How Did The Oatmeal Get Here?!?

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I know this is an exaggeration, but this is really how I feel!

'm not too quiet about my life. (OMG that would be a really boring blog... What would I type about if not for all my soap box options on life? Ok, my life...) I'm not afraid to say out loud I'm angry, frustrated, or happy.  And today I'm going to say it again....

I am frustrated with my living situation! I would totally love to look across the room and not see things undone EVERY where I look, I would love from my eyes to see what I envision the space to look like. 

But for now... There's the printer I'm suppose to get onto Craig's List, The box that goes to Salvation Army. The plant that I'm not sure what's up with and need to do some research on. The boxes of papers that need to be filed or recycled. The desktop that is again too full to use. And this is just what I see from my office chair looking in one direction!

 I know we all have things that need to be done. Projects that are waiting for us to get to. I just don't know how to do it all and still sleep and that frustrates me! I will admit, our apartment isn't that large and a single extra box translates to a toe stubber on the way into the kitchen... Let alone the three major projects we have going on right now. 

I get mad. I lose my temper when I start to get overwhelmed by the crap (I mean "Treasures", really I do), and I have an evil temper, one that slams doors and pitches containers of oatmeal (Oh, I don't suggest that one. It really goes flying. But, if you do, don't throw it into the pantry. That just becomes a clean up from hell. Not that I would know anything about that... Nope, not me...)

But today I tried something different. I tried to be diligent. I tried to not just dumb and go onto something else, but instead  I put everything away that I was working on. I also attempted to stay true to the task timer so I could get onto the next whatever and not be so reactive to situations. 

It was funny. I would just set something down and walk away. Then aloud say "No, Betsy, that isn't the way we are going to make a difference in our life." Then I would turn around, pick up what I avoided, put it away and go back to the new task. 

I have a very long way to go and not a good service record for follow-through before the apartment feels like a home.  But maybe if I take on 30 mins of forced activity along with  staying diligent I might get the pictures hung, the paint finished, the stuff purged... Maybe I'll get to the place where my apartment feels like a home and not a storage unit. 

How do you keep your passions calm when life starts to overwhelm you? Are you a dumper crap or a keeper of Treasures? Do you have any tips for me? (Because we all know, I need all the help I can get!)