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Post by desposito on Aug 31, 2023 15:33:41 GMT -5
It's September! Time to go back to school, or start putting away summer things, or bring out your winter wardrobe. 
The challenge is to get some projects done by September 30th--that's one full month! 
We've had some good discussions on this forum lately about goals and progress--let's take the first steps to actually do what we've been hoping to do.
The rules are up to you--psychologists say goals are more achievable if they're measurable and specific. BUT--if specific goals scare you, make them open-ended--anything that will help you get something done.
And remember, our goals can be guideposts--we don't have to finish everything perfectly, we just need to try our best!
Then post and let everyone know how it's going.
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Post by desposito on Sept 1, 2023 12:17:54 GMT -5
Okay, I am ready to post my goals.
I'm continuing some of the 30 minutes ones, they help me keep things in mind even if I don't finish the whole 30 minutes. I'm not doing the basement this time because it's really in good order, hardware sorting will be a big job and is not urgent, I have a few open spaces in cabinets and on shelves that can be filled but in general my basement looks okay. Instead of reading one of my old books, I'm working on an entire box now and want to sort another box for that same project, so I added that. I also added greeting/card stationery organization, bird supply shelves organization, and reorganizing the back porch again, which will probably always be a recurring goal, at least during the warmer months when I'm doing a lot of yard work.
1--Bring every room/work area in house back to baseline once per day 2--Sort another book box for reading project
3--Old paper -- goal of 30 minutes 4--Book data entry -- goal of 30 minutes 5--Repotting houseplants -- goal of 4 6--Organizing older files -- goal of 30 minutes 7--Password project -- goal of 30 minutes 8--Reorganize cards/office supplies in reading room
9--Reorganize birds supply shelves
10--Reorganize enclosed back porch
Diane
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Post by catcats on Sept 1, 2023 12:33:29 GMT -5
I did this yesterday and it didn't go through, so here goes again.
Large drawer in kitchen , holds eating and cooking utensils. Unload, clean, reline, and wash and replace things.
Clean tiny med cabinet in bathroom, first floor.
Bookcase in den---Unload, clean, declutter, and reload. Will probably take 2 days.
Kitchen cabinets--Pull out and pack away items not currently in use.
Make and keep medical appointments--whichever are needed.
Weeding--2 -30 minutes sessions in front and side flower beds.
Get Roomba set up.
Get Richard over to do some things.
catcats
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Post by catcats on Sept 9, 2023 11:46:19 GMT -5
Over the last couple of days, I have emptied that big kitchen drawer, cleaned and relined it, and washed in the DW all that was in it. Took 2 loads, although there were other things also in each load.
Glad to have that job done.
catcats
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Post by desposito on Sept 9, 2023 12:12:16 GMT -5
Hello catcats, that sounds like a big project that you got done. Your scariest project to me sounds like the roomba, since it involves technology!
The main thing I worked on this last week was my reading room project, with my stationery and office supplies. I stopped timing it because I lost track, and it's the kind of project that I have to keep going back in to do, because I get overwhelmed. But I got a lot done so far, and other than the 2 obviously messy plant tables, the rest of the room looks okay--there's just lots of organizing to do in the cabinets and on shelves. I really like the new setup, I think it will work well. So I will continue to work on it a little at a time for the rest of the month. I worked on the back porch a little bit, and I finished two things--the bird supply shelves and looking through a second book box to use as a reading project. I'm really having fun with the book boxes--anything to do with books is fun.
I got my house back to baseline for 2 days and then I started the 2 challenge projects, which messed everything up. But the bird supplies are done now and now that the reading room only has messy plant tables I can consider it okay for now--I would not be embarrassed for someone to see them because my plant stuff is frequently messy, that's just the nature of having so many plants. The downstairs looks good and upstairs I mainly have to clean up the sink area today. This goal really has made me pay attention to what I'm doing, although paying attention only results in me picking up after myself as I go along if most of the house already looks good. Interesting observation on how my brain works.
1--Bring every room/work area in house back to baseline once per day - some good days, some not!
2--Sort another book box for reading project -- DONE!
3--Old paper -- goal of 30 minutes 4--Book data entry -- goal of 30 minutes 5--Repotting houseplants -- goal of 4 6--Organizing older files -- goal of 30 minutes 7--Password project -- goal of 30 minutes 8--Reorganize cards/office supplies in reading room -- in progress, lots done, lots to go
9--Reorganize birds supply shelves -- DONE!
10--Reorganize enclosed back porch -- 20 minutes done
Diane
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Post by Ally on Sept 9, 2023 18:25:46 GMT -5
DH's birthday is September 29. My daughter and I want to replace his bed on September 30. I have a bunch of things I need to do to get this accomplished.
1 step I have on my list is to get the spare bedroom, the Doom Room, mostly cleared out. It has a bed frame in it that I want to move to DH's room.
I have a bed that I want to move into the Doom Room. We have some old mattresses that are literally falling apart that need to be replaced as part of this project.
There are other things I'd like to do to. Some garden/yard work and other decluttering. I'll come back and post more details about that later.
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Post by desposito on Sept 9, 2023 19:01:24 GMT -5
Hi Ally, so nice to see you here! So, you have the bed frame and just need to buy a mattress? What is the doom room filled with? I look forward to hearing more about what you're hoping to do.
Diane
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Post by Ally on Sept 11, 2023 7:48:25 GMT -5
Diane, the "doom room" is the room I used to sleep in from about 30 years ago until about 10 years ago. It has a queen size mattress on a metal bed frame (Not headboard or foot board.) No other furniture in the room. Boxes of random stuff, some books, piles of papers and magazines. Some stuff for insulating roman shades that I was going to make for every window in the house 40 years ago. (I did make about half of them.) I'm not even sure what else is in there, probably some clothing items? I think there are a few savings bonds that were given to us when my daughter was born. I need to find them!
Last year I bought a nice, used queen sized sleigh-bedframe that matches some old furniture I'd like to move into that bedroom. It would be nice to get that moved into the room eventually. Maybe that will be for October?
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Post by Ally on Sept 11, 2023 13:02:54 GMT -5
Another project for me...
Several months ago I bought a metal raised bed garden frame. I never put it together... (Until the past couple of days.)
My plan is to fill it most of the way with organic matter, cardboard, rotten sticks and logs, leaves, bedding from the chicken coop, etc. (Hopefully during the next 2 weeks).
Then I'll let it settle in, and cover it with compost and garden soil, and then plant garlic in early October.
I had ordered garlic over a month ago, and it was delivered a few days ago.
ETA: I finished up placement of the frame, and filled it about 3/4 of the way with sticks and logs!
Over the next few weeks I'll continue to add smaller bits of organic matter which will fill the gaps between the logs.
I did remove a small amount of stuff from the spare bedroom. I'll keep working on it on my days off from work.
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Post by phoenixcat on Sept 11, 2023 21:27:05 GMT -5
Lost part of the month due to travel (and jet lag). We also lost one of our precious kitties this past weekend  so going to be gentle with my September goals. 1) Finalize a very difficult work task. 2) Get things to baseline for company visit at end of month. 3) Get guest room prepped for company visit. 4) Finish DM's tax and estate stuff for 2022 - almost done! Finish our tax stuff for 2022. Also almost done. 5) Do a hard review of income/outgo. Too much travel this year.  Plenty of other things swirling around in my brain but only 18 days before company arrives (and end of month) so that's enough! PC |
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Post by desposito on Sept 12, 2023 15:37:22 GMT -5
Ally, is the bed blocked off by the other things, so you have to move them to get the bed out? Or are you just including the doom room cleaning in the goal. I actually have one of those metal garden frames too! Still in the box! After I bought it I realized that I would rather have my handyman turn the area I was thinking of into an actual fixed bed, but I could certainly put this frame somewhere else. I'll have to decide if I want to do this this year so I can plant some fall seeds, or in the spring.
Phoenixcat, I'm so sorry about your kitty. That disrupts your life, on the other hand, it's good to be busy so you have something to distract yourself.
Diane
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Post by def6 on Sept 20, 2023 12:20:48 GMT -5
Jumping aboard this September challenge. Whoops it is already Sept 20!  I really need to clean my room. So for the remainder of this month I will: Do small tasks daily. Today, I swept my bedroom and my bathroom. I also did some spot cleaning of the floor. For tomorrow, I think I will wipe down the blinds in the windows because I just got a good look at them. |
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Post by def6 on Sept 20, 2023 12:48:32 GMT -5
I decided to sign back on to make up a list of tiny tasks that add up to one big goal of having my bedroom clean (and bathroom.) So, in addition to cleaning my window blinds, I will also: Clean out dresser and chest of drawers and put back what we wear, donate clothing that it still good, clean bathroom vanity out and throw away stuff that I need to.  |
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Post by desposito on Sept 26, 2023 17:08:02 GMT -5
Hello def! Glad to see you joining the challenge!
Ally, how is the spare room going?
I got totally mixed up about which day I was supposed to report because it changes every month. So now there are only four days left in this challenge!
Since my last post I did 20 minutes on old paper, 40 minutes on book data entry (my goal was 30 so that one's done), and repotted 3 plants. The "getting back to baseline every day" is hit or miss, there were some days where I was there but the next day I was not. Sometimes the only thing out of place is the stuff for a project I'm working on but since I usually make a big mess when working on anything, I can't consider things "uncluttered." But having that goal daily makes me so much more aware of what I'm doing, so it's a win for me, and I'll keep working on it. The reading room is finished in the sense that outwardly, it looks really nice. I still have office supplies to sort inside cabinets and drawers, but I'm so pleased with the way the room looks now, and it works better too. I'll have to keep working on the office supply organization going forward.
The plants I repotted were all cuttings that had been sitting in water for a while, two were from the library cuttings program, and the other was a plant I had that had grown too gawky, so I cut all the tips off the stems and put them in water to root. Usually I would also keep the original plant too because more shoots will form on the stems, but this plant was not in the greatest shape and I must at some point realize that I can't keep reproducing plant after plant because I have no room! So this was just replacing a plant with a healthier version of it. The two library cuttings were a Sansevieria trifasciata (the most common type of Sansevieria, the one commonly called Mother-In-Law's Tongue), and a variegated Peperomia obtusifolia. The replacement plant is a Kalanchoe fedtshenkoi.
I would like to finish the last repotting, and 10 more minutes of old paper to complete the 30 minutes on that goal. The rest will have to continue next month.
1--Bring every room/work area in house back to baseline once per day - working on it
2--Sort another book box for reading project - sorting done, reading some of the books will happen next month
3--Old paper -- goal of 30 minutes (20 minutes done)
4--Book data entry -- goal of 30 minutes (40 minutes done) THIS GOAL IS FINISHED
5--Repotting houseplants -- goal of 4 -- 3 plants done, 1 to go
6--Organizing older files -- goal of 30 minutes 7--Password project -- goal of 30 minutes 8--Reorganize cards/office supplies in reading room - did an entire reading room reorganization, still have office supplies in enclosed places to sort
9--Reorganize birds supply shelves -- THIS PROJECT IS DONE
10--Reorganize enclosed back porch -- 20 minutes done
Diane
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Post by catcats on Sept 26, 2023 21:12:36 GMT -5
I can see that there is NO WAY I will finish my challenges this month. No matter what. Some months I do great and some months I don't. I have worked hard on many things, but not necessarily on the things I wrote down !!
I will have to carry them on into October, I guess. Oh well------
catcats
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