The traveller tries to organise a house

by Caz Makepeace on November 28, 2012

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You would think being a former teacher, I would have a grasp on organisation. But no I don’t. I am organisationally challenged.

There are a multitude of problems I think which contribute to this:

1. I reckon I could be classified as ADHD- I have about 10 projects going at once, I drive Craig bonkers with the amount of windows I have open on my computer, and I never read just one book at a time. My thoughts scatter so wide and deep that I can never rein them in to focus on organisation.
2. Because I have so much going on at once, every second is full. I don’t have time to file the paper, so I just put it on the pile for later when I can slot filing into my schedule (rarely happens)
3. I am not good with a lack of space. I can’t think clearly (can you see how crazy my head is here) At the moment our living space is really small and limited. Therefore I have no space to put anything. So I kind of just cram up and not bother. What’s the point?
4. I’m also not good when there is a lot of things happening and too many options. I have downloaded that many organising apps and tools to use, but never do because I don’t have time to figure them out and it feels like I am just adding to the organising pile. AND I never REMEMBER to use them. It has taken me all year to train myself to use Google Calendar and even then its basic use.
5. I don’t know how to organise. I left my parent’s home at 21, three days after University, to move overseas. I have travelled ever since. My life has been lived out of a backpack. I have never brought storage boxes and organisation solutions because my time in any one place was limited. I never had that many things to organise anyway, so I just made do with what we had, until we moved again. I’ve never brought pretty things for walls and spaces because I’d just have to sell them in a years time.

Clearing up my surroundings

I am very good at not holding onto things though. Once they have served their purpose I can easily move it forward to its new home. I hate hoarding  I hate clutter.

Lately, I have felt really stressed about my home and the amount of clutter and disorganisation. I can’t think clearly and I want space and light back.

Now we have been home 2 years, we have a steady accumulation of crap. I am most bothered about the stupid amount of toys my children have and my office space.

I’m on a mission for the next month to clear up my surroundings and uplift the energy. I need clear space for creation.

I have dived straight into the Surroundings section of my new My Happiness book from Kikki K. It has inspired me to stop with the excuses and start with the organising.

I’m browsing through catalogs for storage solutions and discovering they aren’t even that expensive. Even if we head back on the travel road in a few months, the dip into insanity I will be saved from will be worth the price.

We started with our bedroom on the weekend. I lost at least half my wardrobe. I realized most of the stuff I was holding on was for just in case.

Just in case I had to go back to a job I hated. “Caroline!! Where is your faith?” I scolded. “Get rid of them now!”

I listened (Reason No. 25 to quit your job and do what you love, no more buying clothes just for the office. Buy what you love instead!)

I am loving when Savannah outgrows a size, I stuff it in the bag and send it off to my sister. Unless you are having more children, which I am NOT, I don’t understand why anyone would hold onto this stuff!!

My sister is loving it Her now 6 month old baby girl is set for life with all my hand-me downs. I sent a big bag of toys to her today and more will be arriving on her doorstep by the end of the week. Cull cull cull.

For the next month I am dedicating 15 minutes a day for organizing and then one day a week to have a mass session decluttering and clearing.

Tomorrow I start with developing some sort of filing system for my computer. It is a mess.

And I am on the hunt for some good storage solutions. One small thing a week.

By the end of the month I hope to have claimed some of my happiness back from my disorganised environment. It is easily the most frustrating thing in my life now.

As My Happiness book says