dusty
New Member
Joined: January 2009
Posts: 13
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Hi hi
Jan 25, 2009 19:17:03 GMT -5
Post by dusty on Jan 25, 2009 19:17:03 GMT -5
Hello! I'm Annie (yeah, another one), nice to meet you all. Um, I think I dropped by this site a few years ago. Since then I got my own place and of course was determined to keep it clean, like I always am. Well, I didn't. A neighbour is giving me a new cooker and they're bringing it tomorrow (mine is old and a bit nasty) so I've just spent all day cleaning my landing and kitchen until they gleam. I still had time so I've done half of my living room too, even though nobody will be coming in here. Then I remembered this site and thought I'd like to have a chat about messiness. I can't talk about it with anyone I actually know because I pretend I'm 'normal' and organised. You all know the story. So I'm all fired up and inspired to be clean again. I love it when it's clean. The thing is, now and again I do get the urge and go through the place like a tornado, and I honestly believe it'll never be messy again, but I've always relapsed. I've been this way since I was little. It just kind of happens - when I was an unhappy kid I'd shut myself off in my own world and just neglected the physical world around me, much to my mother's annoyance. Now I'm older and thankfully happier but I don't have much free time with work, and I haven't lost the habit of living in my dream world. I clean up, get on with my life, then turn round a few weeks later and the mess is back. I haven't been in one of my kitchen cupboards for months because there are mouldy saucepans in it I'd forgotten about. Once again, I'll have to throw them out and buy new ones, so I feel guilty about wasting useable things, adding to landfill and wasting money. Again. One of my workmates asked me a few weeks ago when she can come round for dinner. I want her to come round a lot, I think I'll use that to motivate me. So thanks for reading, I know it's probably the same thing you've heard over and over, but it's such a relief to talk about it, especially people who have a sense of humour about these things.
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Hi hi
Jan 25, 2009 20:22:14 GMT -5
Post by notsomessyshell on Jan 25, 2009 20:22:14 GMT -5
Welcome Annie! I can relate to the cleaning like a tornado and then having to do it all over again, and again, and again... Now I am trying to get the whole maintenance idea. It is like a foreign language to me. But I am getting it. You will, too. I want to be able to have people over, too. I think it is a great motivator.
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Hi hi
Jan 25, 2009 21:38:03 GMT -5
Post by annieblue on Jan 25, 2009 21:38:03 GMT -5
Welcome D-Annie!
You've found your way back to a great place! The trick is to clean like that tornado, & then just be a little dustup of a storm each day, more like a little rain shower maybe. I KNOW how hard that can be, & how hard it has been for you in the past, but you can do it. Just look at all the people here who do their maintenance every day, yay! You can visit the One-a-Day thread daily, or go for the Working in Threes (WITS) method, just whatever you find here that works for you. Keep reading, keep posting, & do pop into the Chat room when you can. Best to you, Annie-B
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Hi hi
Jan 25, 2009 22:17:11 GMT -5
Post by crazycatlady on Jan 25, 2009 22:17:11 GMT -5
Welcome back, Dusty Annie! Would it be possible to hire a regular cleaning lady to help out? For a year, I've had someone coming in every two weeks. She does the basic cleaning, and also keeps me accountable. I know that I need to straighten up the day before she comes, so that she can get to the floors and surfaces to clean them. It has made a remarkable difference!
If not, just stick around. You can learn new habits and plans for maintaining your space. (Stick around even if you can hire some help!)
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Hi hi
Jan 26, 2009 0:09:50 GMT -5
Post by messymimi on Jan 26, 2009 0:09:50 GMT -5
Welcome Dusty/Annie !
One trick some people here use is called ETE -- Erase The Evidence. The concept is, after every activity, to make sure it looks like you didn't do that thing. For example, after sorting the mail, you have recycled/thrown out/ filed/put away/shredded everything, so it doesn't look like you have even gotten the mail in the door yet.
This can even be started before you have cleaned the whole place. If you decide to start it right away, then when you do bring in the mail, for example, you deal with all of today's (ETE) and at least one item from any backlog. Or when you wash the clothes you need for the next few days, add at least one item from the pile that has built up. Same with dishes -- all of today's get washed today, plus at least one more. Eventually you get through all the backlogs.
Whatever method you choose to tackle your place, this place will give you loads of ideas and inspirations for implementing them.
It's good to have you here.
messymimi
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Hi hi
Jan 26, 2009 1:22:51 GMT -5
Post by valor on Jan 26, 2009 1:22:51 GMT -5
Hi Dusty/Annie,
The posters before me have given some great ideas on how to proceed with maintainance. Maintainance is my "Holy Grail" Wasn't there an old Monty Python movie or something about the Holy Grail, it was really funny. Anyway, it sure can be difficult to keep up with a place when you're out at work a lot. Try not to guilt yourself about the saucepans. I've about guilted myself into the ground over waste, cost, etc. Maybe we can just tell ourselves that "what's done is done" -it's in the past, and our present and future will be better. Welcome back!
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dusty
New Member
Joined: January 2009
Posts: 13
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Hi hi
Jan 26, 2009 21:40:12 GMT -5
Post by dusty on Jan 26, 2009 21:40:12 GMT -5
Thanks everyone I'm so surprised - just being a member of this community has given me the kick up the arse I need to get cleaning. I'm sure I would have just ignored things as usual when I got in if I hadn't come back to post. I just hope I can make it last, I'm worried I'll never be able to make a permanent change in my habits. I always feel so happy after I do clean, and swear it'll never happen again, but up to now it always has. But I've done a lot tonight and I haven't been 'in the mood' so to speak. Anyway, thanks for the welcome xxx
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Hi hi
Jan 27, 2009 1:50:31 GMT -5
Post by creativechaos on Jan 27, 2009 1:50:31 GMT -5
hi d-annie; welcome back! hope you stick around with us, this is a fun, wise, and wonderful group. they can teach a lot about maintenance. it sounds like for you it's mostly just that, not a huge pileup of stuff. but yes, regular contact with these wonderful people really helps!
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Hi hi
Jan 27, 2009 9:39:00 GMT -5
Post by annieblue on Jan 27, 2009 9:39:00 GMT -5
Hello Again, D-Annie,GREAT to see you coming back to the One-A-Day thread!!! That's all it takes: just doing some of it daily! I know it is hard sometimes to believe that those old habits can change, but OH HOW THEY CAN. There are lots of people here who, day by day, learned/relearned how to keep up with their daily maintenance, & they continue to be successful every single day. Let them inspire you & encourage you. Just keep coming back! You can do it! You deserve it!
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Hi hi
Jan 28, 2009 7:47:37 GMT -5
Post by isolated on Jan 28, 2009 7:47:37 GMT -5
Nice to meet you Annie.
I am a lot like you in the ways of feeling bad about tossing stuff out that should last a long time and how the place will look good one day and then the very next its all a mess.
Overtime though, the mess becomes not so bad as when you started and you start seeing that its nothing like it used to be. So there is hope even if it is hard to see sometimes.
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Hi hi
Jan 30, 2009 9:21:14 GMT -5
Post by risenshine09 on Jan 30, 2009 9:21:14 GMT -5
Hi Annie. I do the same thing -- getting things cleaned up and then letting it get back to being messy -- but this time when it's done I'm not going back. Everyone here has been so encouraging, motivating and supportive so stick around and you'll overcome once again. Take good care, Sharon.
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Hi hi
Jan 31, 2009 0:20:56 GMT -5
Post by skatters on Jan 31, 2009 0:20:56 GMT -5
Welcome! Sounds like you will fit right in!
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