Victory~!

[teh_blumchenkinder]

I'm sooooo happy right now!
I don't know what got up my butt, or what, but I'm doing something that's been a lifetime in arriving!
MY ROOM IS CLEAN.
...
Let me explain.
Ever since I can remember, I've had difficulty doing things consistently, especially something that has to be done all the time: dishes, vacuuming, laundry, picking up... I suspect that this is a lifetime thing, being ADD/H, and I've read plenty saying "yes, you are stuck with this." But... the stars seem to have aligned and God smiled down and said "Let there be... Motivation!"
I've organized my books, my bedroom closet (which was the worst), the hall closet, cleaned the kitchen spotless (and have been keeping it up! So much easier when there aren't piles of dishes molding...), and I'm currently working on organizing all my school papers from the last ... 6 years? Since high school, certainly; and putting all my pretty things on my shelves and walls (even tho I've lived in this place for about a year now--FAIL) I have uncovered somewhere in the neighborhood of 50 pencils and 40 pens, all working, sharpened, and the erasers are good. The bedroom closet was the worst, having so many clothes I didn't/couldn't wear, no drawers to put things like socks and undies in-- and the boxes to use for those weren't getting used. I shoved all my mess into the closet, to where I couldn't close the door-- just like when I was a kid.
My mother and I struggled my entire childhood to get my room clear to walk in.
It didn't even matter how much stuff I had. Oh, I'm sure if I had nothing but a single set of clothing and pj's, things would have worked... I wonder why she didn't try that...
Anyway. Point is, nearly-literal Elephant in the Room is gone.

[Kanalah]

Hooray!

As a packrat and daughter of 2 hoarders I know how good it feels to just clean stuff out.

Speaking of which, after this last big quilt project is done. I'm looking to do some serious cleaning myself.

[Kittish]

Yay! Congratulations! I have problems with all the endlessly repetitive household chore things too. Laundry is the worst one for me. I'd rather clean catboxes than do laundry.

I'm a fellow packrat, though I do seem to have sort of a handle on keeping it under control. My method is simple, if a bit extreme. If I haven't needed or gone looking for whatever reason for something in a year, I can live without it. After all, I've lived without it for a year already. There are, of course, exceptions. Sentimental things, records, and the like. But records and collectibles each have their own box, and keepsakes I try to keep out where I can see them.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

There are 3 reasons why I have so many pens/pencils.
1) I find them. People drop that shit all the time, and I pick it up. I usually find high quality, working utensils-- I once found a mechanical pencil stuffed with lead! even outside the clear tube that siphons it into the motive unit! I found a Pilot pen, and that's how I learned I loved them so much I shell out 2-3 dollars a pen now.
When I'm not finding Bics or Zebras, that is.
2) People give them to me. This isn't so much an issue. I get maybe 3 a year this way.
3) I buy them, because I can't find any. <---- This is what happens with stuff I have the most. The way I typically dealt with my stuff was shove it in boxes, then shove it in my closet. I've found 100 + hair ties (no lie) that still work, some still in the packaging-- that got shoved in boxes and shoved in my closet/drawers/whathaveyou, and I never found or remembered.

But now I know what I have! :3 And, you totally are getting what a big deal this is. Yay! XD

[Sapphire Silk]

Congrats on the clean room.

I'm trying to get my house clean. It is a laborious project: I'm lazy. I've got a few days off coming for the Spring/Summer break and hope to get a lot more done.

[MoonCat]

I know exactly what you mean. I consider myself "domestically disabled." I don't do much housework. I really need to do it more consistently. So congrats to you! You're an inspiration to clutter queens like me!

[teh_blumchenkinder]

I shoulda taken before and after pics.
Panacea, you work-- hard. Aren't you a teaching nurse? >_> Me, I go to school/get C-grades.

[AdminAssistant]

Other than mandatory daily things like washing dishes, putting away books, laundry, etc., I'm leaving the housework until the semester is over. Then I'll take a week and spend about a day on every room in the house, dusting, re-arranging, vacuum, allll that good stuff. There's just no time right now.

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Congrats. It's hard. I know. And it's so satisfying to do it, isn't it?

Want to give yourself some serious, serious motivation? Watch a couple or three episodes of Hoarders or How Clean Is Your House or something right before you do housework and you'll double your productivity.

I'm not even joking.

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Other than mandatory daily things like washing dishes, putting away books, laundry, etc., I'm leaving the housework until the semester is over. Then I'll take a week and spend about a day on every room in the house, dusting, re-arranging, vacuum, allll that good stuff. There's just no time right now.

See, my problem is I don't even do that much. When I said molding dishes, I meant it.
It's happened a number of times, especially while I tried to get my roommate in on chores.
I've given up; and pretending I live alone. It's not like she uses anything but her room and the bathroom anyway. Nor is she ever home.
... Kink, I'm a little scared to look that stuff up. (I don't have TV, just the interwebs)
EDIT: :basks in tub of conga-rats:

[RecoveringKinkoid]

Yeah, well, you'd be surprised what an effective motivator fear is. Those shows scare the hell out of me. Because there but by the grace of God go I. I'm not a hoarder and my kitchen is clean enough to do surgery in. I tend towards clutter, and I constantly have to fight to overcome that. Not a problem with uncleanliness...I'm way too anal about that to worry about filth. But clutter? Yeah. Constant challenge.

The hoarding thing is in me. I'm not a hoarder, but the thought processes are in me, lurking. They are. I ever suffer any sort of mental imbalance or trauma I can tell you without a doubt I will be at risk for succumbing to them. I watch those shows so I can stay alert. I watch a few of those and start going "Oh, hell, get out the black yard bags. We gonna be throwing some shit out."

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Glad you're self-aware! I just don't do stuff, and am way too po' and picky to be a hoarder. I'm cultivating the "if it's not perfect, I am not even picking it up" tendency in me-- to stop myself from bringing home scads of free books. And knicknacks, but usually I have to fork over cash for those. No money.
EDIT: I also avoid garage sales and their ilk with a passion and will!
EDITEDIT: Fear... fear is a Major motivator. :\

[Aethian]

Www.flylady.net

She is a godsend.


Why did autocorrect want to turn flylady to goulash?

[teh_blumchenkinder]

Aethian, did I ever mention I am a champion procrastinator? If I don't want to do something, I won't do it. I don't want to do it, many times it's as if I'm physically tied down.
Thus, my inbox would be flooded. Actual physical people (such as my mother) work best... but that's not viable as an adult, so I need to figure shit out mostly by myself.
Which it looks like this site may help with. I'd only heard of flylady in reference to email reminders.

[jnd4rusty]

I am not the greatest housekeeper, I keep things instead throwing them out such as Christmas card and letters. I do have an edge..my man..LOL, he only works part time and I work full time and go to school so he does almost all the housework and he does the laundry each week since I hate doing that the most. I cook all the meals, buy the groceries and pay the bills. He does the dishes, cleans the bathroom, vacumns, dusts, windows and such. He is pretty anal about keeping things organized and clean so it works for us. The plus is I don't have to do it because I detest housework although I LOVE to cook! We live in a small apartment so it does not take long to get cluttered and it does not take long to clean. He does have to report to me if he is planning to throw stuff away, he throws away perfectly good things and it irrates me!