Survey #309—Full Response from Kathy
| 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? | My sewing/craft room decluttering project has been going on for years in fits and starts. I think I expected it would be easier than it is to pare down fabric stash and supplies (aspirational clutter) to a manageable size. I envision a creative space that is pleasing to walk into, where I can enjoy both the process and finished results but haven't been able to make that happen yet. |
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| 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? | I find it very easy to declutter a junk drawer, have gotten to the point where it's easier to declutter sentimental items, but I find it very hard to deal with aspirational clutter. Within the past year, on Redeeming Productivity podcast, I heard the podcaster explain why decision making is so hard this way. He said the Latin root in decide, -cide, means to kill. When we decide something, we are "killing all other options" for that item or that use of our time, etc. To declutter aspirational items means I have to essentially kill the option of making the pattern or using the fabric that at some point I had liked enough to buy and bring home. That has helped me understand why I have having a hard time with it. Craft supplies are like candy to a creative mind. |
| 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? | Real-world factor is my day job. 🙂 I'm hopeful that when I retire I'll have time, energy, and willpower to declutter more. One thing that discouraged me was after making pretty good progress in the common areas of the house, when my mother-in-law declined and needed to go into assisted living/memory care, all of her stuff came to my house. (Thankfully, she had been great at decluttering and downsizing, so it was a tiny apartment.) I ended up with stacks of boxes all around the edges of my dining room and all through the basement. It was like that for about 6 months before we felt we could donate all the stuff. I also had to store 2 recliners for one of her relatives, and they are still here, shoved at one end of my living room as they would get musty in the basement. So, the real-world factor is, for the sake of relationships, I can't always say no, especially to in-law relatives. |
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