Comments on: Spark An Idea About Purging? You First. http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/spark-an-idea-about-purging-you-first/ Freelance Resources for Writers, Designers & Other Virtual Service Providers Sun, 11 Oct 2009 15:50:10 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Lexi Rodrigo http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/spark-an-idea-about-purging-you-first/comment-page-1/#comment-18646 Lexi Rodrigo Thu, 17 Sep 2009 13:05:54 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=1015#comment-18646 Traci, we had a major move about 20 months ago so we were forced to purge our stuff. Let's see: 7 big boxes of toys, 800 books, more boxes of old clothes.... Since then, I've resolved to have a garage sale at least every 2 years and never to accumulate so much STUFF again. Well, that's my idea we'll see how I do with implementation. I found what worked for me was making 3 piles: keep, dispose (give away or sell) and undecided. And I told myself, if I don't absolutely love something (whether a book or a piece of clothing) then it goes in the for-disposal pile. Traci, we had a major move about 20 months ago so we were forced to purge our stuff. Let’s see: 7 big boxes of toys, 800 books, more boxes of old clothes….

Since then, I’ve resolved to have a garage sale at least every 2 years and never to accumulate so much STUFF again. Well, that’s my idea we’ll see how I do with implementation.

I found what worked for me was making 3 piles: keep, dispose (give away or sell) and undecided. And I told myself, if I don’t absolutely love something (whether a book or a piece of clothing) then it goes in the for-disposal pile.

]]> By: Traci Feit Love http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/spark-an-idea-about-purging-you-first/comment-page-1/#comment-17983 Traci Feit Love Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:34:36 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=1015#comment-17983 @Mark - thanks so much for your encouragement and suggestions! I will definitely check out the resources you recommended and see if I can start on the basement project one hour at a time. One hour is definitely less overwhelming than thinking about "the basement project" as a whole. As far as the book, I have set a deadline of 9/16 for selecting one book idea to work on, so I feel like I'm headed in the right direction :) @Mark – thanks so much for your encouragement and suggestions! I will definitely check out the resources you recommended and see if I can start on the basement project one hour at a time. One hour is definitely less overwhelming than thinking about “the basement project” as a whole. As far as the book, I have set a deadline of 9/16 for selecting one book idea to work on, so I feel like I’m headed in the right direction :)

]]> By: Traci Feit Love http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/spark-an-idea-about-purging-you-first/comment-page-1/#comment-17981 Traci Feit Love Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:28:50 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=1015#comment-17981 @Allena - seems like a good idea. In my case, the space between Xmas and New Years is when I visit family and take some time off. But maybe I could set aside a different time of year to get all that extra stuff off of my list. Thanks for your suggestion! @Allena – seems like a good idea. In my case, the space between Xmas and New Years is when I visit family and take some time off. But maybe I could set aside a different time of year to get all that extra stuff off of my list. Thanks for your suggestion!

]]> By: Mark Keating http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/spark-an-idea-about-purging-you-first/comment-page-1/#comment-17980 Mark Keating Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:18:22 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=1015#comment-17980 Traci: Take heart! You already know what you want to do, which is the first step. If you don't already, I would recommend reading Leo Babuato on zenhabits.net and writetodone.com. He's brilliant, and always worth reading. Re: purging the basement. Make an appointment with yourself for an hour to do this. Start with your oldest box. If you haven't looked at it/needed it in two years, pitch it. Repeat weekly. Re: writing the books. There is a power in commitment. Start there. Commit to writing, every day. Writing one page a day should take just 15 or 20 minutes. By the end of the year you'll have the book finished. More good stuff on that from Scott Ginsberg here: http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/2009/08/10-ways-to-out-write-competition.html You can do it! Trust yourself. Mark Traci:

Take heart! You already know what you want to do, which is the first step.

If you don’t already, I would recommend reading Leo Babuato on zenhabits.net and writetodone.com. He’s brilliant, and always worth reading.

Re: purging the basement. Make an appointment with yourself for an hour to do this. Start with your oldest box. If you haven’t looked at it/needed it in two years, pitch it. Repeat weekly.

Re: writing the books. There is a power in commitment. Start there. Commit to writing, every day. Writing one page a day should take just 15 or 20 minutes. By the end of the year you’ll have the book finished. More good stuff on that from Scott Ginsberg here: http://hellomynameisscott.blogspot.com/2009/08/10-ways-to-out-write-competition.html

You can do it! Trust yourself.

Mark

]]> By: Allena http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/spark-an-idea-about-purging-you-first/comment-page-1/#comment-17971 Allena Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:45:31 +0000 http://www.sparkplugging.com/freelance-parent/?p=1015#comment-17971 I will generally do "all of the above" in that space between Xmas and New Years. I will generally do “all of the above” in that space between Xmas and New Years.

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