Procrastinators Anonymous is a fellowship of men and women who share their experience, strength and hope with each other that they may solve their common problem and help others to recover from chronic procrastination.
w.i.p.: building 10min. daily routine of clearing out
Inspired by overdue's success with her living space, I'm going to try to build a routine of doing 10 minutes a day of "clearing out." Anything that I don't definitely want to keep is eligible, but to count, it can't just move from one stack or pile to another--it needs to be noticeably closer to being gone, such as:
- now in a trash container
- now in a recycling container and ready to go to the next stage (i.e., plastic film must be in a plastic film bag)
- now clean enough to transfer to someone or some organization
- now in a labeled package for a specific recipient and scheduled for when/where to transfer it
- other appropriate "next action" now taken
Initially, I'm going for 10 minutes a day for the next week. Starting today. 
To remember:
- Experiment with setting a timer and playing music.
- Ask myself, "What can I get rid of?"
- Take joy in each step, however small--it is a step toward a healthier and more satisfying life!
- Compliment myself on progress!
Cheering-on would be welcome.
OK, here I go!
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clearout update: 02/27-02/29
I did work on clearing out for 10 minutes or so, each day. I think I worked on recycling accumulated paper/snailmail on 02/27 and 02/28. I definitely worked on stuff in the kitchen sink for 02/29.
update 2/26
I got back into it by taking about 20 minutes and organizing my purse. In the mean time, lots of receipts and general flotsam and jetsam was thrown out.
Yay, Katia!
I applaud your re-entry!
clearout update, 02/25 and 02/26
For myself, this weekend, I did at least ten minutes, each day, on going through papers and finding some to recycle. I found something I was looking for, in the process, too!
clearout update, 02/24
Spent 10 minutes washing some of the grungy stuff in the kitchen sink, to be recycled or reused.
Thanks for the update!
This is wonderful! I'm really inspired to actually recycle something for once after reading up on your progress! Now doing the dishes... that's a completely different story for me. Congrats on your work thus far!
Yay for persistence with clearout, wip!
You are really sticking with this, well done! :)
clearout update, 02/23
I see that my last post in this topic should have been through 02/22, not 02/23.
On 02/23, I managed to put just one rather intriguing catalog into the recycling bin, and I'm not sure how long it took me to look through it and decide. But at least it was something!
clearout update, 2/17 through 2/23
I think I did 10 minutes of "clearing out" on each day from 2/17 through 2/23, though it was most often just getting a few pieces of recent or accumulated mail into the recycling bin.
It does feel like I'm building a routine for doing this. But I've mostly been nibbling around the edges of the problem--the easy parts. Not sure what I need to nudge myself into tackling harder aspects. Regularly doing it earlier in the day and in silence might help. But, realistically, I'm not sure I'm willing to do that. So, I'm continuing with the original plan for now. I may decide to allow "cleaning up" to count, as well as "clearing out" -- feels like my space could really use some cleaning up, too.
yay to wip!
yay for building routines! you are doing awesome :grin:
I count cleaning up in my things, because how can I see what I own if there is a big piles of clothes on the floor? lol. And I have lots of things that are important to keep but just need permanent homes.
I just got through two midterms so I am re-recommitting lol. I think thats realistic though. Do it on the days when the workload is light and then stop when theres a big paper/project/test.
Also all that stuff was put in the attic but I didnt really help lol.
Best of luck!
clearout update re 2/16
On, 2/16/12, I spent 10 minutes glancing through the contents of a box from 4 or 5 years ago. I found several catalogs/magazines that I don't need to keep, and put them in the recycling bin.
Small steps toward the goal are better than no steps!
clearing up and out update
not doing very well! Was up very late one night doing a paper and debilitated me the rest of the week.
Hoping to start again this weekend.
cheering katia on
Katia, I like how you're staying aware of both this goal and your own need for rest. And I hope your weekend goes very well!
(katia)
that's just prioritizing :)
2/15 clearout update
On 2/15, I grabbed four old items of a stack of paper, and recycled them--3 obsolete catalogs, and 1 magazine that I skimmed and decided not to keep.
Onward!
2/12 through 2/14 clearout update
So, I'm late about posting updates, here, re the last three days, but my phone memos say that I did 10 minutes of clearing out on each of 2/12, 2/13, and 2/14. I think some of those were dealing with junk mail and some of them were dealing with kitchen sink recycling.
The progress feels so miniscule! :(
But it is progress for me to be doing a little bit on a daily basis. \
/
progress
Your progress is not miniscule! if you do 10 minutes for 6 days, you did a whole hour! :)
(wrkinprogrss)
Yay for clearing out progress! every little bit makes a difference.
Thanks, find!
I really appreciate your support!
2/11 update
I went through things on my clothes tree, and found a couple things to get rid of or needed to be fixed.
Today my mom and I are going to move some things outside my door into the attic.
yay, katia!
Awesome, Katia! We are doing it! Thanks again for your companionship with this goal!
On 2/11, I looked at some mail-order catalogs and managed to put 3 or 4 into the recycling bin, if I remember right. I didn't time it, but I'm pretty sure it was more than 10 minutes.
I have to keep reminding myself that the goal for now is to establish the routine, rather than to have everything cleaned up already.
I do think I'm doing a little better with clearing up regularly because I have this clearing out goal going. (For me, "clearing up" means putting things in their proper places, and "clearing out" means moving things out of my space.)
Onward! Ta-da! :)
2/10 clearout update
On 2/10, I made 10 minutes more progress at cleaning up stinking accumulated recycling. Onward!
cheer to wip!
:D excellent work!
2/9 clearout update
I'm just barely going to count what I did for this goal on 2/9--10 minutes of looking at mail-order catalogs, which resulted in one catalog going into the recycling bin but one going back onto a "to consider" stack. (Sigh.)
On the good side, that is seven days in a row of regular small daily effort in the direction of clearing out &/or cleaning up, even if I quibble about the details.
So, I give myself credit for making progress on this!
2/8 clearout update
On 2/8, I made 10 minutes of progress cleaning stinking accumulated recycling. Really recycling, not stuff I plan to keep!
2/7 clearout update
On 2/7, I did another 10 minutes on scanning junk mail and getting it into the recycling.
I'm starting to feel like maybe I can get into a regular routine about this.
The idea of building a routine does feel more achievable than "getting it all done."
my 2/7 update
Last night I was really proud of myself because all I wanted to do was stay in bed and sleep, but was like "NO! I need to do this because I will feel good"
I mostly "did inventory" of a nightstand drawer- alot of random stuff. I put a few things in my "things to give away pile", threw out some junk, and threw out a math notebook I don't need.
getting rid of the last of the pile
i have a few bins that i couldn't handle sorting properly when i did my main declutter over the last three years. i am trying to face the last bits of it this year. so i did 20 mins on it today. thanks you guys :)
@katia and overdue
This is so wonderful! Thank you both for being with me on this, and helping to keep the energy positive! \
/
2/5
I put away all the clothes that were in a pile in my closet and changed my sheets. I threw a couple old paychecks out too. It all took around 20 minutes or so (I got some help from my sister).
Hope you are doing well wip. :)
2/6 I am skipping because I didn't get home until 9pm and I am wiped.
Yay, Katia! Not-so-yay, WIP, but working it
Yay re your 2/5 progress, Katia! Re 2/6, I'm glad you're making rest a priority, too.
Update from me:
So, on 2/5, I did 10 minutes more of washing up accumulated recycling so it wouldn't stink up the bin.
EXCEPT, on 2/6, I belatedly realized that some of the washing I'd counted on 2/4 and 2/5 wasn't actually going to go into the recycling bin--I was unconsciously intending to keep at least some of those plastic containers with lids. I dithered about whether I'd be trying to "make up" time for 2/4 and 2/5 or what. As of today, 2/7, I think I'll just restart my initial goal of a week of progress on this with 2/6, rather than trying to make up the time.
For 2/6, itself, I did 10 minutes of scanning junk mail and putting it in the recycling bin. And I wrote down an address to contact to try to get back off the list of weekly flyers for places I don't shop.
So, I think/hope I am back on track, after a wobble.
Onward!
you did it though!
I think you are not giving yourself enough credit! Even if you cleaned them and decided to keep them, they are clean so that you can use them for whatever purpose you like.
So yay wip!
thanks, katia!
Thanks for the perspective, Katia! I'll take "partial credit" for those days.
Way to go W.I.P!!! Sounds
Way to go W.I.P!!! Sounds like a well thought out plan. Keep us posted on your progress!
Thanks, stefinle!
Thanks for your witnessing and encouragement, stefinle!
I'm not entirely satisfied with how I've done, so far, but I'm working it, and that is better than not working it.
(wrkinprogrss and katia11)
<3 you guys.
i am so happy you got twenty minutes "emptier" at home.
i'll be cheering for you!!
i will be trying to add ten minutes of exercise to my life in another thread.
thanks overdue
I was rude and didn't respond to people :O
Thanks for the inspiration and kind words. My parents will thank you because my things are a mess!
Good luck to you in your other thread!
@katia: joke?
Katia, were you joking about being rude?
I feel like responding to support messages is in the category of "Nice to do, but other priorities make take precedence." I know you have lots of priorities clamoring for your attention! You seem to me like a very supportive and friendly person, not rude at all.
re: responding to support messages
Agreed - we are all here to improve our productivity, which means we may not respond to every post or get involved in every discussion, because we are spending our time on our Most Important Tasks. That's a good thing :)
Be confident. Stay focused. One thing at a time.
responding
eh I was half-joking. I just feel bad when I don't see something or say "I'll reply later!" and don't.
Thanks for the nice words :grin: made my afternoon
Thanks and good wishes, overdue!
Thanks again for your inspiration, overdue! And good wishes for your 10-minutes-of-exercise goal! You can do it!
BTW, I find it much easier to do daily exercise if it's a kind of exercise that feels good while I'm doing it, even before the endorphins kick in. For me, right now, that's Qi Gong (aka Chi Gung). I hope you can find a kind of exercise that feels good to you!
2/4
Worked on a pile of not-so threatening papers and hung up some clothes on 2/4.
yay, katia and more progress for w.i.p.
Yay, katia! We are rolling!
On 2/4, I spent 10 minutes washing stuff to recycle that I don't want stinking up the bin. Small progress counts!
cheering on wip and katia!
Congratulations on committing to new goals, and making a great start!
Wishing you all the best.
thanks findingaway!
thanks for the support as always findingaway! :)
Thanks, findingaway!
Thanks for your supportive witnessing and good thoughts!
Yay wip! Can I join you?
I too was inspired by overdue :grin
I wish you much success!
Can I join you? I have actually been intending to do 15 min a day decluttering/clearing out for the past week, but I have been. . .procrastinating :P Always say I am too tired.
I'm not sure if I can do it all the days, but I'll try!
ETA: I checked my phone and went around my room and by the time I was done over 15 minutes had passed. Threw out a couple of things, put some things back, and put things that need to be donated/given back in a bag to deal with when it is full.
yes to katia!
Sure, you can join me--company helps! Congrats on your 15 minutes on 2/3!
I did my 10 minutes for 2/3 getting scattered stuff that I needed to recycle properly prepared and into the recycling bin.
We are off to a good start!