Check This Out!

Today I made a Clutterers Anonymous call and was delighted in two ways. One was to find a community of people around the country committing to each other what area they would declutter in the next hour, half hour, or sometimes 15 minutes. It was an Action Line that I was on so that was the focus. There was a short reading out of the big book of Alcoholics Anonymous and someone shared an experience about the reading topic. I did what I said I would do (load the dishwasher) and I did it quickly to get back on the call at the bottom of the hour. I was honest with them and said I no longer have a problem with clutter but that I use picking up as a way to procrastinate and that I really need 'procrastinators anonymous'. I thought I was being funny but lo and behold there is a Procrastinator's Anonymous and I am going to call in on their line tomorrow afternoon when I have a chunk of time that I'd like to devote to writing! The number for the CLA Action Line that I called is (218)339-2500, code 185487#. I believe it is a 24hr line and the idea is to check in at the top of the hour to commit and then check back in when you are done. Check out the CLA website for more information. http://sites.google.com/site/clutterersanonymous/Home

Organizing Tips at IKEA

Come one come all! On February 20th at the White Marsh IKEA there will be organizers from NAPO-Baltimore giving talks and answering questions. NAPO stands for the Naional Association of Professional Organizers.

HAITI

Donations can be made to support Red Cross relief efforts by texting "HAITI" to 90999. This is off the Dept. of Health and Human Services website www.hhs.gov.
A donation of $10 will automatically be charged to your cell phone bill.

Body Double

It is still winter break for my college aged son. He is home and doesn't yet realize that I am trying to have him serve in the 'body double' role for me today. A 'body double' in the organizing world is someone who is with you to help you focus on getting your work done. What they are doing during this time doesn't matter. For people who don't work at home or for people who don't have ADD this may sound foolish. However, for those of us who work at home and have ADD the body double can be a critical factor is getting work accomplished. Were it not so cold out I might pad off to the cafe down the street that boasts free wi-fi. Being in a place where others are banding together for the same purpose usually works but it is best if the body double knows the role they are playing for me. I have worked with partners in libraries, coffee shops and the houses of friends when something really needs to happen. At this moment my son isn't hitting the mark because I am too ashamed to tell him about his role. I'm blasting the 'should's' in life (see previous post) but the shame is not so easily escaped. I know what to do about the shame luckily but I don't feel like doing it just now because the thought of entering my data into Quicken is just as appealing! Another successful day with body doubling!

Clutterers Anonymous

A friend recently mentioned that she has a sponsor in CA, is attending phone meetings and using members as accountability partners! Yeah, for the 12 Steps and yeah for technology reaching out and grabbing those of us who would rather not ask for help and stay in our own self-induced misery longer than we need to. I will listen in on a CA phone meeting and report back here!

Maybe You Could Write a List

In my eternal quest to eliminate the word "should" from my vocabulary I call out to my son "Maybe you could write a list" when he tells me of all the things he needs. It's a brilliant idea, list making and I want to increase the likelihood that it will happen.

The reason I so despise the word "should" is that it is full of shame. Really, it's a shortened version of "I could... but if I don't, shame on me." As I recently read, a little shame is good, it keeps us in line, but too much is ruinous, really ruinous. Perhaps you've heard the phrase "Stop 'shoulding' yourself." Well "Stop 'shoulding'" is going to be my tag line for 2010 because whether it's backwards or forwards, for me or for you, the 'shoulds' just don't amount to anything useful. I'd like a kinder, gentler word for the things I'd like to accomplish this year, this day. I'm thinking 'mayhaps' might be it. A shortened version of "maybe I will do.... but if I don't, there's always tomorrow."