Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Purging Without Throwing Up


"Organization is not simply for the business world. It can make your overall life better in general. Organizing your life will make things easier to find, save you time, and could even save you money. Wasting time looking for things you've misplaced and forgetting to take that defective product back to the store can cost you two of the most valuable commodities that exist. Time and money don't grow on trees and if you take the time to organize and then you keep it that way, they are two commodities you don't have to worry about losing. Organizing your business can bring you the same benefit, in a much bigger way. The value of your time is more and the money you stand to lose is a much higher amount. The price for being disorganized in your business is definitely a hefty one." ArticleClick
I can not function in a mess! Okay, let me first confess. When I was in high school, I remember the phone ringing in my bedroom one day, and in order to find it, I had to grab the cord and follow it down, over and under all the dirty clothes, clean clothes, friend's clothes, trash, disgarded magazines and pizza boxes I had in the middle of the floor in order to answer. ("Hello? Slobberina speaking.") If I can be reformed, anyone can!
Last week, I got rid and I do mean rid, of some items in my life that were just slowing me up. But it wasn't only the unwanted items that I cleared away, I literally feel as though more space in my brain has been freed up now that I don't have to always look at and deal with, what I either outgrew (not literally- still a size 6) or don't want any more.
Is there something or a number of somethings just in your way today? What would happen if you got rid of them? Donated them? Purged them?
I think, in fact I know, that if you were to take serious stock of what's just hanging around serving no real purpose in your life except to slow you up in going for what you really want, you'd feel just as good as I do right now after getting rid of it!
Ahhh, that's SO much better.
In his awesome book, "Clutter's Last Stand" Don Asslet asserts that we, as Americans, have to shuffle going through 80% of the junk we don't use, to get to the 20% of the stuff we do use! That's a staggering statistic.
When I'm serious about getting rid of something, I'm serious. I was telling Tony for several months- "I don't like that couch anymore."
He was not feeling anything one way or the other regarding the couch. Big deal. So, I made it un-sittable. I picked up a knife and shredded it. Oh yes I did too. NOW do you understand I don't like that couch anymore? I told you I didn't like that couch anymore.
"I told you I was sick", was posthumously on a woman's gravestone. I told you I didn't like it. What?
The only problem is now, it looks like there's a serial couch killer in my neighborhood. I can't just set it out with the trash to be picked up. Obviously I'm going to have to, under the cloak of darkness, take it to some dump somewhere. This stupid couch is as much trouble as a dead body and now I hate it EVEN MORE.
I did mention I feel better, right?

2 comments:

  1. Hi, I am a Purger and I have a problem. Is there a support group for this?

    Seriously, I am the decluttering queen over here in Flo Mo and I still have too much crap!!! I am going to try a new strategy though not sure what it is yet but I will figure it out ASAP. :-)

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  2. When you do, please come back here and tell us! But I would not go the "kill your couch route". I am so ashamed of myself.

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