Survey #309—Full Response from Julie
| 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? | My Grandparents 19 photo albums and slides from their world travels in the 1970s. Yearbooks back to 1929. This is not a typo. 1929. I was overwhelmed and frustrated with the sheer volume of stuff. I was surprised at how angry I feel at my mother for keeping this mountain of memorabilia when she moved 23 years ago when my dad died at age 70. She is alive and well, moved to a senior community five years ago, walking out of her time capsule, where I now live surrounded by the detritus of my 27 year marriage and all of her stuff. All that said, I unearthed a gem A black and white photo of my grandmother looking out a train window in Moscow Russia, 1975. It would have been a shame to miss that one. Honestly I could frame that one and be done. Note my own family photos are in bins. Another project. I just want to get a dumpster. |
| 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 had no idea how resentful I would feel. I’m trying to be active in my newly retired years, not sitting around sorting photos and sneezing from the musty yearbooks. |
| 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? | I thought I would enjoy it more. It takes time away from my writing. I don’t know what my ultimate goal is. |
| 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. | Related to the survey. How do you help people make “Stay or Go” decisions? I’m in a 3 br house. I want to simplify. I’ve been spinning wheels for 3 years. |
| Future topics | What helps decide whether to stay or go. If I stay I need to remodel bathrooms due to old and musty wood. Expensive. Help! |
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