The continuing cleaning process…

I’ve been working on cleaning my office for a while, but today I really need to get it done. We’re planning to paint my office on the weekend, so I need to empty out all the extra stuff. We’ve lived here almost two years, and my office has been the catch-all for things without a home. There are still unpacked boxes in here, and I’ve found everything from a shower curtain liner to a hammer to a box of cookies while cleaning. I’m trying to be as thorough as possible now so that I don’t have to more sorting after the painting.

I’m working on filing paper as I find it, and creating new files as necessary. I’m also recycling and shredding paper, but most significantly, I’m trying to be proactive and avoid bringing paper in to the house, and in to my office. For example, at our last visit to the health unit, I turned down their brochures on child development because I know I can get all that information off their web site.

Cleaning and organizing my office is also becoming a lesson in untangling all the different parts of my life. My office needs to have defined spaces for my responsibilities as a student, a researcher, a entrepreneur, a volunteer, and a board member. It also has to accommodate looking after our personal financial records, health care information, and personal papers. That’s places a lot of demand on one person, me, and one space.

Hopefully the process of cleaning, painting, adding appropriate shelving, organizing, and decorating the space to reflect me, will bring both an inner and outer sense of order. My office should be energizing yet relaxing, organized and efficient, and reflective of what matters to me. That way I’ll enjoy working here, and I’ll be more effective in all my responsibilities.

Another good reason to declutter….

I believe that if you want something in your life, there has to be space for it.  Of course, there has to be physical space for it, but there also has to be space in your schedule and space in your mind and your heart for it.  I’m realizing this on a number of levels right now.

For example, I’m working to start a new business: Life’s Learning. I’m creating a physical space for the business in my office by clearing off shelves and a desk. I’m also shredding and recycling paper from projects that are finished so they don’t take time, energy and space away from this new focus. I’m clearing space in my schedule by setting aside time for my business and making decisions about which activities in my life are most important. But, just as importantly, I’m making a space in my heart and my mind by letting go off ideas about myself that aren’t conducive to starting my business, and by opening myself up to new experiences and opportunities.  I think the process of clearing a physical space can help me to symbolically clear the space in my life.  In the same way that cleaning and organizing my physical space can help to me to clean and organize my thoughts and feelings.

One good reason to remove clutter…

Not only does have a clean space for working and living feel good, I think it also improves the overall feeling in your home. Cleaning up, putting things away and finding new homes for things that are no longer needed in your home can make everyone feel better. It even helps with improve your relationships…. Here are some (mostly) fictional examples of what the inner and outer conversations people might have:

Before decluttering

- How many times can my husband/wife/spouse/partner/child walk by this pile of stuff without do anything about? Should I leave it here and see if they even notice it? I bet it will be here days, weeks, maybe even a month before anyone does anything about it. In the end I’ll probably end up being the one who has to put it away.

- Why does is there so little space in our house? I’m constantly walking over
around things or moving them to get at what I need. Where does all this stuff come from and where does it go? I’m tempted to just throw it all out.

- Did you see my _____? Why did you move it/touch it?

- Don’t touch that pile it is all sorted. I would put it away but there is no where for it to go?

- (Toddler) Why do I keep getting in trouble for touching this stuff? It looks like it could be fun to play with!

After decluttering

- Wow, our morning routine is much smoother now that everything has its place.

- I no longer get stressed when I walk in the door. I can now relax in our family room without worry about all the piles.

- Getting dinner ready is much easier when everything is in its place

- Our dinner time is much nicer now that we have dinner sitting at the table as a family.

- We are spending less time looking for things.

- (Toddler) Look at all the space to spread my toys!

Donating, Selling and Recycling

Recently, I’ve been working getting rid of the extra stuff in our house. It seems that when we get busy, we don’t find time to put things away, to sort through what we have, and to pass on things that we no longer need. I feel that all of this stuff makes me feel closed in. It makes all the rooms in the house feel smaller when there are toys all over the floor, or boxes that need to put in storage, or piles of paper that need to be sorted and put away. Seeing all of those things just pulls me down and sucks out my energy.

Cleaning out my son’s room was where I’ve started….

1. I gathered all of his baby clothes that we wanted to keep and packed them in a larger rubbermaid tub which went in the basement storage room.

2. I collected the clothing we weren’t going to keep in a garbage bag to donate to the Terra Association – a program which supports pregnant and parenting teens.

3. I’ve gathered all the toys in his bedroom in one box so we can decide which ones will got in the toy box, which ones will be put away until he is older or he has a younger sibling who need them, which toys will be put away for a few months while he enjoys other toys, and which ones will stay in the bedroom.

4. I posted a few items to give away on Freecycle and Earthcycle both of these online communities allow you to post notices for items you want to give away. You can also post requests for items you would like to receive. The goal is to find new homes for your things rather than throwing them away. You would be surprise by the quality of things being offered, the variety of things people would like to receive and how much people will value the things you offer them. I’ve given away everything from a case of scented kleenex to an old sewing machine to the plastic hangers that come with baby clothes.

5. I’m going to advertize a few items for sale on Kijiji. This is an online classified site where you can sell items and post requests for items you like to buy.

6. I’m gathering things for donation to the Cerebral Palsy Association. They will pick up clothing and household items

I’m feeling much better having this one room cleaned out – only about 5 more to go! Now I need set up boxes to collect items to sell, donate or recycle on an ongoing basis.

Please post your suggestions for places to sell, donate and recycle, or how you deal with the extra stuff in your house.

Here are more a few more related links:

- Edmonton Reuse Directory – this directory lists local organizations which will accept your used items

- Once Upon a Child – a franchise of stores that buys and sells children’s clothing and furniture

- Freecycle.org – this site lists all the communities with Freecycle programs.

- Kijiji.ca – the main kijiji web site for Canada

- Kijiji.com – the main kijiji web site for the US