Summer is not kind to the various closets and cabinets in my house. While I manage to keep the visible areas of the home somewhat picked up and cleaned, “things” and “stuff” seem to accumulate behind every closed door.
Twice in the last several weeks, the kids have had family-member babysitters while Chad and I attended meetings at church and school. Twice I mopped the floors, dusted, cleared surfaces in preparation. And twice, I closed all cabinet and closet doors, hoping no one would open any. (Both times, I came home to an open computer armoire which — while not as bad as other hidden areas — is still in need of some work. Edited to add: I should clarify, it was my own chidren that opened the armoire, not the babysitters.)
I haven’t quite reached the level of the closet on Zoboomafoo, but some of them are getting close.
One of my goals this fall is to declutter and reorganize every closet in the house. Bedroom closets, linen closets, hall closet. And I’m throwing in a few cabinets for good measure. I made my list, I have an accountability buddy, now I just need to get to work.
That always seems to be the hard part, though. That “getting to work” part.
I can think of a million things I need to do before I can get around to cleaning a closet. I can put it off because I don’t have enough time. I can tell myself how miserable the task is going to be and that I should procrastinate just a little bit longer.
But at some point, I just need to do it.
You’d be proud of me. I tackled one closet on Wednesday and transformed it from frightening to fabulous. I just closed the laptop, got off the couch, plugged in my iPod and got to work.
It was no ordinary closet, either — it was a 9-year-old’s closet. A 9-year-old boy’s closet.
Clothes, toys, trinkets, souvenirs, Legos, Nerf darts, unknown items — this closet had it all. Most notably, it had a piece of black felt that looked exactly like a small snake, sitting all curled up under a plastic footstool. Let me tell you, it took a little bit of self-talk before I got close to that thing.
But after a couple hours of work (to the accompaniment of a good audiobook), it was a whole new closet. And I was so motivated by the results that I would have moved on to the next closet if naptime hadn’t come to an end.
I read yesterday, on a blog for freelance writers that I visit:
Motivation doesn’t make you act…action makes you motivated.
Isn’t that the truth? Whether it’s writing or cleaning closets or any other task we’re putting off… We can sit around all week waiting for the lightning of inspiration to strike and we’ll be sorely disappointed. But if we just get moving, we might find ourselves strangely and delightfully inspired to keep going.
So the plan is to tackle another closet next week. And to not wait for motivation, but to just do it.
In the meantime, if you come over before then, please don’t open any doors in my house — except C.’s closet doors, of course. I’d hate for you to be injured by falling items or felt snakes.
Way to go!
That first step has a tendency to be a doozy. I am glad that you have a victory, as that will make the next battle easier to initiate.
I am not a closet opener while baby-sitting, BTW.
Good work Katrina. Somehow motivation is even more scare during pregnancy. I did manage to clean one closet last week – all in prep for the new baby. If you ever have more motivation than work, I’d love some help on our closets! LOL!
thank you for that motivation. My girls room is a disaster! I have been slowly (very slowly) plugging away at it, now its time to finish it!
Every time something in our house gets to this stage, I whine and ask the universe WHY O WHY did I let it get this bad? Then I close the door and walk away.
I’m trying to change that.
So your story is very motivating. I think I need to tackle the kids’ craft area next before it totally takes over the dining room…
Wow, I am almost inspired to tackle the terror that is my closet … almost …
The felt snake made me laugh out loud. Wow, if you tackled a boy’s closet first I’d say you are past the hard part! LOL.
Love that quote — it’s SO true for me!!
I made some great progress on my 10 year old’s closet last week as well, but in general, all the time, my mantra is “please don’t open the closets.”
I am a self-professed closet slob. And I salute you for tackling a nine year old boy’s closet FIRST. You are my hero!
In honor of long standing family traditions, I vote for the garbage can (it is fast and keeps the mess from coming back quickly). I’ll even help, nothing like a good “stuff purge” to make you feel like you are alive! And when we are done we can burn the shoes we cleaned in.
Sincerely, your crazy husband
Wow, Katrina, I am inspired! I will need to write that quote down and frame it in my house somewhere…I will need the reminder! Love it!
I love to clean out closets – I have a whole list of inside projects I plan on doing in a few weeks. I love to get a trash bag and go from room to room – Good Luck -
What are these “closets” that you speak of? We have TWO in our house! (but they need to be cleaned out, now that you mention it.)
I’m copying down that quotation for myself – it IS a good one.
Okay, that quote is going on the bulletin board A to the SAP! So true.
That was inspirational, but I still think I’m not ready…