," only never to finish what was started.
Arid
P. S. I *like* this thread! A.
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Post by Arid on Dec 14, 2015 15:35:30 GMT -5
P. P. S. Is there some place other than inside the closet where the dresser could be placed? Then, you'd have the closet space AND the dresser for your clothing . . . A.
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 14, 2015 20:39:43 GMT -5
good thoughts, Arid - thanks for visiting, and for the fantastic advice! Unfortunately, this place is all hoarded up to a level 3, and I still have the two very full storage units. I really like this dresser a lot... but I cannot think on how it can fit in this apartment right now, or in the foreseeable future, without a whole lot more things leaving. I try to tell myself simply that there will be other dressers or opportunities. I think the little steps things will work best in the long run. The upshot is that I must get rid of a lot of clothes and other things, in order to reclaim space and quality of life. The other huge piece is dealing with and slowing the tide of acquisition, and the bottomless, ceaseless acquisitiveness I seem to feel - but that's for another thread, other than actions of resisting the urge and slowing it however I can. Let me try by starting small this evening: 1) at LEASt Two ten-minute challenges on the clothing sorting and culling 2) sort through Christmas ornaments - challenges. one check mark for each challenge. 3) a shower - a MUST, no more excuses my back is really messed up. sitting down is very painful and hard. hoping not to go into full spasm. i am still able to walk around and move, but i am in constant pain. hoping for better day tomorrow. did some ornament sorting challenges, and will take shower or bath before bed. not up for lifting any boxes of clothing right now. some other accomplishments:did a lot of dishes made a healthy dinner. cleaned that up. baked a pie took out some trash. invoiced the school for some of my classes. wrote and mailed important letter. picked up mail. picked up some dirty clothes from on bathroom floor and put into laundry bag.
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Post by andrea on Dec 15, 2015 0:04:37 GMT -5
I am thinking I will join in on here since lately I have been seriously backsliding and not getting anything done around this house. The first room I will start with working on has to be my roomsince I am tripping and falling over things on my floor and all over my room. I have gotten back into the habit of just throwing things in boxes and then not going thru the boxes and having bills that don't get paid. I will setup my small steps since I have been seriously burning myself out lately and not getting things really accomplished.
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Post by creativechaos on Dec 15, 2015 3:02:21 GMT -5
good to have you here, andrea. in my first post here i set up a herculean project and now my back is a mess and i abandoned the project. baby steps, baby steps. you can do it. i'll be baby stepping along with you.
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Post by Arid on Dec 15, 2015 4:10:40 GMT -5
CC: Your list of "some other accomplishments" would represent a full day's work for me!
Be proud of yourself for all that you did get done!!
Arid
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Post by andrea on Dec 15, 2015 7:46:48 GMT -5
My project for the rest of this week will be attempting to clear an area so I can get to my closet and at least hang up my clothes in there. I am trying to find room to move all the camping gear from one side of my room to the other since it gets knocked over every time the boys play video games. I will only be able to work in my room for the next couple of hours and then have a few appointments plus a talent show at younger ds' school and then will take him to his therapist. I will try to get back on afterwards but it will depend on the amount of pain I am in.
1. go thru unopened mail 2. one box/ bag of misc items at a time 3. sewing items 4. books 5. cd/dvd 6. filing cabinet 7. get important papers together Will break each of these down as I start to work on each one since even this seems overwhelming to me right now. Did all my running around for today but am seriously disappointed with how little I got accomplished in my room today. I definitely need to do some work on my room tonight but also found out I have an early morning appointment tomorrow and will probably volunteer afterwards for a few hours. Which means I may not get much done tomorrow either but as long as I get some done I will be happy for now. I was able to start going thru some of my unopened mail and working on sorting out any bills that I owe on still.
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Post by Di on Dec 15, 2015 9:42:17 GMT -5
My room is a pigsty. Only the pigs might not have room to wallow. Some of it is "allowed" mess and some is dropped and or careless mess. The three types of messes have comingled into one huge mess. My goal is to separate them and deal with each in an appropriate manner.
Allowed Mess:
This consists of the items I have chosen to leave in boxes because its situation is "temporary" (about a year from now I will qualify for a senior apt in the art and entertainment district) This mess needs to be stacked better, some boxes unloaded and sorted and purged. I have an industrial shelf unit that needs to be more effectively used.
Careless/Dropped Mess: This consists of clothing rejects that I tosses on top of the sewing machine, books, art and craft supplies, dog hair, dust, dishes, food wrappers, destroyed stuffies and the resulting bits of fluff, dirty clothes (at least those are in hampers) etc.
STEPS:
Sweep vacuum Mop Dust Straighten and clear horizontal surfaces. Hang up clean clothes Do laundry--wash, dry, fold, hang AND PUT AWAY!!! Open, assess, repack if needed; purge if needed; about 15 boxes and totes. Go through papers Put the darn jewelry in the JEWELRY BOX--What a Concept! Put all shoes back in hanging organizers, Put all handbags on their shelves. Put books in bookcase.
STEPS taken:
I unloaded the dishwasher...oh crap!!! That wasn't on my list.. Collapse on sofa and think about it.
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