Conquer Clutter Campaign Revisited

(Originally published 16 January 2012) 

When I went back to see when I last posted a CCC blog, I discovered my first ever blog here on SP was 1/12/11, so I've been blogging just over a year. I had 3 officially named 3C blogs, the last one written a few days after I launched the Babysteps Brigade team on February 2nd of last year.

Organizing took a bit of a back seat this past year. I became a co-leader on 2 other teams, A Gathering of Goddesses and Survivors of Abuse. And I experienced true success on my fitness and weight loss journey. I've lost more than 55 pounds now, and am less than 10 from my original goal. I left the obese BMI range behind and dropped 3 pants sizes. I've already lost more than a quarter of my original body weight. Once I get to my goal of 150, I can lose another 10 and reach the healthy BMI range for my height--and a total loss of 75 pounds at that point will represent more than a third of my body weight gone for good. The change has been slow and gradual, the better to be maintained for a lifetime!

But back to organizing! 2 blogs after my last CCC blog came a Spring Equinox offering, That Sacred Rite of Spring—Cleaning. When I reread it a few minutes ago, I was *amazed* to read these words:

"As part of my ongoing Campaign to Conquer Clutter, to create and maintain various Oases of Order, I'm thinking of adding the following practice. In addition to the other challenge tasks I've set myself (as team goals of the Babysteps Brigade), on a daily basis I will attempt to do one thing in each room to improve the appearance, organization, cleanliness, or functionality of that space."

I totally didn't remember having thought up this idea back then, which never really took hold. But it must have been buried in my psyche, as it has become reality. On New Year’s I blogged that organizing and decluttering would be my focus in 2012. And I began a new streak on 1/1/12 if doing Something Positive in Every Room Daily. I just created the SPERD acronym this past week, sharing it on my 3 main teams. And as I recently reported in various threads, it is beginning to make a difference in some of the smaller rooms.

The process is slow, but as with weight loss, this works for me. I'm not as interested in fast or big gains as in long-term maintenance. I could get overwhelmed, and almost did a few days ago contemplating some of neglected piles and messy closets and corners in my home, and then the *two* storage units of who-knows-what-all from my California house (still in Sedro-Woolley) and from my S-W 2-bedroom apartment with a crowd of still unpacked CA boxes down to a 1-bedroom in Tukwila (close by, but rarely visited). But I keep reminding myself that I am building my organizing muscles and habits. And progress must come one (baby) step at a time! Wish me luck!

Blessed Be, Amanda