Decluttering the basement

The sump pump in my parents' basement recently failed, flooding their basement (including the apartment where my sister lives) with 2 inches of water. Because of the water damage and the need for space to move furniture while new carpet is being installed (in the apartment half of the basement), my mom has initiated a massive decluttering and re-organizing of the entire basement.

It's been interesting to watch her approach to so much of it, since I'm very methodical in the way I deal with large projects like this. Part of this is just my nature, and part of it is that I like organizing. I think about it a lot and am often reanalyzing the best way to go about accomplishing things.

The most important thing for me is that I need to see progress. Some people can just work and know that if they've worked hard for a couple hours, that's enough, and they're proud of what they've accomplished. I, however, am not one of them.

This is part of the reason I'm so particular about going through things in a specific order, and about breaking big projects into smaller tasks. If nothing else, I at least need to see the checkmark on that to-do list.

I'm trying to help her as much as I can, but it's frustrating to me, because I don't always feel like I'm getting anything done (though I know we are). I'm trying to remind myself that the point here, for me, isn't to declutter and organize her basement, but to help her. And as long as I'm down there with her, working, and she feels good at the end of the day, I can check that off my to-do list.

I'm still going to organize my decluttering and organizing projects my way, though.