Survey #309—Full Response from Nancy
| Pronouns | She/her |
|---|---|
| Describe an organizing project or task that you left incomplete because it wasn’t going the way you envisioned. What expectations had you set that you weren’t able to satisfy? | Decluttering the basement. We've been working on it for years. We make progress but get overwhelmed and focus on something else just to get away from it. Plus, when I get a portion of it the way I want it, we get a leak in the basement, and my clean area gets moved around to clean the bad part. Then I think why bother??!! |
| How do your initial expectations regarding the time, energy, and emotional effort needed for a decluttering project usually compare to the reality of the actual process? | My expectations used to be spot on with reality. But as I aged, my body just didn't have the stamina to complete tasks in one go. I turned 80 in May, and it has been a drastic change in energy, stamina, and back pain. |
| What “real-world” factors tend to interfere with your decluttering and organizing tasks or projects and keep you from meeting the expectations you’ve set? | Family interference due to holiday events, birthday parties, socializing, etc. Also, my mood affects what I accomplish. Some days I have normal emotions and other days I'm inundated with anxiety and stress. That makes it hard to function. And, I suffer from insomnia which makes me tired the next day. |
| Here’s your chance to ask Gayle and Ed any question you’re curious about. It need not be related to this survey’s topic(s). If we think that your question—and our answer—might be useful or instructive to The Clutter Fairy Weekly audience, we’ll share them in an upcoming episode. | How do we stay motivated when life gets lifey? I can start a project and feel good about what I'm getting done, and after a while, I either get sick of it or reality calls on me to do something else. Is there a formula for tackling something like a basement that is used for a variety of activities. |
| Future topics | Spend short segments on step one in cleaning out an area...then step two...then three, etc. |
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