Something just clicked…..

[sprntpshr]

Quote

"I have also learned that multi-tasking is the spawn of the devil and should be avoided at all costs. It takes too long to try and do two or more things at once. You end up spending more time trying to figure out where you were when you start switching from project to project. In the end, you have wasted time, money, and the projects may never get finished the way you intended."

Thank you, this is what I have been experiencing and thinking this week, you captured it perfectly.

Weather has been perfect for outdoor work so I guess I can claim "Squirrel" on the shop progress. Have a couple of small customer jobs this week to spur things along.

We just have to keep rolling.

 

[GarageWarrior]

Well, the last week has not gone exactly as planned.

The auctioneer asked me to bring stuff to them last wednesday, but I could not get there until thursday. When I did show up, they had all but stopped taking any consignments. I guess one of the people that brought stuff to them, had 300 lots and then another one had 200 lots. He told me I could bring the stuff over, but it would go at the end of the line. He squeaked in four items that were seasonal, I am going to hold the rest until april for the spring auction.

I know I said I didn't care about the stuff, but I know it will literally bring nothing at the end of the auction. Things bring stupid money in the spring, so I can justify waiting.

At least I am still set to bring a few other items to the auction in Massachusetts. I ended up selling another machine for my Father, and he has asked me to sell a trailer for him as well.

Had the same thing happen to me last weeks - was looking forward to bringing my last van-load of assorted items to a field auction and by the time I got through (they give out consignment rows on the phone) - all but the very last row were taken out. Problem is - this stuff is now taken up my living space, so it NEEDS to go. Dumpster is also full every week, I'm now bringing home nothing but cash, so have high hopes that this will be over soon.

I have been slightly depressed about how slow things are going, I am waiting for the excavator so I can actually start moving things around outside. I will need to level an area, then move stuff to the new flat spot, then level more, then move my storage boxes, then level the rest of the area. Of course after all that I need to finish cleaning up so I will be ready to plow snow.

So did you figure out what you wanted to do? The end goal for your shop? I had way too many projects, and started to look at them from time, storage, logistics cost prospective and it helped A LOT - like - what would it cost to hire out the job, would I still want to have it done if it was payed for at the going commercial rate. Would you consider renting out your shop if you could make more money that way?

 

[Strouty]

So did you figure out what you wanted to do? The end goal for your shop? I had way too many projects, and started to look at them from time, storage, logistics cost prospective and it helped A LOT - like - what would it cost to hire out the job, would I still want to have it done if it was payed for at the going commercial rate. Would you consider renting out your shop if you could make more money that way?

Right now, it is being used in a very general capacity. I am doing some tower work right now and that has taken priority over organizing. I have been listening to some great audiobooks and they have been motivating me to rethink a lot of the stuff that I am housing.

The short answer is that I have not decided what the shop will actually be for, heck I am still working on my goals in general. Long term i would like to buy and sell things, I seem to be able to keep the bills paid in the off times. It needs to stay versatile, because of the tower work.

It has always kind of been a combination hobby and business space anyways. I hope to have a handle on my goals and a purpose for the space later this year.

My current ideas are:

Buying and selling used/surplus equipment

Rebuilding medium duty trucks (think Freightliner FL60)

Personal hobby shop

Tower related purposes and storage


Knowing how I operate, I could see the shop being setup for all of these, most of them overlap in some way or another. As far as having others do the work on my projects, I could never afford that. It may be satisfying to have someone else complete something that I can't seem to finish, but costs would be too great for me.

 

[GarageWarrior]

My current ideas are:

Buying and selling used/surplus equipment

Rebuilding medium duty trucks (think Freightliner FL60)

Personal hobby shop

Tower related purposes and storage


Knowing how I operate, I could see the shop being setup for all of these, most of them overlap in some way or another. As far as having others do the work on my projects, I could never afford that. It may be satisfying to have someone else complete something that I can't seem to finish, but costs would be too great for me.

Can you hire some part time help for $10-$15/hr? Get one person to come-in and do ebay listings/shipping/customer service, another person to do mechanical work, and you can focus more on tasking/logistics/auctions. I don't think one person can do it all efficiently. Hopefully you can get things going - good volume, quick turn-around and enough money to get everyone paid.

 

[Southernbuild]

I have been listening to some great audiobooks and they have been motivating me to rethink a lot of the stuff that I am housing.

Any audiobooks that you would recommend? I need to get some new ones to listen to.

 

[Strouty]

Can you hire some part time help for $10-$15/hr? Get one person to come-in and do ebay listings/shipping/customer service, another person to do mechanical work, and you can focus more on tasking/logistics/auctions. I don't think one person can do it all efficiently. Hopefully you can get things going - good volume, quick turn-around and enough money to get everyone paid.

Income right now is too erratic to hire some people. I am stumbling through a lot of stuff, I kind of learn that way. I am going to make several of my current projects go away, they used to be important, now they are just in the way. I have to get myself into shape mentally and physically before I really take my business ideas to the next level.

I brought some junk to the scrap yard yesterday and got $264, I have one more load to take before the snow gets here.

I am standing behind you while I type this.

 

[Strouty]

Any audiobooks that you would recommend? I need to get some new ones to listen to.

Mine are all motivational slash clutter books.

Unstuff your life by Andrew Mellen

SHED your stuff by Julie Morganstern

Eat that from by Brian Tracy


I am still in the middle of SHED but the others I have listened to more than once.

I am standing behind you while I type this.

 

[bczygan]

Thinking of you, and how you are doing.

We're still both just warehouse managers.

I actually listened to a self hypnosis tape today, to get better at getting rid of things.

Slowly......it is dawning on me, that NONE of the plans or dreams I have, will come true, until I abandon most of them, and focus on just one or two. In fact, truthfully, I have time for no projects until the basics are taken care of. Just as you have no time, until everything is set up.

Buying and selling can be a bit of a trap for someone who accumulates too much. It can be an easy excuse for getting stuff.

The other occupations...I don't know how a person, after doing the daily rituals of life, plus ONE main job, can have the time for any additional ones.

Lately I have been imagining how it would be to live like my neighbor. He has NOTHING save the usual household furnishings, a car, a mower and a weed whip.

Simple.

His life is full of potential, and free of responsibilities.

He is traveling light, so he can wheel in any direction, unburdened.

Bill

 

[nine4gmc]

Get it together for spring, or have you ever considered having the auction company come to your place? You could easily put everything you want to sell outside and put the things you do not want to sell inside and liquidate a lot on spot.

I got a lot done in my lil shop, check out the updates when you get a chance.

 

[keelan]

Lately I have been imagining how it would be to live like my neighbor. He has NOTHING save the usual household furnishings, a car, a mower and a weed whip.

Bill,

It doesn't have to be about extremes. Being a productive and creative member of society requires that you surround yourself with a little clutter, that's the environment you draw from. Some people are driven my the need to make things, some people aren't.

What I've come to understand about myself through this thread is that controlling your stuff vs. your stuff controlling you is the key battle. It's incredibly important to constantly walk that line. I finally recovered my garage from the dark side, and it's been very refreshing to be able to go out there in an evening, and putter without tripping over things. But having a place to putter, and having a project that I can go out and work on when I have a moment is really kick-***. It beats sitting in an empty garage, among the golf clubs, lawn mower and never-used bicycles.

Less space, not more, is a great motivator for cleaning up. I have 400 square feet, a significant portion of which is occupied by 10,000 pounds of antique printing machinery. I now make purchasing decisions very carefully.

 

[Strouty]

Slowly......it is dawning on me, that NONE of the plans or dreams I have, will come true, until I abandon most of them, and focus on just one or two. In fact, truthfully, I have time for no projects until the basics are taken care of. Just as you have no time, until everything is set up.

Try not to use absolutes like that, I have found that always and never tend to make problems for me. I also have found that the word "but" is trouble too.

Buying and selling can be a bit of a trap for someone who accumulates too much. It can be an easy excuse for getting stuff.

Knowing is half the battle! I feel more comfortable now than I have in years. I would like to be able to go to buy something and not come back with a bunch of unneeded items. This will take practice, lots of practice. I have definitely progressed a lot since starting this thread. I hope to continue expanding this in the future.

Get it together for spring, or have you ever considered having the auction company come to your place? You could easily put everything you want to sell outside and put the things you do not want to sell inside and liquidate a lot on spot.

I am not at that point yet, I think I can get a handle on it over this winter, that is one of my goals.

Bill,

It doesn't have to be about extremes. Being a productive and creative member of society requires that you surround yourself with a little clutter, that's the environment you draw from. Some people are driven my the need to make things, some people aren't.

I agree completely.

Less space, not more, is a great motivator for cleaning up. I have 400 square feet, a significant portion of which is occupied by 10,000 pounds of antique printing machinery. I now make purchasing decisions very carefully.

We tend to grow to our space, so if you have a lot of space, it may just take longer to fill, in the end it will get filled. I am finally seeing the damage my buying has done, I don't like it at all and I know I have wasted a lot of money and time. I really have been taking the time to think things through before acquiring anything, as always it is a learning curve. I have had a few pitfalls, but they worked out well in the end. I am using them as lessons for the future.

 

[Kev442]

The other occupations...I don't know how a person, after doing the daily rituals of life, plus ONE main job, can have the time for any additional ones.

Bill

Bill,

I'm not sure if I should be amused by some of your comments or not anymore.
Some do, some think about it all day and do nothing.
If I told you everything I did tonight in the 5 minutes the TV dinner was microwaving, you would **** your pants.

 

[mdbeck1]

Quote:
Originally Posted by nine4gmc View Post
Get it together for spring, or have you ever considered having the auction company come to your place? You could easily put everything you want to sell outside and put the things you do not want to sell inside and liquidate a lot on spot.

Strouty:
I am not at that point yet, I think I can get a handle on it over this winter, that is one of my goals.


If you don't want to have an auction at your place is it possible to dedicate a corner of the shop (or an enclosed trailer) to the stuff that you are getting ready to sell? Box it up and have it ready to go. That way when you get ready to drop things at the auction you just load up and take them?

 

[Strouty]

Quote:
If you don't want to have an auction at your place is it possible to dedicate a corner of the shop (or an enclosed trailer) to the stuff that you are getting ready to sell? Box it up and have it ready to go. That way when you get ready to drop things at the auction you just load up and take them?

That is totally the plan. A lot of the stuff can even be stored outside, I am going to use steel banding to attach the stuff to pallets and then in April it will be a simple job to get it loaded and to the auction.

I started saving space for ebay and craigslist stuff as well. Long term, I would like to have a large area set aside for things. I am also thinking that I will try and buy off season things and hold them until it is time to make money. As an example, I can buy snowplows, snowblowers, and snowmobiles during the spring and summer to sell in the fall and winter. I KNOW that the spring auction is where all the auction buyers who have been cooped up all winter tend to spend lots of money. I get things for free that I put in the auction and usually can make some good money.

 

[mdbeck1]

That is totally the plan. A lot of the stuff can even be stored outside, I am going to use steel banding to attach the stuff to pallets and then in April it will be a simple job to get it loaded and to the auction.

I started saving space for ebay and craigslist stuff as well. Long term, I would like to have a large area set aside for things. I am also thinking that I will try and buy off season things and hold them until it is time to make money. As an example, I can buy snowplows, snowblowers, and snowmobiles during the spring and summer to sell in the fall and winter. I KNOW that the spring auction is where all the auction buyers who have been cooped up all winter tend to spend lots of money. I get things for free that I put in the auction and usually can make some good money.

Great minds think alike.

 

[Strouty]

Great minds think alike.

 

[Strouty]

I finally got the excavator delivered, so now I am starting to make a mess. I have some sandy loam on top of sandy gravel. I have kind of made some test pits, since it will be raining tomorrow. My hope is to remove the sandy loam to keep me from getting stuck in the future.

It is usually only a problem in the spring or when it is raining pretty hard. The expansion will make it necessary to use that area a lot more often, so I can't be limited by mud and muck. Bringing in a top coat may be unavoidable, but I am going to try and use what I have. I will go take some pictures before the rain.

 

[Strouty]

Here are some pictures:

 

[Strouty]

I have been listening to audiobooks while organizing things and one idea that I think may be the best solution is going through a bankruptcy process for my stuff. The idea is that you just throw it all away and start fresh. I watched garage warrior's endeavor, it kind of scared me, but it also got me thinking.

My situation is different than most, I actually have a decent amount of storage space, but since I never really organized or labeled anything, I might as well be empty. Sometimes after finding what I am looking for, it still cost me more in time and effort than going to the store to buy a new item, especially when I find that it is damaged due to improper storage.

I have so much stuff that I don't even know what it is, sometimes I know a general application like electrical, but I could not tell you where it would really be used. This has come from buying pallets of random stuff from auctions. I usually do not pay much for the pallets, but as soon as I get the stuff, it becomes "gold". I then go through a process of trying to find it a new home and everything gets churned. Thankfully I have not bought anything like that for almost a year, I get the itch every once and a while, but I just made it through an auction and did not buy anything except the banding carts that I actually needed. It felt pretty liberating.

So I would like to do a modification of the idea. Since I have the room to store most of the "stuff", I would sort by basic application (electrical, painting, plumbing), then I would label the containers like that and store them until I actually have time to sort or need some type of item along those lines. I will still toss stuff, that has no value, but I can't bring myself to tossing everything. I know I could sell it all, but the local auctioneer will not come to me and the next auction is in the spring. I would like to start this soon, if not tomorrow.

 

[Thumper68]

Sounds like you have a great plan now you need to get started and accomplish it.

To quote Red Green
"I'm pulling for you"

 

[Strouty]

Sounds like you have a great plan now you need to get started and accomplish it.

To quote Red Green
"I'm pulling for you"

So you like the basis of it? I have tried lots of different "organizing" ideas, this one seems like it could work for my long term plans.

 

[JC23]

DUDE!!! You are so messed up! With all the neat racks, cabinets and stuff, you should be the Jack Olsen of Maine!

Just think of much sooner you woulda had that dump cleaned up if you hadn't wasted so much time in the 'Deleted/Nothing' thread.

Now stop laughing and get back to work...

 

[bczygan]

I have been listening to audiobooks while organizing things and one idea that I think may be the best solution is going through a bankruptcy process for my stuff. The idea is that you just throw it all away and start fresh. I watched garage warrior's endeavor, it kind of scared me, but it also got me thinking.

My situation is different than most, I actually have a decent amount of storage space, but since I never really organized or labeled anything, I might as well be empty. Sometimes after finding what I am looking for, it still cost me more in time and effort than going to the store to buy a new item, especially when I find that it is damaged due to improper storage.

I have so much stuff that I don't even know what it is, sometimes I know a general application like electrical, but I could not tell you where it would really be used. This has come from buying pallets of random stuff from auctions. I usually do not pay much for the pallets, but as soon as I get the stuff, it becomes "gold". I then go through a process of trying to find it a new home and everything gets churned. Thankfully I have not bought anything like that for almost a year, I get the itch every once and a while, but I just made it through an auction and did not buy anything except the banding carts that I actually needed. It felt pretty liberating.

So I would like to do a modification of the idea. Since I have the room to store most of the "stuff", I would sort by basic application (electrical, painting, plumbing), then I would label the containers like that and store them until I actually have time to sort or need some type of item along those lines. I will still toss stuff, that has no value, but I can't bring myself to tossing everything. I know I could sell it all, but the local auctioneer will not come to me and the next auction is in the spring. I would like to start this soon, if not tomorrow.

I am using a variation of that method.

I choose a room or space.

I completely empty it.

Then I choose just the bare necessities to properly refurnish it.

This changes a storage room into a working room, for whatever purpose it has.

The stuff that remains can only go one of 4 places:
A room that it belongs in.
Trash.
Donated or gifted.
Sold

Just finishing up the office.
It was a room just packed full of stuff.
Now it is an almost empty, but functional and usable office.

 

[Strouty]

I am using a variation of that method.

I choose a room or space.

I completely empty it.

Then I choose just the bare necessities to properly refurnish it.

This changes a storage room into a working room, for whatever purpose it has.

The stuff that remains can only go one of 4 places:
A room that it belongs in.
Trash.
Donated or gifted.
Sold

Just finishing up the office.
It was a room just packed full of stuff.
Now it is an almost empty, but functional and usable office.

Awesome that you got an entire room back!


I can't bring myself to the use just those four places. I know that all I am doing is moving it, but I am labeling it in the process. I feel that the little time that it would have taken to originally label and sort stuff as I brought it into the shop, has now become so overwhelming that it is stagnating all forward progress. This gives me an initial purge, a quick sort, and basic labeling. Then I can bring one box in at a time and perform a final sort and not feel as burdened by the current quantity of stuff.

I hope this doesn't sound like an excuse, but it makes sense in my mind, but I am the one who got me into this situation in the first place.

 

[mdbeck1]

I have been listening to audiobooks while organizing things and one idea that I think may be the best solution is going through a bankruptcy process for my stuff. The idea is that you just throw it all away and start fresh. I watched garage warrior's endeavor, it kind of scared me, but it also got me thinking.

My situation is different than most, I actually have a decent amount of storage space, but since I never really organized or labeled anything, I might as well be empty. Sometimes after finding what I am looking for, it still cost me more in time and effort than going to the store to buy a new item, especially when I find that it is damaged due to improper storage.

I have so much stuff that I don't even know what it is, sometimes I know a general application like electrical, but I could not tell you where it would really be used. This has come from buying pallets of random stuff from auctions. I usually do not pay much for the pallets, but as soon as I get the stuff, it becomes "gold". I then go through a process of trying to find it a new home and everything gets churned. Thankfully I have not bought anything like that for almost a year, I get the itch every once and a while, but I just made it through an auction and did not buy anything except the banding carts that I actually needed. It felt pretty liberating.

So I would like to do a modification of the idea. Since I have the room to store most of the "stuff", I would sort by basic application (electrical, painting, plumbing), then I would label the containers like that and store them until I actually have time to sort or need some type of item along those lines. I will still toss stuff, that has no value, but I can't bring myself to tossing everything. I know I could sell it all, but the local auctioneer will not come to me and the next auction is in the spring. I would like to start this soon, if not tomorrow.

I don't remember if I posted this before but I've organized a couple of shops in the recent past that were total wrecks. One was mine (and needs it again) and the other was my Dad's (which just recently got liquidated and some came into mine).
1. Get some boxes. I like smaller ones because nuts and bolts get heavy very quickly.
2. Pull the dumpster up close. You're going to need it.
3. Get your sharpie out to write on the boxes.
4. Start sorting into large groups. Yours will vary but mine start out like:
- Tools
- Automotive parts and liquids.
- Shooting and reloading
- Yard care
- Camping
- Trailer and/or auto retrieving
- Fasteners
- House maintenance
- Paint and hazmat
- Trash ...all the paper, empty boxes, shipping crates, ...later it will be larger stuff.
- Stuff to sell or give away.
- Stuff to break down for scrapping. Keep in mind that your time is worth something. Is an hour of your time worth the money from the separated materials?
- Leave room in your head for more categories.
5. Place a couple boxes on the floor, put a label on the box and place all items that fit that category in the box. When the box fills up set up another box and continue. Hopefully you can seal the box and stack them.
6. Repeat step 6 until you have everything grouped.
7. Move the stacks of stuff where that group of stuff will eventually go. Repeat steps 4-7 in a more detailed level (Toolbox: drawer 1 is sockets, drawer 2 is wrenches, .....)

In your case you will probably need to start with pallet racking to stack all of the boxes on. You may also designate some of the cabinets to start the organization with.

Power tools that don't work go in a separate pile from the ones that work. Eventually you need to decide if you need 8 grinders. ...and do you really need 6 more that don't work. Same goes for any other types of tools and equipment.

Others will weight in with more defined steps.

 

[Strouty]

That is pretty much what I am envisioning. I am going to make room in the conex out back. I don't want the stuff in the shop until I am ready to organize things. I may even enlist an actual professional organizer for a few hours just to get some things moving. I have this tendency to not be able to label or sort stuff. I want to be too detailed in the description or category. I need to learn to be much broader, that is my goal.

 

[Thumper68]

When I was doing my shop I set out general bins, Plumbing, Elec etc.. Then just filled the bins and got them back on the shelves then I would take each category back down and re-sort to a point, putting all the valves in one box, I didn't sort them down into each size but now I can grab the plumbing box that have valves in it and quickly find the one I need or know within a few moments that I don't have a particular valve and know that I need to buy one.

You have more than enough storage to break things down further over time, but just get that first sort out of the way then things will be at a scale that allows you to move forward.

(I still have several buckets full of smalls that need to be sorted but that will have to wait till after the snow flies.)

 

[bczygan]

That is pretty much what I am envisioning. I am going to make room in the conex out back. I don't want the stuff in the shop until I am ready to organize things. I may even enlist an actual professional organizer for a few hours just to get some things moving. I have this tendency to not be able to label or sort stuff. I want to be too detailed in the description or category. I need to learn to be much broader, that is my goal.

Just a thought......

When I am overwhelmed with the job, and stuck, sometimes I just go in a nd start pulling out all the obvious trash.

Somehow it is very easy psychologically, to toss trash and ruined things, while everything else is difficult to deal with.


And once I get rolling on the trash, sometimes I can use the momentum to just keep on going with sorting and grouping other stuff.

It is amazing how difficult it is to sort and organize your own stuff. There is an attachment you have for each item.

I have recently cleared, cleaned and organized 2 other peoples garages. It went smooth and fast. I had no attachment, so it was easy to clear, clean, and toss.

Try to disconnect yourself from the task, and think of it as a job you are doing for someone else.

Bill

 

[Strouty]

Just a thought......

When I am overwhelmed with the job, and stuck, sometimes I just go in and start pulling out all the obvious trash.

Somehow it is very easy psychologically, to toss trash and ruined things, while everything else is difficult to deal with.


And once I get rolling on the trash, sometimes I can use the momentum to just keep on going with sorting and grouping other stuff.

It is amazing how difficult it is to sort and organize your own stuff. There is an attachment you have for each item.

I have recently cleared, cleaned and organized 2 other peoples garages. It went smooth and fast. I had no attachment, so it was easy to clear, clean, and toss.

Try to disconnect yourself from the task, and think of it as a job you are doing for someone else.

Bill

I have tossed all the obvious trash and junk, I am on to getting rid of my "valuables". It is hard to get over the fact that someone, somewhere, right now needs exactly what I have. Heck, they would probably even pay decent money for some of it, but finding that person is as easy as sorting and organizing everything!

 

[Strouty]

I had started a thread about "stuff bankruptcy" and this was a great quote that came from it. I figured I would get responses from people who did not want to read pages about my mess.

Thread about "stuff bankruptcy"

Strouty,
I feel your pain and regognize myself in a lot of what you are saying. I have much less stuff, but my space is also a fraction of yours. The "stack overflow percent" is probably similar And I did consider tossing EVERYTHING, quit playing a handyman and getting a condo.

I tried to get organized, tried to utilize everything, tried not to throw anything "valuable" away. I would hold on to stuff that had no value to me but for someone maybe sometime... As a result I got a "reputation" and people started to offer me hand-me-downs. This led to endless sorting operations and moving **** around. There were no empty space anywhere, so when I acquired something bigger than a box of screws, the whole operation fell apart, I had to spend hours re-organizing my **** and the result was I stuffed stuff deeper in the storage, more compact or piled it higher. Hardly ever tossed much away.

And, being a perfectionist, I spent time planning and figuring things out, sorting boxes of old screws and bolts by size, spending 20€ on bins to store 5€ worth of unnecessary ****. At some point there was a "click". I realized that instead of getting things done, I had spent a few years of my precious spare time and money trying to get my shop organized. I had some success but, for example, my motorcycle was waiting, un-rideable, for me to install a couple of new bushings for an entire summer.

So I started to get rid of stuff, and started to accept the fact that not all my screws and bolts were not perfectly organized. I am in the very beginning of this new path. We moved to another house and now my shop and storage space is different and much smaller, so that's another challenge. I am currently organizing my combined 11x18 shop and storage with the mind-set that it will not be perfect the first time around. Because no matter how hard you pre-think and ponder the organization, within a month after you think you're done, you are going to change something. So, rather than spending time wondering, I started to organize, accepting the fact that it may not be perfect. The first time around anyway

I list sellable stuff on a web marketplace as I come across it. I take a photo with my iPhone, later in the same evening I use the phone to list the stuff. Easy because the photo is there already and it is easy to attach. The photo album also works as a reminder of what I am supposed to list. I am a procrastinator by nature so I really have to fight the temtpation of leaving the listing to tomorrow or next month. I put a low price on everything, and have sold a lot. The web marketplace I use has the ad up for 2 or 3 weeks, after that I get a notice that it will be deleted unless I click a button. I don't click the button, I just either recycle, toss or donate that item and get done with it.

Sorry for the long and winding post.

I suggest that you too start accepting "less than perfect" result, stop buying and rearranging bins and cabinets and organizers and start to roughly sort your stuff instead. Anything not directly connected to your mast business or items you have not needed within a couple of years should go. Easier said than done, I know. Maybe you could arrange the extra stuff on pallets, and have them auctioned? You ended up with most of that stuff exactly the same way. It probably was someone else's miscellanea that they got tired of tripping over. Don't worry if you don't get a good price, because just now the value of the stuff is negative and anything you get for it is positive. If nobody buys it in the auction, scrap or donate it. The main thing is that you don't need to deal with it any more.

Keep the business stuff, but store large stuff somewhere else, not in the shop. If necessary, sacrifice some shop area for storage of large items, but keep the storage as a separate area. You have a lot of your cabinets etc on wheels, that's good, it's easy to set up the work area for each job. You already have a store room for small stuff, that's good too, keep it there, don't bring more bins or cabinets to the work area.

You'll get there, just keep going

 

[Strouty]

I should be able to take another load to the scrap yard, maybe even this week. I have a small load of items going to another auction, those are headed out next monday. I have a bunch (well for me it is a bunch) of tower work to do over the next month, so that will take priority, but I am geared up for a great winter of productivity. As always I appreciate the support.

 

[nine4gmc]

That was a great quote, I will totally agree about the "less than perfect" part. It doesn't matter if you had a pro come in, you do it yourself or I jumped on a plane and came up there and did it for you, in the end, you will end up buying/finding something that will require things to be moved around again shortly after you get things situated. The best outcome you can hope for is getting the shop to where you can work in it again, everything else is just "stuff" that is holding you back.

Keep it up Strouty!

 

[mdbeck1]

I've learned that "good enough" is a good phrase for me. If it's "perfect" that means that I will want lots of money when I sell it.

 

[Strouty]

That was a great quote, I will totally agree about the "less than perfect" part. It doesn't matter if you had a pro come in, you do it yourself or I jumped on a plane and came up there and did it for you, in the end, you will end up buying/finding something that will require things to be moved around again shortly after you get things situated. The best outcome you can hope for is getting the shop to where you can work in it again, everything else is just "stuff" that is holding you back.

Keep it up Strouty!

I am definitely not quitting, at least not yet.

I've learned that "good enough" is a good phrase for me. If it's "perfect" that means that I will want lots of money when I sell it.

Perfectionism is one of my worst traits and one of my best, it just depends on what the situation is. When I am being paid to do a job my customers really want the "perfect" side of me. I just need to learn that when I am just doing my "fun" projects perfect doesn't always work.

I know there is a balance point, I also know that it is going to take some time to actually get it all figured out.

 

[Strouty]

Another good quote from the other thread.

Strouty,
You know by now that I share your hoarding tendency's. I just don't have the space that you have for storage.
As you are discovering, the problem isn't the stuff, it's how your head works. As soon as you acquire stuff, it becomes "Gold". It got so bad for me, that little random scraps of paper became valuable. I even saved envelopes from junk mail because I could use the back of the envelope for a writing surface.
You are on your way to discovering and dealing with your problems. You are aware. Not fully aware yet, but your eyes are opening.
So let me pull back the curtain a little more for you.

This desire we have, to get a good deal, is an addiction we have fallen into. Combined with a feeling that the stuff has a value beyond it's real value, makes it hard to dispose of it.
You know, most people just let the local hardware store keep a supply of hardware available for them. It is always there, secure and ready for purchase. Sure, it costs a lot more. And you got a lot more for a lot less. But what is it costing you now?
Having a lifetime supply of everything is a security blanket. But it's a blanket that can smother us. I don't want to spend the rest of my life as a warehouse manager either. I'm not very good at it anyway. The other day I had to buy a HF come-a-long, even though I knew I had one already. And a couple of weeks later I found the one I had. Now I have 2!

So what is the solution?

It is in retraining your brain. I am slowly learning how to think and feel differently about myself and how to live and be in the world. It's a slow process. That's why the clearing, cleaning and organizing is taking you so long. It isn't the work itself. It's the process of awakening to, and learning about the ways you relate to your belongings, and learning new ways to think and feel about them.

Now, let's talk about some practical methods to deal with the actual clutter.
Your title to this thread, and your plan to clear and restock areas is a useful and valid method for dealing with excess clutter. I am using that very method, with great success. Empty a space completely, clean it and then refurnish it. But be very careful to restock or furnish it to the bare minimum. Use a very critical eye. Do not over stock or over furnish the space. Just because you can fit another cart or chest or bin into the space, doesn't mean you should. Create storage clusters and workstations. Leave negative or empty spaces between items or groups of things. This creates vignettes that are pleasing to the eye. Instead of thinking of how much you can fit in a space, think of how little you can get away with, and it still functions.
As you do this, you will have an excess of things. If you have carefully chosen just the best items to furnish your places, then these will truly be excess, and you can safely part with them.
One thing I notice, is that you have a lot of storage. Storage can be a trap. The more storage you have, the more you can store. I have actually been throwing storage items out. Cardboard boxes are my bane. I just throw stuff in them and stack them up. And plastic grocery bags. I put stuff in them and hang them from the hinges of doors. Clutter!
Consider making 2 kinds of storage, working storage and dead storage. Working storage is placing supplies at the workstations where they will be used. Drill bits at the drill press, sanding belts at the sander. Dead storage is for things like fasteners and fluids and tools that aren't used often. Dead storage should be located far from the work areas. You should have to take a walk to get to them.
Working storage should be very minimal. Just one or at most 2 of an item.
Using this method, you should almost always have what you need day to day, readily at hand.

The hoarding mentality that many of us have is caused by a combination of factors. Insecurity about the world in general, and our own particular security drives a lot of it. The good endorphin rush you get from a good buy is a strong driver that contributes to acquiring too much. CL and online auctions and resale shops and garage sales contribute. They are like crack for an addict. And this GJ forum doesn't help. The reigning attitude here is BUY MORE STUFF!
The last advice I have for you today is to be careful of excuses for buying things. I have used them all, and my wife is a master as well. If we couldn't justify a purchase for ourselves, she would say it's for one of the kids or grand-kids. And a real big trap is that it's a good deal, and we can resell it and make money. Things are easy to buy, and much harder to sell. And we're too busy trying to tame the tiger of too much stuff, to have the time to buy and sell. Heck, it's time consuming enough to try to dispose of what we already have.
Well, that's enough advice for one day. Read this through twice and ponder it. I am where you are. I understand. I am learning new ways of thinking that are starting to free me. You can be free too.

Bill

 

[bczygan]

Just one more thing.

You are going to feel a real sense of loss over some things you dispose of. And deep regret will linger over some losses. You WILL have to re-buy some things later.

But you will get better at dealing with these feelings. You will feel stronger and more in control over your life.

Eventually, the attachment you have, to your possessions, will reach a more realistic level. And your interactions will be less dramatic. It won't be such a big deal to sell something or dispose of it.

Part of what we are doing is obsessing over our stuff, just like a teenage girl obsesses over her weight. It's all about control. In a world where lots of things are beyond our control, we at least have this pile of stuff that we are the masters of.

As we learn to be masters of our own feelings and actions, we will need control over the stuff less and less.

Imagine being alone, but self-confident in the world, unafraid of the vicissitudes of life, and knowing you can deal with anything without the piles of things to back you up.

 

[Strouty]

So when do I get an invoice for the therapy?

You are more help than most people I have ever talked with.

Thanks again Bill.

 

[bczygan]

Strouty,
I was thinking about you and your "small" stuff. You have lots of fasteners and other small items.
I have lots of boxes of "Misc." things.

I have developed a way of thinking about these.

First of all, it's the big things I want to deal with first, because they make the biggest impact on available space. I can toss one big chest of drawers and a big spot opens up in a room.

That frees up space to maneuver.

But then I am faced with innumerable boxes and bins of miscellaneous stuff. Just looking at it all gets me depressed and halts all progress. I just can't seem to face it. What to do?

Well, I stop and think about it. That stuff hasn't been available to me until now, so what harm is there if I just shuttle it out to a storage area, and ignore most of it for a while.

Once I do this, I can deal with making my work areas truly available for work, instead of them just being store rooms.

Then I can set up big cabinets and storage and organizing methods, ready to receive this stuff.

Then, at my leisure, I can go through them one by one and distribute the contents to their appropriate places and organize them.

You are already well along in this process. So what I am saying is literally, don't sweat the small stuff. As long as it is out of the way, and you can use your work spaces, you can work on it bit by bit. It didn't get this way in a day. It will take a while to literally sort it all out.

Meanwhile, try to continue to refrain from adding to the load. That will just add frustration.

And give yourself FULL credit for every foot of progress you make. Look around. You have already made great progress. This is finite. It will get done.

You have the good sense to determine what things are truly valuable to you, and what is not. You have been separating scrap from salable things and also what should be kept. Just keep it up.

And show us photos as you go. It's a way to show off your progress, and feel the pride you should.

Bill

 

[Strouty]

I wish I could not sweat the small stuff, man would that be nice. For some reason I am more of a don't sweat the big stuff kind of person. At least that is all that I can gather from looking through my mess.

This weekend I have help both days, I have a feeling it won't end up looking like I did anything except make a bigger mess, but who knows. I will post some progress pictures as I go.

 

[bczygan]

I wish I could not sweat the small stuff, man would that be nice. For some reason I am more of a don't sweat the big stuff kind of person. At least that is all that I can gather from looking through my mess.

This weekend I have help both days, I have a feeling it won't end up looking like I did anything except make a bigger mess, but who knows. I will post some progress pictures as I go.

Hey!

I just looked at the latest photos on the other thread, and man, you ARE organized. In fact, that may be the problem. You ARE a bit of a perfectionist. The OCD is never satisfied.

Your things will never exactly match your storage solutions. You will always be left with a drawer or a cabinet half empty or too much stuff to fit in the assigned slot. I worked in boating accessories wholesaling, and there is just too much odd shaped or differently sized things to have a visually pleasing solution. We had industrial steel shelving with different sized bins, pallet racks for large stuff, and we always wasted a lot of space.

One thing that may have your OCD in a dither is the fact that everything is in a state of flux right now. You need time to have everything find it's final resting place. It will take some time, as you make adjustments. Then you need time to learn and be comfortable with your system. You will then feel very comfortable because you will instantly know where everything is. I'm finding that right now. Certain things in my house have found their spot. And instead of hunting all over to find where the last place I put them is, I know for certain where those things are. Very satisfying!

I just got in from working in a shed. Stuff out there is more disorganized than I remembered. But I'm confident that I can sort things out. It's just stuff.

Bill