Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Schoolwork gets a grade. Losing weight causes a measurable change in the number on the scale. But sometimes it’s hard to measure decluttering success. Or to measure how much your home has improved due to daily habits. Today, I’m talking about ways to measure your success in your home so you can inspire yourself to keep working!
I have been listening for months, but not your assumed audience. I first read your “…at speed of life”, then found podcast. I am a decluttering geek. I love it. I like your approach for the true slob(your word) or for the person/family member who doesn’t want to but needs to declutter.It’s an easy start. I am a Weight watcher lifetime and as I listened to you and other decluttering podcasts, I can see the parallel between decluttering and weigh lose. Its about mind set, and getting something under control. Choosing your weight loss goal is the same as a “clutter threshold”. and changing small habits is what is the key: do your dishes = take a walk. In WW , we learn to appreciate non-scale victories which are the same as being OK with someone stopping by, or eating dinner at the table. but I would add that to measure decluttering success, making goals: measurable and achievable is a way to measure our decluttering progress.I.e. I will see the top of the patio table. OR I will be able to park 1 car in the garage. And like weight loss, there is maintenance. Once we achieve our goals, life may derail us and we will need to “declutter” again and return to our increased activity/eat better habits that allowed us to achieve our weight/clutter goal/threshold. I could go on but also wanted to tell you, I like your voice and your mike is good.
I am pausing this to say; I just realized that it is a measure of success that we weren’t sure whether the vacuum cleaner had good suction for WEEKS before we found and removed the deeply hidden clog and went back to normal. Before, there was so much to vacuum that it was easy to see if it was having some trouble. (The clog was due to the vacuuming chore switching from my 8yo to my 6yo who didn’t have good enough judgment on picking up wrappers and paperclips before vacuuming. 😊)
Loved this episode! It does matter that you can measure small steps as success! Thank you so much for all you do!
What health podcast do you listen to? I need help with that too! ☺️
Hi Dana!
Just wanted to say thank you! And also please post those pictures!! We are not tired of them or the work you do re-decluttering. They give us hope and keep us going. Thank you again!
Your friend apparently thought that you were broken, and that your change wasn’t a long-term journey, as it is, but rather something that you can quickly and permanently fix. Her expectations for you were pretty unrealistic.
Like my weight, my decluttering was an extremely long-term project. And my success was sometimes steady and sometimes in fits and starts. And there have been plenty of setbacks. Actually, I’ve been a lot more successful with my decluttering than with my weight. But both are a lifelong learning process, not a quick fix.