nonimouse
New Member
Joined: July 2008
Posts: 41
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Post by nonimouse on Jul 22, 2008 19:07:35 GMT -5
My whole life is a mess--my house, my finances, my body, etc. I feel like I'm sinking most of the time and know I have to get myself out of this mess somehow.
I'm trying to just start with the house so I don't get overwhelmed and give up again. I'm also trying to concentrate on one room at a time and getting everything picked up and trash thrown out before I even concentrate on the actual cleaning. The living room is starting to look decent although it still smells like cat.
My big accomplishment for the day was getting some dishes washed and filling 2 big bags with trash. That's a good day. Now how do I get motivated to have more of these good days and less of the bad ones? How do I stay motivated to keep up with this?
That's it for a start because I have more dishes to do but will check in again later.
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Post by anonymoose on Jul 22, 2008 19:21:24 GMT -5
Hi! A moose and a mouse - what a mix! I know how you feel, and I think your tactic is a great one. It can be soo overwhelming when you look at the whole project. I wish I could give you a magic motivational bullet - before I fell off the planet, I'd cleaned my kitchen down from level 4 and was doing daily maintenance. Then one day I just...didn't. Now it's knee deep again.
You've made a lot of great headway today - I'm proud of you, and you should be, too. Every bag you get out is a bag less underfoot!
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Post by pegasus48 on Jul 22, 2008 21:01:11 GMT -5
You have started, and that's the hardest part! Good for you!! Can you set a goal of two trash bags a day? When you run out of trash you can start the cleaning portion of your project. Remember "motivation follows action". The more you do the more you will feel like doing. I congratulate you on your progress, and I know you can keep going!! Hmmm..... Now we have a mouse, a moose, and a flying horse! |
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nonimouse
New Member
Joined: July 2008
Posts: 41
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Post by nonimouse on Jul 22, 2008 22:38:52 GMT -5
I probably can't do 2 trash bags per day because I work 12 hour shifts. On work days, very little gets done around here. However, I am trying to aim for a minimum of one trip to the dumpster each day, especially with the dirty kitty litter.
I also stocked up on paper plates and disposable bowls for me and the cats. I thought it might help to get the kitchen under control if I could keep the dirty dishes to a minimum. Luckily, the cats aren't fussy about what they eat out of as long as they get fresh food.
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Post by pegasus48 on Jul 23, 2008 0:37:21 GMT -5
One trash bag per day is a reasonable goal, especially with the kitty litter! I like the paper plates and disposable dishes idea. That will give you a good head start on the kitchen. I know what you mean about the cats,  . Mine don't care about the dishes either, just the fresh food and water!!  Anyhow, you are on your way!!  |
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Post by jkai3 on Jul 23, 2008 11:54:25 GMT -5
Welcome Nonimouse! Cats are just so wonderful, our furry friends are always there to support us. You will find a wonderful support group here, your on your way to a great start!!! The first step, the most difficult, is reaching out to others, you've done that.... the rest will come!!! Glad your here!!!!  Jkai3 |
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Post by molly on Jul 23, 2008 15:03:47 GMT -5
Welcome!
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Post by crazycatlady on Jul 26, 2008 11:24:32 GMT -5
Good start, Noni! I know we have some people who start a thread tracking how many bags of trash leave their house. If you add it up from day to day, it really shows how much you are accomplishing.
Great idea to do paper plates for you and the kits to make things easier!
Keep posting at SooS so we can cheer you on as you have success in the battle against the mess!
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Post by creativechaos on Jul 30, 2008 20:01:00 GMT -5
great to have you noni, i notice you working on things and that is great! glad you are taking good care of yourself with giving yourself a break and using paper plates for a bit. you have a plan, and know you won't do much on your long 12 hour days. on those days, try to keep what you have done maintained. when i fall down on my maintenance like i have these past 2 months, things get chaotic and hopeless quickly, as i still have waaaaay too much stuff. you can do it!
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Post by vorkosigan on Jul 31, 2008 1:35:21 GMT -5
Hi, Noni. I think one trash bag per day is an excellent goal.
For myself, I've found that it works best for me to set goals just below what seems "reasonable" -- so that my response isn't so much "Sure, I can do that," as it is "Well, of course I can do *that*." Sometimes all I do is that "of course" amount, and often I do more, but either way, because it's so achievable, I do it pretty regularly, which is key. (I guess it's clear from this that I'm not one of those heroic, slog-through-it-now types.)
The other thing I've found really helpful when starting, and in sticking to, a new and big effort might sound kind of weird. My main hallway is so narrow there's very little in it, so the walls are always accessible. I figure out a "unit" to measure what I'm trying to do, and stick stuff on the wall there as a visual reminder of what I've accomplished. For example, when I was going through the bins and boxes I'd hoarded, I stuck up a post-it note on the wall for every one I finished. When I stopped smoking, I tacked up a 5 dolllar bill (the cost of a pack of cigarettes) for every day I didn't smoke. Being able to look at that was a big help on those days when I just wanted to go online instead of sorting through another box, or reeeeely wanted just one teensy little smoke. If you have accessible wall space, that might work for you too. I think it has to be a wall that you pass by every day, though.
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Post by glowworm on Aug 3, 2008 20:50:57 GMT -5
Hi Nonimouse!
I think you're off to a great start! Concentrating on thing at a time is what works best for me - whether it's one room, one corner of one room, one bag of trash. Otherwise I get overwhelmed and give up.
What helps me with motivation is to bargain with myself a bit. Set a timer if you have to, and work on it for just 15 minutes. If, after 15 minutes, I still don't want to do it, then I can stop for the day. Because even if I decide to stop, I got 15 minutes of cleaning done! But usually, after 15 minutes, I'm seeing some kind of progress, and I want to keep going. (This works with exercise, too!)
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