Thinking about the stack of papers I reduced from the files the other day, I thought I would take myself in hand and venture back to the shelves of office supplies and research materials and work examples. Sort of a way to bring closure to this latest clear out.
These are the three shelves that held all of that stuff. Now, for the record, I will say that I have all the binders and Avery printer supplies (business cards, labels, tri-fold brochure paper, dividers, etc.) in bankers boxes on the middle set of shelves. But these three shelves represent the sum of my work operations stuff that does not include those binders and Avery printer supplies.
Over the past two years, I have reduced and reduced and reduced. In fact, that middle shelf was painted and repurposed to serve as shelves in the bath for the basement living space.
Awwww....now isn't that pretty? [Please ignore the fact that this "after" photo was taken before I laid down the vinyl floor.]
Well, I went to work on the shelves where I had combined all three of the shelves in the composite photo into one. In the process, I reduced down more papers and, thus, more binders. Here is my stack of recycling from tonight. While it is not as impressive as that from the filing cabinets, it still represents a bit of ruthlessness on my part ... continual admonishment not to hang onto things I simply will never need again.
Some of this is research articles on adolescents from my dissertation work, but most are examples from my communications career.
So, the BIG REVEAL!
Here is the before photo once more:
What is left of all of that stuff is this:
Note, if you will, that the space beneath the bookshelf is completely empty. [Yes, you can also see both the vinyl flooring and part of my beloved water channels in this photo as well.] Note, too, that I had room to store the DVDs of the complete series of Stargate SG1 and Battlestar Galactica on the left side of the second shelf from the bottom. Finally, you could note the colossal reduction of the research and materials from the top shelf that were in the composite photo but now are mostly no longer in my possession.
I purposely widened the shot a bit to glimpse the middle set of shelves. On them, there are now two empty bankers boxes. I left them in place so that everything is all ... matching. The greatest organizing here, that is not visible, is the fact that all those Avery office products and all my paper samples are now properly grouped together and organized within the bankers boxes. For example, I have four or five packets of business cards that can be run through a printer. They were in various in sundry places. Now, they are all together in one of the boxes.
Impressive culling, eh? The organization is pretty darned good, too, with regard to my now knowing where everything is. Really and truly knowing. I also made a chart so that ... later ... when I might forget what is where, I will have a reference tool handy.
Is not such a crowning achievement worth a second Peanut Butter Nutella Cheesecake Bar??
Of course, the sad thing is that I have given away a tremendous amount of office supplies and hundreds of top loading sheet protectors. I have (sadly) thousands of top loading sheet protectors left (having removed the previously thoroughly organized papers that I have now reduced) and three entire bankers boxes of those expensive three-ring binders. Perhaps, someday, I shall find a home for them. That, or maybe, do enough volunteering that I run through my stash of office supplies.
Yes, you can be confident that I have not bought a single item of office supplies in many years. No, you may not comment on just how much I had ... accumulated.
Instead, we shall focus on the fact that my five of my six filing cabinet drawers are now lean and mean and my shelving has also achieved an impressive slimness. I still have stuff. I am fully aware that a minimalist would turn his nose up at my home still. However, between all the closets, all the drawers, the attic, and the basement, I can confidently declare that I am down to about 25% of the stuff I moved here.
Layers.
Time.
Acceptance.
Reducing stuff and organizing takes all three. It is a process that you have to work through. Sometimes you will make great strides and sometimes you will just not be ready to let go of that which you have carried around for years. But ... eventually ... you can get to the place where they are just things, not memories. Some things are good to keep for what they represent to you. But the rest? If you are not actively using it or you do not have a very real chance to use it in the future, then let it go.
Would that it were I could do the same for the things in my mind, the thoughts about the person I was then rather than the person I am now. SIGH.
I'm off to take my aching body (and heart) to bed, curl around Amos, and perhaps sleep away tomorrow (really today, since it is so late).
I am Yours, Lord. Save me!
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