Organizing vs. churning

15 years ago

Sometimes I have to step back and determine whether I am actually organizing, or just "churning." This site has helped me do that, sometimes.

For me, churning is what I am doing when I realize I am just moving the same stuff around or caught in the same rut. It is also a temptation to me to spend time "organizing" when in the grand scheme, I would rather, or I would rather I would rather, do something "real" with my time, whether it's read a book, or visit, or climb a mountain. It's not quite the same thing as being a little stuck in an organization project, although it can be close to that.

Fundamentally, what is at the route of churning is too much "stuff", using the term stuff to include not only physical things, but fixed habits or have-to's. But in its worst form it is too much investment in things/objects/material appearances rather than on characteristics, relationships and non-material goals.

So the only way I can break out of churning is to get to some point where I can "see" that the reason I am spending Saturday morning "organizing" a room, or closet, or whatever, is that I just need to chuck half of what's in there, and then there would be nothing much to organize. Or that maybe for some reason I am using the "I need to get more organized" as a way to avoid some other thing, like maybe I don't really know what I want to do with that time instead, if that's possible.

I went through a phase where I was really "in" to collecting certain things, not exactly a lot of the same things, but kind of sucked into the home decorating thing. The more things I bought that I liked or thought would look just like the magazine--and interestingly, it often did and looked "good"--the more time I spent churning, because I had nonetheless made my physical environment a little more complicated. As you know, almost all of the magazine-type decorating ultimately results in making life more complicated rather than less ( see the great post on Courage, change and clutter). This is also because I learned that while technically I can do the one-thing in, one-thing-out deal, it is much harder to get rid of something once you get it, and so that led to churning because I would put the new thing in place but still have to put the old thing somewhere, or even spend time and energy saying, hmm, do I like that better than that, or what? Or get sucked into making "seasonal changes" when I should be out taking a nice walk and enjoying the season.So this may be quite different from person to person, but I learned that if I were getting something new as an "upgrade", I had to be darn sure I was willing to let the old one go, or maybe chuck it ahead of time, or the old thing would now become part of a collection, or be the second-stringer, and then I'd be worse off.

Also I found that if I could find the strength to change certain habits not because I had to, but because I would like things better ultimately, then I could benefit from the trade-off. For example, I have too many magazines and I rip pages and save them. So of course one thing is to buy fewer, another is to rip less, and yet another is to rip only in a designated place, have better files, and so forth. (the fewer magazines is the most beneficial approach, naturally) This sounds funny, but it really helped. I would tend to read a magazine in any of various reading spots, and also read them at bedtime. So I ripped out recipes, favorite pages, etc. Then I had piles lying everywhere. I finally determined that bedtime reading would be limited to novels, basically. No magazines to fire me up about projects or have room-envy or house-envy, and no ripping piles in the bedroom. I would rip only in my study, where I keep the files.

So, sometimes discipline of leisure activities is needed to lead to real leisure. Or discipline of normal activities--such as, I actually have to think ahead and say, hmm, my usual approach to dinner tonight would be to go to the store and buy these things and go home and cook them and then clean it all up and wonder where the evening went, but if I really want to accomplish this or that other thing, I will just make sandwiches with what we have.

I will say that the above example has nothing whatsoever to do with guilt or nutrition. It is just some kind of habit that seems hard to break away from, or perhaps it is linked to a lack of focus or purpose.

Churning is also tied to things that are hard to get rid of, like photos or memorobilia.

So one goal I have is to do less churning and more limited true organization, and try to look at my days or weeks and measure true progress by actually spending less time organizing or thinking about organizing.

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (8)

western_pa_luann
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
You can't organize clutter.. you have to get rid of it.

'churning' is a good word! :)
lilydilly
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Frankie, I have just written 2 posts and deleted them, because I am so full of what I've just learnt. Originally, I came on here to respond to your post, and give some advice about de-cluttering, then I learnt something as I wrote, and deleted that post. So I wrote another one, and learnt something else, and whew... I have had a major "aha" moment.
I was going to tell you I didn't exactly know what you meant by "churning", that organizing is simply a matter of keeping only what you love and use, and getting the rest out of your home. But even while I was typing I realised that I do know exactly what churning is. I even use the term a lot, because that is how I worry. I churn in my mind. I churn over my thougts.
I'm a stressor and a worrier to the point that if I haven't got anything to worry about I'll worry about someone else's worries for them! LOL. DH is not a worrier, thankfully for my sake, and often tells me to "Stop worrying!", So last week I sat up in bed and said, "Ok I want to, but HOW do I do it". His answer, "Just stop thinking about it.". So I gave a sigh and said, "But HOW? No one says HOW to stop the thoughts." "You just do it, don't think of them anymore, put them out" he says. Right!
And then as I wrote to you, it clicked with me. I have successfully de-cluttered and organized our home, and it's a peaceful calm haven that we love to come home to. I no longer churn when it comes to the house, so I DO know how to stop churning my thoughts.
Exactly the same principle. I've read Flyladies "De-clutter your body", and even then it didn't actually click. I understood the principle, but didn't know how to "do" it.
Just the same as when I read of people who have trouble getting rid of stuff from their homes, I think "Huh? it's obvious isn't it, you just take it away somewhere else or you trash it, what's the problem". Well, I see now why people get stuck, because I get stuck with my own thoughts.
Well, I'm trying not to write such long posts, so I'll just say that I'm going to give my mind the same treatment I gave my house.
Ask each thought,
Do I love you, do I need you?
Are you still there because someone gave you to me?
Am I hanging onto you because you might fit in the future?
Am I hanging onto you because you fit me in the past?
Oh, I could go on and on with this.
Now tell me, where do you trash junky thoughts to?
I recognize all the "stuff" now, but I have to take the steps in getting them out of my mind.
Frankie, thank you for your post. It helped it all to finally "click" for me.
Related Discussions
Organizing the Garden
Q
Comments (35)
Quiltgo, I get what you're saying but take exception to 'putting off a number of jobs'. That would be in the context of ME, not the context of 'Mom'. I'm the one that puts off things. If my mother put off any job at all, it was learning how to teach the kids what she knew. She was too busy trying to stretch a penny into copper wire. She did EVERYTHING. From meals to cleaning to painting to making jam, growing tomatoes and making velvet Christmas dresses. What she didn't do was clean out our drawers, under our beds or in our closets. She didn't spend much time teaching us how to do it,or supervising it and the truth be told, we really weren't interested in knowing what she knew how to do. She didn't have cooperative children. WE didn't want to work. We were stubborn rocks in her road. She'd complain, we'd ignore her. Literally. Until she couldn't stand it anymore and we found the contents of drawers on top of our beds and would be forced to do it if we wanted to go to sleep that night. And all of us severely regret our attitudes. The woman could balance an almost non-existant budget, feed a family on a can of spam, and her home was painted and functional, and kids were mended, clean, ironed and neat. ("Soap is cheap" is her motto.) She's 75 and the only difference is that she sleeps later now. And the only time I've ever seen a 'mess' in her house is if she's moving things to paint. She could have made a mint teaching classes in what she could do. Fish, hunt, make sausage, butcher your own meat, darn a sock, change out a zipper, replace plumbing. I wish that I could download her brain! She did teach me how to fish, grow tomatoes, iron, cook a few things, replace a pane of glass, change a tire, pull a toilet, add oil to my car, make strawberry jam and to write a thank you note. And the description of her is one of the reasons why I irrationally rejected her life. I didn't want to work THAT hard. Work? Fine? Fingers to the bone, whaddya get, boney fingers. I wanted to do more than scrub and paint with my life. Because she didn't know how to teach, *I* don't know how to teach that stuff to my own kids. Through osmosis somehow, I absorbed the lesson that if I can't do it myself, I suck. She NEVER said that. I doubt that she ever thought that except in the context of herself. But I got the lesson anyway. Probably had something to do with the stories of her being a military wife. Dad overseas? What the hey, she moved across country pregnant with two small kids, bought a house, moved in and gave birth. He showed up a few months later and probably asked "whats' for dinner?' While she did his laundry and used a mangle to iron his uniforms. And that is why I kill myself doing it alone. I know how to scrub a toilet. But I need to learn how to KEEP it up, versus quitting behind being overwhelmed/bored/frustrated. For me it's all about management, not necessarily the 'doing'. I know how to do it the hard way. I'd like it all not to be 'hard'. I agree with doing as you go will do it. Getting past the feelings of always being a 'human doing' and not a 'human being' is my biggest challenge. Intellectually I know that I have conveniences that she didn't have. She didn't have frozen dinners or take out. Until the end, she didn't even have polyester or a dryer. (That's a memory, hanging towels on the line...) Hell, we didn't have a color television until about 1974. But she also didn't have 'playdates', or even 1/10th the amount of STUFF that we have. Owning means finding a place to put it, cleaning it, maintaining it, and making sure that it goes back to it's 'place'. Kids played outside. Owned a handful of toys and didn't need constant supervision. Didn't have the peer pressure of owning stuff. You want to see a movie? Scratch together a buck and go on a Saturday with friends. There were no rentals, Nintendo, Netflix, or conversations wiht a kid as to whether or not they 'neeeed' a cell phone. @@ No parent spent a moment worry about a kid's self-esteem or if Johnny is getting enough intellectual stimulation. Bring home the grades kid and don't break curfew! It was a less convenient but definitely simpler time. Women started making babies in their early 20s. My first child was at 35. My second, at 40. She thinks that's nuts...and I really get now why earlier is 'better'. By 45 her youngest was 15. My 45th birthday is next spring. My youngest will still be four. If I had to vote in some cosmic poll, I would say 'younger is better'. My biggest issues with this are inside of my own head. Being willing to embrace the whole package and learn the logistics of maintenance. And to get rid of the residual fears of ending up having my life be entirely about being the home maintenance man. Because THAT is really why I quit.
...See More
organizing lower drawers
Q
Comments (9)
I like rollouts for pantry items. A lot of people have a narrow spice/oil pull out for all the little narrow bottles. I have a big one, where all the flavored oils and the vinegars go, as well as the spices and herbs. I keep the things I use all the time at the stove in a small upper, including saute oil, wine and a few spice blends. The big bottles of oil, sauces, etc., go in the pantry or fridge. The pantry has ROTS (roll out tray shelves), some of which are one can high, some which are bottle height. You can get drawer dividers at places like BB&B, the hardware store, lumber yard, organizer and kitchen stores, etc., or you can make them custom. Online, you can get anything at Amazon, plus places like Lee Valley Tools, Haefele, etc. You can also use baskets, trays, risers, and other things that you might put in a cupboard in a drawer. Also, for things that are too stacked, like cans in a deep drawer, or lids in a pot drawer that's several inches deeper than the pots, you can have ROTS inside of drawers. The drawer front is attached to a shallow sided bottom drawer, and the ROTS are mounted behind the drawer front. You can retrofit high sided drawers by notching out the sides.
...See More
Favorite Organizing Ideas?
Q
Comments (58)
Did someone say "organize?!" I LOVE to organize and seeing everything where it should be. Everyone has great ideas. DD2 just did the Marie Kondo’d folding and her family is loving it. She also labeled containers in linen closet and kitchen pantry closet. DD1 has all drawers (9) in her vanity. Before ordering clear containers from The Container Store, she cut out pieces of paper to the various sizes, so she could see what would fit where (including contents after they were put in drawers). I liked her system so much after she finished, I borrowed one of each container and decided what would go in each of the master bathroom vanity. I visually like the clear containers vs white or black plastic. In the closet, I went to 3 Lowe's and purchased the cloth covered and lined boxes. Use them for shoes, extra clothing (I often will buy 2 of clothing I really like, putting 1 never worn piece away for another year/season), out of season items, seldom used items, etc. The ones up high also hold out of season shoes, and I switch out end of summer/winter. We swapped the old bathroom (no windows) and old closet (two windows), so while the closet looked large gutted, it is odd shaped. DH and a helper built it out to my specs. In my iPhone Notes, I have what is stored in each container, so it's easier to locate if needed (I really only do this twice a year.) I purchased dressers that will slide in/out (to access outlets) and built the closets around them/the dimensions. I also changed to the velvet hangers, which really made a difference in the number of clothes we could hang. I store my shoes in this tower. DHs are in the containers over his dresser. His clothes, here, go back to the corner. In the corner above, where the stool is, there is a scarf and belt slide out hanger (dead space, but made the most of it.) I buy things in bulk, so under the bathroom sinks I store things in frosted plastic containers with handle cut-outs purchased at Target (in store and online). They stack nicely since they have formed bottoms. They come in other colors also. I also use them in the laundry room cabinet for easy access and grouping things. I used the OXO Pop containers in the kitchen and laundry room, and also woven hyacinth baskets in lower kitchen pantries for bottled drinks/water. I just ordered more Rubbermaid cereal containers to store bird seed and peanuts. Takes us less space in laundry room cabinet. The best thing for organizing I did in the kitchen was my baking pan/dish drawer.
...See More
kitchen cabinet organizing-real life
Q
Comments (0)
I've been researching kitchen cabinet organizing and so many images are really not real life unless you have a brand new kitchen, own the perfect set of dishes, etc. I have to work with what I have. I've organized according to zones, but of course my cabinets don't lend themselves to placement or size in relation to prep areas (ex: I can't put my glasses and dinnerware near each other). My prep area is the corner to the right of the stove, except "baking" which is the island. I've opted to change things in that corner since it's a huge traffic jam. So a few questions: What is stored in your island drawers and cabinets? (my island is the lower center of the pic and drawers and cabinet opens on the sink side) Where is your glassware? Where is your dinnerware? Where is your toaster? Where is your coffeemaker? If you have a vitamin/med cabinet where is that? I do not need pantry organizing, but it's the door left of the stove. My dishwasher died and I'm not getting another, so the clean vs dirty area is in the midst of organizing that placement as well.
...See More
maryliz
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Frankie, I know exactly what you mean when you say you'd rather "do something real." I would like to spend more time doing "real stuff" and not just wasting time on activities that don't further my goals, such as stressing out over the clutter. The clutter seems to suck at my soul. Fortunately, my hubby agrees with me that we need to get rid of everything that we don't actually need or use or somehow love. It hasn't even been a year, and already things are much better, for me AND my home.

Lily, I am very much like you. I tend to churn my thoughts as well. I had never thought to use the exact word "churn," but that is a good description. I usually think of it like the old fashioned adding machine ... click click click ka-ching! Numbers crunching, gears turning ... and sometimes, after much calculation, a solution! But not very quickly, and most of the time not at all. I know I'm caught in the trap of thinking that I can figure out a solution, but I don't know how to stop worrying.

Until recently.

I have known for a while that if I merely pay attention to my emotions, and allow myself to truly feel them ... without logic ... without thoughts at all ... they kind of evaporate like smoke.

Just yesterday I was reading a book that my mother-in-law gave me. It is called "Taming Your Gremlin."

It explains meditation in a nutshell, without calling it that.

Anyway, one of the concepts that had never occurred to me is that my mind and all its "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts" is just like the emotions. Allow myself to listen to that "gremlin in my head," let it voice its concerns without trying to argue with them, and ... "poof," the shoulds start to go away. The churning stops.

Like you, I have noticed that a lot of the frustration and dissatisfaction have just gone away somehow, now that I have been decluttering. Things seem to bother me much less.

I have had a lot of "a-ha" moments when reading on this forum. It really gets me thinking about what truly matters.
jannie
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I used to be a big "churner". I call it "ant behavior", just moving clutter from one room to another. I would hide things in closets, till the closets became too crowded to function. I then "churned" stuff to the attic and garage. I understand you can't organize clutter. Great ideas here!
bronwynsmom
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Well, this is familiar! I struggle with the brain that won't shut up, too. What I have realized is that many of us (particularly women, I think) have long lists from many categories, our days are disjointed, and we are used to spending our time doing rather than just being. I think we are conditioned to confuse activity with responsibility, and since we don't want to be irresponsible, we think we have to be continually accomplishing something that we can see. But it is the things we can't see that give us energy, that give our loved ones joy in our company, and that give meaning to our lives.
Physical clutter behaves like visual noise...every pile nags us and makes static that interferes with the reception between us and the quiet that is the source of peacefulness. So before we clean up all our messes, I think we have to sit down and really think about what we are assuming and what we are doing that creates the clutter in the first place, and make a plan to stop doing it. Then the cleanup can start, and if we do it in manageable bits, it can stay done.
talley_sue_nyc
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
I would rather, or I would rather I would rather, do something "real" with my time

actually, this creates "churn" for me.

Maybe it's bcs I'm applying the "doing something real" stuff badly.

but...

I'd rather read, or I need to make a prom dress. So, I DON'T toss out old socks that don't fit. Eventually, the maintenance stuff I don't do gets SO bad that it MUST be dealt with.

The other thing that creates "churn" for me is not making a decision. I don't know if I'll need something, or I can't bring myself to be fierce about whether I should throw it away.
postum
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Frankie -
Great post, and I do understand, I think, what you are saying. It sounds like me when I'm out gardening and enjoying the beautiful day, but there is this voice in my head saying "and just when are going to get around to re-organizing all those books?"

I am also ambivalent about the value of organizing. It sometimes seems to me to be giving material objects far more attention than they deserve! I often wish I could be more like dh, who just stows stuff and forgets about it. It will have to be dealt with sooner or later, but how much mind space do I want to devote to just thinking about it?

I am no expert at organizing, but that is not what it sounds like you need. What I find most helpful is to determine exactly what I MOST want to be doing at a particular moment and then try and forget everything else. You can make out a regular schedule, or decide in the morning, or just make your decisions on a moment's notice. But once you've made your decision, you keep it whether it's "I'm going for a nice relaxing walk"; "I'm going to kick back and read for 2 hours"; "I'm going to pull out everything in the closet I don't need and take it to charity NOW".

It sounds like you're coming to the conclusion that de-cluttering material stuff is cluttering your real life, or as you said,
"true progress (is) actually spending less time organizing or thinking about organizing."
Amy

p.s. I second the recommendation for "Taming your Gremlin." Useful little book.
Frankie_in_zone_7
Original Author
15 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Those are good replies and food for thought. I like the "ants" analogy. One way I can tell when I'm "churning" is that I keep seeing the same thing turn up. Sometimes of course it means I need to "break through" to a new system, but a lot of the time it is something that I just don't need. I like it when I can finally see that.

Organizing vs. churning

Comments (8)

western_pa_luann

lilydilly

Related Discussions

maryliz

jannie

bronwynsmom

talley_sue_nyc

postum

Frankie_in_zone_7
Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Organizing vs. churning

Comments (8)

western_pa_luann

lilydilly

Related Discussions

maryliz

jannie

bronwynsmom

talley_sue_nyc

postum

Frankie_in_zone_7Original Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Frankie_in_zone_7
Original Author