I knew I needed to do it. But who in good sense could get themselves to accomplish that task without a little incentive? So when I had to order something for a grade, I got the motivation I needed to clean my room. It wasn't that it was a terrible mess. Being an orderly person, my room has remained fairly neat for a long time, but being an orderly person, I wanted it cleaner. So today I set out to order my drawers, nightstand, bookshelf, and various containers, sparing only my closet.
I came up with a simple plan. I would first dump everything out of all the means of containment I had been using. Then, I would throw out, or recycle, anything that I did not need or want. Next, I would clean the drawers and shelfs with some sort of cleaner. Finally, I would put everything back in to the drawers, on to the shelves, or in to whichever other containers I had, except in a neater and more orderly fashion.
As I emptied my drawers, I felt overwhelmed. There were piles upon piles of junk, climbing to the sky and reaching for me. I felt myself being drawn in, no pun intended, and being stuck within clutter. The dust choked me, and the sight of the work I had ahead scared me. I managed to climb out, though, and took role call. As I started to dispose of various useless items I had been pushing into those drawers, I began to feel relieved. I was making progress, if only a little at a time. After a little more work, I had two piles, a "trash" and a "keep". I sorted the rest of my room in a similar fashion, finishing phase one and feeling accomplished.
Phase two went without a hitch, as all I needed to do was walk to the garbage, and then a little farther to the recycling bin. I was left with several "keep" piles. I still felt a little overwhelmed, so I ignored the mess and cleaned my shelves, drawers, and containers, taking phase three in stride. As I wiped them down, my nose and eyes thanked me, and the dust said, "Auf Wiedersehen".
Phase four was the most difficult, but most satisfying step. I placed books here, and paper there. The cards went way over there, while the calculator and pencils stayed close. Then, I switched where I had put everything, and switched again. When I finally found the system that I liked, I was left with an empty drawer and an empty shelf, places for future clutter.
Before I had began this project, I felt flustered. I had so much clutter all around me; it was suffocating. When I wanted something, it would take at least ten minutes to find it! But, now, after an hour or more of work, I felt content. When I need something, it is right where I expect it. My room looks more appealing. Even my mind feels better. It is as if I put all my mental files away in their respective file cabinets.
I feel that I learned something about myself today. If I look at where I had placed certain items, I see what I hold as priorities, and what I could probably get rid of without missing. I also learned how my mind likes to go about tasks, planning and then doing. Aristotle would be proud.
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