Lexxiss - I know exactly what you mean walking into a clean home. For me, I say "yuck" or "yay"! And I have been having many more "yays" so that's good.

I seem interested and able in posting one goal, meeting it, and moving on here. I'm going to carry that forward onto the other thread. Just for one day at a time. My "no dinner roll goal" was so minor, and with everyone in front of me taking one, my thought was, no one here knows I said I wasn't going to take one, just take one. Disordered! But didn't. So will set the intent/follow through.

Kitchen was cleaned up completely after dinner that I used a LOT of bowls/dishes and wanted to throw it all in the dishwasher, but then realized, uh, I don't want to EMPTY the dw ... so did them by hand and dried/put them away. End result is clean kitchen, but tonight I will empty the dw as I cook dinner. Why the resistance to that? I despise emptying it and don't know why. My mom and I were the dishwashers growing up, so it's not a chore I hated as a kid. Tonight I will be thankful for everything I take out of there and reset my thinking. I AM fortunate to have it (it's a couple of decades old but works and I don't want DH to replace - he wants to. Nothing new seems to last for me) and am fortunate to have the dishes to put in it.

Goals for today - two oddball things: handle checking/savings account in Florida that needs attention (will be assessed fee for not using it unless I do something with it) and call ConAgra in response to a letter requesting I call, following a letter I wrote them.

SeeMyFeet - Welcome! I am with you on the dresser stuff ... that's an on-going challenge for me, even if it's just an odd sock that lands there. I put a pretty box on mine a few years ago to corral the oddball stuff like hand cream, lotion, whatever, so it's still handy but not in plain view. But then I added a cute coin bank, framed photo, etc. I'm a dresser magnet!

SeeMyFeet: LOL at working on the wrong pile. BTDT. Can you consider that creative procrastination?

I'm at a messy stage right now. Doing more paperwork is generating more paperwork. Reminding myself that this will get better if I persist. Now is not the time to give up on the process.

Mail stack. Current state: empty. Goal: empty.
Progress: caught up

Tickler. Current state: today. Goal: today.
Progress: kept up

In Box. Current state: a couple of items generated by yesterday's activities. Goal: empty.
Progress: a bit behind

Email. Current state: 750 total, 189 unread. Goal: empty.
Progress: backwards! 30 more total, 14 more unread

Checkbook. Current state: new statement arrived. Goal: balanced as soon as statement arrives.
Progress: pending

Credit cards. Current state: months behind. Goal: checked as soon as statements arrive.
Progress: pending

Tackled the two goals yesterday but one still needs add'l steps -- the bank account. That will be handled today. After dinner last night, I left the dishes while DH and I spent a bit of time together and then he hit the sack with a 4 a.m. alarm ... I wanted to kick back and read by the fire, but thought how nice it is to wake to a completely cleaned kitchen and got in there and knocked that out in 20 minutes. Credit for that.

Mail stack. Current state: empty. Goal: empty.
Progress: keptt up

Tickler. Current state: one day behind. Goal: today.
Progress: none

In Box. Current state: two bills, a tax form, a reminder to re-charge my FitBit. Goal: empty.
Progress: a bit behind

Email. Current state: 703 total, 173 unread. Goal: empty.
Progress: 47 fewer total, 16 fewer unread

Checkbook. Current state: new statement arrived. Goal: balanced as soon as statement arrives.
Progress: pending

Credit cards. Current state: months behind. Goal: checked as soon as statements arrive.
Progress: pending

@nationalparker: I concur; there is something very satisfying about done dishes and an empty sink. Regardless what I say I will get done on any given day, I'm consistent with having the dishes washed and put away and my bed made. #smallvictories :lol:

@Lexxiss: :yes: and :yes: again. Coming home to an orderly home lowers my blood pressure immediately (or it seems that way). This is one of my goals as well.

This week is not going as planned. I have a big report due by the end of the weekend so have been leaving for work early and coming home late. No new goals until I complete the ones I set earlier in the week.

CurvyNotLumpy - You know, I agree on the made bed, but when I'm rushing in the morning, that's what I let slide more often than not. I feel "better" when I am closing up in the morning to a cleaner house, so your note will be my impetus to get it made when I can. When DH is still in bed, it'll slide unless he tackles it, but that's a good goal. And I grew up doing it every single day, no exceptions, so I wonder why I've let it slide the past couple of years. Food for thought.

Never know
 

Hi

Made it to my studio today. I woke up this morning thinking I needed to empty out the drawers of my desk and use them better. So I did that and got completely stumped about what to do next. I contacted my friend who offered to help me organize and we're meeting in the morning. I just can't figure these things out and I'd like to find real solutions.

While at the studio I talked to one of the guys in there who moved a giant shelf with my stuff on it and we worked it out so he has access to the section my stuff is now in that doesn't serve me or him. I'm actually gaining storage space which is awesome and it will be ready for use tomorrow afternoon. Plus if I need a second shelf I have to only ask for it. Great news for me. It's probably all I need to clear everything up there.

Yay.

More tomorrow.

Onward forward.
 

I'm at the studio with my friend. Goal: assign places for my stuff.
Hope: I put things away
Wish: my space to be as open as it can be
Additional Wish: to wash my floor.

Back later.

I scheduled yesterday to make progress on these things, but stuff happened and progress didn't. Oh well. Saturday is usually a big catch-up day, but I have an all-morning meeting so that's not looking good either. Oh well, again. Reminding myself that this is a temporary setback, not failure. If I keep posting every day, I will get back to this and I'll reach my goals eventually.

Mail stack. Current state: yesterday's mail. Goal: empty.
Progress: none

Tickler. Current state: two days behind. Goal: today.
Progress: none

In Box. Current state: two bills, a tax form, a reminder to re-charge my FitBit. Goal: empty.
Progress: none

Email. Current state: 703 total, 184 unread. Goal: empty.
Progress: backwards! 14 more total, 11 more unread

Checkbook. Current state: new statement arrived. Goal: balanced as soon as statement arrives.
Progress: none

Credit cards. Current state: months behind. Goal: checked as soon as statements arrive.
Progress: none

Im going to sneak in here before the next week starts:)
Finally dusted off and sorted a bunch of CDs and tapes, yes tapes! Nice going down memory lane with some obnoxious little kid music that used to drive us crazy, now I kind of miss it!

DH and I are prepping for having dinner guests over in a week so this is making us clean up and sort this week, starting today. So that will be my new goal, I just have to break it down somehow. Clean the outside of all kitchen appliances is one mini goal i guess!
Everyone is doing great and this is such a great way to be motivated by reading others.
Thanks again onebyone for the idea of this mini goal loop, and hope you are finally feeling better!

No go
 

Hi

Quick update... I drove to my studio opened the door and.knew I couldn't do .much in there today. I did sit myself down and tried.to focus on one small part but I ended up leaving. I now know what's under the hollow of the desk. I've made a lot of progress in there this week. Very happy.

At home I moved more.boxes.and stuff in the dining room area and there's enough space for me do some painting on my canvases here tomorrow. That's a major thing too.

Pretty good for January.

I've been keeping focused on keeping things as clutter-free and tidy as possible. While I was in Glenwood I took an owl print from a calendar my sis had given me and shopped successfully for a frame. I got it finished but have not found a spot to hang it yet. Next week. Every small step moves me forward.

Yesterday after traveling I felt like doing nothing. I went through every "thing" I could do and did not find motivation. I did cut out a pattern for a sewing project before I went to bed.
This morning I feel better. I cleaned up the kitchen and laid out the fleece determining that the piece I have left over will not accommodate the pattern. I have a larger piece I will lay it out on after work.

I still haven't finished the company books. I will try for one more month today.

Credit for moving forward, however small.

I didn't tackle anything big yesterday, just maintenance. Today need to get caught up on last night's major rush out the door, resulting in dishes left. I chose that vs. rushing out the door still, and stopping for a sandwich at Arby's. Saved $10 or so and now just one more thing to tackle today. I look to the weekends as my time to get ahead, but it might just be my time to stay caught up and tackle small things on weeknights.

My ONE project, though, will be to get my tulip and daffodil bulbs IN THE GROUND that I completely forgot about this fall ... found the box with them in there after digging them up with plans to redo the front garden. That didn't get redone before autumn. SO ... I will just see if I can trench them in and if not, will get them in whatever pots I can to try to coax any blooms out of them. Love2Garden, don't tell me its impossible, let me keep that false hope :) Just kidding. I cannot believe that I totally forgot them all. Temp is 50 today, so I'm really hoping that i can tackle this. Clear out a box from the garage and actually maybe have some bloom. They used to be gorgeous but then shifted all over and then got a bit haphazard.

And January draws to a close
 

January Goals recap: things in this colour have happened!!!

END GOALS FOR STUDIO-ongoing until done
1) clear table surface completely
2) gather like materials together
3) store like materials together
4) store loose artwork in tubes or bags or portfolios
5) move items to be stored out of studio and into storage space
6) clear desk top
7) clean coffee maker
8) remove flooring and wash it
9) replace flooring
10) install mini chandelier as visual reward for cleaning and setting up studio for the new year

Well, not too bad for this month. I also did clearing up work in the apartment, much of which needs to be re-visited once more in February. Things that have changed in the apartment are:

1) dishes no longer piling up * I may not always have them all done all the time, but they are never more than 2 sinkfuls away from done. BIG improvement
2) counters clean *Yes! Most of the time and again minimal effort to get them clean
3) figured out better location for trash can and I use it more efficiently * this was a big deal. Done.
4)Original Box Mountain v.3 reduced to a pile of 6 large boxes on top of a bench in the dining room.*many boxes were recycled, many plastic bags were emptied and reclaimed
5) TV in bedroom now in use

I'm not going to list what hasn't happened in this post. I am just going to say YAY for what I did get done. Thanks to everyone who participated...

SUCCESS: Not only did that bookcase get thorough cleaning, but I now have space to put library books (U always have at least 3) and another space to put the book club books and journal.

No longer spending ages trying to find these books. Area actually has some space open!!! Can't believe how many booklets I had there, some with info so old I wouldn't trust them. Feels so good.

Sandy