Resolutions

So every year people make new years resolutions to eat better, exercise, and do reduce clutter.
I keep a journal, I have since I was 21. I have a section in all the journals about clutter.
Every year I say I am going to organize more, stay neater, put things away after I use them ETC... NEVER WORKS until November 2009. How you ask? I am part of www.paperbackswap.com it is a service where you enter books you have finished reading and want to share or give away and then you can look in the data base of paperback swap at other folk's bookshelves and see what they have you want to read. It is suppose to be read and give away, read and give away.  You mail it media mail to them, they do not pay you do, and when you find someones book you want they mail to you and you dont' pay them.  While searching the book shelves on paperbackswap.com I came across 2 books that have saved my life, well, at least my clutter self and it's life.
The messie Manual by Sandra Felton and The new messies manual The procrastinator's guide to good housekeeping by Sandra Felton.
I would like to share with you things that have been working for me since November, and believe me nothing has worked for me for over 30 years.
  First you have to figure out what type of messie you are????
  Perfectionist Messie
this person has very high standards for individual jobs. the house may be a wreck, but she decides to begin by cleaning the oven.
The rebellious messie
This messie has psychological hang-ups from childhood. Mom insisted on cleanliness and order,and now that she is grown, she is going to show indepencence by defiance.
The relaxed Messie
This person rationalizes that the world outside is hostile and home is the place to relax, why work at home too?
The Sentimental Messie
Every scrap brought home by Johnny is precious. Every shell picked up on a beautiful day is valuable. We must keep our memories. I think memory is the source of the problem here. Some of us messies have poor memories, so these things are the way we remember.
The spartan messie
  This is a special approach to the difficulties of housekeeping. The ancient Spartans lived with only the necessities of life. Less to care for , or if it were somehow shut up or nailed down and not used, it would be possible to handle.
 The clean messie
As long as things are clean, such messies reason, they can be left out. This is the reason, clean clothes are left in the basket and not folded. the dishes are washed and left out on the counter.
The safe messie
 This messie leaves the bed unmade, "because it can air out better." The floors are not waxed, it is too slippery and dangerous.
The old fashioned messie
  For some reason, there are people who just enjoy things the old-fashioned way. For them, the only good way is the old way. This is definite matter of principal-though it is hard to know what the reason is.
Finally the Idealistic Messie
this person's head is in the clouds. Great thoughts and ideas are what interests this messie. The beauty and charm, the satisfying family life, all melt under the heat of the messy home. The idealist, attuned to greater things, seldom notices the relationship between the messy house and the fading dreams.
 I identified my self as the sentimental and began to keep a memory journal and took pictures and put in the journal and threw out the object.
 I also began to clean the Mount Vernon method:
  While turning George Washington's estate, my friend had been so impressed with the maintenance that she made a point of asking the women who was in charge of housekeeping about the method they used. 
The housekeeper explained that she directs her cleaners to start at the front door and work their way around the outside periphery of the room. When one room is finished proceed to the next and next.  When you clean and find things that you think are too good to throw out, put them in a give-away box.  1. don't take anything out of the box once you put it there 2. Don't wait for the perfect time or the perfect person to give it to. Get rid of it.
Procrastintor's creed
Knowing that procrastination is, at least in part, a matter of habit, I will do the following as a matter of breaking the procrastination habit:
  I will make the bed as soon as it is empty
  I will fill the ice tray immediately
  I will put the toilet paper on the roll before it is half used.
  I will clear the table, do the dishes, and clean the kitchen immediately after eating. I will consider cleaning up as part of the meal.
 I will put away what i get out and will not say I will be using it again soon.
I will put away my painting, ceramics, knitting and any other crafts when I am finished for the day, even if I will be using them tomorrow.
I will handle the mail as soon as I pick it up and I will not leave it in a pile to consider later.
I will have a place a "home" for bills and catalogs that i plan to keep for one week.
i will hang up my clothes and put away my shoes as soon as they are off my body.
I will be visually sensitive to anything out of place.
I will remember those three tender little words:
DO IT NOW
which my conscience whispers when I am tempted to procrastinate.