Posts Tagged ‘Life’

What do you do to get what you get?

QUOTE: “If we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to keep getting what we’re getting.” – Stephen R. Covey

Ohhhh Soooo True. This reflects us in every aspect of our lives from how we treat people, how we drive, what we think, what we watch and then mimic, what we listen to and then say out loud… Think about it.

How are you going to change what you’re doing to change what you’re getting?

Change – Not Because You Have To But Because You Want To

Making that decision to break up the normal routine isn’t always easy but then again change never is. At our tweetup this morning Jason mentioned something along those lines – let’s see it ah had to do with finding new opportunities as change forces us to look at our world differently.

I’m certainly not the first one to have talked about this but it bares repeating every now again. We get caught up in what’s comfortable in our life, at work, with our friends and the types of activities we do. It’s only when we are forced in a new direction because of outside influences do we dare to explore new territory. I say let that force come from within yourself so you can experience life on a new level, share new meaning with new friends, find something you’re passionate about and make it part of your work week and offer to help more people that are struggling with one thing or another.

Wow this certainly took a turn I wasn’t expecting… as I am by far the most comfortable of people and when it comes to change I usually try to fight it off with a big stick.

I have to chalk up my departure from the comfort zone to sharing time with people that inspire me, support me and push me to take bigger steps. They would be my new friends at Pocono Tweetup – thanks… – Bruce

Clutter Cleanup

Yesterday – Sunday the 7th of February I started the process of putting some of the items that I’ve rescued from the upstairs closet on my favorite auction site. Below you will find the links to these auctions not so you can bid on them unless you are a avid vintage micro-computer collector but so that you see I am following through on my promise to de-clutter.

BOOK: Force Heretic I – Star Wars – The New Jedi Order
(update: SOLD – I also sent the winning bidder my copy of Force Heretic II – which I just finished reading [no extra charge just glad to see it go to a good home])

BOOK: Access 2 for Dummies by Scott Palmer
(update: NOT SOLD – going to Salvation Army unless someone wants it – shipped to you [USA only] at no charge – hurry though)

BOOK: Deke McClelland’s Look & Learn Photoshop
(update: NOT SOLD – going to Salvation Army unless someone wants it or I find a local business that can use it – shipped to you [USA only] at no charge – hurry though)

BOOK: Accounting With Lotus 1-2-3 by Kaz Ochi
(update: NOT SOLD – going to Salvation Army unless someone wants it – shipped to you [USA only] at no charge – hurry though)

Today I pulled a bag of old computer power cables from the closet and it was an easy decision to not keep them as I now use a laptop as my primary computer. So the cables came to work with me today and will go to the IS department and be used as backups when needed.

Note to self: as I clean out my closet it seems as though I’m filling up the IS departments. Oh well at least it’s with items that can be put to use if need be.

I wonder if there are a few items lying around in your closet that could be donated to a small business to help them keep down costs on things like older but functional printers, computer cables, phones even how-to tech books etc.. what do you think?

Another Book – Day 20 of the Clutter Challenge

Day 20 of “Getting Rid of the Clutter”.

BOOK: Access 2 For Dummies

1) Do I really need this? – Nope

2) Does it help me on my life’s journey? – No

3) Why am I keeping this around, truthfully? – Got it from a friend long ago. Never really used it. I was always a dBase / FoxBase / FoxPro database kind of person.

How many things are hanging around your space that friends have giving you that you never used or don’t use anymore?

Look around, dig ‘em up and ship ‘em out – you’re doing great, keep it up and soon you’ll have room to breath and feel free of the burden of things.

One more gone. Another candidate for the auction site. This weekend is gonna be auction city with all the items rescued from the closet so far.

How are you doing with the clutter challenge?

Have you shared your stories with your friends?

If so I’d love to hear about them as well and I’m sure everyone else reading this would take an interest and give their support for your challenge. – Peace

Clutter Progress and I Miss You

I miss you…

It’s been a busy past 2 weeks since my last post. I’m not gonna make excuses as to why I’ve neglected you. You are important to me and I value your readership – Thank you for that.

Clutter Progress…

Although I haven’t been posting my daily closet clutter finds I have been diligently pulling out one item a day. So far I’ve rescued a stapler, keyboard, 2 fax modems, 6 books, 4 old hard drives and a pair of gloves. The stapler came to work with me and is being used by my office mate Mike. The keyboard went to the IT department and will most likely sit in their closet until someone needs a replacement. Fax modems, they have been photographed and will be up for auction this weekend as will the 6 books of varying computer topics. The old hard drives are going through a download / copy off what I can process and then they too will be up for auction. The pair of gloves have found their way into the trunk of my car as a backup / good to have around in an emergency type item.

So things are moving along. I find this one item a day challenge easier to manage then I thought. Breaking my decisions down to just one item is less frustrating then looking at the closet as a whole and wondering how to deal with it all.

Oh and by the way todays item was a box of VHS tapes (yes I still have a VHS recorder and player). The tapes are being recycled into my weekly recording of LOST episodes – now that Jack, Kate, James, Hugo, Ben, Locke and everyone else is back on the little screen.

How is your closet looking these days? Any lighter? A little more space?

Let me know.

100 Reasons to Download Pics from Camera

After reading @_sams tweet about her lost camera and following the link to the Found Cameras and Orphan Pictures blog it struck me to do a post on it.

Here we have people that have found something of obvious value either be it a camera and digital card or just the card and want to get them back to their owners – that in itself is worth mentioning. These people that found them have taking the time to find this site and post a FOUND notice that includes a pic from the card with any other data about the circumstances where the items were found.

The facebook companion page is the reverse where if you LOST a camera and or card you can post a notice and see if it produces a match up. Yes there is also a “Success Stories!” area on the blog so it does work.

Now do I really need to get into the 100 reasons you should be more diligent in downloading your photos from your digital camera.

Hints:

1) Count how many pics are on your camera card right now that you have not downloaded yet.

2) Count how many people have posted a LOST notice on the facebook page for “Found Cameras and Orphaned Pictures”.

I think you get the picture.

Keyboard

Day 4 of “Getting Rid of the Clutter”.

keyboard

1) Do I really need this? – No

2) Does it help me on my life’s journey? – No

3) Why am I keeping this around, truthfully? – Wanted a backup for my desktop PC.

I no longer use the desktop PC (that may be going soon as well) so I don’t need the backup keyboard anymore. Taking this keyboard into work where it will get some use by someone.

One less item in the closet. You can see this was in the 2nd photo of my Upstairs Closet This Stuffs Gotta Go page on top of the little filing cabinet.

Upstairs Closet – This Stuffs Gotta Go

Our first challenge area for our “Getting Rid of the Clutter” campaign.

Upstairs Closet

Here are a couple of photos of our closet – as the weeks pass I’ll be updating them to show you my progress in getting rid of the clutter.

Side note: Crusoe the cat stays – and as this was his first time in the closet (doors are always closed) he of course had to explore while I was snapping the pics.

The items that I decide have to go and are still usable I’ll be putting them up for auction. If they sell great if not and you see something you want send me an email and we’ll work something out. Most likely I’ll just send it to you for the cost of shipping.

Stapler

Day 1 of “Getting Rid of the Clutter”.

Stapler

1) Do I really need this? – No

2) Does it help me on my life’s journey? – No

3) Why am I keeping this around, truthfully? – Have no idea.

Taking this stapler into work where it will get some use by someone.

Now if it was a Red Swingline then I’d be keeping it on my desk. One less item in the closet.

Getting Rid of the Clutter

A few days ago I wrote a post about Simplifying my life. In it I talked about cleaning my closets and getting rid of the clutter that has accumulated over the course of my life.

I’ve been thinking about this off and on long before I wrote the post. There is time to look around and decide what should stay and what should go. Some people on the other hand don’t have that luxury for whatever reason. Maybe they’re being forced out of their home or they have to scale down to a smaller apartment or move cross country for a new job. Whatever the reason may be they have little time to decide what to do with all their belongings.

You’ve probably seen the TV show where a team of people help a person, couple or family do just this. The team comes in and goes through their belongings one room at a time. During this process they ask questions about certain items that have meaning to the owners. In some cases the item is in a state of disrepair or altogether unusable as originally intended and the team recommends the owners get rid of it. These incidents become very emotional for the owners and the team helps as much as possible to comfort and console them.

When it’s all said and done the owners have three piles left outside in their yard. One pile is the keep pile. Items in this pile are negotiated on by the owners and the team members and are decided to be kept. The second pile is the sell / donate pile. Items in here are tagged and priced for a yard sale and what doesn’t get sold gets donated. The third pile is trash.

Any purging process is always gut wrenching especially if it is a forced process. For the owners on this show it is also a revelation as they are brought face to face with their overwhelming need to save everything. We can rationalize our needs to hold onto stuff all we want but if we never see or use 3/4′s of it do we really need it?

I have a challenge for you. Today, dig something out of your closet that you haven’t seen or used in over a year and pick it up if you can or just set it in the middle of the floor and look at it for a few minutes then ask yourself these three questions:

1) Do I really need this?

2) Does it help me on my life’s journey?

3) Why am I keeping this around, truthfully?

Write your answers down on a piece of paper and tape it to the item. If you find yourself drawn to keep it then leave it in the middle of the floor for the next three days. This is important don’t skip this step.

1) If you find yourself tripping over it and wondering why you still have this thing in the middle of your floor then I think you know what to do next. Sell it if you can, donate it if is usable or trash it if it’s not.

2) If on the other hand you found a useful way to incorporate it into your daily life then by all means clean it up and put it to use.

If it’s a no brainer that you’ll never use this thing again then decide right then and there to get rid of it. Sell it, donate it or trash it.

Follow this procedure for all the things that are stashed away somewhere in your life. Do this everyday. And if you find yourself in a store picking up something to buy ask yourself the same three questions as before with a twist in the third one.

1) Do I really need this?

2) Does it help me on my life’s journey?

3) Why am I buying this, truthfully?

Take the challenge – Simplify your life along with me everyday and we’ll all feel a little less burdened.

I’ll be posting one item everyday that I’ve found lying around collecting dust with my three answers and my decision to either sell it, donate it or trash it.

I’d love to hear about your daily finds and the results of your decision to either incorporate it into your life or get rid of it.

- Peace