Down to One Shelf!

I took over 6 shelves and saved a little over 1 shelf. I posted the books on the Community Facebook Page and several friends wanted a couple books. Now I'll post on a Buy/Sell group.

This is what is left:

Books, Books and More Books

I'm leaving the clothes and am inspired to go through the books. The realtor I met with about 2 months ago suggested the bookcases in the hallway be gone to create a more open feeling when I asked her what she would address. I will sell the house as is, but I want it to look appealing.

Today, Micah helped me blow (compressor) the books so I could sort and separate the books. I started to organize them by author. I realized that so many are on knowing God, abiding in Him and prayer. I cried when I realized my lifelong search for God and not getting to know Him as He is, but making Him into what I thought He should be and my heart was grieved. I am different now and look forward as I get to know Him as He wants to be know, to love Him as He really is and to serve Him because He is God and I want to express my love to Him by giving all that I am and have to Him.

This article was helpful.

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/breaking-the-sentimental-attachment-to-books/

I used to think that I wanted a library, how fun it would be to have a library where my family could come and borrow books or sit and read. Could it be that I also wanted to impress others? Did I think that having a lot of books and growing in knowledge made me a better and more spiritual person?

Now back to the books. I want to press in until it's done because this will be the first big purge that I actually finish. I don't have much time to dawdle and need to learn to work faster. 

Lord, help me to know myself and why I do what I do so I can live in reality knowing my need and cooperating with You to become free and be in control instead of the stuff and my emotions controlling me.

First step is organize by author, thumb through books for bookmarks, note papers and TP/Kleenex (haha). I wonder if others use TP/Kleenex as bookmarks. I remember talking to a librarian about some of the unusual ones they find.

I am really shocked to see how many books I have. They were double stacked and two layers. Oh my. And these are just the books about growing as a Christian and pursuing God. There are still several other categories. Now I'll see which ones to keep.

It's 1:30 am and I've been at it all night for many hours. I'm tired and my neck/shoulders hurt, but I really want to keep going as it's been a productive day. I need to sleep, wake up refreshed and go for it again. Nighty, night!

Finished Clothes...No!

Well, I didn't finish my clothes. Legitimate things came up and it is unfinished and unorganized. I'm also loosing weight so I feel hesitant. I know there is a bigger issue of just liking lots of variety, but ever coming to the surface is the thought of becoming free of stuff and the emotional hold it has on me.

Oh my gosh, several things happened that I needed to deal with and weren't easy. I hadn't eaten breakfast so I was feeling the effects of blood sugar changes. I looked around and got overwhelmed with the mess I'd left after working outside at a garden job most of the day and in the hot sun so I was worn out. And I sold the Merc yesterday and did a few things around here and wiped out early. I could feel my brain overloaded and starting to shut down, GABA always helps and I got my protein shake and Ezekiel toast ready.

But I'm not going to let that stop me. I'll finish dealing with what's left to do, clean up and get started even though I feel the effects of the overwhelmed stressful feeling of my body shutting down and wanting to sleep. I'll push past through it. Help me Lord.

I have a kink in my right shoulder, but I won't let that pull me away from my goal and do a few stretches and deep breathing.

2:30 Update
So I got the house straightened up, made some phone calls, did laundry, exercised a little and did deep breathing. I got the room ready and am working on the clothes with resolve. Everytime I begin to think about what I'm going to do with 'such and such' and I haven't even taken it out of the closet, I grab that thought and let it go since I'm not there yet. I'll just deal with one thing at a time. I'm looking forward to less because less is more.

Goal: go through my clothes in the closet and separate into groups...

-to keep currently in my closet so items are neat and organized

-to store for a future use (I'll be very careful about this one) and how to store it

-to give away

-to sell

That sounds simple and I hope it is simpler than I feel it's going to be, but I want to be free.

Today is the day to get my closet in order. I tried a couple weeks ago, but plans changed and I helped a friend with a film project. Then work and taking care of Hannah and legitimate reasons for not following through with organizing my clothes...but it has never left my mind and heart to get done.

Today is the day to take care of the clothes, not the top or bottom for that will be a big project in itself.

I've decided that I want to be able to hang clothes so they don't get wrinkled and that means they are not crushed. I want the clothes I wear to be in the closet, not ones I hope to wear when I loose weight or ones that I want to wear because I like them even though they don't look good on me. I don't want to have clothes because I like the way that style looked on someone else and want that same feel, but it doesn't feel the same when I wear them. I just want to fill my closet with clothes that look good on me, that I like and are in good shape.

I can already feel that tug of letting go, but I know from what others say and my own experience that once I'm done and that tug is gone, that burden will be lifted and I will be free. Another step toward freedom.

Extra tea update...
I gave one box of tea to someone in the community and the rest went to a friend who was staying at my house while the kids were helping in a film. Yay, they are gone!

Why am I Procrastinating?

Written 3-20-2016

I could give excuse after excuse, like starting a new job, having a lot of chores, I'm tired...but the real reason I think is two-fold. One is that I think and process so much or come up with a plan that I falsely believe that I have actually done something productive physically. I wonder if the 'Name It, Claim It' from Christian circles got into my thinking. I wonder if I twisted what God said, 'Speak the things that aren't as though they are until they come to pass. But I missed something most important: my cooperation with God and accomplishing what is in my heart to do.

The second thing is a habit of putting off something that is unpleasant at the time, that requires a lot of thought, decision and work to accomplish. It will require letting go of what I thought I was, what I thought I wanted to do, what I wish I could have done, what I still want to do. It requires me to decide what I really want or don't want to keep, where to put what I do want and make room for it, what to do with what I don't. It all requires time and emotional effort. I wonder if I could not allow my emotions to control me and just accept that this time spent will be worth it and multiply my time in the future when it's all done.

I've put off so many things in my life for so many reasons that it has become a habit. This is a habit I want to break. I want to create a new habit of being organized and doing what needs to be done at the right time.

I always thought of myself as being an organized person so therefore I am one. What I really need to do is tell myself the truth. I believe that my desire is to be organized and keep things in a tidy, orderly way. It's in me to be and do this, but I was never trained. This isn't an excuse, it's just a fact. So now I need to be real, look at my life, my stuff and tell it like it is. I am messy, I have too much stuff and don't know how to keep my stuff in order. I have some places designated for the things I want, but it's overflowing and there are things I don't have a place for.

So what do I do now? I will learn a new way; a way that cooperates with God and gets it done and keeps it that way knowing that I'll need to reorganize or change how and what I'm doing as my life changes. I won't think I should have done better and beat myself up and I won't feel bad.

Today I was determined to get my clothes done. What did I do instead? I organized my tea cupboard. Whatever I do will require further actions. My tea cupboard isn't overflowing and I actually have extra room now and that's good. I didn't take a before picture, but I have an after one. I'm keeping the tea I like or want to have a variety available if someone comes over. That leaves me with trying some of the teas to see if I like them and deciding what to do with the rest, there's quite a bit. I think I'll post them on the community group to give away if someone wants them.

So going back to my original desire to get my clothes done. I haven't yet. There is still time, but not as much because I chose to do the tea cupboard. I was productive, but not with what I had planned to do. I was sabotaging my desire. Why? What is in my heart that causes me to do this? I've done this many, many time. It's time to stop.

So now I have to vacuum the house and I will work on my clothes. I'll have sorting boxes. I'll put in the closet what I like and wear. One box will be to keep but store in a place I designate. One box of undecided clothes like Rich's and his mom's cub scout uniforms. One box will be to sell and one to donate. That sounds simple doesn't it. This will help me grow emotionally and mentally as I develop this skill of organizing and being realistic about the space I have and what I want in my life.

Encouraging Article

I found this encouraging article that I want to keep here to be reminded of some important things to consider as I simplify my living space and declutter my life.

http://www.becomingminimalist.com/declutter-your-schedule/

5 Steps to Declutter Your Schedule and Live Your Desired Life

WRITTEN by GUEST · 39 COMMENTS

Editor’s note: This is a guest post from Mike Burns of The Other Side of Complexity.

“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time,’ is like saying, ‘I don’t want to’.” ―Lao Tzu

15 years ago, I was overwhelmed.

I was working a ton of hours, trying to establish myself in my career. I was juggling relationships with my wife, my 6 kids, neighbors, friends, family, and co-workers. My schedule was pretty cluttered. There was a lot of stuff going on, and not enough time to do it.

My intentions were good. My heart was in the right place. But my life was a whirlwind. I couldn’t catch my breath.

Something had to change. I knew I needed some help.

So, my family began a journey to figure out how we could manage our time well and focus on the things that were most important to us. This pursuit has lasted 15 years (and counting). And it has paid off tremendously!

I can’t say that every day goes exactly according to plan. That’s not even possible. But, I can say, with confidence, that we now live the kind of lives we want to live. We focus our efforts on those things we value most.

We still don’t get everything done. We drop the ball sometimes. But we’re headed in the right direction. We have close, meaningful relationships with people that we love and we’re using our talents and experiences to do things that (we think) have meaning.

Each person’s life looks different. What’s important to me may not be what’s important to you. The “plan of attack” for regaining control of our schedules won’t look the same.

However, if your schedule feels like it’s a bit out of control, there are some universal steps you can take to begin finding a tailor-made approach.

5 Steps to Declutter your Schedule and Live Your Desired Life

1. Acknowledge the fact that you can’t do everything.

We can only do so much. We have unlimited options, but limited resources. We have to make important decisions to eliminate some things. When we’re feeling especially productive and superhuman, we struggle to admit this reality. But, we can’t do it all. We have to remove the clutter.

Clutter is the stuff that interferes with the life we want to live. It slows us down from doing the things we value most. It’s that unnecessary stuff that we entertain, but doesn’t help us get where we want to go. And it needs to be removed.

2. Clarify what’s most important…to you!

The things that are important to you will affect how you make decisions and how you spend your days. If you don’t know where you’re going, why bother establishing a path? Before you start developing a plan, you have to know what you want to accomplish and what rules you will play by. You need a what and a why before you figure out how.

You’ll need clarity in at least 3 important areas:

• What kind of person do you want to be?
• What relationships are most important to you?
• What do you want to accomplish?

3. Determine what you have to do to live for those things.

Once you’ve identified your objective, you can begin to think about how you’ll get there. It is incredibly important to identify your goals and values. But if you don’t take the second step and think about your plan to live up to them, then they are only dreams.

You have to map out a route to your destination. You have to figure out the best way to be and do what you want to be and do. You have to determine what actions will be required and what tools you’ll need to accomplish them. If we don’t, we run the risk of just wandering around through life as a slave to our circumstances.

4. Say “no” to other stuff that hinders you.

It’s not enough to know what things you should do. You also have to get clarity on the types of things you should not do. We’ve already established that our time is limited. We will have to make choices about how we spend our time. We will have say “no” to some things so we can say “yes” to others.

Inevitably, we will face circumstances that could throw us off course and make us want to give up on our dreams. Sometimes, these hindrances are caused by unhealthy behaviors. Sometimes, they are caused by people who want to see us fail. Sometimes, they are caused by good things that aren’t best.

Regardless of what causes the hindrances, we have to pay attention to them and make some decisions about what activities need to get the boot!

5. Find what motivates you and use it.

Study yourself and figure out what makes you tick. What makes you come alive? What makes you feel human and reminds you that you are not just a robot with a job and a checkbook? What tugs at your heart? What reminds you of the things you value most?

It may be: listening to music, blogging, dancing, painting, singing, jogging, lifting weights, or something really random and strange that you just love to do.

It’s okay if it isn’t related to your “greater purpose” or if it even makes sense to other people. If it motivates you (and it’s legal), do it!

Life’s too short to spend our days in constant frustration.

Don’t allow things of lesser importance to rob you of the life you could be living. Take a good look at your life and be honest. Do the work and declutter your schedule. You can do this!

***

Mike Burns blogs at The Other Side of Complexity where he encourages others to live well and focus on what’s most important. His new book isTime Well Spent: Gain Control of Your Schedule and Live the Life You Want to Live. You can also connect with him on Twitter.

About Joshua Becker

Writer. Inspiring others to live more by owning less.
Bestselling author of Simplify & Clutterfree with Kids.

A reader's comment:

Mike deals beautifully with what I call the Second Stage of decluttering and living more lightly – the intangible side. The first stage is usually letting go of unnecessary material things (clothes, gadgets, supplies, books, etc.) This First Stage frees up some time by clearing out things that take time to organize, shop, and clean. The Second Stage, however, is to directly deal with the issue of how we spend our time and this is the bigger challenge for me.
The steps that Mike outlines are pretty basic and obvious, but that does not make them easy. I’m still working at learning to say “No” to good projects when they don’t align with my most fundamental priorities – family and faith. Even these criteria have to be pruned, however, to figure out what my unique contribution can be or should I delegate it or trust that others will pick up on what I can’t do. I can’t save the world. Jesus saves; I don’t have to. Thanks for an reminder of ultimate truths.