Back to filing:

December log:
1. Organize & plan for month
2. 10 min filing

Hi!

Life just gets busier and I'm happy to have logged progress on my rental projects every day in November. One rental is being advertised in the paper starting tomorrow and the push is for completion of the second one. There is lots to do and I have NO CHOICE but to see it to completion, no matter how endless it seems. When I get discouraged I bring the word, EMPOWERMENT to my brain. It reminds me I CAN do this and I WILL do this.

I think I won't keep a running log this month (too boring) but will focus on daily balance, keeping my home in running order while focused on all the external.

Many moons ago, Tami(HelpingRachel) had asked me a question regarding responsibility for my home. I answered, that it was my responsibility. I must say that my DH has made major progress in taking on responsibilities at home....however....
Now that he, too, is consumed with the project his interest at home has waned. We got into a bit of a disagreement about it and I had to make a decision:
While this project goes on I will go back to 100% responsibility at home. If, DH chooses to do something it's ok, but I'm not going to push for anything.
So: this morning I:
~did dishes, laundry, made bed, picked up clutter around the house and took care of the pets needs.
We will come home to a clean home.

It's bitter cold here and snowing very hard. When I woke at 4, I grabbed some coffee and headed up to check the water. Thankfully, both places are flowing....we disconnected the water yesterday at the 3rd.

Upon arriving home, DH was rising...grumbling all the way. I was amazed at my detachment from his emotional distress. I am accepting it's just the way he is and no amount of my peoplepleasing is going to change that. It relates to what I said yesterday....I acknowledge it's far easier for me to accomplish necessary chores in my peaceful way rather that expect he should be doing something, too, and then having to participate in his grumpiness. Credit.

So I:
made the bed, folded the laundry, picked up around the house and I'm going to sweep the hardwood floors upstairs.
Back to my 1-2-3

I noticed strong feelings of acceptance around my act of doing this every day. It's become automatic and the results are so gratifying.

Project moves forward with more cleaning yesterday, electrical inspection and new plumbing started. Yay!

Yay, Lexxiss! I love the sense of peace you've find in your home.

December log:
1. Organize & plan for month
2. 10 min filing
3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door

Filing again:
December log:
1. Organize & plan for month
2. 10 min filing
3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door
4. 10 min filing

I emptied a file box today! The first of three (but the oldest is bigger) so I'm almost a third of the way through the project. In an odd way, I feel better about it. I've put this off for years because I knew it was going to take forever. Now, that it is actually taking forever (or six months whichever comes first), I feel justified. I'm always embarrassed when I put off projects and then it turns out that they are much smaller and easier than I expected.

December log:
1. Organize & plan for month
2. 10 min filing
3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door
4. 10 min filing
5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1

gardenerjoy, sometimes the hardest part of a project is starting. Kudos for your follow through.

I've been forcing myself to power through with the project. Still no end in sight but it will never get done if I don't keep persisting. It's miserable at -17 degrees but the cold streak has to pass.

It was my last day off before I go back to the real job. I had intended to take some time for myself, however, I figured out that if I got all the supplies to the site that my helpers could work on it this weekend. I got everything we need for the next phase and it will be delivered tomorrow. That puts me almost 4 days ahead. It was worth it. I will read in bed tonight as a reward while DH watches dumb guy shows.

Wow you folks are so industrious! I usually feel as if I've accomplished something just bringing a few boxes to Salvation Army every other month or so.

The big elephant in my living room (well, OK, in the garage) IS the garage. Most of the stuff out there is my husband's junk but I can't seem to get him to get rid of it. He always insists that he'd get rid of it if I would just get out there and help him, but even when I do, all he does is shuffle things around and re-organize them over and over again. The result is slightly more organized junk. And then it doesn't stay that way because there's just too much of it to keep it in any kind of order. The first time we need something from the bottom of the pile, the entire garage is back to chaos again.

So, that's going to be my project for the New Year.

December log:
1. Organize & plan for month
2. 10 min filing
3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door
4. 10 min filing
5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1
6. Shoveled snow
7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper

Broke my streak. Oh Well. December was always going to be a challenge.

December log:
1. Organize & plan for month
2. 10 min filing
3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door
4. 10 min filing
5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1
6. Shoveled snow
7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper
8. 0
9. Packed up and sent away boxes

The weather is really getting me down. It seems to be a worse than usual year, and the project hasn't helped.

I pulled myself out of bed, however, determined to move forward with the project. My helper had other plans...we set up for noon then she called from Denver and said lets go for 9am tomorrow.

Oh, well....I can only do what I can do. I took a nap and took a drive for pup food. It got me out of the house, and to my favorite local health food store.

When I got home, I was putting stuff away and had such a powerful moment..."My home is my only comfort zone right now". I can certainly see how that translates to my staying OP with my food. I found a moment of gratitude for persistence in achieving my goals. credit.

December log:
1. Organize & plan for month
2. 10 min filing
3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door
4. 10 min filing
5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1
6. Shoveled snow
7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper
8. 0
9. Packed up and sent away boxes
10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape

December log:
1. Organize & plan for month
2. 10 min filing
3. Investigated how to hang a wreath on a new metal door
4. 10 min filing
5. 15 min filing, finished Box 1
6. Shoveled snow
7. Found the Christmas wrapping paper
8. 0
9. Packed up and sent away boxes
10. Bought office supplies, especially packing tape
11. Straightened up for cleaning crew & packed boxes for book fair

December log:
11. Donated the 1989 Volvo station wagon to a worthy cause. At 25 years old, it had served well; we depended on it for the occasional big job. DW loved it on long highway drives because it held the road like tank. I hated to let it go. But it was clutter in my life - so I give myself credit here.

Bill, great job passing the Volvo on to a charity. My spare vehicle is a 1980 Toyota which sadly doesn't hold very much. It's technically my moms so I need to hold onto it for now. I look forward to the day when I can donate it. Lol

Sometimes my decluttering needs to be regarding the list in my head. I got to the project yesterday and was so agitated. I reminded myself that since technically I'm the boss I could take a day off. I went home and packed a few things and got in the car and drove over the mountains to check the other house. I made a stop at Home Depot in route to pick up a cabinet which I'd ordered, pick up project supplies and make a full set of keys to leave with someone who wild be willing to do a quick check if I needed it. I called a friend and ask if she could meet me at the pool. Not hearing back I stopped at the pool to pay my yearly dues and lo and behold she called and said she'd be right over.

The house was fine I got a break I got a soak and I am driving back home a little renewed with a few things crossed off my list. Credit.