The Growing Pile of Stuff

I don’t know about you, but I have this problem with piles of stuff. I’m not talking mountains of trash (although, there was a time…), I’m talking about that pile of miscellaneous items that need to be put away, but you just don’t want to deal with it. The space that used to collect those items was my kitchen table. Once the New Year rolled around I made the decision to keep the table clear. And for the most part, I have been successful.

But here’s the thing, when I made the table off limits to dropping items, I just found another place to put them. My new favorite deposit zone is on a chair in the corner of the bedroom. Right now, the pile is quite tall. Of course, I keep the stuff well-balanced so they don’t topple on the dog causing her harm. However, each time I walk in the room, I think to myself “I really should put that stuff away.” I must call it “stuff”, because I only have a vague idea of what’s in that growing mountain.

Last weekend I had three days off in a row. I promised myself (yep, you know where this is going) that I would finally clean up that corner. I woke up Saturday morning and decided to meet family for lunch, so I delayed the project until the next day. Sunday was a good day for a nap. And of course, Monday was a holiday and cleaning is NOT a good use of a holiday. When I went to bed Monday night, that darned pile loomed in the darkness.

While swimming on Tuesday morning, I was thinking about that pile of stuff and was mentally kicking myself for not cleaning it up. What was the issue? I CAN do it and truthfully, the task will only take about 30 minutes. Then I had a light bulb moment. I have E.D.D., Easily Distracted Disorder.

Now some of you might be thinking, don’t you mean ADHD? No, I don’t mean that, because I can stay focused when I WANT to. My E.D.D. looks more like that old Family Circus comic where the little boy wanders all over the neighborhood, when he was only asked to take something to the mailbox.

Here’s how my thought process works. I begin thinking about the stuff in the corner and then I think about the couple of boxes in the closet that I want to clean out. Next my thoughts drift off to the laundry, oh and remember to by milk at the grocery. The next thing I know, I’m watching a TV show “for just a little while.”

Tinkering With Success is about becoming a better version of oneself. I can tell you that I’ve had piles of “stuff” for my whole life and I’m sure they aren’t going away anytime soon. What I can try to do is to make progress on the bedroom pile, one item at a time. Who knows, I may even find that corner chair again. In the meantime, I know that I’m not the only one with STUFF that needs to be put away. So, the next time you have an attack of E.D.D., know that you are not alone. Recognize your “club” membership, then take just one item and put it away. Progress…it feels good.