Freakin' Clutter

With great intentions I have embarked on a de-clutter challenge with Glynnis this week. She calls it her 15 day clutter free challenge.  Looking round my chaotic home, the thought of being clutter free in 15 days seems very appealing.  A few days in and I haven't even begun to bust my way through the debris.  Instead, I've been instructed to spend time in prayer and prepare myself for the de-cluttering of my brain, and in effect my life, before the possessions.  Yikes!  I'm already apprehensive.  On day 4 and I haven't moved a single thing, except for the usual shifting of "stuff" from one place to another in an attempt to tidy up.  I am starting to think that maybe my house will not be looking clutter free by the time the 11 remaining days of the challenge are over.  Yesterday, I was instructed to begin the mother of all to-do lists.  In it, I was invited to include absolutely EVERYthing I do.  This list includes everything from the mundane everyday loads of washing, cooking meals, tidying toys, school runs, making packed lunches, grooming the dog, to the less frequent managing dentist and hair appointments, buying school shoes for the children, organising and packing for holidays, taking the dog to the vet and so on.  The list is being built over a few days and the really scary part is I'm adding to it at a fairly constant rate.  Todays additions included filling out school permission slips, supervising and signing off homework and hunting down and printing the requested family photo for the latest Kindergarten project.  I made myself feel tons better by only taking up one line on the to do list by heading it all school administration.

Glynnis assures me that I'm going to feel so much lighter after doing this list and that all this information that I carry in my brain isn't doing me much good.  It sends me reminders constantly so I find it hard to rest and often feel like I need to be doing something.  Sound familiar?  It certainly did for me.  What Glynnis didn't tell me though was that at this stage I might be FREAKING out!!!!!!  My list is 5 pages long - and I'm fairly convinced it isn't complete yet!  No wonder I never get everything done.  I'm thinking I need to clone myself several times over.  Or I'm really not kidding when I say I want to simplify.  Who wouldn't with that lot going on?  Clutter!  Ha!  I laugh at the cluttered "stuff" now.  I'm fretting about the rest of the challenge.  Clearly I've been tricked! - this is not about a nice tidy house, this is about getting my house in order.  11 days left - ha!  I laugh at that too - I'm thinking could be a lifetimes work, but I'm all for believing in a bit of a miracle so bring on Day 5 of the challenge I say!  Let's see what's next!