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In a previous blog, I used S.T.U.F.F. to help you examine how you feel about having a lot or a little. Your feelings guide you sometimes other times you procrastinate decluttering a room or your home and things keep piling up. Maybe you’re sentimental and think you are honouring your things by stuffing them in a box and hiding them away. Get them out and keep the best items and enjoy them. Let the other items make someone else happy. Are you a collector and keep adding to your collection? These are possible answers but think about how the decisions you make in everyday life can help you to have so much stuff.
I’ll change my weight.
So you decide you want to lose some weight but you’re not sure how successful you will be at keeping the weight off. Or maybe you are putting on a few pounds and your clothes are getting a little tight. The stuff in your closet starts to accumulate. Clothes that don’t fit now, clothes that used to fit, clothes that you might need in the future, a style that you used to wear, it might come back. Sound familiar. Now you have 2 or 3 or 4 wardrobes in different styles and sizes. What’s the solution?
Invest in the new you, you’re worth it.
Keeping clothes around from a weight you don’t want to be is setting yourself up for defeat. Donate clothing that doesn’t fit. Donate it before it becomes out of style, no one will want it and it ends up in the landfill. Buy small quantities of clothing that fit, you like, people compliment you when you wear them and are affordable. You are worth the investment. Remove the clothing that makes you feel discouraged and takes up valuable storage space.
I’ll buy in bulk to save money
For a lot of items we have been taught it is cheaper to buy in bulk. It may be true in some situations. If you have a large household, run a daycare, operate a cleaning industry. Usually buying in bulk costs you money. You need to buy more shelving or cupboards to hold everything. Your food supplies don’t get used before the best before date and you throw them out. Items get damaged, (broken light bulbs), you no longer need them because you changed appliances and fixtures, (filters for coffee, furnace or water), your tastes have changed ( vegetarian foods, green energy products or chemical free cleaning products ) and things you used to use are no longer needed. What’s the solution?
Buy in different quantities for different items
If you enjoy going to membership stores like Cosco, use your membership for buying things in bulk you use up quickly, toilet paper. Always check what you have at home and how much space you have to store things before you go shopping. Buy proportionately to how much you use an item and how quickly you use it. This rule works for food, clothing, cleaning supplies, kitchen gadgets, gifts, candles, books, cosmetics almost everything. You don’t want to be throwing your money in the garbage
I’ll get active
Great decision until the clutter happens. There is so much equipment you can buy to help you get active. Shoes, clothing, bikes, paddling, weights, bands, mats, balls bats/rackets, and swimming gear. The list goes on. it piles up everywhere. Inside the home, the garage the vehicle. What’s the solution?
Establish good habits/routines
Things can get dropped all over the place. Decide on a place to hang wet items to dry or damp items to air out. Have a place for larger gear to be stored, a basket, container, bin or hang them on the wall. Have shelves for hats, helmets, shoes, and sunscreen to be placed. Use hooks for clothes, hats, and backpacks. Make it easy to put things away and label where things go so everyone knows. Donate items that you no longer use, have become too small or have older models when you upgrade your gear.
I’ll make my home perfect
Everyone looks at pictures in magazines, on Pinterest or on Facebook. Those are only a moment in the life of that person. You really need a video to see what normal will look like. Sometimes it feels like you will never get the clutter reduced, let alone under control. You give up and don’t try because it will never be perfect. The stuff continues to build up, more stuff comes into the home and nothing leaves the home. What’s the solution?
Be practical
Set aside perfection and keep the clutter controlled as much as you can with the time, energy and budget you have. Set realistic goals. Take 15 minutes a day and tidy up one area. The next day work in another area. Even better have everyone, all together, take 15 minutes and tidy up one area each. Keep a donation box in a closet or mudroom and place items you don’t need in the box. Donate it and get another box. Have a goal to fill one box a week. Start with the area or project that bothers you the most. It will feel good to take care of it and not think about it anymore.
I’m going to start decorating for the holidays
There are so many holidays you can decorate for. Valentine’s Day, St Patrick’s Day, Easter, Passover, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Earth Day, Canada Day, 4th of July, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Festival of Lights. Buying or making decorations produces piles of objects big and small, expensive and inexpensive to store. It takes time to put them up and sometimes they don’t get taken down and put away, they get dumped somewhere never to be in good enough shape to be used again. Next year comes and you see the new types of decorations on the market and your supply goes bigger. What’s the solution?
Pick and choose
You have limited time, space and energy to do decorating. Pick and choose when you will decorate a lot and when you will not decorate or put out only a tablecloth. Go through your decorations yearly before buying more. Donate items you don’t need anymore, only purchase a few new things if you need them. Look at how much space you have to store your decorations. Keep your decoration in waterproof bins and store them all together so you can find them each year. As your desire changes for decorating make it simpler and simpler each year so you continue to enjoy doing the decorating, looking at the decorations and cleaning up.
Making changes in your lifestyle can create clutter or it might reduce clutter. Make smart decisions for your lifestyle and manage the changes it causes in your time, energy, space and mindset so you can control the clutter and enjoy the new opportunities you have chosen.
Comment on some other life decisions that create clutter in your home
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Yes, you read it correctly, spring clearing, not spring cleaning. I first heard about it at an organizing conference in London, England. The idea made so much sense to me. We no longer have to do seasonal cleaning. Our homes are much cleaner because of high-efficiency furnaces, paved roads, washing machines, vacuum cleaners. Long gone are days of mud floors, dirt roads, open fires to heat your home and brooms for sweeping. Organizing and clearing your life on a seasonal basis will help you to maintain your home and lifestyle.
Activities
Clearing is a process that involves clearing out things you no longer need, use or want. It is also more than that. Clearing is about examining schedules, activities and commitments Activities change with the seasons and that affects your schedule. Some of those activities you may not be interested in anymore. Clear them from your life and try something new. Revise your schedule to suit your new interests.
Commitments
There might be a lot of commitments in your life. You might be volunteering, doing things out of guilt, or involved in things that are no longer a priority in your life. Look at all the commitments and clear the ones that no longer interest you, you have outgrown or can be shared or delegated to someone else. Use your time in a way that allows you to you feel, fulfilled, passionate about the cause and excited to contribute.
Spring clearing involves clearing out things you no longer need, use or want. Also clear out schedules, activities and commitments that no longer suit your life. Share on X
Possessions
Clear items that you no longer need, use or want. When you’re decluttering decide how much is enough and start to let go of the excess. Make contributions to charities, sell items, and donate them to worthy causes. Don’t pass things on to other people unless they want them. Check first before you drop something off. Recycle broken, damaged or very old items. Keep as much as you can out of the landfill.
Download your Spring Clearing Guide
Here is a sheet to help you with your Spring or Fall Clearing, download it and use it as your guide.
Spring Clearing Tips
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home, office, mind and time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Harold Taylor is a time management specialist. This article appeared in his June 2015 Taylor Time newsletter and is still true today. Contact him to get on his mailing list and receive other great information on organizing time and space. Harold Taylor Time Consultants Inc | info@taylorintime.com
Slow decision-making wastes time, as do spur-of-the-moment decisions, which usually result in costly and time-consuming mistakes. But the worst thing you can do is to procrastinate on decision-making. Napoleon Hill, the author of Think and Grow Rich, once conducted a survey of successful people and found all of them were decisive. Don’t be afraid of being wrong. We learn from our mistakes; but if we do nothing, we neither accomplish anything nor learn anything.
Delay until you have enough information, but don’t wait until you have all the information. If you have all the information, the course of action becomes a foregone conclusion: no real decision is necessary. Have the courage to make decisions with only 70% to 80% of the facts. When you have mulled over the facts and considered, the alternatives, sleep on it. Decisions are usually better after a good night’s sleep.
Spend time in proportion to the importance of the decision. For instance, don’t waste a lot of time discussing the menu for the staff Christmas party. The decision to close down an operation or expand the product line warrants a greater expenditure of that costly commodity called time. Make minor decisions quickly. If the consequence of the decision is not important, it is not worth much of your valuable time.
If the decision is yours alone to make, and you seem to get bogged down in the process and get frustrated by your lack of progress, it’s frequently faster, in the long run, to leave the problem for a short period of time. Work on some unrelated jobs for a few hours or even a few days and then tackle the problem anew. The change in pace will revitalize your thinking. But delay it only once or you will be tempted to procrastinate.
Always make short-term decisions with long-term objectives in mind. Don’t make a band-aid decision that solves the immediate problem, but results in time-consuming problems further down the road.
And above all, don’t waste time on past decisions. Instead of saying “I if only I had done such and such,” say instead, “Next time I will ..”
If you need help making decisions about what to keep and what to let go book a 30 minute chat with me.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 7 minutes
Start by determining any special uses for the bedroom (e.g., home office, baby’s crib and supplies, etc.) Only have items in the bedroom that serve the purpose of the room. Remove all other items.
Closet
It is easy for bedrooms to become the collection spot for all sorts of items. Piles form. When you declutter the bedroom, start with your clothing. Hang up clothing in a closet or on a rack. Place other clothing in a dresser or on shelves. Keep the clothing you like wearing, you get compliments when you wear it and that suits your lifestyle. Have a place to put dirty laundry. Double your hanging space by installing a lower hanging bar. Add an extra shelf up high in the closet to store off-season items.
Neatfreak Hanging Expandable Bar
Under the bed
Under-bed storage containers are very helpful for oversized items or off-season clothing. You can raise your bed to create more storage by using bed risers to lift the bed up.
Raising the bed can make more storage space under the bed
Bedside stand
A nightside table with a drawer and shelf or cupboard will provide more storage than a table. The nightstands in a bedroom tend to collect clutter. Frequently clear off the surface and declutter the drawers. Decide what is important to have handy. Do you need a book, tissues, medication, a charging station or a water bottle?
Vertical space
Use vertical space to add more storage. An armoire or high-boy may suit your room better than a long, low dresser.
Doors
Use the inside of the bedroom and closet doors to hang items. Over-the-door rack and hook products accommodate shoes, jewellery, scarves, ties, etc. Try using a shoe organizer.
There are many organizing options for storing items on doors
Bedding
Reduce the amount of bedding to a minimum. Have 2 sets of sheets one on the bed and one extra set. If you need to store sheets in the bedroom try using the shelf in your closet. Fold the 2 sheets and pillowcase and slide them inside the other pillowcase. You have a nice contained set of sheets that are easy to store. Recycle sheets with stains and holes. Donate sheets you don’t use, that are the wrong size and mismatched. Have a lightweight blanket for warm weather and a heavy blanket for cooler seasons.
Cosmetics
Cosmetics can also pile up on bedroom surfaces. Use a container to store the cosmetics and make them look attractive. Try repurposing a silver chest. Check expiry dates, and remove expired items and products you no longer use. Try to relocate some of the cosmetics to the bathroom.
The brushes nicely fit where cutlery used to be stored in this repurposed silver chest
Jewelry
Jewelry is another area to consider. There are nice trays that can fit in drawers, boxes to sit on a dresser and wall-mounted cabinets to store the jewelry you use frequently. Go through your jewelry and make sure you still love it, it is not broken and it is clean. Donate or sell jewelry that you no longer wear, fads that have come and gone and jewelry that doesn’t fit.
Custom Designed Closets
I always suggest that you first decide how you will store things in your room before having renovations done. Once you know what types of shelves and spaces you need to hold everything you might want to get a custom build closet. It can be a wardrobe specifically designed to your unique preferences and individual requirements. This could include walk-in spaces, lighting, and multiple interior features. You can find out more about this level of customization by speaking with a professional contractor.
In most cases, the bedroom is used for relaxing and sleeping. Find new places for all the items that don’t belong and create a tranquil space. I think I have considered all the areas in the bedroom. Did I miss anything?
Let me know which tip you liked best and add your own tip in the comment box.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 10 minutes
I have had a series of snowstorms come through my area in the last couple of weeks. I wanted to think about something other than snow. This week I decided to look ahead to spring and write a fun blog on organizing your garden. I am not an expert on gardening but I hope these 5 tips will help you to feel like spring is just around the corner.
Do you need a plan to get your garden organized? Making improvements to your garden is a great way to enhance your lifestyle and make the most of your space. It can take a little while to get organized, but it’s certainly worth it in the end. To help you get your garden organized this spring, focus on these five tips.
1. Declutter
The first step to organizing your garden is to get rid of the clutter. If your garden is full of junk, debris and old building supplies, it’s unlikely to be an ambient space. Once you’ve removed the clutter you’ll have an inviting garden that you can be proud of. Remember, your garden can be an extension of your living space. Now is a good time to think about what you planted last year. Did the plants grow well in the area you planted them or should they be planted in a different spot? Do you want to try something new or stay with the tried and true?
2. Organize your shed
If you have a shed in your garden it can be nice to organize this space at the beginning of the season. Sheds can become “dumping ground” for many things that you don’t know where to store. Once it is organized it is easier to get things in and out, you know what supplies you need to buy and when it is clean it is much nicer to walk into. Separate everything into different categories your gardening tools, winter items to be stored, cleaning supplies and toys etc. The best way to get organized is to use compact storage boxes. With the help of storage boxes, you can create space, and keep everything in the right place. Store your spring and summer items at the front of the shed and off-season and less used items in the back.
3. Create separate zones
One of the best ways to organize your garden area is to create separate zones, you can create different zones using decking, steps, hedges, or plants. One of the biggest garden trends this year is building a garden on multiple levels, it’s a great way to add space and depth to a garden. For example, you might have one zone with concrete paving, and a separate area of grass. When having paving installed you’ll need to contact the best Concrete Contractor. If you’re keen to keep up with the latest garden trends, here are a few more:
- Create an outdoor living room.
- Plant wildflowers that attract wildlife.
- Make the most of your space by planting a vegetable garden.
- Pastel colours are incredible in this season.
4. Keep it tidy
If you want to organize your garden you’ve got to try and keep the space tidy. Ensure that you regularly mow your lawn, and remove any dead plants and debris. To keep your grass nice and green it’s important to use grass feed. If there are trees in your garden you’ll need to prune them, to keep them healthy. If you have big trees and you’re not confident looking after them, it’s best to call a professional.
5. Create a design plan
To improve your garden, it’s helpful to create a design plan. A design plan can help you to establish which style you’d like to create, for example, minimal or Mediterranean. You should also figure out an approximate budget so that you can avoid overspending. Think about your lifestyle. How much time do you want to spend on your garden? Design the size of the space and choose the type of plants that will make it easy for you to have a lovely garden.
There are so many different ways to make changes to your garden. Following these organizing tips you’ll create the perfect garden. Remember, making improvements to your home is a great way to improve your lifestyle.
Share your best gardening tip with me so I can become a better gardener.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading time – 5 minutes
Is your attachment to your things stopping you from getting organized? It can be hard to let go of things from the past, past careers, past relationships and past experiences. These items can be holding you back from becoming the person you want to be. Have things in your life that will help you to move forward. Not everything that has come into your life should stay with you forever. If it has outlived its usefulness to you, let it go. When I started Mind over Clutter I would see a client talk with them about their goals and start getting them organized. I soon learned that disorganization is never about things but about the mind and how we think and feel about our things. S.T.U.F.F helps you to explore the psychology of why you have things.
S – Simply too much
Perhaps you can’t get organized because you keep too much stuff. It is not possible to keep it all organized in the space that you have. You need to understand that you have too much and you need to have less. Accepting that realization can be very difficult.
T – Take time
Step 2 in the process is to take time to understand why you have so much stuff. Take time away from all the activities, commitments and distractions to think. Perhaps you are avoiding or procrastinating thinking about your situation. Schedule an appointment with yourself no matter how busy you are. It is important.
U – Underlying reasons
Step 3 is to discover your underlying reasons for buying, collecting and keeping excess stuff. Is it;
- Fear of making the wrong decisions about what to keep and what to let go of
- Fear of hurting someone’s feelings who gave you the items, Remember the items are now yours and you get to decide what to do with them. They no longer belong to the giver.
- Retail therapy – Are you buying things to make yourself feel better? Do you feel worse for spending the money unnecessarily? If you are looking for love, acceptance or happiness, items are inanimate objects without feelings. What can they give you?
- Do you want control over your situation and don’t want to be told what to do so you keep everything? That attitude leaves you alone with a lot of work to do by yourself. Giving up some control means you can get help with the task of letting go of your stuff.
These may be some of the reasons why you have a lot of things. It is important to understand your reasons so you can start to make changes in your buying, collecting and keeping habits.
F – Feel About Having Stuff
In step 4 ask yourself how you feel about having stuff? Does it make you feel:
- Safe
- Prepared for Anything
- Successful
- Exhausted
- Overwhelmed
- Out of Control
Journalling may be a good way to figure out your feelings. Gregor explains it like this. You can use any notebook you like, any size you want, Or you can create a document on your computer (or laptop, or tablet) where you can start writing. Journaling means adding a narrative, telling yourself a story. It can be based on that thought that has been nagging you all day, a gut feeling, those undefinable emotions as of late. Start by writing down those thoughts that preoccupy you the most and you will see the story unfolding from there. Journaling can also help you acknowledge important life lessons, mental breakthroughs and growth. Ideally you should do it every day, even if it is to write down a mundane sentence, just so you create the habit of releasing your thoughts and emotions on a blank piece of paper, instead of bottling up whatever upsets you. Record how you feel when you enter the room or do you avoid the room. When you look at what is in the room do some items make you feel happy while others make you feel sad and still others have no effect on you. When you are sitting in the room what do you feel, cramped, open, excited, overwhelmed? Move things around and continue to journal about your experience.
F- Feel About Having Less Stuff
Lastly, step 5 ask yourself how you feel about having less stuff?
- Unsure
- Afraid you won’t have what you need
- Guilty (people gave you the stuff, you inherited stuff)
- Excited
- Hopeful
- Free
Continue journaling as you remove items from the room. Over the course of time do your feelings change? Are you able to adapt to less and overcome the negative feeling of fear and let go of things? Are you able to be motivated by the positive feelings of enjoyment to continue to let go of stuff?
Instead of holding onto things:
Have only things in your home that you know are useful and see as beautiful. Perhaps you like the Marie Kondo philosophy, “Does it spark joy in your life? If yes keep it. If not thank it and pass it along”
Think about what new:
- doors will open,
- experiences will be available or
- perspectives will be realized by letting go and moving forward to becoming the person you want to be.
If you need help with letting go, book a complimentary 30 minute chat with me.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually over Zoom She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading Time – 5 minutes
The technical side of organizing involves a series of steps:
- Sort items into groups of the same type of objects
- Part with items you don’t need, love or use
- Assign a place for things to be stored
- Containerize items to keep them together so you know how much you have
- Evaluate your system and see if it needs some adjustments to work better for you.
S P A C E is used to remember the basic steps of organizing.
For me the fun side of organizing involves thinking outside the box:
- using old items in new ways
- rearranging furniture to make a better flow in the room
- storing items in fun containers
Today I am going to show you 5 ways to use a shoe organizer.
Storing clothing items
- Store scarves, hats, gloves or mitts. The clear pockets make it easy to get out the right things. In the summer a shoe organizer near the entryway is a good way to store sunglasses, sunscreen and hats. Always a convenient place to keep your masks.
- In your closet, you can store belts, scarves, socks, bras, shoelaces anything that you like to easily grab and go. What clothing items have you stored in a shoe organizer? Oh, yes shoes.
Store cleaning supplies for you or the home.
- Shoe organizers are a good way to store all your shower needs, shampoo, conditioner, soap etc. Take what you need into the shower.
- They are also great in a laundry room. Put your cleaning solutions in the pockets, stainer mover, furniture polish, tile cleaner, rug cleaner, spot remover, clothes pegs, lint brush
- Make it your home repair center, picture hanging kits, sewing kits, fuses, light bulbs, small tools, tapes, glue, felt furniture pads.
Use it in your craft room.
- The picture shows quilt squares. The pockets can hold paintbrushes, glue sticks, scissors, tape, ribbon, pencil crayons, markers, rulers, and paints. This list is endless.
Use it in your office.
- I took this picture in a bookstore. These are maps being stored in a shoe organizer.
- You can use it for office supplies, pens, pencils, stapes, business cards, rulers, tape measures, tape, glue, envelopes, cards
- You can sort photos into the pockets
- It can be an easy place to store your receipts by month or category.
What about your plants and gardening items?
- It can hold your plants.
- It can hold your gardening supplies, tools, plant food, seeds, insecticides
Pinterest.com
What is your favourite way to use a shoe organizer?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
One of the biggest roadblocks in getting organized can be decision-making. It can be hard to decide where to store things, what to keep and what to let go of, what type of storage you need, where to donate items. where to start. You might not have thought of getting organized in this way. Is making a decision difficult for you?
Is it fear that makes decision making difficult
In an article by Hellen Bittigieg, she talks about: Steps to eliminate your fears and conquer the clutter
- As you sort through your items notice the thoughts that come up and begin to acknowledge them, say okay now you’ve got my attention.
- Notice where you feel the fear in your body, stomach, chest headache?
- Analyze the fear and try to understand where it’s coming from then thank it and move on
- Replace fear with trust
- What if I need it someday replace it with all my needs are abundantly supplied
- I’ll keep it just in case – replace it with what are the odds I’ll ever need to replace it?
- I can’t give that away it was a gift – replace it with my real friends always love and support me
- I can’t decide so I’ll just keep it – replace it with I’ll make a decision and trust that everything will be okay
- What if it’s worth something someday – replace it with it will never be more valuable than joy, health, friendships etc
Do you need practice making decisions?
You make decisions all the time. What are you going to eat for breakfast, what are you going to wear today, when are you going to exercise? These are easy decisions because you make them all the time. They are not life-impacting decisions whether you choose cereal or eggs, shirt or sweater, exercise at 6 am or after work. The important thing is to see yourself as a decision-maker. It is a skill you have and do well. Appy that skill to deciding what to do with your possessions so you can get organized.
What if I make the wrong decision?
You can put too much pressure on yourself to be 100% certain about your decisions. There are very few decisions where you have a crystal ball and can see exactly what decision is perfect for the future. Make the decision that is right for you now. Keep the possessions that help you to become the person you want to be. Let go of the possessions that hold you back. Some things are meant to be in your life for a while and then move on to help someone else.
I don’t want to be responsible
It might be easy for you to make decisions that no one notices. When it comes time to make changes people will notice the decisions you are making. You might decide to have less stuff in your home, to spend money on experiences, not things, use your time to build relationships, not shop. Set goals about the changes you want to make in your life. When you are being intentional about change, it is easy to take responsibility and explain your decisions to others because you are the one making the choices to make your life better.
See yourself as a brave, wise decision-maker who intentionally chooses the best choice at the time to make your life better.
If you need help growing into this person join my 9-week coaching program From Clutter to Freedom
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, in person and virtually. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situation. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you to manage your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Click here to learn more about her online course Create an Organized Home.
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
Reading Time – 5 minutes
People ask me, “Do I have a disease?” and I usually say, “NO, you have a M.E.S.S”. When your life becomes disorganized it is usually caused by one of four situations. If you are feeling overwhelmed, try looking at your M.E.S.S. this way.
Shelves make storing items easier
M – Mechanical
Clutter can be caused because you don’t have the right type of storage. It is a mechanical problem.
- A drawer may be broken,
- There aren’t any shelves to put things on
- There aren’t any closets
- Your containers are too small or too big or you don’t have any
Solutions to a mechanical problem are simple. Look at what you want to store in the room. Decide if you are a visual person and would like things stored on shelves where you can see everything. Maybe being able to see everything bothers you, it is visual clutter to you. You would want to store things in cupboards or drawers.
The next step is to decide what type of containers you need to hold your stuff. Some people like to have clear containers other people like to use colour coded ones and still other people like them all to match. Whatever type you like make sure they will fit on the shelf or in the cupboard or drawer and hold the items you are storing. Buy the containers after you know what is going to be stored in the room. Make sure it fits into your budget.
Samsill Pop,n Store Container
E. Emotional
- Some people are very sentimental and find it difficult to let go of things. Try to remember that it is the relationship that you have with the person that is important not the item they gave you.
- Depression makes it hard to have enough energy to make decisions and organize your items
- Anxiety can clutter your mind so you find it difficult to make decisions
The solution to this situation is more complicated. You need to discover your relationship with your S.T.U.F.F. You need to recognize that you have Simply too much and take steps towards realizing that. Next, Take Time to set your goals concerning reducing what you have. The U is for Underlying causes. Examine what makes it difficult to let go of things. F is for how you Feel about having stuff. Do you feel comforted by having things around you or do you feel overwhelmed by too much? The last F is for how you Feel about having less. Does the thought of having less make you afraid or does it feel like you have space to breathe? I can help you with this process book a chat with me.
S. Situational
There are things that happen in your life that can put you into a state of chaos temporarily
- Having a baby
- Moving
- Divorce
- Seasonal Celebrations – Halloween, Christmas. Passover,
- The end of school or the beginning of a year
- Renovations
The solution to these situations is to remember it is a temporary situation. When things get busy ask for help.
S. Systems
If you have systems in place for getting things done then the work becomes easier because you don’t have to think about how to do it, who will do it, and when it gets done. Develop systems for
- laundry
- meal planning and grocery shopping
- collecting the garbage and getting to the curb or dumpster
- gift-giving
- feeding the pets
- doing homework
The solution for this situation is to spend some time planning. Setting up routines doesn’t make you a boring person. It is the opposite. You end up with more time to be creative and do things you enjoy.
You probably don’t have a disease that is causing you to be disorganized just a mechanical, emotional, situational or systematic problem that is contributing to your temporary disorganization. Determine which is the main cause of your disorganization and your problems can be solved so you have a great S.P.A.C.E.
Which situation causes you the most problems?
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually using Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of teaching to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
When I started Mind over Clutter in 2006 I thought I would talk with my new client, discuss their goals for the job and start organizing with them.
We would:
- Sort the items in the room into groups of items with the same function.
- Part with items that were no longer needed, used or loved
- Assign a home for (storage) for items that were being kept
- Buy containers to help store things efficiently and
- Evaluate how the system works
I was wrong. I soon learned that disorganization is never about how much stuff is in the space, it is about how the client relates to their stuff and feels about having stuff or having less stuff. Developing a mindset to be able to let go of items that no longer serve you and have items that help you to become the person you want to be is an important step in the organizing process.
Take some time to examine your mindset about your stuff. A lot of the time we do tasks without thinking about them. Setting up these habits makes it easier to get things done without spending a lot of mental energy thinking about the many repetitive tasks that need to be done each day, week, month and year.
Gregor defines mindfulness as, ” the act of being present, cultivating awareness by taking stock of our surroundings, emotions, state of mind, words, actions. It is all about being engaged with oneself fully.” Try this exercise. Take 5 minutes a day for yourself. Shut out all the disturbances of the day, the actions of others and words, spoken or written, Take 5 minutes to enjoy your surroundings, discover your emotions about the things in your environment and your state of mind living with your possessions. Once you have discovered your relationship with your stuff, it will make it easier to make decisions about what to keep and what to let go of.
If you need help getting started book a complimentary virtual organizing chat with me.
Julie Stobbe is a Trained Professional Organizer and Lifestyle Organizing Coach who brings happiness to homes and organization to offices, coaching you virtually through Zoom. She has been working with clients since 2006 to provide customized organizing solutions to suit their individual needs and situations. She uses her love of physical activity to reduce clutter, in your home and office. She guides and supports you in managing your time. If you’re in a difficult transition Julie can coach you to break-free of emotional clutter constraining you from living life on your terms. Online courses are available to help instruct, coach and support your organizing projects. Get started by downloading Tips for Reorganizing 9 Rooms.
Contact her at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
Twitter – Facebook – Facebook group Organizing Mind and Space
