|
Post by Di on Jan 10, 2016 14:37:40 GMT -5
I am still paralyzed when it comes to the embroidery machine. I have a room that is used as my closet, and I am planning to put my sewing machine in half of the room (or at least in part of the room) There is a folding table that I can use for the embroidery machine until I find something better. Unfortunately, the embroidery machine has been poorly stored and I'm afraid that it's not going to work correctly, so I'm procrastinating on actually setting up a functional sewing center. I guess I am also afraid that I won't use it as I should so I put off setting it up at all.
I don't quite know why we allow irrational fears stop us, but it seems to be a recurring theme here.
|
|
|
Post by Ally on Jan 10, 2016 15:53:40 GMT -5
Di, I think now that I have acknowledged that I have irrational fears, it will help me face them which is better than avoidance which is what I've been doing for many years.
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Jan 10, 2016 15:55:26 GMT -5
woo hoo Ally on dealing with that kitchen drawer and thus meeting your goal this week! congratulations on the donations and discards and putting donation box in your car! your plan is a sound one. do what you can here. while you are working here, if a question comes to mind for IF you decide to see that therapist, simply jot it down (in a place where you can find and add on) and keep on sorting. good to have you here, and congratulations on your success so far. ah, Di, how well i relate to paralysis when it comes to starting anything - setting up a machine that may not be yet familiar and the learning curve required; fear that it may not work - trying a new medium or new sewing technique - all of it. i look forward to hearing about your progress in setting up your embroidery machine work area - and hoping that it will surprise you and work perfectly! we all seem to have these irrational fears and for me, another issue that goes along with them is my distorted sense of time. i OVER estimate how long or how hard something will be like mending: i dread taking out a hand sewing kit to repair a small rip or sew on a button, yet it takes 10 minutes or less when i do it. i think something like planting all my pots with flower bulbs will only take an hour and 3 hrs later i am scratching my head, wondering how i could have so grossly UNDER estimated how long it would take. we are baffling creatures but i am glad we have a place of support, of action, and of intelligent discussion and sharing not only our insights, but proven ways of working that help us and can help each other.
|
|
|
Post by mynicehome on Jan 10, 2016 16:07:15 GMT -5
I am still paralyzed when it comes to the embroidery machine. I have a room that is used as my closet, and I am planning to put my sewing machine in half of the room (or at least in part of the room) There is a folding table that I can use for the embroidery machine until I find something better. Unfortunately, the embroidery machine has been poorly stored and I'm afraid that it's not going to work correctly, so I'm procrastinating on actually setting up a functional sewing center. I guess I am also afraid that I won't use it as I should so I put off setting it up at all. I don't quite know why we allow irrational fears stop us, but it seems to be a recurring theme here. Hi Di. Just wanted to comment that the fears you described aren't really all that irrational. You are afraid that the machine will not work properly because of poor storage - that's rational. You are afraid you won't use it as you should - that's rational. What isn't "rational" (for want of a better word) is not setting it up to see if it does work or not so you finally do know. If it doesn't work fix it or discard it. If it is working time will tell if you will use it as you should, and if you aren't you can donate it.
You just need to face the fears. If the machine doesn't work, well, it doesn't work. Nothing to be afraid about that for. And if it does work and you rarely or never use it, you can decide then to get rid of it. It may take some time and trouble to check it out but avoiding it is creating emotional trouble and sapping energy that can be used somewhere else.
An irrational fear would be that the machine works and eats you up, !
|
|
|
Post by puppybox on Jan 11, 2016 20:05:18 GMT -5
Hi- you don't have to read the following. I'm going to join in here, it seems appropriate for me.
I have been unable to do anything for no particular reason and it is quite gross in certain parts and dangerously cluttered. partly its worse than it has to be becusae my ongoing decluttering efforts kind of de-organise and make a mess. making progress there, or I was before. but now everyday tasks are out of control. fortunately it wasn't too bad only a month ago, it just gets really bad in a short time with this small space and my talent and making messes. so, glad to be in good company, here. ty.
I'm not even staying here, not because of hoarding because I'm babysitting a dog at its home, for 2 weeks but I have to come back here too. I'm here now. I have to get stuff done because I stayed home from something to get stuff done!
|
|
|
Post by Ally on Jan 11, 2016 20:48:28 GMT -5
I just realized that I did't plan very well. I set a goal to pick one container/small space task each week, a box or plastic tub, or a drawer. Something doable, and not overwhelming. Then I realized that it would be really cool to focus on the kitchen, and maybe I could get the kitchen done by the end of the month. The only problem is that the drawer I did the first week only accounts for less than a 30th of the space in the kitchen. It was a very small drawer. The plus side is that I have gone through nearly half of the cabinet/drawer space over the past 6 or 7 months, and it all hasn't fallen back into extreme untidiness and clutter, so I think it is still possible to get the kitchen all done by the end of the month. I'm just going to step up the pace a little bit, and might not do it as thoroughly as if I had just done one drawer per week.
I have decided to divide the remainder of the kitchen into 3 parts. I have a very small U shaped kitchen. I will focus on the counter-tops because they are quite cluttered. January 11-17 Refrigerator through stove (Left leg of U) January 18-24 Right of stove through sink (Center of U) January 25-31 Sink through pantry cabinet (Right side of U)
|
|
|
Post by puppybox on Jan 11, 2016 21:26:03 GMT -5
I did one good round of picking up and sweeping. I have one of those brooms wher you can unscrew the head and buy a new head without a whole new pole, but I bought the wrong size. so I'm sweepingthe floor by hand. but I'm only doing bits anyway.
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Jan 11, 2016 23:09:13 GMT -5
puppybox! glad you are joining us! wtg on the good round of picking up and sweeping!i totally get how deculttering makes more messes. i always think at least for myself when i'm sorting that things get worse before they get better. Ally, good assessment of what needs to happen if you are going to finish the kitchen sorting by the end of the month - WTG! You can do it! i made a big list yesterday and did very little on it. spent hours on the letter to SS and now am rethinking all of it with the benefits, so part of that is on hold and i will focus on the part i can send to them now; the invoices from 2015 are mostly printed out. have to make up a few more by hand i guess or online, then have those printed at the office store. i sent out 3 belated christmas packages today - one more to go! there are some folks i didn't send holiday cards to - so those will be new years cards. would like to finish this week with all of this! going to bring my carryover list stuff to this post so i can work on things. some days are better than others for lists. let's hope tonight is better. LIST OF THINGS NEEDING DOING:finish letter to social security -working on it but some obstacles arose.make up invoices for 2015 hours i just sent by emails, so i have "proof" of those. un-decorate christmas tree, put ornaments and christmas decor into my Christmas tub. sort whatever doesn't fit into Christmas tub for donation box take tub and tree to storage start 2014 receipt sorting for taxes sort more winter clothing. hand wash some wool winter hats 1/2 hour of sorting tonight - no excuses! dishes (piling up again!) laundry mail final christmas package write some new year's cards i did a bunch of prep for my art class at the school tomorrow so that's done. that took 2 hrs. did not get any more "home" stuff done but i hope to continue on this list tonight after dance and tomorrow after school.
|
|
|
Post by puppybox on Jan 12, 2016 17:46:38 GMT -5
great job, CC, lots of work done, effort put in. I'm back in my place for a few hours, and I must play with dog but also get a bit done.
|
|
|
Post by puppybox on Jan 12, 2016 22:31:35 GMT -5
I got a bit done. desqualored the sink and tool 3 small grocery bags of garbage out.
go go everyone else!
|
|
|
Post by Ally on Jan 13, 2016 14:20:19 GMT -5
Today I cleared everything off of the counter-top between the refrigerator and the stove. I scrubbed the back-splash, and counter-top. then I wiped off the cabinet and drawer fronts in that section. I wiped off the surfaces of the mixer and blender and returned them to that space. I also have a few stoneware pitchers and a tool carousel for my spatulas, and other kitchen utensils in this space. I probably should sort through and downsize these too, but I do use many of the tools on a regular basis.
After I completed that section, DH promptly walked into the kitchen an set a bag of apples in the area I had just cleared. I moved a bowl to that spot and put the apples in the bowl. The bowl of apples looks nicer than the plastic bag of apples.
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Jan 15, 2016 4:14:47 GMT -5
wtg puppybox - you are doing great! congrats on garbage out and sink desqualoring! Ally - great job with wiping and scrubbing counter top - and clearing it! i love that you were able to enjoy the aesthetics of apples in a bowl- do you think dh noticed it? about the only real accomplishment this week i did was to get the tree undecorated and christmas ornaments in the tub. also did some stuff in the garden - a little weeding and planting of spring bulbs. i abandoned my list and notice that i am not doing the "really need to do" stuff. it's all paperwork and i dread it. i'm trying to be outside a bit more. today i built a wooden box for an abandoned cat in the neighborhood. so sad her "person" doesn't take care of her. a few of us are trying to keep her warm and fed - she had no shelter at all so now at least she can be warm. we took her to the no kill shelter once but the owner went and got her next day. going to try to get something on the dread paperwork list done tomorrow and this weekend.
|
|
|
Post by mouseanne on Jan 15, 2016 15:18:40 GMT -5
One thing I discovered about having a zero degree kitchen. It is easier to see & eat the bananas before they go bad.
|
|
|
Post by razy on Jan 15, 2016 15:23:46 GMT -5
You have probably heard this before - ignore it if I'm talking nonsense for this situation but those tasks we dread so often become so much bigger in our heads than they actually are which increases how much we dread them, then they become even bigger in our heads which increases how much we dread them. One way of looking at a dreaded task is to break it down into smaller tasks or to commit to spending a small amount of time working on it (think dayeanu 8 minute method). Often just by getting started, you get the task back into perspective and it does not seem so bad. Even if it is a big task you have moved it along a bit. So often I have spent so much more time and energy agonising over doing something than it actually took to do . I now tell myself 'just do it' - sometimes it works. Go get that paperwork! Nice work with the cat
|
|
|
Post by creativechaos on Jan 15, 2016 19:23:57 GMT -5
ah razy - very wise words! i filed some papers last night and am working on the dreaded letter to social security today. trying to finish that. will send to print and then be able to mail stuff out on Monday i hope. maybe tomorrow if i can get it together. thanks for the pep talk! i needed it. it's nice to see the cat be warm. we have a cardboard box for now. will put a cardboard box in the wooden box for extra warmth. i have been skin picking at my face again. i do that when my skin gets dry and i'm under a lot of stress. must stop that, so it can heal. so that is on my list. (pointers are welcome if you have this problem too!) ACCOMPLISHMENTs the past few days: finished final touches on warm wooden box for our resident abandoned cat christmas ornaments are off tree and in tub, ready to go back to storage planted more flower bulbs in garden, weeded some TO DO LIST: (carry over through weekend, add to as needed) make invoices based on the school job i did - the rest are done. finish reconsideration letter for SS - almost done. some final editing to doemail invoice and letter to office supply to print - not done, and ongoing internet server problemsput invoices, ss letter, and all else in envelope. mail if before 10:30 a.m. tomorrow Tuesday is next mail dayFIND recertification papers! start recertification papers start 2014 taxes - worked about 7 hrs on receipts and online expenditures. had to redo much of the receipt figures i wrote down. sort more papers file more papers shower and wash hair
|
|