Who do you become when you have time to?

[flexagon]

Everyone seems to be doing home improvement projects this long weekend (miyyu, a_kosmos and nevers, I'm looking at you). We've done just one thing... I went to Home Depot and got us a 36" by 60" mirror, which is now mounted in our hallway. It was just the right size of project -- shopping and installation and cutting the box up for recycling was all done in one afternoon, and it's a very visible improvement. We feel all efficacious now.

That's the tip of the productivity iceberg, but guess what I haven't been doing? Getting rid of stuff. The minimalist voices in my head are quiet. I've listed out the items that I still own, in moderate detail, and thought of a couple of things I'd like to get rid of, but nothing is super annoying anymore. It's nearing the end of Stage One.

My interest in knitting has reawakened after a long dormancy, and I've been doing development on my side project too. I become so much more myself after a couple of days off work, if I get to stay at home.

Comments

[a-kosmos.livejournal.com]

I spent a lot of today freaking out about strategic planning in a less-than-productive way.

[flexagon]

Ah, see, I just did a bunch of that a few weeks ago, so I don't have to do it now. :P

[nevers.livejournal.com]

OHHH... so if cutting up the box for recycling is considered PART OF the project, then it actually gets done instead of the box malingering?

[flexagon]

Yes yes! Cleanup, or some kind of "getting back to neutral", is always part of the project. It's a subtle change in perspective that's been really valuable to me.

[nevers.livejournal.com]

sounds like a MAJOR change in perspective for me. one i definitely need. part of ADHD (and also part of the human condition for many/most people, i realize) is that i lose interest in a project once the initial challenge or newness is over. this means i can barely finish the creative/productive part of things (i got 90% done upholstering my trapeze and then it sat on my floor for a week before i finally finished this past weekend), much less the noncreative cleanup.

[flexagon]

Point taken, it's not always minor... and it's definitely a struggle for many.

I think that when things go well, it helps the cleanup be more fun -- a perfect example is cutting up the cardboard box while I'm still all excited about the new mirror, and I want that little thrill of being All Finished. Other times it has an inhibiting effect, like when I don't cook because I know it would mean washing dishes.

[apfelsingail.livejournal.com]

I'm on the list, too- I painted my office and stripped the floor. That is also the room where the internet lives, so I've been offline most of the weekend. :-)

[flexagon]

Nice going, and welcome to the list. :-) It makes total sense too -- you're about to be using that office.

[apfelsingail.livejournal.com]

Yep! I'm so excited to just have all of my floors done, and all of my rooms painted. I'll be able to just forget about it, you know?

On minimalism, it's kind of cool that you aren't feeling driving urges to get rid of things right now. You seem to have cleared out TONS of stuff, and it makes perfect sense to take a breather.

[flexagon]

I think I've gotten to the place I initially imagined, with minimalism. It's actually pretty similar to your having floors done and rooms painted... a certain stage has been reached. Kudos to both of us. :D

[soong.livejournal.com]

I got into new project mode this weekend. Given time and not needing to earn dollars for shelter clothing and sustenance, I think I would be pretty creative, creating a lot of things, maybe half fun toys and half useful and maybe 5% conventionally profitable.

[flexagon]

Yay new project mode! Yeah, I started knitting a new (winter) sweater today so I guess I know what you're talking about. :)

We missed you at acro tonight though.