[BlueEyedMama]

So it just recently hit us that we have just 3.5 months to get everything done so that we can make our big move on June 1st. This is no small task after 17 years of togetherness and 10 years in our current house. It is amazing how much two people can collect over the years.

It doesn't help that I am what my better half calls a 'mini hoarder' with most of the junk located in a mound in our bed room and another one in our walk in closet which he haven't used to hold clothes and whatnot due to it being filled with other crap. I feel shame and guilt over this and when I get the nerve up to begin attacking the problem the job feels so huge and overwhelming that at times it has even caused panic attacks. So, I put it off. Due to serious health issues I really have to pace myself when I clean and this adds to the stress over moving. It stresses us both out. Before moving my husband is facing a surgery which will take 4-6 weeks to fully recover so we want to be at least 50-75% done before the surgery happens. It will take a lot of work and dedication to get his done and if I think about it too much the symtpoms of a panic attack begin to creep up on me. Panic or not, health or not, shame or not...this HAS to get done so I decided to bite the bullet and make a thread where I track my daily progress no matter how large or small this is a place for me to log it all down.

I'll start tomorrow with the plan of doing 20 minutes of going through the mound. If I can go longer great but if not my goal is to get 20 minutes done even if it's done in 5 minute chunks due to health. It will get done.

[Little Lulu]

"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" - Lao Tzu

Getting started is everything. Letting go of guilt and having to do it perfectly helps along the way.

[BlueEyedMama]

Thanks Lulu I needed to hear that today because I am NOT feeling motivated to even get the twenty minutes done. I'm not feeling like getting much of anything done like eating or laundry let alone work on the mess in my room. I spent the morning writing which is a good thing but now I need to eat and do those twenty minutes. I will give myself a few more minutes on the boards to take attention away from my physical pain and see if that helps me get motivated.

I will post back when those minutes are done!!!!

[Hairball]

do u have a neighbor, friend or a family member that could come over and help you? esp when u start packing for the move?

[BlueEyedMama]

No we don't have anyone to help with the move but I wish!!!!

I did 25 minutes today in the late afternoon. I plan on repeating it for a few days before upping it to 30 minutes.

[Little Lulu]

Keep up the good work, Mama. Things usually don't take as long as we imagine they will. You can get a lot accomplished in 25-30 minutes.

[BlueEyedMama]

I did 40 minutes today but that was really pushing it so tomorrow back to 25-30 minutes and slowly building up to more time.

Great job!! You've inspired me to clean and organize my room

[Little Lulu]

"Keep adding little by little and soon you will have a big hoard" ~Latin Proverb

I realize you are wanting to get rid of the 'big hoard' but you get the idea Keep the momentum up and give yourself lots of praise for what you do.

[BlueEyedMama]

I put in 35 minutes today before noon once I got home from the doctor's. He had given me some pain meds and I wanted to do as much as I could while my pain levels were under control. It does feel good to do a little each day and I get what you're saying Lulu that by doing bit by bit soon the big hoard won't be so large and then one day it won't be there at all!! What a glorious day that will be to see the floor for the first time in 4-5 years if I'm being totally honest. Not proud of it, not in the least, but I AM proud for sticking with my goal of getting rid of it once and for all. One reason I am doing this thread is so that I can look back and see how much work it took and to motivate me NOT to hoard in our new house once we move in June. I'm not a huge hoarder but it's enough to not make our bedroom the comfy oasis that it should be and that is NOT fair to my very patient hubby, nor to myself really. Our lives our stressful enough that our house should be a warm welcoming place and not a cluttered mess.

I'm also doing a good job with my KEEP, TOSS, DONATE choices and making them a lot quicker then I thought I would. I think that I am so over this and so into moving that I'm not in linger type of mood. No real emotion either way. If I haven't used it in 2 years it is get rid of and the only question is TOSS or DONATE. We've taken two car loads to the good will and I've only been working on this for a few days!!! Wowzers I have a lot of crap collected. Yikes!!!

Onwards to tomorrow where I hope to log in 40 minutes if pain levels allow. Yay me.

[Hairball]

I am sorry to hear that u don't have any help but it sounds like u are doing an awesome job of tackling it yourself.

YOU GO GIRL!!!!!!

[BlueEyedMama]

Took yesterday off and so far this morning I am not feeling overly motivated but it isn't noon yet so I have most of the day to find the motivation.

[hvert]

Did you find the motivation? I just got home and am looking for mine

[BlueEyedMama]

Yep I found the motivation both yesterday and today to put 30 minutes towards my goal. I am however changing my goal for a little while.

My SO just had his surgery bumped up by 6 weeks and will be having it on March 2nd. This is good in many ways but it is very sudden and we have a lot to get done before his surgery. So, for the next few weeks all of my energy will be put into getting ready for his surgery and then tending to him for a few weeks. We'll work on the house once he is feeling better post surgery. Due to my own health there is only so much I can do in a day so this is how things have to go for now. I may post as I get things done for surgery but if I don't post on this thread for awhile you know why.

[hvert]

Good luck with the surgery and recovery!

[BlueEyedMama]

Well, I haven't done anymore cleaning as I have been working to get everything ready for my Husband's surgery. This involved moving furniture around, cooking five meals that we put in the freezer but easy cooking post surgery, general cleaning, three pre-op appointments, my kidney treatment,see two of my doctors, running last minute errands, pay rent early,book kennel space for our puppy, get all my medicine from the pharm since Hubby won't be able to drive and I no longer can drive and pack for 2-5 nights.

[Hairball]

Well Done Blue! U have done amazing keeping on top of everything!

[Sabrina]

I'm not moving but my home had become cluttered (to me, not to anyone else) and I knew i had bunches of things that I'd either forgotten about or no longer needed. For the longest time I have had no motivation to start de-cluttering and cleaning. Then I gave up drinking in July of last year. It has taken me 6 or so months to re-charge. And this year, I started room by room. All I have left now is to wash the lounge curtains and then I can begin on my office work (which should have been on going anyway). I completely exhausted myself some days but the feeling of relief and pride has been immense. Especially when my husband finally noticed.

You are keeping on track of your goals, despite the set back of your hubby's surgery, so I am sure you will have completed what you need to prior to your move.

I wish you loads of luck. I loved the feeling when something was complete - such a sense of accomplishment. I wish the same for you.

Good luck with hubby's surgery - I hope all goes well.

[Little Lulu]

Way to go on managing your life well in so many ways Sabrina!

[Shauren]

There's another way to de-clutter. Here's something I've drawn up.

[BlueEyedMama]

Now that hubby is less needy post surgery I am going to get back on the declutter train on Monday and will track my progress here. It's crunch time since we want to move in two months but need to move by three months. Wish me luck!! *hugs*

[htoun]

Good luck! Glad to hear your hubby is on the road to recovery!

I'm waiting for the cheating first step! My daughter is just finishing university and has a great job offer already. Once she is settled into her apartment we will be drive as much of her stuff up to her as we can get into a trailer and truck!! I really hate having to move a thing or 20 to get space to do something. Once that is done I'm hoping that I will be motivated to do more. I have been working small and have sent 6 good size boxes of books to the annual book sale. Every little bit helps but I'm looking forward to sending all her stuff north!

[dwr3]

I fell in love with the idea of minimalism and decluttering a few years ago. Now I can fit my whole stuff into 6 drawers (apart from a coat, few pairs of shoes and some books). I like the "one in, one out" idea, so when I buy something, I try to give something old away. I sold the stuff I didn't need, gave old clothes to charity and gave the books I know I won't read again to the local library. It definitely makes me feel good.

[skeksi]

How is it coming, BlueEyedMama?

I don't have a deadline for cleaning and de cluttering my place, but I am hoping to downsize to an apartment and figure this will make it easier to move when the time comes. I agree with you that 20-minute spurts makes it manageable. It's more than I would do otherwise, and often I end up doing more because it feels good to clean everything up.

[BlueEyedMama]

Due to health reasons we are putting the move off until July 30 but that Still only gives us about 7 weeks to organize, de-clutter, donate at least half our stuff and get everything packed. At times it is very overwhelming. We are breaking it down one room at a time so today is the back room which we have already started. It should only take two hours tops and then we can move on to the den. We also been going sorting in the garage which has boxes of stuff we haven't seen in 10 years. We are donating about 75% of the garage crap.

Gotta stay focused and get this house ready to give our final notice on July 1st and get it clean enough so the landlord can show the house to new renters before we move. Ugh stress.

Well those are my plans for the next two months. Getting everything done so that we can move on schedule and start a new in another state.