Comments on: Today is a Block Busting Day http://www.creativemaverick.com/2009/01/30/today-is-a-block-busting-day/ JOHN WILLIAMS' PERSONAL BLOG ON CREATIVE LIVING Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:29:16 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7-RC1 hourly 1 By: Lynne Smith http://www.creativemaverick.com/2009/01/30/today-is-a-block-busting-day/comment-page-1/#comment-121 Lynne Smith Tue, 17 Feb 2009 12:17:56 +0000 http://www.creativemaverick.com/?p=478#comment-121 I wasn't able to join in the Block Busting day on Friday 30 January as I work a regular five-day week. But, on the Monday when the snow happened, I turned up to work only to be told that all the systems had collapsed, the weather seemingly kyboshing the power supply. So after a couple of hours of sitting around with no computers humming, no phones ringing and generally not being able to do anything, we were told we could go home. It was 2.00pm and I commented to a colleague that I wasn't sure what I'd do with myself - even thought I'd go home and have a nap under a warm duvet. But when I got home, I looked at the pile of papers on my floor that had "useful" information in them and needed categorising, the clothes that needed washing, the stuff that needed throwing out and the letters and forms that needed attending to or filing, I decided to get a big cup of tea and start to clear it all. This was the day to do the job I'd been avoiding for a couple of months. The thing is, I have a kind of filing system which means that if I don't deal with something straight away I leave it out on the floor (I've only got a small room and no desk space), so that I don't forget about it. At first this is ok. But eventually, two or three or more projects will pile up and the papers will collect dust and with it my mind will fill with psychic dust and I'll get more and more irritated with myself and feel more and more clogged up with the static energy locked up in the heap of "floor projects". So, I set to. Books that were read and no longer of use put into a bag to go to the charity shop, gifts that really don't work for me went the same way too, freebies that are useless to me but could suit someone else also. Pay-slips were filed, newspapers with that essential lifestyle article binned (recycling of course), old clothes ditched (resisted the urge to keep them ALL to use as dusters), bits of shampoo and conditioner put in a place where I would use them to finish them off (I HATE waste), jumpers hand-washed, layers of dust peeled off the radio and chest of drawers, cupboards tidied and new categorisation of the admin. stuff I have to keep, floor vacuumed. It took about four or five hours and I had plenty of red bush tea to keep me going. At the end of it I had a room that looked, felt and smelled like a new place. And a mind that felt re-ordered, re-focused and refreshed. I had a clear list of things to do instead of a pulsating pile of "must-get-around-to-sorting-out-one-days". I felt lighter and clearer - and most of all really pleased with myself! So the snow did have a definite upside for me. And block-busting does work - it helps you get back on track. I wasn’t able to join in the Block Busting day on Friday 30 January as I work a regular five-day week. But, on the Monday when the snow happened, I turned up to work only to be told that all the systems had collapsed, the weather seemingly kyboshing the power supply. So after a couple of hours of sitting around with no computers humming, no phones ringing and generally not being able to do anything, we were told we could go home.

It was 2.00pm and I commented to a colleague that I wasn’t sure what I’d do with myself - even thought I’d go home and have a nap under a warm duvet. But when I got home, I looked at the pile of papers on my floor that had “useful” information in them and needed categorising, the clothes that needed washing, the stuff that needed throwing out and the letters and forms that needed attending to or filing, I decided to get a big cup of tea and start to clear it all. This was the day to do the job I’d been avoiding for a couple of months.

The thing is, I have a kind of filing system which means that if I don’t deal with something straight away I leave it out on the floor (I’ve only got a small room and no desk space), so that I don’t forget about it. At first this is ok. But eventually, two or three or more projects will pile up and the papers will collect dust and with it my mind will fill with psychic dust and I’ll get more and more irritated with myself and feel more and more clogged up with the static energy locked up in the heap of “floor projects”.

So, I set to. Books that were read and no longer of use put into a bag to go to the charity shop, gifts that really don’t work for me went the same way too, freebies that are useless to me but could suit someone else also. Pay-slips were filed, newspapers with that essential lifestyle article binned (recycling of course), old clothes ditched (resisted the urge to keep them ALL to use as dusters), bits of shampoo and conditioner put in a place where I would use them to finish them off (I HATE waste), jumpers hand-washed, layers of dust peeled off the radio and chest of drawers, cupboards tidied and new categorisation of the admin. stuff I have to keep, floor vacuumed.

It took about four or five hours and I had plenty of red bush tea to keep me going.

At the end of it I had a room that looked, felt and smelled like a new place. And a mind that felt re-ordered, re-focused and refreshed. I had a clear list of things to do instead of a pulsating pile of “must-get-around-to-sorting-out-one-days”. I felt lighter and clearer - and most of all really pleased with myself!

So the snow did have a definite upside for me. And block-busting does work - it helps you get back on track.

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