Cupboards - with or without skeletons.

 One of the reasons that the WIP is going so slowly is that I am in the process of a whole house declutter. And that is going slowly too - and the result is not pretty. One of those going to get worse before it gets better scenarios. It has been in the air for a while, but now I really am attempting to bite the bullet. Being a writer and academic I naturally  looked around to see if there were books of advice that might help. There are - lots of them. I know about the giving joy thing - but I can't say that is totally useful when considering things like saucepans and spare kettles. Practical maybe, but joy? 

The book I am ploughing through at the moment advocates meditation and mindfulness - and journaling. Lots of journaling. I can't help thinking that if I wanted to be writing, then there is a perfectly good WIP looking daggers at me from under the bed, where it is currently residing, safe from any over zealous tidying up. Not there is too much of that going on, but you never know. . (Note from Ed. I hope it is a perfectly good book). 

I don't think this advice book is the one for me - and am I just procrastinating anyway? 

There are just so many THINGS. And even worse than the things is the PAPER. It's everywhere, in every kind of form, from books and magazines to un-shredded documents. old bills - not that kind - manuscripts, scrap for future writing on, research notes, old shopping lists ...

It is going to have to go. I have made a start, filling at least one bag of paper recycling each week. But it is SLOW, because I do want to go through things before I throw them.   I know that way will make me feel more comfortable with the process, so that is what I am doing. And there is a process, that I have devised myself. I'm calling it the 'Really' method. I involves standing in front of a bookcase, cupboard, center of the room and asking - are you REALLY going to use, wear, read (fill in any other appropriate verb here) that again? 

It is working. I just have to keep at it. And so far there have not been any skeletons - only the one on the front of my old biology text book from school. And that says it all. But I will win. I have promised myself. Ask me again how it is going in three months.