While I was folding laundry this afternoon, I happened to think of this little cardboard sign I hung on the wall in the kitchen of my first apartment.
I thought it was a cute saying, and would be a reminder to keep my apartment tidy. But I also liked the fact that it was printed in a psychedelic color scheme because—1970.
I currently find myself in the process of downsizing. That little quote seems just as true today as it was in 1970. It seems like the more I do, the more I find that still needs to be done.
But, the meaning has shifted since I hung that sign so long ago. It’s not so much that I am behind now, as it is that I am just in the middle of things.
I don’t like getting behind in my work, it’s true. I never have, especially in my professional life.
But now, it is less clear where to start and where the middle happens, although the end is clear. I want more space and fewer belongings.
What I’m finding is that it isn’t so simple to lay the job out in a straight line like I’ve done most of my life.
I often find I can’t take the next step in one job because something else has to be done first.
A case in point… I live in a multi-level home. I am getting older, so I am trying to minimize the times I have to go up and down stairs every day.
I want to create a space on a shelf to keep a few convenience foods, some things I can quickly grab for a no-fuss lunch or dinner. But before I can do that, I have to clear the shelf.
With clearing the shelf comes deciding whether to move the items to a different location or let them go.
Maybe I’m not getting behind after all.
Maybe there is no exact starting point.
Maybe it’s enough to just begin—wherever I am—and work my way through it, one piece at a time.
Through My Eyes, Gently 