Monday, June 9, 2014

Working on some tricky stuff

Well, I remain in the "final stages" of getting the house ready. I guess it's a long final stage, ha! I have talked to several real estate agents now, so I'm moving along. The house is mostly empty, but I still need to clean up the garden, and clean clean clean the house itself. That includes 14 windows on the main floor, each of which has a storm window. Hooray! I've always loved the light that those windows bring into the house, but here's the downside!

There are two house projects that my OCD really wants me to do. My sister has told me no, as did the real estate agents. I've convinced myself that if I don't do them, something terrible will happen to the new owner and it will be all.my.fault. But I know it's just my attempt to achieve certainty, and that's not possible. I almost always give in to OCD in these situations, and I'm trying really really really REALLY hard not to. So far the message I've sent to my brain is that the only reason disaster is averted is that I do what OCD says. That's not the right message. And in addition, I cannot keep everyone safe. Life happens. Hard work.

3 comments:

  1. Good luck with listing and selling your house! It is a very stressful and OCD mindfield given all the details and prepwork involved. We just had to list my Great grandparents house after my Great Aunts death long story short after a year of "family" bickering it finally was lsited last week. I sat outside the house for an hour because I wanted to clean the floors, windows, polish the wood and have the house looking the way it was when it was filled with family -house has only been in our family so no one but family has ever lived in it so emotionally it was very hard so see that sign out front.
    During that hour my husband, cousin, mother and friends all told me not to go and shine the place it was clean enough just not "grandma' clean and that's OK.
    I listened to a point - all I did was pick up the yard and tend to the garden but still the voice says the sale won't happen since it's not perfect.

    Kudos to you for fighting the urges sometimes it's so much easier to give in just to get the calm peace.

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  2. Oh I know EXACTLY what you are going through. This stuff is a real hot button issue for me too. Hang in there. You've got this!

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  3. Good for you for not giving in to the OCD. You can do it!

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