Hi

Did not do anything toward the clean up. However, tomorrow afternoon I will be near my studio and so will swing by and spend an hour continuing to get it into working order. I intend to paint there over the weekend so I won't be disturbed. I need to be able to simply get.my supplies and begin when I arrive there early in the morning. That is my most pressing task now.

This means

Clear off work table
Clear that space in the center of the room for my easel and for a chair and for the small table to hold my supplies
Continue to gather like things together so when I switch mediums (I will need to make some printing things right after the paintings are complete) I know where they are and that they are together.

These are the big picture tasks to keep focused on.

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

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

In Box. Current state: empty. Goal: empty.
Progress: kept up

Email. Current state: 679 total, 167 unread. Goal: empty.
Progress: 26 fewer total, 13 fewer unread

Checkbook. Current state: balanced. Goal: balanced as soon as statement arrives.

Credit cards. Current state: months behind. Goal: checked as soon as statements arrive.
Progress: checked most of two months (missing receipts so I may not have ferreted out all their hiding places yet)

Thanks for the warm welcome, @nationalparker! I was indeed successful in one of the tasks, clearing out the rest of my old magazines. I receive two monthly periodicals. I probably had a good 2 1/2 years of back issues. I keep them always thinking I will get back to them and then, of course, don't. I've decided that I will keep only the current year and then toss. Since they arrive monthly holding on to 12-13 issues is reasonable. Plenty of time to go back and review and if it doesn't happen, into the recycling pile they go!

@gardenerjoy: As I was working through my magazines I thought about the way you broadly categorize your tasks and came to appreciate it even more as I did a quick scan of my home environment. My own broad categories came to mind: old clothes, correspondence, inbox, junk mail, etc. There is something so logical about this kind of system.

Setting my goal for this evening: cleaning off a Sorrento wood table that accumulates small items near where we charge our phones. I'm going to order a charging station and just get it set up. Thought of it as a gift for DH's birthday, but it's a household item, really, so will select and order. Table has such a variety - an item that needs a nail to be hung there, weekly Tuscany calendar, coupons, a letter that I need to finish handwriting, misc. stuff of that small sort. The table is beautiful and should be cleared of all. It's a small project but I leave it to accumulate. (Initially wrote "fester" but thought that sounded so terrible.)

Curvy - Good job cleaning out the older magazines! I am a magazine LOVER and feel "rich" when I have a stack of them to read in my magazine holder. I receive quite a few as gifts and order others for myself for bathtub reading or cooking ideas. I leave mine at work and they all "go" by the end of the day when I am finished with one and black out my name/address. I know they know who leaves them, but ... don't want them to end up somewhere else

I think I'm going to use this thread to state intention and take action on other projects - sewing and learning mosaics this year, if that's okay. It's not decluttering, but ... moving forward in one sense. I imagine that I can do gorgeous sunshine or ocean waves bistro tables and flower pots with mosaics and I've never yet laid one piece! hee hee

Credit cards, magazines, tables - all great work.

I have cleaned and labelled the small gardening tools and safety goggles drawer. There are a few things which may have to go, so they're on the counter for a decision to be made.

Cleaned a few more windows (inside only) which is making a good difference.

Today is busy again but (garden room again) I could probably go through a large, flat grey box which has assorted bits and pieces in it. I'll try to decide where it should go or if it is just unhelpful clutter.

A meeting last night wrecked my time for working on these things. Normally, this is where I panic and give up. But, I've proved in the last two weeks that I can do this with my available time over a week or so. One missed day here and there will not impact that.

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

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

In Box. Current state: the sorted mail from 2 days, empty bottle of witch hazel toner so I'll get it on the Whole Foods shopping list. Goal: empty.
Progress: bit behind

Email. Current state: 739 total, 220 unread. Goal: empty.
Progress: (backwards) 60 more total, 53 more unread

Checkbook. Current state: balanced. Goal: balanced as soon as statement arrives.

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

I will pick an area of our bedroom closet to clear out/clean out/organize this winter. DH really liked a shoe rack that SIL had and I think I'll measure and see if we can fit in something like that for his shoes on the side of his old bureau. I think it'd be something that "we" could make ... My contribution to that generally is just an idea, vs. any knowledge or woodworking still. I AM good, though, at finish work, if he gets the main part of it built. As he says, my projects end up in work for him, but maybe since it's FOR him, he'll be into it.

This weekend's project is to go through some stacks of cards and postals, memories that I've tucked away onto the top shelf of the closet - will put in memory box or toss what I don't want.

Bathroom will be cleaned this weekend. Also on the agenda is sorting, recycling or throwing away everything on my kitchen table that does not belong there.

I'm determined to spend much of today and some of tomorrow on this so I can see some real progress.

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

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

In Box. Current state: still some mail, notes from a webinar. Goal: empty.
Progress: bit behind

Email. Current state: 726 total, 198 unread. Goal: empty.
Progress: 13 fewer total, 22 fewer unread

Checkbook. Current state: balanced. Goal: balanced as soon as statement arrives.

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

Have a large load for Goodwill - would like to drop off today. Will go through off-season clothes bin one time for add'l donations. DH said he'd likely find things as well ... My GOAL is to just drop off, not run in to look for votive Spanish/Portuguese glass candleholders which I often find for 50 cents or less, and buy, and use in my garden for flickering light in the spring/summer... I have an abundance of them, but cannot pass up the pretty light green finds

Today I'm finishing off stacking yesterday's delivery of logs, with a bit of log splitting and a little outside tidying.

I'm also writing an article which is decluttering my mind!

I didn't make as much progress as I hoped on this, but the day was pleasant and amusing and I made progress on other things that aren't quite as well represented here. So, I'm declaring Saturday a success. Today will be more about planning the week ahead, but I imagine some progress will be made here in the process.

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

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

In Box. Current state: new checkbook statement. Goal: empty.
Progress: kept up

Email. Current state: 724 total, 189 unread. Goal: empty.
Progress: 2 fewer total, 9 fewer unread

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

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