Where to begin?

An apt title I feel. As a clutterholic I know that when we clutterholics (oh this is going to get very long winded, CH for short from now on) get those fleeting moments of clarity, where we know our clutter problem is... well just that really a problem... we look around our domain be it home, work, car, camel...

Ok maybe not camel but who knows maybe there are Bedouins out there with a clutter problem who look at their laden camel with horror and vow to sort things out.

Or not.

 Focus. 

As I was saying, when those with a clutter problem have those moments when we realise we do need to do something, the words that often escape our lips are "Where to begin?" Our domains are often so overwhelmed by clutter that it seems an impossible task and much easier to declare "What is the point?!" and go an have a cup of tea. After climbing over a mountain of clean washing, 5 Happyland figures, an unopened bag of cat biscuits and last weeks copy of the Radio Times to get to the cupboard. Or is that just me?

You see I am starting to think it might not be.

I have always been messy, there is no getting away from it. I grew up in an immaculate household and was nagged daily to sort my room out. I would go sometimes for weeks, even months trying to keep things in order but they would always slide. Always. Some might look back at this and declare my CH ways a rebellion against my parents. It might be on a very subconscious level but truthfully I think I'm just messy. And a bit lazy too. There I said it, the L word.

Laziness is the constant companion of my brand of CH. I am not a compulsive hoarder, I do not have OCD or ADD (conditions that are often linked to CHs). I have, however, suffered from depressive episodes in my adult life. These may go someway to explain why I feel the way I do about clutter but my messy habits definitely predate my depression. What I definitely have is Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. As the name might suggest I get tired. A lot. I was diagnosed in my mid twenties but had probably developed it in my late teens (going by symptoms presented). CFS is a tricky thing to diagnose and doctors are still unsure as to complexity of the syndrome. It's diagnosis is more often due to absence of other markers rather than something concrete that says CFS. Anyway enough about that, maybe I will do a separate post about CFS, maybe I won't, who knows what jolly japes this blog shall bring forth.

Back to the point. I have finally had an epiphany, it is time to sort my life out. I am in my thirties, with a mortgage, husband, daughter, 2 cats, life insurance & National Trust membership. I could not get any more grown up so why am I still living in digs that even The Young Ones might go "Ohh no not for us".

Ok maybe that is going a bit far. My house is at least clean, well as clean as it can be around all the clutter. It's just full. Of stuff.

I honestly thought I would have had this sorted 3 years ago. When I was pregnant and everyone warned of the 'nesting' and how I must pace myself yadda yadda yah. Well the blasted nesting never turned up. Well it did, at 39 weeks, AFTER my contractions started. Great timing. Having a small person in your life does not help CHs. The amount of stuff they generate is phenomenal. My living room, where I am currently writing this entry, looks like a branch of ELC has vomited over the carpet.

So my plan is this. By this time next year I will be living a vastly reduced cluttered lifestyle. Clutter will always be there and is inevitable but it is how I deal with it that will be key.

If you got through this post reward yourself with a chocolate biscuit. They're in the bottom cupboard behind the big box of sewing materials and Peppa Pig DVDs.