I just had my first workday continuing this project and I’m learning some things about myself and my post-work energy levels. I did all of my reading and planning in the evenings after work leading up to the actual physical work, but executed all my work so far on my days off. Let me tell you, after 10 hours at work, I only have an hour or so of energy left to give my apartment.
In my earlier efforts I would give 20 minutes or so a night and it helped me get through that day’s accumulation of clutter, but it didn’t get me very far into the build up. I look forward to finishing this project so that I only need 10-20 minutes a day to stay on top of my space. Until then, I’ll push myself as long as I can to tick as much off my list as possible.
Anyway, here I am tonight finally taking some time to rest after a full day at work and an hour and a half of sorting and starting to purge. Let me tell you, purging is not my strong suit. One of the things that appeals to me about OFTIO is that it lets me be me – a book collector (that sounds better than hoarder, right?) and the goal is to make my collection manageable, not to eradicate it. I’ve managed to fill two tote bags with books to sell, and I want to keep doing that. Of course, the problem is that I want to read them first and that takes more time than I have.
Anyway, my latest lesson is that this project takes time and I have to keep a good perspective on what I’m doing and the progress I’m making. I’ve taken a load of goods to donate & put another batch in my car to take as soon as I can get there. I’ve given family pieces to my mom and have sold books to raise money for the new sofa I want to get, in part as a reward for finishing this project. Looking around tonight I can see what I’ve done & I can see what else needs my attention, and that motivates me to keep going. The entertainment zone is shaping up, but that just means that the dining room & my office are coming up soon. My week has a few nights out and about, and those will give me a respite, but I hope to still make a dent in my to do list after I get home each night.
Home, Messy, Home 