Attack the Clutterdom

You meet chaos as frequent as your daily mirror. You approve its dusting over your eat, sleep, work and play like a friend. You are too idle and feeble to evade or decline its presence as though it is a twin to you. Now weary. Now damp. Now busted. Singly, armed with gear fixer and trash sucker, you march down into its very heart. You just decided to attack the clutterdom.

When and Where to begin…

• to freshen the refrigerator?
• to shipshape the clothing locker?
• to dispose basement piles?
• to organize paper works?
• to resolve family issues?
• to clear social discord?
• to decide when to decide?

No delays in judgment, these questions primarily the latest gives life to the mortality of a procrastinator. As a self-disciplined procrastinator myself, I found the following Art-of-War-like elements of good use:

You have to know your self:

• You are a registered human being and not a stray rodent.
• You are welcomed to live in the harmonious world of order.
• You are expected to assist in maintaining environmental peace and equilibrium.
• You are obliged to keep order or fix things as soon as you are able.
• Often, you have to do this alone.

You have to know your enemy:

• Disorder thrives disorderly longer than human history.
• It occurred then and now, here and there, with and without reason.
• It falls under classifications of reality and unreality.
• It is irritating. It is disabling. It can kill!
• Often, it can be fixed!

You have to attack the enemy:

• Classify the enemy: eg. small or BIG, singly or allied, priority or waste, morbid or mortal.
• Start with the first thing you see and that you can easily handle. It is obviously easier to clear out small real trash than valuable antiques.
• Cut enemies into small groups and handle one at a time. Example: Reviewing paper works arranged first in categorized folders by subject instead of reviewing the whole mountain pile of it.
• Jot down a “task list” for a day or week (if solving is not really feasible for the moment). Plan in advance to limit the cost of time and energy in reacting to them. Also arrange the information you need before hand.
• Check your progress. Settle urgent cases earlier than the rest. Recognize available place (or person) to utilize. You simply have to recognize and occupy opportunity, not try to create them.
• Explore the use of creativity and timing to build your combat momentum.
• Learn to adapt to every situation. Focuses on the need for flexibility in your responses. It explains how to respond to shifting circumstances successfully.

Now Attack!!!