Queen Victoria's problem with hoarding

I’ve just been reading Queen Victoria: The Definitive Biography of England’s Famous Ruler by Lytton Strachey, and I found some interesting details about Queen Victoria in her later life.  It seems that she became somewhat of a hoarder.  I quote:

…Victoria was a woman not only of vast property but of innumerable possessions.  She had inherited an immense quantity of furniture, of ornaments, of china, of plate, of valuable objects of every kind; her purchases, throughout a long life, made a formidable addition to these stores; and there flowed in upon her, besides, from every quarter of the globe, a constant stream of gifts.  Over this enormous mass she exercised an unceasing and minute supervision, and the arrangement and the contemplation of it, in all its details, filled her with an intimate satisfaction.  The collecting instinct has its roots in the very depths of human nature; and, in the case of Victoria, it seemed to owe its force to two of her dominating impulses—the intense sense, which had always been hers, of her own personality, and the craving which, growing with the years, had become in her old age almost an obsession, for fixity, for solidity, for the setting up of palpable barriers against the outrages of change and time.  When she considered the multitudinous objects which belonged to her, or, better still, when, choosing out some section of them as the fancy took her, she actually savoured the vivid richness of their individual qualities, she saw herself deliciously reflected from a million facets, felt herself magnified miraculously over a boundless area, and was well pleased.  That was just as it should be; but then came the dismaying thought—everything slips away, crumbles, vanishes; Sevres dinner-services get broken; even golden basins go unaccountably astray; even one’s self, with all the recollections and experiences that make up one’s being, fluctuates, perishes, dissolves…But no!  It could not, should not be so!  There should be no changes and no losses!  Nothing should ever move—neither the past nor the present—and she herself least of all!  And so the tenacious woman, hoarding her valuables, decreed their immortality with all the resolution of her soul.  She would not lose one memory or one pin.

She gave orders that nothing should be thrown away—and nothing was. There, in drawer after drawer, in wardrobe after wardrobe, reposed the dresses of seventy years.  But not only dresses—the furs and the mantles and subsidiary frills and the muffs and the parasols and the bonnets—all were ranged in chronological order, dated and complete.  A great cupboard was devoted to the dolls; in the china room at Windsor a special table held the mugs of her childhood, and her children’s mugs as well.  Mementos of the past surrounded her in serried accumulations.  In every room the tables were powdered thick with the photographs of relatives; their portraits, revealing them at all ages, covered the walls; their figures, in solid marble, rose up from pedestals, or gleamed from brackets in the form of gold and silver statuettes.  The dead, in every shape—in miniatures, in porcelain, in enormous life-size oil-paintings—were perpetually about her.  John Brown stood upon her writing table in solid gold.  Her favorite horses and dogs, endowed with a new durability, crowded round her footsteps.  Sharp in silver gilt, dominated the dinner table; Boy and Boz lay together among unfading flowers, in bronze. And it was not enough that each particle of the past should be given the stability of metal or of marble: the whole collection, in its arrangement, no less than its entity, should be immutably fixed. There might be additions, but there might never be alterations.  No chintz might change, no carpet, no curtain, be replaced by another; or, if long use at last made it necessary, the stuffs and the patterns must be so identically reproduced that the keenest eye might not detect the difference.  No new picture could be hung upon the walls of Windsor, for those already there had been put in their places by Albert, whose decisions were eternal.  So, indeed, were Victoria’s.  To ensure that they should be the aid of the camera was called in.  Every single article in the Queen’s possession was photographed from several points of view.  These photographs were submitted to Her Majesty, and when, after careful inspection, she had approved of them, they were placed in a series of albums, richly bound.  Then, opposite each photograph, an entry was made, indicating the number of the article, the number of the room in which it was kept, its exact position in the room and all its principal characteristics.  The fate of every object which had undergone this process was henceforth irrevocably sealed.  The whole multitude, once and for all, took up its steadfast station.  And Victoria, with a gigantic volume or two of the endless catalogue always beside her, to look through, to ponder upon, to expatiate over, could feel, with a double contentment, that the transitoriness of this world had been arrested by the amplitude of her might.

Thus the collection, ever multiplying, ever encroaching upon new fields of consciousness, ever rooting itself more firmly in the depths of instinct, became one of the dominating influences of that strange existence.  It was a collection not merely of things and of thoughts, but of states of mind and ways of living as well.”  (Lytton Strachey.  Queen Victoria: The Definitive Biography of England’s famous ruler.  Harcourt Brace & Co.  New York.  1921.  p298-301)

With plenty of servants and money, Queen Victoria certainly could afford to keep whatever she wanted.  She didn’t have to care for any of it.  But in spite of that, her stuff still became a “dominating influence.”  In short, even Queen Victoria became enslaved by her stuff.  This is quite ironic because her biography shows in other places how determined Victoria was not to be dominated by anybody. 

“When she considered the multitudinous objects which belonged to her, or, better still, when, choosing out some section of them as the fancy took her, she actually savoured the vivid richness of their individual qualities, she saw herself deliciously reflected from a million facets, felt herself magnified miraculously over a boundless area, and was well pleased”  -- Queen Victoria seems to have adopted the idea that the vast amount of her possessions symbolized her power, and that all the different characteristics of them symbolized her personality.   This is not a good perspective to have because any loss of possessions would then symbolize to her a loss of her power and a loss of her personality.   But really, she wouldn’t have been any less powerful or have less personality if all her possessions were to go up in flames. 

“No chintz might change, no carpet, no curtain, be replaced by another; or, if long use at last made it necessary, the stuffs and the patterns must be so identically reproduced that the keenest eye might not detect the difference.” – How boring!  Getting something different when the old wears out is what makes it not so sad to have things wear out!  It’s like a lack of faith that something different can ever be as wonderful as the familiar.

I have written before about how journaling is a helpful method for de-cluttering.  Elsewhere in her biography it was pointed out how careful a journaler Queen Victoria was.  And yet, she didn’t realize how journaling could keep her memories fresh without having to actually keep the objects that triggered those memories.  One technique that professional organizers recommend is for people to take pictures of their sentimental objects and then let those objects go.  Queen Victoria had pictures taken of all her gifts and possessions and still kept them, which defeated the purpose of taking the pictures in the first place. 

When I think about Queen Victoria’s situation, I can’t help but see how hard it would have been for her to escape the slavery to her possessions.  First of all, she was the queen, and it would be difficult for anyone in awe of royalty to tell a queen that she needed to de-clutter.  Second, she was a very determined and stubborn woman.  Third, with all her resources, it would be difficult to make a clear case that she was being hurt by all her accumulation, as she had servants to clean or store or move or catalog her stuff and she had the money to make more places to store it.  Fourth, with all the valuable gifts that poured in and all the objects triggering memories, the task of making decisions about what was most important and most valuable to her would be made harder.  (I don’t think it would be impossible, but I think it would be harder.)  I really pity the next in line to the throne who had to deal with all that stuff.

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Strategy to avoid materialism: Stop shopping for excitement and fun

http://www.everydayminimalist.com/?p=1811

I can remember a time when I was in college and I noticed that every Saturday I went to stores to shop.  (I didn’t necessarily buy; I just liked to look.)  I asked myself why I always went shopping like this.  I admitted to myself that I was doing it because I thought shopping was fun.  I asked myself, “Self, what would you do for fun if you could not go shopping?”  

I had a really hard time thinking of a good answer to that question.  My sheer poverty of recreational ideas was enough to demonstrate to me that I needed to find additional hobbies and resurrect old ones.

So.  If you are feeling blah, what do you do to give yourself a pick-me-up if you couldn’t indulge in “retail therapy”?   If you want some fun, what would do you do without shopping’s thrill of the hunt?   If you can’t give a good answer, you should probably put the kibosh on shopping for a good while.  (Instead, you could have a de-cluttering party!!  Woo-hoo!)

 

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Quotes about organization

“Life is too complicated not to be orderly.”  (Entrepreneur Martha Stewart, Harper's Bazaar)

"Organizing is what you do before you do something, so that when you do it, it is not all mixed up."   (A. A. Milne)

"Successful organizing is based on the recognition that people get organized because they, too, have a vision."   (Paul Wellstone)

"There comes a point of gluttony that I can't accept. When that happens, I feel like I have to clean out and give stuff to my sister, mom, and friends.”  (Actress Katherine Heigl, US Weekly)

"It's unbelievable how much time you can waste on the water and off if your tackle's not organized. In 2003 I had my worst season. Then during the off-season, I went to work on my tackle, got it organized, and I was back in 2004. I finished second in the Classic and was Angler of the Year the next year. Now that I'm organized, I'm five times more efficient."  (Bassmaster Elite Pro Aaron Martens reveals 'secrets' of success, Source: ESPN)

"You also might have noticed I'm extremely organized. All right, I love lists. I am devoted to careful planning. If you plan right, you'll eat right. You might also have guessed that I'm a total type-A personality and, to be honest, a bit of a control freak. My freezer is stacked with "banked" meals I've made in advance. My fridge is lined with containers of prepped veggies—all washed, chopped and ready to go when I need to toss them into a salad or soup."  (Robin Miller, Host of Quick Fix Meals on the Food Network, Guideposts Magazine Online)

"I can go clean out my drawers, my closets. I can organize my office at home. Something about it is incredibly pleasing to me. I like getting rid of things. I really do. I like it when things are where they're supposed to be. If I buy something new -- a piece of clothing, a tie, a shirt, a suit -- something old has to go. That's the way I avoid clutter, crammed closets and drawers. It keeps things in balance, and it really works." (Today Show Co-Anchor Matt Lauer, USA Weekend)

"[On Sundays] I pull everything out [of the fridge] and then I start ordering things like top shelf. It's very anal, but top shelf is all the stuff that needs to be eaten first. Next shelf, and then it works its way into the drawers. And I'm really proud of how beautiful the refrigerator looks. That's Sunday. Come Friday, or even Wednesday … somebody messes it all up."  (Actress Alicia Silverstone, Source: www.celebrityweek.com)

“Exactness and neatness in moderation is a virtue, but carried to extremes narrows the mind.” (French Theologian Francois Fénelon, Source: www.worldofquotes.com)

"The trouble with organizing a thing is that pretty soon folks get to paying more attention to the organization than to what they're organized for."   (Laura Ingalls Wilder)

Do you need extra help with organizing and de-cluttering? Hire me! Go to www.phoenixhomeorganizing.com for more information about my services! Did this article help you? Be sure to share it with your friends!

How to choose a good desk

  I’m going to get really opinionated in this post, so brace yourself.

I am of the opinion that a lot of desks sold today are crap.   They give the impression that they will help with organization, but in practice only do half the job. 

If you go to Google and do an image search on the term “desk,” you will see

• desks that are all work surface with no storage
• desks that are all storage, but very little work surface
• desks with too little storage
• desks with storage that is the wrong shape
• desks designed to organize, but which have no work surface

Try that Google search.  Right now.  I'll still be here.

There is no denying that most of the desks you’ll see on a Google search are Beautiful Specimens.  The problems happen when Beautiful Desk collides with Reality--the day-to-day demands of work and creativity.   Just to get an idea, try Googling “desk organization” images and you’ll get more of a sense of this reality.  (Or you might take a good look at your own desk at home.  After all, you are reality too!)

Part of the trouble is that our desks have to do more for us than ever before, and furniture design has not quite figured this out.   A good desk needs room for:

·      Surface area workspace

·      A computer (which often takes up the prime workspace area front and center on the desk with a monitor and keyboard at least, and a tower if you have a desktop)

·      A printer/scanner/copier  (takes up more surface area)

·      Networking equipment

·      Power strips and cords (preferably out of sight, but not too inaccessible because sometimes you have to add to them)

·      Places to dock mobile gadgets

·      Filing cabinets nearby for papers

·      Drawers for office supplies

Unfortunately, most desk design seems fixated on style to the detriment of actual utility.  Personally, I can't blame these desk-makers too much; they understand that making their product appealing will do a lot for sales, but it behooves us as savy consumers to make a wise decision based upon what we really need our desk to do and do everything we can to keep from getting snookered by advertising tactics that can cloud the issue of productivity and organization.

Critical thinking is the name of the game, people!  So, sharpen up your reasoning skills; we're going to look at some desk designs and pick them apart to see what is good and bad about them.

http://uncrate.com/stuff/milk-desk/

Beautiful, huh?  Probably its best feature is that it can be raised and lowered so that you can sit or stand at it.  But where's the power strip?  Where are you going to put all your office supplies and your printer?  If you get this desk, you'll need to get another desk to hold the stuff this one can't store.

http://myofficeideas.com/corner-computer-desk-for-effective-space

 Very nice, if you only work on the computer and if you only have a desktop computer.  But where do you put your printer?  Where do you put your office supplies?  And where do you spread out your paperwork?  If you got this desk, you'd have to get another desk for a work surface and for storage. 

http://myofficeideas.com/corner-computer-desk-for-effective-space

This desk looks kind of heavy with all that wood and the way it starts to spread out. (Somehow it is fashionable right now for desk to look light instead of weighty, and that trend gets in the way of good desk design.) However, you'll notice that this desk has some drawers for office supplies.  That open space on the right side could hold a computer tower nicely.  However, I still wonder where I would put a printer.  Perhaps on the side, but that would use up available work surface fast.  And what are those shelves doing in the middle under the work surface?  Could a printer go there?  (But would I want a printer to go there even if it would fit?  It would be hard to get to.)  This is a better desk than the ones above, but it still isn't as good as it could be.

http://www.jml1014ilatheblackfriday.com/2012/sauder-computer-desk-a-scrittorio-of-the-calculating-of-sauder-the-perfect-solution-for-your-house-or-office/  (total spam blog site; do not follow)

  This desk clearly has room for a printer, room for a computer, and file drawers.  Having a keyboard drawer under the desk surface frees up workspace, if you don't mind that kind of thing.  It has cubby-holes for books and cds, but where would we put our office supplies?  You might be able to make it work if you put the printer on the very top of the hutch and put some kind of organizer in its place.  Or you'd have to try to find organizers that fit in the cubby-spaces.

http://thewellorganizedwoman.com/2011/10/09/work-it-how-to-stay-organized-at-the-office/

Love that color coordination!  I for one am a sucker for lime green, which means I have to be very careful when I see images like this.  It seems to me that the desk and the wall unit are meant to go together.  (If they are not, then this would be misleading advertising.)
If we look at the desk itself, it has no drawer storage for office supplies, and computer equipment would take up much of the work surface.  Also, placing it so it faces out into the room would make computer cords pretty obvious.   However, if it were placed closer to the wall unit (perhaps in an L or butting up against it, this desk would become more useful.  It would still lack storage space, but computer equipment (printer, routers, power supplies) could be transferred to the shelves.  The shelves actually add a lot of flexibility, since the shelf space is not confined by vertical divisions like a wooden hutch.  There is more potential for creative desk setups that also help you be productive.  Office supplies could be put in drawer caddies on the shelves.  If the wall unit were raised a bit, the desk could fit underneath it.
Overall, this desk setup is flawed, but flexible.

I wish I could show you a picture of a good desk, but I couldn't find one.  Maybe they don't exist and we just have to jury-rig them with accessories.  If you're curious, the desk set-up my husband and I have right now is a combination between a big metal teacher's desk with drawers and a shelf system somewhat like the last picture above.  The shelf system is high enough on the wall that the desk can fit snugly under it.  We put our computer equipment (laptop, printer, scanner, router, back-up server, and surge protectors) on the shelves, and we put office supplies in the desk drawers.

If you have to buy a desk, make sure to take into account all the things you will need it to do.  Check it for computing space, work space, storage space, and whatever else you need for your special talents.  If you can find a desk or a configuration that matches your needs, you're more likely to be able to stay organized long-term.


Do you need extra help with organizing and de-cluttering? Hire me! Go to www.phoenixhomeorganizing.com for more information about my services! Did this article help you? Be sure to share it with your friends!

Sorting, testing, and storing your office supplies

Once all your office supplies are gathered together, you have to sort through them, test them, and find a good way to store them all together.

Sorting

 Put similar items together.  Paper goes with paper, pens and pencils go together.  Since this is only temporary, you can use ziplock bags and Tupperware containers to separate the little stuff and use boxes to sort the notebooks, folders, and files. 

Testing

Once you have sorted your supplies, test the supplies that you have.  You’ll want to make sure they are still good; there is no point in keeping office supplies that don’t work well.

·      Test the pens to make sure they work.  If you don’t get a nice thick line immediately after trying to draw little corkscrew squiggles, then a pen is bad and should be tossed.  Also, if you don’t like the way a pen writes, get rid of it.  If you are like me, you probably will never use a pen you don’t like if a pen you do like is available. 

·      Make sure the mechanical pencils have lead and the erasers aren’t used up.  Toss ‘em if they are missing either lead or erasers or both.  (It might seem wasteful, but you are working on organizing now.  Work on saving the planet later.)

·      Test the markers.  If you don’t get a nice good stroke of color as if they were new, toss ‘em.

·      If you have a gluestick, you’ll want to test it too; glue sticks tend to dry up after a few years.  Toss out dry gluesticks.

·      If you have a 3-hole punch, empty all the little paper holes out of the bottom reservoir over the garbage can. 

·      If you’re down to the last three sticky notes of a pad, recycle them. People usually gravitate to the thicker pads of sticky notes when presented with a choice between a thick pad and a thin one with only a few sticky notes left.

·      If any of your paper is stained or dog-eared or bent, recycle it.  You’ll want to print on nice clean, pristine paper.

·      Any notebooks that only have a few sheets of paper left in them can be recycled.  You’ll enjoy a new notebook more.

·      Sharpen your wooden pencils to a fine point.  If they are missing an eraser, don’t bother; just trash them.  (Some might argue that they can always use a detachable eraser with eraser-less pencils, but if you have a choice between a pencil with an eraser and one without, you will choose to write with the one with an eraser every time.)

·      Recycle any bent or torn folders.  You will enjoy using nice ones much more.

·      Make sure your binders have rings that close snugly.  If they don’t, trash them because they will be more irritating than they are worth if you have to readjust papers in them all the time.

·      Make sure your calculator has batteries that work.

Store your supplies

Once you have sorted and tested your office supplies, you need to find a home for them as close to your workspace as possible so that you can have easy access to all it.  Having them out all at once will get in the way and look cluttered, so the best place for them will be in your desk drawers.  If you don’t have desk drawers*, you need some kind of box with drawers to put them in so you can keep them near your workspace. 

This is when you can go shopping for organizing containers.  As you look, keep in mind the amount of supplies you will need to store.

Some supplies office supplies are best stored flat, such as printer paper, notebook paper, and graphing paper.  Paper trays work well for paper.  Alternatively, you can stack them on top of each other, keeping the most frequently-used type of paper on top.

Some paper supplies can be stored standing on their side, such as manila folders, hanging folders, notebooks, two-pocked folders, binder page dividers, and binders, especially if they are all stored together.  The stiffer stuff (like binders) will keep the limper stuff (like hanging folders and binder page dividers) from sagging if you put some sort of bookend in to keep them upright.

Laminating sheets, page protector sheets, envelope labels, letterhead paper, and envelopes are best stored in the boxes they are sold in because they will stay nice and pristine and they’ll stand upright.

Organizing trays are helpful for small things like tacks, paper clips, binder clips, scissors, sticky notes, extra staples (in their box), stamps, glue, tape, extra pencil lead, etc.

Markers and colored pencils are best stored upright in a cup or deep bowl where you can see and grab what you need.

If you have desk drawers that are taken up by something other than office supplies, it is time to be tough and move that stuff.   Drawers are important organizing tools for your workspace and they should not be taken up by things that don’t help you with your office tasks.

*The annoying tendency for stores to sell computer desks with no drawer space is a topic for another post.  (One of these days I’m going to have to write a blog post critiquing the different kinds of desks out there.)

Do you need extra help with organizing and de-cluttering? Hire me! Go to www.phoenixhomeorganizing.com for more information about my services! Did this article help you? Be sure to share it with your friends!