Coming out of the Closet, Bag & Box…#11
After 10 sessions we are taking a break so my special client can see how she does on her own. I am still available when she has questions or gets stuck. Sometimes people just need a chance to try it out for awhile. This is her first week solo.
Simply Simply Simply
When I walk into my house I put my pocket book on a hook just behind the
door. My keys go on the tray on the piano. My sandals get kicked off and,
barefoot, I run to where there used to be a series of cheap plastic drawers
in the hallway. They’re gone, and I do a little dance enjoying the feel of
the carpet on the soles of my feet and the extra two feet I’ve gained; it’s
a feeling of being free, uncluttered and in control. Then I go about the
business at hand.
Sometimes, I head straight to the kitchen. While not entirely cleared out it
boasts more floor space than I remembered existed. And the counters are
cleared off, because there are other, non-counter-top places for my
recycling and plants and appliances, and the table no longer accommodates
three weeks of mail. It just seems brighter, more sun-shiny. More like the
house I remember deciding to live in. So my kids and I often bust out our
impromptu dance moves right there, in the kitchen. Which is what kitchens
are for, right?
And, on a few occasions, I’ve found my children sprawled on the floor or
sitting at the table in the play room. The play room is, also, not entirely
“done” but — with a section of floor to play on, and a table boasting a
clear, clean surface and easy access to color pencils and paper — the kids
are happy. And contained. Which makes me happy.
I don’t believe it’s happened. I dread backsliding. I feel like a prisoner,
discharged back into civilian life, waking up in cold sweats over fear of
recidivism.
And it hangs over my head. But what I’ve noticed — perhaps one of the
biggest realizations of the process — is that with organizational systems
that make sense, you’re almost compelled to comply. It’s like being stuck in
a current – you can’t help but be dragged along. The syrup on the table gets
swooped up and put in its place in the pantry. The errant boa in the living
room is a joy to the touch as I, unthinkingly, place it in the costume box
in the play room. Things that aren’t where they should be stick out and,
therefore, are easy to identity and — simply simply simply — put away.
I’m not talking about containers or new shelving. It’s just getting rid of
the extraneous stuff and refocusing everything – everything – on What I
Want. Unless I want it — I no longer keep it. I don’t deal with it, I just
resolve it, get rid of it, and move on. Sometime it takes longer, sometimes
it’s a quick turnaround. But I’m living proof it’s possible.
There’s much much much more work to do. But, more than ever, I think I can
get it done.
Tags: habits, organizing, Simplifying, space
Lovely epilogue. However, I have to say that I cringed when I read that you put your keys in a tray on the piano. It’s not the keys or tray, it is the fact that anything is on the piano. Being a pianist, there is only one thing on my piano–the piano music, and only on the stand in front of my face. Things can fall into a piano, it can get scratched or otherwise damaged. I can’t imagine playing a piano with keys in a tray on it. So, please be good to your piano, and treat it like a newborn baby–handle with extreme care.
I hope you post another post-Miriam report in about 3 months. I kind of liken decluttering to weight loss: You can lose the weight, but the hard part is keeping it off.