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Post by Unswamping on Jun 25, 2019 21:46:20 GMT -5
clutterborn you are doing great! Three rooms done is fantastic! I love how you thought about the glasses and the former owner and then donated them. I hope you felt his spirit cheering you on. I am too.
As others have said, its hard to see progress in the midst of a project. Are you keeping a list of what youve gotten rid of? Reading this blog may help too, when you feel like you are just spinning your wheels. We all have days where we feel stuck and just churn. It happens. Realize youre doing that and then set it aside for today. Usually i find when i do that, i need to take a break and do something fun. Hard to do, i know, when the house is a mess. I will pick up some knitting or crocheting for a bit and it refreshes me. Sometimes i can do back to decluttering with new eyes and sometimes im still stuck. Its ok to set those things aside and work on another area. While you do something else, your unconscious will process the stuck items. After a day or two, maybe a little more, try again and see if you have more clarity. Really stuck things get set aside someplace visible, where i can see them as i pass from room to room. When i see them, i just lightly say "i need to decide on that" and let it go, no pressure. Let your unconscious be reminded it needs to decide, gently. Eventually, you will one day suddenly stop and deal with the stuff. I find the gentle reminders help to not become clutterblind to it, and by being gentle, it doesnt trigger demand resistance.
Im sorry you are dealing with hurricane season, thats no fun at all. Do you have a designated place for supplies?
Seriously, you are doing great, not just on getting rid of stuff but on changing your thinking. Reading your thought process really helps me.
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Post by clutterborn on Jun 25, 2019 23:31:31 GMT -5
Thank you very much, Unswamping. Haven't kept a list of the items, but I think about the things that are gone while falling asleep and it makes me happy. Enjoy knowing that other people are enjoying them now. Like your idea about taking a break from it all and just relaxing and enjoying the moment without thinking about all this stuff. It's been my full focus for so long. Would like to take some time and read Kindle. Maybe a good suspense novel. I have Kindle Unlimited and can read free books. Have been neglecting it for awhile. Have become a bit clutter-blind to things, and paring them down is helping so much. I walk past my dining room, and there's no work to be done. That is just so amazing to me to walk past the table and not feel the need to chastise myself for having things piled up on it. The living room is almost empty, no clutter now. Maintenance free in a way. The kitchen is almost done, too. All the cabinets and drawers. But, the counters & floors aren't done yet. That's a work in progress. Yes, we have a designated hurricane storage spot in the hall closet and a kitchen cabinet. A few of them for different categories. (Batteries, food, candles, etc. ) Have trouble with keeping empty water bottles, etc. Now I want to recycle them all! Don't ever want stuff to pile up again. :) It's just too hard to clear it all out. Think I'm slowing becoming a minimalist in a way (in some rooms.) It's so much easier.
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Post by Unswamping on Jun 26, 2019 12:34:59 GMT -5
clutterborn im glad you are enjoying the cleared spaces and the gone items. Do pick up the kindle, its so important to recharge our batteries on a daily basis. You are allowed to have fun even if there is still mess in the house, in fact its necessary! So im prescribing one hour of reading (or other fun) a day.
I can understand about the empty water bottles. Can you set a number to limit how many you keep? Figure out what you might need. The recommended is one gallon per person for three days. After hurricane sandy, i lost electric for five days (no electric means well pump wont work). So for me, i calculate for five days. Then set a number and any more bottles than that, get recycled.
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Post by clutterborn on Jun 26, 2019 14:11:32 GMT -5
Thank you, Unswamping. I will adhere to your prescription of one hour of fun or reading every day! Sounds like a very good plan. Glad you safely got through Hurricane Sandy. That was a tough one. Will follow your advice about limiting the number of jugs of water. Right now am so irritated at myself for keeping all of this unnecessary "stuff" in my closet! No one to blame but me. Want to get rid of it ALL, but my "mind" won't let me, and I don't know how to fix my mind.
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Post by doodles on Jun 28, 2019 20:23:43 GMT -5
Congratulations on all your hard work clutterborn. The more things you remove the stronger your decluttering muscles will be and the faster and easier the process will be. Three rooms in maintenance is great work.
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Post by clutterborn on Jun 30, 2019 11:36:29 GMT -5
Thank you, doodles. Am trying very hard not to bring anything new in. However, am starting to have some regret for getting rid of so many things. Am trying to overcome this type of thinking, as I realize those things weren't necessary, and were almost all someone else's cast-offs. It's a mindset that's quite hard to change and I struggle with it daily.
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Post by clutterborn on Jul 5, 2019 11:07:12 GMT -5
Since May, I've decluttered most of the house, have re-seeded the damaged areas of the lawn, hired a lawn guy to mow, cut the bushes and edge, had pest control and fertilizer guys out. Hired an electrician to replace some lighting damaged in a previous hurricane. Hired a guy to repair the driveway. Spent the morning today scrubbing the patio. Still have more bags for the thrift shop.
Am tired, have made progress. But, nowhere near what's needed to be able to sell this place. My savings have been depleted.
But, the outside of the house is now up to HOA neighborhood standards and looks nice from the front yard. We've got most of the exterior issues sorted out now. The house looks nice from the street. Still some issues in the back, but they're minor. HOA is working with me and is being very cooperative at this point. I still need to paint it, but that's not urgent.
Am enjoying the lack of clutter, especially the garage. Kept junk that wasn't needed out there for almost 10 years. My closet is super nice now, too. Still a work in progress. Still much to do. My knees have been giving out on me, so the progress has slowed. Glad the furniture moving & heavy lifting is all done!
I envy those who live in apartments/condos. No exterior maintenance would be heaven on earth. Not having to pay to fix everything would be paradise.
Am rethinking the whole idea of buying another house, now that this one has been worked on so much. Don't want to go through this all over again with another older house and a newer one would be impossibly out of our price range.
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Post by Layla on Jul 5, 2019 11:58:55 GMT -5
clutterborn you have done so much!
I understand the thought of buying a place and having to deal with maintenance and all of that care, yard work, etc. So sometimes a rental sounds nice.
Where Im at people often end up wanting to sell their homes or upping the rents each yr so its hard to even find a rental to stay put in. So its hard to consider renting long term and that being a stable place where I am. If its something that would work where you are, Id suggest it for many or going the condo/apt route.
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Post by clutterborn on Jul 5, 2019 15:50:00 GMT -5
You're right Layla. The worry would always be there that the owner would want to sell, etc. I knew someone that happened to. He rented the same house for 15 years, and the owner's son decided he wanted to live there, so he had to find a new place. It was very hard on him. He loved his home. He only had 30 days notice too. I agree with you that a condo is a more logical choice. It has more stability long-term, but without the maintenance. Sure the fees can increase, but at least you get some of the money back when you sell it. I believe that's what I'll eventually do. That will be a new direction to think about.
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Post by larataylor on Jul 5, 2019 16:53:40 GMT -5
clutterborn - you're doing so well! I love what Unswamping wrote about letting things sit in your mind for a while. I have trouble letting things go sometimes, and I need time to process the feelings. I don't beat myself up ... I just keep coming back to it, and eventually I can let the thing go.
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Post by maryaz on Jul 11, 2019 16:37:23 GMT -5
@clutterborn you are doing so awesome! So nice the HOA is working with you; I have heard horror stories about some of them.
It is a lot of work keeping a place up, tho of course if the maintenance is done regularly it doesn't get so bad.
Enjoy all that new found space! I'm still working on finding mine ;-)
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Post by creativechaos on Jul 13, 2019 10:29:01 GMT -5
ha ha clutterborn; you can hoard up an apartment just the same as a house! (ask me how i know this) but somehow i think you won't. your mindset has changed and you are working wonders with both thoughts and actions. that's great that you have the outside of the house looking so good from the road, and that the HOA is working with you so you can get the house ready to sell when it's time. i think you might like apt or condo living, and nowadays some of them are duplexes with nice yards that they pay a landscape service to maintain. i love coming on here and reading your thought processes and actions. yes, i think those hoardy, messy tendencies and thoughts are always there, but what you're doing helps them stay at bay. the real prize is the the enjoyment felt at looking at those maintained, clear surfaces. sometimes for me it's the small or arbitrary things i release that give me the most trouble! i think it's natural to feel a loss when you get rid of a lot as fast as you have been. there's an emptiness - it takes time to get used to it or figure out what to fill it with (activity? travel? social events? solitude and quiet?) or just let it be and enjoy the feeling of space and ease. i don't know yet, as space and ease feels very threatening to me; i feel "exposed" and undeserving of it in some way; unsafe even - but i hope i will learn to love it as so many people here have. i'm a firm believer in living life while you declutter. an hr a day of whatever brings you joy, pleasure, and ease is a good balance; whether it's reading, crafting, or just putting your feet up or lying in a hammock and feeling the breeze and listening to the sounds of nature. you deserve these pleasures! taking them actually helps you have energy to do more of what you need to do.
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Post by clutterborn on Jul 16, 2019 21:35:36 GMT -5
Well, the house went up for sale, and I've accepted an offer. A bit low ball, but at least it's a quick offer. Next up will be the inspection which I am worried about, as I'm sure there's stuff they can find wrong with the place. It's a little outdated. If it doesn't pass, then we're back to square one. Spent the past few days throwing more things out, and painting outside areas of the house. Amnesty Fairy needed. Maybe she can take a nap with me. Am also following the sugggestion by creativechaos to just kick back a little and take time to relax. Even the dog is nervous by all the moving around I've been doing. Time to sit a bit and relax and forget about cleaning/decluttering.
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Post by clutterborn on Jul 20, 2019 15:34:09 GMT -5
Inspection on Monday...
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Post by dtesposito on Jul 20, 2019 16:18:19 GMT -5
Wow clutterborn, that was fast--I thought you would have months yet before you were ready to sell. Do you know where you're moving yet?
Diane
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