There are two ways you can deal with your clutter: By choice, on your own terms Or when the decisions are made for you A natural disaster may wipe out your home and possessions. A health crisis may force you to downsize and move into assisted living. Municipal authorities can mandate a clear out. If … Read more
You’ve set aside the whole morning and you’re determined to declutter that spare bedroom that has become a dumping ground. You throw open the door and enthusiasm quickly turns to overwhelm as you come face to face with mysterious mounds and bags full of who knows what. The first thing to remember is to give … Read more
Life is so much easier when you clean up after yourself. In the past, I’ve cautioned about the 2-minute rule, which states that if you can do something in 2 minutes, to just go ahead and do it. There are times when this is not a good plan. Here’s that blog post, if you missed … Read more
Sorting is a very strenuous activity for our brains. The two-category method can be ideal to make the job easier. Like the name suggests, the key is to limit yourself to only two categories. Here are some examples: discard or keep donate or recycle paper or everything else junk mail or not junk mail business or personal kids or grown-ups sentimental or not sentimental home decor or everything else tops or bottoms garage or house current or archival … Read more
Clients always ask me where to start decluttering. My advice? Follow the path of least resistance. Do whatever feels easiest, as long as you are moving forward in some way. So if you’re wondering what following the path of least resistance looks like, here are some examples: Start with the items that have the least … Read more
Our time is divided up a lot more today than it was a generation ago. Increased efficiencies lead to packing more activities into a day. More activities lead to more transitions. More transitions lead to more pockets of just a few minutes, waiting until it’s time for the next event. Although I generally don’t encourage trying to … Read more
Decluttering can be such an overwhelming task. The visual impact of all those seemingly random items can initiate a fight, flight or freeze response for many; flight and freeze being the most common. There are the challenges of lack of space to work. Bodies get sore from awkward positions and standing too long. We don’t know where to put … Read more
In my last post, I discussed decision making styles, which are inherent parts of our personality and can impact our productivity. Now here’s another trait to consider: time perspective. I’ve summarized briefly, below, but for more information, check out this scholarly article, or the two-minute summary. Five Time Perspectives Researchers have identified five distinct perspectives: Past-negative: Focus … Read more
I was asked the simple question, “What is clutter?” and I had difficulty finding the words. It’s a huge concept in my brain, but I couldn’t articulate it with words. There are dictionary definitions that use words like “untidy,” “crowded,” and “disorderly.” I’ve heard ubiquitous definitions from professional organizers like, “anything you don’t love,” and “things that don’t … Read more
Marie Kondo’s best-selling book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, has been quite the phenomenon. Here were my quick take-aways: Many of the concepts are not new, but she uses language that sounds enchanting and fresh. It’s written from a “one size fits all” perspective, (as most self-help books are). Much of … Read more