10 Myths of Clutter Clearing
1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not always. For many people, breaking a life-time habit is really hard - everyone has a choice whether they want to make that break or not. The only way you will succeed is when the pain is so big you convert it into the positive energy you need to make you take ACTION. We have to face those emotions in order to process them ? that's when we learn to let go. 2) I know I should, but: there's no should about clutter clearing ? again, we all have a choice. It's because you want to. If you aren't ready to let go, you create further inner conflict, and draws on your emotional energy. When you are ready, that's when the liberation really kicks in. 3) I need to clean out the whole house now!: Not the approach to take unless you want to completely exhaust yourself physically and emotionally trying. One room, or even a corner or a closet, at a time. A little each day is much less overwhelming and manageable.
Do something loving for yourself beforehand? show yourself that you deserve to be cared for, then take a look, it will be so much easier for you to process it. If you decide upon a reward afterwards, make sure you take it, otherwise you program yourself that you don't get what you are worthy of. 4) I'll give myself x amount of time before deciding to keep or throw: this is the band aid approach. Think of the cost of storage, or the space these items are continuing to take, and all you are doing is delaying facing the reasons and having the freedom. 5) I'll make money by selling at a garage sale: Can you really bear for people to haggle with you over your once prized possessions? I've seen people buying their things back because they can't stand to see someone else have it. If the money really will come in handy, get a friend or family member to hold the sale for you.
Ideally, use ebay on line for items over $50, or do your bit for charity ?generosity is gratitude in action, and makes room for bigger and better things to come into your life. 6) It will come in useful one day: The day you need it, you won't be able to find it. When you do eventually come across it, having emptied cupboards, boxes & bags to find it, chances are, it won't be 100% perfect for your requirements anyway. You'll spend more time adjusting it, so you may as well have gone and bought a new whatever to serve the purpose.
Give yourself the benefit of the doubt that you will find a way to survive without it. 7) I don't have time to tidy up: 10 minutes a day putting away will save 20 minutes of trying to find something when you need it - I promise you. As long as everything has a home, this tried & tested system works. 8) I'll just start tidying up any old place: well yes, sometimes a spontaneous moment of binning it does work ? as long as you aren't scrounging around for it at 3am when no one's looking. Visualize how you'd like your space to be, and make a plan of attack - create a trash pile, a charity pile, and a keep pile. Revisit that keep pile and double check you really do want to hold onto that item ? ask yourself why? if you don't love it, use it or need it, out it goes.
Desire and motivation will win the day when we can picture our end result ? that applies to anything we do in life. Imagine what it would be like to be clutter-free? 9) I have to throw it all out: no you don't. Much of your clutter is created simply because you haven't created a home for it. Why is that? Probably because subconsciously it is not worth the effort of finding somewhere. If the item is that important to you, find a home for it. Or for display items, ensure your treasure remains visible, and not hidden behind more clutter.
Basic rule: If you have stuff you don't know where to put, it is probably clutter. 10) I'm responsible for everyone else's clutter: no you're not, make them responsible for their own. Believe me, if you pack all your kids toys away saving them for your grandchildren and doing them a favor ? forget it. They will either feel too guilty to dispose of the stuff when hand me down time comes (second generation clutterbugs), or if they chose to get rid of it straight away, you will take it personally.
Save the drama & space and donate the toys, clothes etc to your local playgroup or charity. Use artwork as wrapping paper for special gifts ? recycling is a great way to allow others to enjoy what you already have treasured. © 2005 Organize-Ya Jo's passion for helping others has extended to getting organized and clearing clutter.
+
At http://www.organize-ya.com, Jo reviews the best books available to help you get organized. This means you know exactly what you are getting, and ensuring you obtain the help you need - taking the dilemma out of the decision. You can contact Jo at info@organize-ya.com
Related News
Neighborhood groups organizing at own pace - Mankato Free Press
Neighborhood groups organizing at own paceMankato Free Press, MN -May 11, 2008By Dan Linehan If Tona Gillispie or Bruce Birkemeyer suspect that a house is over-occupied — eight cars in a driveway is one tipoff — they don’t just call ... |
Marin congregations unite over public policy - San Francisco Chronicle
Marin congregations unite over public policySan Francisco Chronicle, USA -14 hours agoWith the goal of tackling those matters, the budding Marin Organizing Committee gathered more than 500 members and presented the issues last week to a host ... |
Naperville doc organizing Comedy Night - Chicago Daily Herald
IOC sends $1M in earthquake aid to China - CBC.ca
IOC sends $1M in earthquake aid to ChinaCBC.ca, Canada -2 hours agoJacques Rogge, the IOC's president, said Tuesday his organization will funnel the money through the Beijing Organizing Committee, which will distribute it ... |
'Students Making a Change' Organizing at John Tyler High School - Tyler Morning Telegraph
Olympic Torch Relay Celebrations Scaled Back - Washington Post
Olympic Torch Relay Celebrations Scaled BackWashington Post, United States -4 hours agoIn a statement posted on the Web site of the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games, officials said the committee "has decided that beginning ... |
Minute of silence scheduled for path of Olympic torch - International Herald Tribune
Chair of Union of Poles in Belarus stands trial for organizing concert - Charter 97
Obama signed, sealed, and delivered to an inbox near you - Christian Science Monitor
Video: Aggreko to Help Power 2010 Winter Games - PR Newswire (press release)
|
|
 |
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Kids Clutter: Organizing at Every Age
Our children are probably the biggest clutter creators we have in our homes -- even more so than the dreaded paper flow. It starts out innocently, when we find out we are expecting; then the purchasing frenzy swings into high gear and does not let up until, well, let's just say many years down the road.
Tired of Endless Chores and To-Dos? Stop Running Around in Circles and Enjoy Life Again
Do you feel like you are running around in circles, completing one task after the next only to find there are 20 chores you have not done yet? I am not even talking about the constants such as grocery shopping, returns, doctor appointments, clients, and carpool!
How Clutter Affects Your Love Life
Clutter in any area of your home is a sign of stuck, stagnant energy. The more clutter you have, the more sluggish the energy becomes. When the areas of your home associated with romance are cluttered and untidy, your love life is affected as well. From a feng shui perspective, the three places in your home that have the strongest impact on your love life are your bedroom, the Relationship Area (I'll tell you how to find that in a moment), and the space around your front door. Here's why:
Give Up Control to Get Control
For some reason, Americans think they have something to prove by doing it all themselves. People say to me all of the time, that someone else just can't do for them, the things that are on the "to do " list. Well, that is not only a ridiculous statement, but one that can be proven wrong over and over again. We all strive to appear in control. However, you cannot be in control if you are constantly struggling to juggle events and lists. So give up some of the control. I know that is a scary thought, but do it. By having professionals handle the items on your list, you will amaze your friends and family by having more time to enjoy life and you will seem more in control than ever. Don't worry. We don't expect you to do this cold turkey. We are going to give you tips on accomplishing this daunting task after we shock you into reality.
Don't Be A Statistic!
Here are the facts......I think the expression is "read 'em and weep." I know I wanted to when I saw these numbers.
According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average U.S. family works between 105-115 hours per week. So let's run the numbers.
168 hours in a 7 day week x2 (if 2 people are working those hours) = 336
Less 110 hours for work
Less 112 hours for sleeping
Less 28 hours for eating
Less 15 hours for commuting
So what's left........71 HOURS!!! That is 71 hours for both workers total. Look like a big number of hours? Keep running the math. (If you are single that leaves you with 35.5 hrs - cut everything in half)
Now what do you have to do in that 71 hours? Remember, if you are doing something as a family (both workers), you have to double the hours used when you subtract from the 71.
Spend time with your family
Run/attend children's activities (i.e. soccer, music lessons)
Run errands
Visit friends/relatives for special occasions
Make purchases - clothing, gifts, daily needs
10 Common Roadblocks to Getting Organized
1. All or nothing thinking/taking on too much.
Spruce Your Environment, Spruce Your Spirit
After a long winter, this is the time of year to spruce up your environment with a good Spring Cleaning. It's amazing what doing this can do for one's state of mind.
Be More Productive at Work: Avoid These Eight Traps
Obviously, productivity involves producing. Producing widgets, events, reports, sales. The more producing you do, the more money you have and the greater success your company has. Right? It's not that simple. It doesn't matter how many widgets you produce if no one buys them. It doesn't matter how many reports you produce if they're irrelevant. So, productivity must be tied to a worthwhile goal.
Clutter Campaign - Select Your Tools
Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. William Morris
5 Steps From Clutter To Control
Are you overwhelmed by clutter wherever you turn? Here are 5 practically painless steps to a clean slate.
Do You Have A To-Do list?
I have a huge white board in my home office, about 4ft x 3ft..my friends laugh when they come over due to the size of it. Here is where I plan my days. I'll be honest, my memory is not as great as it used to be as I tend to forget things that would never slip me before. Along with my huge white board I also have about 4 dry erase markers..blue - red - green and black. here's how I used my board ..
Common Clutter Culprits- How to Bust Through Clutter
Paper
Can You Make a ?Torpedo? Out of Personal Junk? How to Optimize What You Have
"Junkyard Wars," a TV series showed two teams of experts contending for a title. The aim of the competition was for teams to construct a torpedo that can hit a target. But the challenge was more than just the process of construction. The challenge was creating a torpedo out of a junk.
What Momma Never Told Me About Housekeeping
A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care of most everything. Now, we do things pretty much the way she did. What if there is a better way? If you are buried under the daily clutter of life, always wondering where you put "that damn thing", read on. There is hope. All you need is a little direction and you can take control of your house.
Are You A Collector?
Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or emotion, and are quite different than ordinary garden-variety "clutter." One man has a love of photography and takes pictures of everything. Another woman buys more shoes than she could ever wear, to make up for having hand-me-downs as a child. Someone else might keep all of her mother's old clothes and papers after her death. Whether we love hats, unicorns, or butter tubs that we "might use someday," collecting makes us feel good -- it fulfills some NEED in our lives. What do you love to collect?
Identifying the Rocks: Organizing Your Priorities
In one of my favorite books, First Things First, written by Stephen Covey with Roger and Rebecca Merrill, is a story of the man in front of his class with a pile of rocks and a jar. He puts the rocks in the jar, and then asks the class "Is it full?" "Yes," they answer in unison. "Oh?" he replies, and gets out some pebbles, which he adds to the jar. "Is it full?" he asks. Catching on, they reply, "Probably not." And then he added sand. And, finally, some water. "What does that tell you?" he asked. Answers included comments like "You can always squeeze something else in" or "Just get started." "Oh, not at all!" he said. "If you don't put the rocks in first, there won't be any room for the them.
Cleaning Out Your Closet
Helping people clean out their closet is something I love to do. It helps me understand them by seeing what they have collected and what they hold on to. I find it satisfying to make order out of chaos. I sit on the bed as garments are brought out and displayed before me. The first few outfits I comment upon, declaring either, "Looks great, keep it." "Needs repair, is it worth it?" or "Get rid of it". After that, I find myself saying little else.
Files vs Piles
I recently read an article that had some interesting but not surprising statistics. Harte-Hanks published a survey in December, 2001 which reported that 96% of businesspeople interviewed were frustrated by their companies' information management. It's no wonder. An IDC white paper published in August, 2001 told us employees can spend up to two and half hours a day looking for information.
Everything Fits Together Perfectly!
Here's a little lesson I experienced while packing boxes for my move to Victoria, BC.
Organized For Life
Questions come my way all the time regarding my God-given nature to be organized. It has been said that I stayed under the proverbial "organized spout" too long when I was being created. In fact, at one point in my career I had the unofficial title, "Minister of Organization."
Making Life Easier, with NLP Chunking!
You know, in psychology there is a rule, especially within the NLP circles that I work in and the literature that I read, it is quite a famous rule; 7 plus or minus 2 ? this is the notion that the conscious mind can only keep track of between 5 and 9 discrete pieces of information at one time. Your unconscious can literally keep track of billions and billions of things at the same time aparently (clever thing that it is!), while your conscious mind is more one step at a time and it has a fairly narrow focus. WHatever the truth of this, it is a useful way to expereince your own thinking.
|
