STEP TWO - Get moving

 

From Forest To Bonsai

This is the story of my personal journey out of the forest...towards the simplicity I crave symbolized by bonsai. 

 

You can only read up and research for so long before it is time to take the first baby steps towards implementing your strategy toward a more simplified life.

One key was understanding how I had landed myself in the "forest" in the first place. (Forest - meaning mess and clutter)

By Debbie Stanley

 In Debbie Stanley's book, Organize your Home In No Time she identifies some reasons why we find ourselves in the forest. A liberating revelation was that not everyone is naturally organized. Well I should have figured that one out on my own, but what really struck me was when she pointed out that people with natural organizing skills are no better than me. (What a relief.) Furthermore she explained that there was nothing wrong with me for not knowing how to do so.( More relief)

Some things that impact our organizational skills are things like: life experiences (Was your mother OCD?); Childhood Trauma;  Personality Traits, Acquisitiveness; Perfectionism; Poverty Mentality; Health Factors; AD/HD and Learning disabilities, OCD ( Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Don't we all suffer from that to some degree?); Depression and Fatigue and Pain Causing Diseases. To this list can be added more physical reasons, such as Mobility Limitations and Brain Injury.

Fortunately I could not use the "Brain Injury" reason as an excuse. It did make me have a long hard think about what my particular reasons might be.

Did you know there are two types of Disorganization according to Betty Stanley, who is a professional Organizer, namely Situational and Chronic Disorganization.

Once I understood the reasons for where I was in my disorganized home, and was honest enough to identify my problem areas and their sources I was ready to tackle the problem. After I changed my outlook, wrestled with my weaknesses and admitted my failings, I was ready to start again. This time equipped with the motivation to start the process of eliminating excess possessions. It was time to get started on that journey out of the so called forest.

What did I do first?

I started with my closet.

• 2 very large black garbage bags of clothes dropped off at the donation bin.

• 3 very large bags passed on to my sister in law.

• 1 microwave donated.

• 1 box of Children's books donated to the School library.

• One large tea set removed from my kitchen in a box ready to go. 

•  3 Very large bags of garbage to the curb on garbage day. 

 Then I tackled the mess at my back door. I wish I had have taken "before " pictures.

I cleaned underneath my sink, and sorted out my kitchen centre island drawers which had become a "catch all" for so many different items. The quest to "find things a home" had begun.

You know I always heard that saying, but never really understood it until now.

I still have a way to go, but I love PROGRESS! I even learned what a "Meta Decision" is, do you know?