RebeccaSue, I loooooove your book! I read through it fairly fast and now will go through it again more thoughtfully...So far I'm working on two hot spots….I've managed to keep those two places "sweet" every day since I read about that, and mostly I've managed to keep the counters cleared and the room around the coffee table cleared. Wow! We had drop-in friends yesterday and things were quite orderly for a change, and I didn't have to go thru my usual panic about how bad things were. For that alone, thank you sooo much! Of course I loved the part about being compassionate with myself, and if things get messy again, I remind myself about the two sweet spots and congratulate myself.
Actually, the bit of advice that may turn out to be the biggest breakthrough for me was the ffn concept. I knew finishing was a terrible problem for me, but always thought I had to leave everything out until I was completely finished with the project! I'm 62 years old, fairly intelligent, retired from a full time job, and the importance of putting things away "for now" was a totally new concept for me!! So valuable, both for the signaling of my brain to let go of the project for now and for clearing space for the next work! I think I mentioned to you that I have Adult ADD, and I was convinced if I put things away I'd totally forget them and never get back to them. (I bet a lot of your clutter customers have a touch of that!)
Bill helped me for my first 45 min hr decluttering project, which was in our bedroom. I had stacks of paintings lying on bits of furniture, baskets of clothes lying around, a heap of shoes in one corner, a card table piled high with old clothes, and two boxes of old notebooks and papers of mine sitting on a side table. Not to mention our end tables and bureau were cluttered with little bits of dusty junk. We put the paintings in the attic, the baskets of clean clothes and boxes of notes in another room until I could get to them, the old clothes were sorted quickly and put away, and the card table went into the attic also. (My mother has a great phrase, the "perversity of flat surfaces", so I figured the less flat surfaces the harder to build up clutter.) Shoes got put away, and we got rid of approximately a ton of dust, and I can't begin to describe the feeling of liberation I felt! Our room is pretty bare and undecorated, but for now I'm loving the empty space. (Not trying to decorate until you're decluttered was another new idea to me. How wise you are, young lady!)
That's enough of that for now, but you have already made an incredible difference in my outlook on life. The condition of our house must be so symbolic to me; I dream about houses fraught with emotions all the time, and it has felt for many years like an obstacle to doing the things I want to do in life. Thank you so much for helping me sort out what to do about it!...
and a few days later…
Loved hearing back from you, plus of course the great affirmation! I worried after I sent that letter that you'd be shocked by the state of our bedroom, but I should have known you'd focus on the progress.
I can't believe what a difference there is in my life already, in spite of being busy with gazillion projects or so. 10:30 in the morning our bedroom is clear (not discussing closet and drawers yet!), the kitchen counters are cleared and wiped and the sink is clean, and our family room (which is the one people walk into when they visit) is cleared of newspapers, afghans, dishes, and the coffee table is clear! (Plus I've gotten in a nice walk!) For me, this is amazing. --Surprising side benefit--my husband is pitching in more to keep things tidy! Another surprise--I don't feel like I've worked that hard at anything--could order really be *this* easy??
…Thanks again for making a huge difference in my life (and my husband's!) friend, and I hope you go to sleep nights knowing you're performing a real service by this work.
Judy, Columbus, OH
