Final total: 735 out of the 2,700 minute goal. FAIL! Am I surprised? Nope. I think I’d started waving the flag by the overwhelming state I was in at Day 13. Since I’m a “tell it like it is or don’t tell it at all” gal, here’s where the train derailed:
- Failing to plan – I had the dream goal, as stated in my original post, of what I wanted to achieve. I just didn’t take it to the next step of plotting out the pieces. I didn’t budget the minutes out to what would be done each day. I didn’t list out the small steps that would be accomplished each day/week to then build upon each other. No action plan led me to continuing to wander by some of the piles.
- Lacking a little reality – My Novembers are psycho busy. Now I’ve known this for the past few years. There are work tasks that hit around this time each year, the holiday period, general life items to attend to. I’m not saying I can’t handle a challenge or new time commitment during the month, but I definitely need to plan it out in advance to have any chance for success. Thinking I’d just jump right in was unrealistic.
- Procrastination – I did almost anything else but address those books. Winter clothes unpacked? Check. Summer clothes packed? Check. Winter clothes hung up? Check. That’s a win I suppose. The clothes piles had created a walking hazard and there were only so many times I could wear the few long sleeve clothes I had in the closet.
- Writing – Let’s not call this a bad thing either. I got a great start (about half done) on a short story that I feel has great potential. It incorporates some elements I’ve been working on since summer in terms of faster beginnings (it starts in the middle of the action), pacing and identifying the antagonist’s motivation (versus having a one-dimensional villain). I’ve also gotten out two pieces for submissions and been pretty steady with blogging.
- The unexpected – I’d told myself I would have the long Thanksgiving weekend to finish—maybe not the total minutes goal, but at least the bookcases. A migraine kicked in and stole Saturday and Sunday.
What now? Keep it going. I have the additional bookcase now and the momentum. Knowing what didn’t work, I also have a reality check of what I need to do to get it done. Small pieces, time each day and a trashcan (or box for donations).
Barbara McDowell 
Hey, you tried. Imagine how unrealistic our last year’s goal of 5,000 minutes was! 🙂 I didn’t quite make mine either because of sickness. Next year, I’ll nail it.
Thanks Linda! The project also made me do some reading of other’s tips for removing clutter and general organization. My fave “new” one is the concept of throwing stuff out vs. continuing to buy new storage containers and rearranging. Raising my hand as guilty for having a number of unused or junked up (with unsorted papers) cool storage bins. I’m looking forward to continuing the purge.
I somehow managed to complete it, but I’m not entirely sure how – and the quality went right down the toilet towards the end…
Kudos to you Jonathan! I considered tossing everything from the table into a bag, moving the table, putting in the bookshelf then loading it with the excess books. Figured that would be cheating though and that I’d then have the new task of undoing that quick shuffle. I do love the new motivation the challenge gave me.