Monthly Goal Wont be Met

Well, I must confess I'm not going to be able to meet my goal of writing 10-15 blog entries a month this month.

Don't cry; it will be okay!

Normally when it's about midway through the month and I notice I'm nowhere near my self-imposed quota, I go on a rash of writing blog entries so I can be sure to meet the goal by the end of month.

I had every intention to start that rash of writing around May 20th, but things just got in the way.

I even missed last month's deadline for my interview column in Billiard Buzz because I just didn't have enough time to get it finished with the interviewee.  It was the first month I have missed in two and a half years.  Wow!

I have been busier at work, too, which means less time to write during the day (shhhh!).

I've also been preparing for a garage sale. Not just any garage sale, but a neighborhood garage sale. I mentioned several times in my personal blog that I'm going through every inch of my house de-cluttering like never before.

The other thing, as many of you know that I have talked about, is striving for less stress and more peace in my life. Therefore, when work ends at 6 pm, I had a choice - stay late and work on blogs or continue getting ready for the garage sale.  The garage sale had a hard deadline I could not avoid. And instead of staying late writing and then going home to try and work more through every crevasse of my house, I decided to take it easy and simply go home and work through the house casually, not rushed and stressed.

I've participated in two other neighborhood garage sales, and after each one I told myself it's the last one ever. Well this one will be the last one ever. This is the first time in my life I have felt comfortable enough to declutter at this extreme level - pretty happy to have less things all throughout my house!

But, this blog isn't about my garage sale. It sounds like it is, lol, but it really isn't.

What I'm sharing is I need to be okay with not meeting personally-set deadlines. I have learned I really do need more peace and less stress.  Therefore, it really is okay if I don't write 10-15 blog entries a month if I don't have the time.  Right?

I was actually surprised I didn't get disappointed or down on myself when I did not submit the interview last month. I realized I needed a break, and instead of rushing to get it completed, I simply accepted the fact that I wouldn't get the interview done in time.  And you know what?  I was okay.

Even the publisher, Mike Howerton, told me I deserved a break, which was nice that he didn't put pressure on me.

I guess I just want you all to know that while I'm sorry I didn't meet the monthly goal, I'm very proud of myself for not overtaxing or stressing myself or cutting myself too thin to try to meet that self-inflicted monthly goal.

I've had a few months were I only wrote 8 times, but otherwise for the last 10 years I have met my goal to write 10-15 times a month (which is actually pretty strong, right?).  And don't for a second think it's due to lack of material - my list of topics is still VERY long (and I add to it every week, lol).

My work has been extremely busy and that type of stress I cannot control. So, because I can control this kind of stress of being okay with not meeting self-inflicting deadlines, I actually think it's a huge maturity and growth on my part.

Before I head home, lol, I do want to say that if I had had time, I definitely would have met the monthly self-inflicted goal. I just simply didn't have enough spare time this month. You can go ahead and blame it on my past semi-hoarding tendencies, my past shopaholic addiction, and the fact I finally was okay with completely decluttering finally for the last 6 months.

I'm pretty sure I'll be back on track in June. I don't have a garage sale to get prepared for.... you know, the last garage sale ever I'm going to have in my life.

Trophy Disposal

Yep, you read the title correctly.

Am I /really/ getting rid of my trophies?

Well, I'm de-cluttering!  I've mentioned it several times now and I know you are hoping this is the last mention of it, but this time it's about trophies.

I can remember writing just only a few years ago about trophies and how I longed to win some of those really big ones I only saw in other players' arms.

You see, the leagues I had been in didn't give big trophies.  Plaques or statues were given in place of trophies.  So, when I played in a few tournaments that gave big trophies out, I was more vying for the trophy than the win (and of course I lost b/c my mind was on the prize and not on the table in front of me).

I remember people making fun of me, too.  "Oh, they just collect dust anyway, Melinda."  Well, I WANTED big dust collectors!  lol.  Here is just one story for ya.

So, every so often throughout the years I would win a little trophy and be SO happy, literally like a little kid on Easter or Christmas.

Here, see for yourself:

And then comes along the 'de-cluttering Melinda' trying to get ready for a garage sale.

One thing I need to share with you all is I'm a HUGE green person.  I recycle everything I possibly can both at home and work.  I bring used batteries to work for the collection box, take my own recycling to the recycling dumpsters because we don't have curb-side yet in my city, I am in charge of ensuring the proper recycling for my coworkers, and I'm even on the "Green Team" in my building and help participate in making the world a better place to live in by the decisions we make in our building.

So, when I decided which trophies needed to go (yes, I didn't chunk them all - I saved the biggest one, lol), I was going to recycle them and not just throw them away (of course).  Then I looked online to see if places accepted trophies and sure enough the place I order the Omega Tour plaques from welcome used trophies and reuse them for teams and sports of kids who can't afford trophies and prizes.

How cool is that???

So, I'm not just de-cluttering and being green, I'm also paying it forward to help others.

Now, let me point out that every plaque and acrylic statue I have are still on my shelves.  I'm not de-cluttering my whole pool life away, just the trophies that, well, are collecting dust.  lol.  The plaques and acrylic standing plaques are from State and National events and I LOVE seeing those on my walls and shelves.

Reflecting: Collection of Team Shirts

Well, I wrote a whole long blog entry about team shirts.  It wasn't pretty, I admit.

I wrote how it used to be really sweet when a team wanted to get together and order new collared shirts for State or Nationals.  But then I went into a venting session with my 'old lady hat on' and explained that it actually wasn't all that fun the last few years.

In the beginning, it was cool and fun to try and find the perfect shirt the entire team loved, fit perfect, and then get them all embroidered.  Nothing was sweeter than opening that box of newly embroidered shirts and handing them out to all the team members!

But after 20+ years of doing this, it became a chore and really no longer fun.

While I was venting about having a stockpile of embroidered shirts I don't wear anymore and don't know what to do with (as I mentioned before I'm de-cluttering), I need to also point out that I'm being a hypocrite!

Snapshot of some team shirts in one of my closets.

I buy several tops/blouses from Ross Dress for Less at least twice a month.  Who I am to complain about team shirts that sit in my closet, when I prolly have shirts with tags on them still from Ross Dress for Less??

Further, I should be more positive about this.  I should reflect that part of this horrible (lol) issue of collecting so many team shirts over the years is because of several, in reality, awesome factors that I need to be realize and feel more grateful about.  (1) I have been playing on leagues for a LONG time,  (2) I was on several different leagues each season so needed more than one team shirt each season, and (3) I joined new teams over the last several years because I was asked to join top teams.

Instead of venting about this "problem", I needed to be honest and more reflective.

And the truth is. it IS cool to have so many team shirts.

Now that I'm no longer playing leagues, I guess I felt comfy to bring this "issue" up.  But turns out. it's a pretty cool issue to have.  :)