Show Your Drawers!

Some call it de-junking some decluttering or organizing. I can't use the word purging...spent way too much time with my head over the toilet with morning sickness in the past for that ever to be a "pleasant" word.Whatever you want to call it, I am stuck up to my eyeballs in the middle of it! I find myself a bit overwhelmed with kitchen drawers right now. Since my man is out of town this week it was the perfect time to start my project. My man has no problem organizing and being orderly, but he would have a problem if he saw the kitchen right now!

This whole process of cleaning out is a not just an exercise in organization. It is turning out to be a spiritual and emotional journey as well. Learning to release what isn't working and letting go of the things that drag my soul down is having ripple effects in all areas of my life. I find myself re-evaluating all the things that have been a consumer of my time time, my energy, my space and my mental health.

By nature or nurture I am a worrier and tend to overthink. Anxiety and I are old companions. Having learned to accept this part of myself was a milestone, but accepting doesn't mean that I need to embrace it either. By rearranging my home, my habits, and my life, I think I can learn to minimize the impact of my nature on my peace and well-being. Learning to coexist with these traits I think will bring a sense of Harmony and Balance. Two words that I am certain in the past no one would attribute to me.
So...goodbye to:
* Things I do not use or love * Things that are untidy or disorganized* Too many things in too small a space* anything unfinished * Things that creates problems, stress, or embarrassment.* Things I don't know I have or can't find what I have.* Stuff that keeps me from using an area, place, or thing for its intended purpose.* It impairs my ability to function.* It's broken of obsolete (and fixing it is unrealistic).* I've outgrown it, physically or emotionally.* I've always hated it.* It's the wrong size, wrong color, or wrong style.* Using it is more bother than it's worth.* It wouldn't really affect me if I never saw it again.* It generates bad feelings.* I have to clean it, store it, and insure it (but I don't get much use or enjoyment out of it).* It will shock, bore, or burden the coming generation.

I hereby release you! Go! Shew...away with you! I am making room for better things to come into my life.

I am a woman on a mission. Clean up her drawers and clean up her life. Once the cleaning and purging has begun, low and behold I see another drawer another area that needs attention too. Kitchen drawer clean...ohhh look the bedroom closet needs redoing...ohhhh let's do the laundry room. Meanwhile the kitchen contents are sprawled on the counter, the clothes are strewn across the bed... I quickly slammed the laundry room before the madness spread.

Okay, I admit it I have ADD and this is going to require a better plan. I hate planning - planning for me lasts about 2 minutes. I like to tackle things and work my way through them. But the enormity of this project is going to require some thought and planning. I don't want to have to redo this a month from now.

Dr. Phil talked about setting up a "No Fail Environment". He suggested that you take a critical inventory of situations that set you up for disaster. Now he was primarily talking about dieting and how our environments can sabotage our good eating intentions. But, I think that idea carries over into not just dieting - but to all areas of life. I know that when you change a habit you need to have a new one to replace it or back you go! I want my home to make it easier for me to accomplish my goals and dreams and weight-loss is just one of them.

For example I want to eat healthier breakfasts and smoothies are on the menu. In order for me to make a smoothie in the past, I had to hunt down where all the blender parts are because every single time someone did the dishes they would put each and every individual piece somewhere different!By the time the scavenger hunt was over I was so frustrated that I was not looking forward to another morning's hunt.To streamline the process and make preparing smoothies quick and easy I am making a designated "Smoothie Prep" station. Everything I need for making smoothies is right there. A no brainer! I want to make my entire house a no brainer! Its hard enough fighting myself to do what I need to do without my house fighting me back.

STEP 1 - Take inventory of situations that set me up for failure
STEP 2 - Decide what would make each situation a no-brainer?
STEP 3 - Gather items together for that "station" or zone.
STEP 4 - What do I need to group, organize these items together?
STEP 5 - 1st option - use what I already have, 2nd -buy, make or obtain needed organizer or container
STEP 6 - Label and teach others how to use my new system...torture saboteurs! or at least make them think twice about disrupting my feung shui.

Okay, so that's my plan. Now I have a counter and bed to clean. Putting blinders on until that is finished and then start my plan. Wish me luck. Send rescue party if I don't return!