Project Unclutter: Final Thoughts

  A month ago, I started Project Unclutter.  I got the idea from a book: Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland.  So the big question is, did I unclutter my life?  Not entirely.  I have made great strides in uncluttering my wardrobe, kitchen, bathroom, and living room.  I have also managed to maintain the level of order I've found for a solid month.  It will still take more time for my study.
  Having tried it would I recommend Unclutter Your Life in One Week?  Absolutely.  I have been a pack rat my entire life.  I have tried many different plans to relieve myself from CHAOS (Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome) and so far this has been the only one that seems to work for me.  I had the desire to be organized before, but now I feel that I have finally been shown the way.

What books have made a difference in your life?

Project Unclutter: Day 4 (sacrifices)

   I love Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien.  If you know me, you are laughing at this point.  It's been my favorite book since age 12, long before the movies came out.  So what does this have to do with uncluttering?  I'm getting to that.

   I started out the day behind.  Two trips to the mechanic yesterday totaled about five and a half hours in a waiting room (at least the car is fixed now).  So I never got a chance to organize the kitchen.  However, thanks to a little elbow grease and the fact that the living room wasn't very cluttered to begin with, I am now caught up.
   The hardest part of uncluttering is deciding what to get rid of.  This is where Lord of the Rings comes in.  I went through my cups this morning.  We have more cups than two people need.  It is difficult to fit them all in the cabinet.  Some of them had to go.  The first question is which ones do we use on a regular basis.  Then there were the cups that we use on special occasions or when we have guests.  We have to keep those of course.  What was left?  Sadly I looked at a tall white cut with an image of a horse and the word "Rohan" on it.  (If you don't know what Rohan is, it is an place in Lord of the Rings where my favorite character is from.)  I love this cup.  It is beautifully made.  Unfortunately, I never use it.  It just sits in the cabinet taking up space.  Then i saw another cup.  A glass goblet with a picture of Arwen, an elf from Lord of the Rings, on it.  This one even had a base that lit up and caused your drink to glow.  I had to make a decision what do I want more an uncluttered kitchen or more Lord of the Rings paraphernalia.   They are now sitting in my yard sale pile.
   Have you had to make any sacrifices for an uncluttered home?

Project Unclutter: Day 3

   Life gets in the way of the noblest of goals.  It's nearly 11am on day three of Project Unclutter and I have not yet begun today's tasks.  Mostly due to the two and a half hours I spent at the mechanics this morning only to learn that I have to go back this afternoon when the part comes in.  Other than that things are going well.
  Since I have nothing new to report yet I thought I'd share something fun.  I mentioned in a previous post that Erin Rooney Doland the author of Unclutter Your Life in One Week recommended creating a playlist for a thirty minute daily clean.  I thought I would share mine today.  (It may change as I continue to develop it.)  I tried to pick upbeat songs.  I figured if it makes me want to dance it will make me want to move (hence all the swing music).  I hope you enjoy it.

1. This is Your Life by Switchfoot
2. Magic Dance by David Bowie
3. Just Can't Get Enough by Depeche Mode
4. You Spin Me Round (Like a Record) by Dead or Alive
5. This Cat's On a Hot Tin Roof by Brian Setzer Orchestra
6. White & Nerdy by "Weird Al" Yankovic
7. Bei Mir Bist Du Shoen by Janis Siegel
8. So Long Farewell Goodbye by Big Bad Voodoo Daddy

Do you listen to music while you clean?  If so what do you listen too?

Project Unclutter: Day 2

  A day and a half into Project Unclutter, I now have a clean closet, a reception station to hang my keys, coats, and purse, I can see the surface of my desk, and uncluttered my bathroom.  Now I'm working on establishing routines, so I never again face the mess I was facing.  My pile of things to sell at a yard sale this spring has grown from a hill to a mountain.
  I am behind on one thing: my office.  I work from home.  I also live in a modest apartment.  That means storage space is limited.  Added to that is the fact that my husband and I are both pack rats.  Therefore the study has been used for extra storage since we moved in.  Today I am supposed to be sorting through my paper clutter.    I should get rid of the papers I don't need and scan papers I need the information from, but don't need the hard copy.  This will take more than the limited time I have today.  Hopefully, I'll at least put a dent in it.
   It may take longer than scheduled, but with the skills I'm learning, I know I will eventually live an organized life.

Project Unclutter: Day 1

  It's Monday afternoon, and I'm half way through day one of Project Unclutter.  It seems to be going well so far.  I can now actually walk into my closet and close my drawers without a struggle.
   In her book Unclutter Your Life In One Week, Erin Rooney Doland starts Monday off with the wardrobe.  This is a difficult one for me.  I am always worried that once I get rid of something then I'll want it again.  Some of my clothes have been around for decades.  Ms. Doland provides a useful tool, guidlines designed to help weed out what you don't need.  For example I have a cute blue sweater that I have had for many years.  I like the sweater.  It's comfortable and warm.  The only problem is that I don't have anything it really goes with.  I sometimes take it out and make a futile attempt to match it with something, but end up putting it back.  One of Ms. Doland's guidelines is "The item should work in coordination with a minimum of two items in your wardrobe."  It is now sitting in my yard sale pile.  (Before you feel too sorry for me I have the exact same sweater in black.)
   Between the purging, sorting, and relocating the process took about 2 hours.  The second task is my office.  This is going to be even more challenging, but I am looking forward to seeing the results.

Project Unclutter: Book Review

 One month ago, I wrote about Project Unclutter.  The first step of Project Unclutter was to read the book Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin Rooney Doland by the end of the year.  Well here it is December 28 and despite holiday madness and an increased work schedule I managed to make it.  In case you did not read my previous post, in Project Unclutter I will follow Doland's advice and see if I really can unclutter my life in one week.
  I initially scoffed at the title of this book.  I have been trying to get organized and uncluttered for years.  How can it be done in one week?  I still have my doubts, but with the guidance of Unclutter Your Life in One Week I should make tremendous progress.
  The first thing that won me over was Ms. Doland's testimony.  She admits that she was not always organized herself.  As she put it, she was "surrounded by stacks of papers, piles of shoes and clothes, and dozens of boxes of sentimental trinkets."  This is key.  Over the years I have read many articles and books on getting organized.  The only ones which have been of much use are the ones written by people who have actually changed their lives.  Someone who is born organized has difficulty understanding those of us who are not.  However, someone who has been unorganized herself knows what they were doing wrong and what they did to fix it.
  The book is organized by the days of the week, Monday through Friday with the weekend grouped together.  Each week day is divided into three parts: morning, at work, and evening.  This breaks the enormous task of organizing your life into manageable bite sized pieces.  I also liked the fact that she includes work.  I work from home now, but I can still apply her principles to my home office.
  As for the specific advice she gives, there is so much useful information that I could write about.  Some examples are, making a 30 minute playlist to clean to, and scanning information in your computer so you don't have to keep stacks of paper. There is much more, but instead of sharing it all now, I will let you know how it works after I've tried it.  Starting on Monday, I will begin the year by putting Unclutter Your Life in One Week to the test.  When I can, throughout the week I will let you in on my progress.
   Despite my initial scepticism, Unclutter Your Life in One Week is a very useful book.  I still doubt it can be done in a week, but I believe it will be a great help in my journey towards an organized life.

Project Unclutter: What it is

  I have discovered a new website: unclutterer.com.  So far I'm really enjoying it.  It has helpful tips and a bit of humor.  In exploring the site I found reference to a book Unclutter Your Life in One Week by Erin R Doland, Editor-in-chief of Unclutterer.com.  My reaction to the title: "Yeah, Right.  Like I could really get rid of all my clutter in one week."  But I did look it up on amazon.  The reviews were mostly positive and the sample pages looked like they contained helpful advise.  Plus I had another order to make and this book would qualify me for free shipping.  So I ordered despite my doubts about it's claims.
  It was then that Project Unclutter was born.  I decided that instead of just scoffing at the prospect of uncluttering in a week, I would put her claims to the test.  I have the first week of January off of work and I can devote that entirely to uncluttering.

   Project Unclutter will come in two parts.  First, I need to read the book.  I'll do this between now and the end of the year.  I plan on writing a review of what I find in a subsequent post.  Second, I will put it to the test.  I chose the week I was off, so I fully test the theory without distraction.  I will let you know how it goes.
   I still doubt I can completely declutter in a week, but I can at least make a dent in it. I know it's very early for a New Years resolution, but I will make mind now.  Here's hoping 2012 will involve a lot less clutter.  Who will join me in Project Unclutter?