Posted by torchgrl on January 31, 2000, at 14:37:11
In reply to Re: Kev---are you a consultant, or a lawyer????, posted by Noa on January 31, 2000, at 14:18:52
> One of the things I was talking to my therapist about just recently was the whole issue of my being so disorganized these past few years, concurrent with depression. What I realized is that 1) I am capable of organizing things and keeping them organized--I have done it in the past. 2)I don't keep things organized, even tho I wish I would. 3) Organization seems to me to be an effort that has no intrinsic value, but serves a utilitarian purpose, ie, it facilitates living. 4) Perhaps I cannot get or stay organized now because I am not ready to commit to living, and without that motivation, what use is the tool, organization.
I like *having* things organised, I just have a VERY difficult time *maintaining* organisation. The funny thing is, I'm always finding myself in positions (at work, etc.) where people have me organise them, and I can do that, but when it comes to organising myself and KEEPING myself organised... well, the several-months-old stack of things "to be filed" on my coffee table speaks for itself. On the other hand, my large CD collection is still in alphabetical and chronological order, so... Maybe it really is telling of one's priorities in life!
I get overwhelmed REALLY easily, though, especially when there are decisions to be made, and I guess alphabetising CDs is pretty basic as far as that goes...
I try to approach at least the *tidying* aspect of the cleaning process (as opposed to the dirt/dust/grime aspect) from something like Kev's damage control model--this is easiest to do if there's a concrete reason why you need things tidier (i.e. all of our maintenance issues!). I kind of survey the scene, decide which aspects are most obviously offensive, prioritise them, and attack them one by one. Of course, this requires finding a way not to be overwhelmed by the general ambience of chaos around me, and just leaving! If I'm doing it because *I* need things tidier, then I guess the standards are more nebulous, so the only way for me to tell if I'm "finished" is when things are perfectly clean. I have a really hard time with open-endedness, I guess!
poster:torchgrl
thread:19971
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20000128/msgs/20215.html