Well, well, well, look who has resurrected themselves!
I promise, I have been still on the hustings of decluttering during the last Covid years.
Many milestones met and surpassed. Along with maintaining areas as no go zones as dumping areas.
First area that achieved this was the bathroom. The bath is no longer used to place items into till they can be taken to charity/thrift stores or outlets. Done in a more timely manner after that one 4 month long lockdown we had here in Melbourne. That length of time showed me how long items do hang around longer than necessary.
Bathroom, tick.
Carport is still completely clear and has been used as a place to park for visitors over 2 years on. Safe to state this is now done, another tick.
Notwithstanding an operation after I collapsed, which took me away from my plodding along, again I have been steady like the tortoise and regaining floor space, bench space as each month passes by.
My bedroom is now a place of rest and sanctuary and a comfort to retire to each evening, tick.
The corridor is used less and less for what I term the whirlwind. Very little gets to be placed there any longer, so, almost tick.
Porch is also no longer used to dump items. Absolute tick.
The front and back gardens are now looking neat and a usable space and a work in progress as gardens go. Tick.
The other rooms I have been making progress in over the last 2 years has been, the combo, ie. the lounge room, dining room and kitchen. Most bench areas are now cleared and have stayed that way for well over a year now and the kitchen breakfast nook as also been the same as a useable work area. Having worked each kitchen cupboard sections and drawers are working a treat. The old adage 'everything has a place and a place for what I will keep in the same place', is doing what it is meant to and that is I now find what I need when I need it. As I implode the last of the boxes still to be dealt with in the third bedroom this allows me to decide on what will go and what will be kept or not. At least I can find it, see it and decide on it with less fuss and angst.
In other words, this system is working. It may be slow going, but, the efforts are proving fruitful.
I am currently sorting through at least 8 large boxes of paperwork.
Have been achieving one box per afternoon per week. My nose ends up getting blocked which is my signal to give it a rest for a few days to then plough on again. My person who is still with me to help me downsize, I have finally relented to help me sift through this personal paperwork. There is a lot in Latvian and yet she seems to guess what is what. Must be her Maltese background. Since I have relaxed for her to help me, I am finally making strides and headway. Only 4 more of these boxes to go. Even found the family tree that Mum made as far back as she could remember. Priceless.
At the same time I have also been working on the last areas that my Mum packed some 16 years ago now, the laundry cupboards. We are half way through. She had each shelf packed to the brim. After removing I am only placing back what I need and have containerised with labels of what is in each of these IKEA tubs. The rest has been recycled, to be reused, repurposed and so on. Will put a few photos of this area once completed. Being winter, it is brutally cold in that laundry and is slow going. At least in the last year it has become a more useable space and really pleased about that. Almost a tick.
The last rooms inside the home is the 2 bedrooms. One has shelves with items to be sold. If not sold, then given to charity. Also have a mini photography section to take photos of said items. Useful room, but, Garf the cat, has taken it over for himself. Must admit, it does have the best view in the house. Smart pusscat.
The slog is now becoming less of a slog, knowing the end is closer than ever before. I still don't rush. I still pace myself. And this method is working. If one aspires for immediate results then this method is not for you. This is for those that cannot do things quickly. This method I can recommend for those that know they need to do this, but, find it hard to even start. I want to show that if one perseveres you will make it to the end and get the space you desire. When nothing is started, no plodding, then nothing will be achieved. The efforts of the Tortoise gets rewarded in the end and so will you, just as I am being rewarded. I am almost, I can sense it with all the fibres in my body and soul, that I am almost at that point my home will reflect what I want it to and no longer my situation.
All the work, all the tears, all the exhaustion, all the stop/starts, will have been worth it.
As a side note, I have been setting aside memes that were relevant or appropriate or just fun, over the last 2 years. I will do a knock knock #2 with the memes month by month and year in a day or so. You may be able to relate to some if not all and see that any progress you made over the covid years was a miracle in itself, remembering what the world has been through and still going through as life changes and we adapt.
I must mention that my helper almost fell off her chair. Reason was she kept on saying with excitement how wonderful it will be when the paperwork was done and dusted. I kept wondering, no, there is more. And then after a few weeks of this it finally dawned on me what she meant. I had to burst her bubble that there were more boxes in the third bedroom! Her face fell. Now she knew how I have felt since 2007. She said, 'Now I understand why you are not that excited as yet!'. All made sense. Wish I had a photo though of her expression once the penny dropped. That sense, that feeling of being overwhelmed is not the easiest to work beyond.
Continue to be kind to yourself/selves.
Take the time you need.
Something is better than nothing.
Like a ripple in a pond it will increase in time and so will your efforts.
Little by little. Bit by bit.
Cau for now
Anita
ps. Never been far away, just busy slowly plodding along. Glad I finally found the time to write to keep encouraging those, whom need it most, to never stop and to keep on keeping chucking out or giving away or selling. You shall reap the rewards ten fold.
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