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Reading time – 5 minutes
I love to travel. I enjoy exploring Canada, North America, South America, Europe, The United Kingdom, Asia and Australia. I will go almost anywhere. Whether you travel in-person or virtually it is a joy to see new places, people, cultures and ideas. One of the fun things I like doing on my travels is finding things relating to organization. Sometimes the items are good product solutions, show a novel way to use a product, encourage recycling, a fun invention or a thought provoking work of art.
Good Products
I found these stacking laundry baskets in a store. I like them because they stack in a way that you can place items in either basket without unstacking them.
Look at this coffee cup! You fold the top in a specific way and it makes a spout. Everything is recyclable.
Novel Solutions
Once again I was shopping and noticed this shoe organizer that was being used in a novel way. It was holding maps that were for sale. It was easy to see the titles on the maps and quickly purchase the one you needed.
I am an avid cyclist so when I saw this bike repurposed it caught my eye.
Are there too many tea cups around your home? I have seen them used for planting, given away as part of a tea party brunch and hats for gnomes. Here is another first use them as light fixtures.
Do you have any old canvas pictures or wooden signs around taking up space? Convert it into a device to hang items. It keeps them visible, uses vertical space and looks interesting on the wall.
A client made a lovely table out of an old treadle sewing machine.
One of my hotel rooms had this garbage can. It is divided into 4 sections for recycling – plastic, paper, glass, cans and waste. I thought this was a fantastic way to get travellers to recycle. Everything was disposed of in one place.
Fun inventions
The first time I saw this I was a little confused. It is a tap and hand dryer all in one. No dripping across the floor to get a paper towel or use a hand dryer mounted on the wall. It also is a no-touch device that makes it easy to have clean hands when you’re done washing. How does it work? You wash your hands under the tap, the water is turned on by a sensor. Then you move your hands to the right and left ( I like to call them the airplane wings) and the air turns on to dry your hand.
I enjoy seeing furniture that has more than one purpose. These tables can be used as seating, they store nicely under each other and they are eye catching home decor.
Thought Provoking Artwork
Sometimes my organizational find is artwork. This piece is called Organization. It is oil on canvas, 1933-1936, painted by Armenia born, American artist Arshile Gorky. I wonder why he called it that. Any thoughts?
This metal sculpture is by Ruth Ewan, 2019. It is called the Silent Agitator. Ewan’s clock is based on an illustration by Ralph Chaplin. It is a nod to the Industrial Workers of the World labour party. (IWW). It is also a new timepiece adding to the historical collection of ones that helped sailors know what time it was.
Donation
I saw this very creative way to share donations. Items are bagged and tied onto a fence. Anyone can take an item they can use.
Competition
I have not travelled to Nepal, a friend has. She sent me this picture with the caption, competition? It was fun to see a very similar logo in another country.
Here a just a few fun organizing finds from some of my travels. Which one do you like best? Let me know in the comments.
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
My guest blogger this month is Marija Trifunovic from Arizona Moving Professionals.
A neat and organized kitchen space and pantry reflect how well you manage your meals and your household in general. People with large families know that keeping everything neat is often challenging when you also need to stock up on food. Luckily, there’s a way to reorganize your pantry and make sure it looks good and is practical and easy to manage. Let’s go through some super helpful pantry organization ideas that will help you make it neat as a pin – and keep it that way!
Create a unified look with plastic stackable containers
With all the foods in containers of different shapes and sizes, it’s easy to lose track of what you’ve got in your pantry. That’s why packing all of the foods in a one-style container will make it super organized and easy to use. Find see-through, stackable containers that you can use for different types of food such as rice, grains, flour, pasta, cereals, and more. If they’re made of see-through plastic, it will be easier to see what’s inside and how much food is left.
Labels
You can make labels for all the contents in your pantry for easier organization. You can even buy blank stickers and write what’s inside each jar or container. Labels make it easier to manage the pantry, and the space will look even better if you use the same style everywhere.
Pull-out cabinets for reaching items in the back
Oil bottles, spices, and similar items often get stuck in a cabinet, so you use only the bottles or jars in front, forgetting about the ones in the back. Well, how about a cabinet you can pull out like a drawer and see all the items in it? You can custom-make it to fit your pantry or turn one regular cabinet into a pull-out one.
Use dividers
Use dividers to help you organize your drawers and cabinets whenever you can. Drawer dividers and organizers are probably the best way to keep the mess out, as you need to put the items back as they were. They’ll keep your drawers and cabinets as tidy as possible.
Create a spice rack
One of the best ways to organize and use up all the spices is to have them on display and see what you’ve got. Firstly, pour them into all the same jars and label each jar clearly. Next, use a simple book or picture shelf for all the jars. You can hang it on the back of the pantry door or a wall. This is one of the pantry organization ideas that will help with smart storage management, too. It’s perfect for small kitchens and pantries where you want to use every inch of space.
Go vertical
You might feel like you’ve got enough space in your pantry, but creating more space options will make every space look better. Use up the vertical space in your pantry by adding some shelves on top of the cabinets. Also, you can place a couple of baskets on the highest shelves and use them for things you don’t use daily. These are often seasonal items, holiday food tools, supplies, etc. Finally, use baskets to fill any open shelves that look messy. You can hide things in baskets to make the shelves look good and have everything tidy and in its place.
Bonus tip: using the vertical space in your pantry might result in shelves too high to reach. There’s a simple solution for this – a library ladder. Use to reach items that are placed high and have a spacious and organized pantry simultaneously.
Easy access to items you use daily
When organizing a pantry, the most crucial factor is how often you use something to cook. The priority factor will help you manage your foods to make the ones you need daily easily accessible. Sugar, flour, pasta – ensure these are placed in secure containers suitable for everyday use and put in a place where you can easily reach them.
Create a coffee and tea station
If you’re into morning or evening rituals of drinking tea and coffee, you simply need a station for making your favourite drink. Get a box or organizers for all the tea bags, coffee capsules, and other items you need to make your perfect morning cup of joy. Also, keep it together with your favourite cups and everything else you need to use or maintain your coffee machine. It will make this task much faster and easier once you have everything in one place.
Get a pegboard
This is one of the ideas for pantry organization you can use in other rooms in the house, such as your office, garage, or crafts room. Pegboards are a fantastic tool for organizing smaller items you need to prepare food – hang knives, measuring spoons, cutting boards, etc. You’ll use vertical space and clear-out cabinets and drawers.
First things first…
It’s important to know exactly how much space you have, so do a serious decluttering session first. Take everything out and remove all items that passed expiration dates, got spoiled, etc. Also, taking everything out for a moment will help you see how much space you have in your pantry. It will also make it easier to visualize the area and see which of the pantry organization ideas will work the best. Decluttering also works wonders for the entire home, so practice it regularly. However, if there are items, you can’t have at your home but still want to keep, decluttering with storage units is a great solution for this. Use a storage unit for seasonal items, hobby supplies, sports equipment you currently don’t use, old furniture that needs a makeover, etc.
These pantry organization ideas prove one thing – having a tidy pantry is easy. With just a few modifications and smart usage of space, you can truly enjoy preparing meals for your family.
If you need help implementing these ideas book a virtual organizing session 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
Often times we feel pressure to give an answer quickly or make a decision fast. As a parent, I learned to say I’ll get back to you or let me think about it before giving my decision. Sometimes it was a matter of counting to 10 before speaking. You may have a number of techniques to use that help you slow down your decision making until you can get all the facts. With technology all around us, there is pressure to work quickly. Learn what the best amount of time to spend on making decisions is so your values shine through in your work and life.
This blog is written by Mayo Oshin at MayoOshin.Com. and originally appeared on MayoOshin.Com as “Why waiting is the difference between success and failure ” on October 7, 2019
Shortly after midnight on September 26, 1983, the world nearly came to an end.
A few hours earlier, Stanislav Petrov—a lieutenant colonel in the Soviet Air Defense Forces—began his shift as the duty officer at Serpukhov-15, a secret command center near Moscow where the Soviet military monitored early-warning satellites over the United States.
Petrov’s job was simple: Monitor the satellites and notify his superiors of any nuclear missile attacks against the Soviet Union.
There was no cause for alarm, up until midnight.
And then suddenly, the red sirens surrounding the command center began to scream and the word “Launch” flashed up in big red letters across the white walls above the computers.
The computers flashed images of one nuclear missile attack from the United States, with the highest possible probability.
Considering the soviet warning computer had to go through 30 levels of security checks before confirming an actual missile launch, there was little doubt that the nuclear attack was legit. 1
Fear and panic filled the command center. And with only 20 minutes to react before impact, Petrov had to make a quick decision.
3 weeks prior, the Soviets shut down a commercial airplane flown across Soviet airspace from New York, killing all 269 passengers.
Since then, tensions hit their highest point since the beginning of the Cold War, and the Soviets were obsessed with fears of an attack from the U.S.
The incidence at the command center appeared to be the confirmation of their fears.
All it took was one phone call reporting the attack to Petrov’s superiors, and the Soviet leader, Yuri Andropov, would’ve most likely pulled the trigger on a nuclear missile counterstrike on the U.S.
As Petrov later said: “I had all the data [to suggest there was an ongoing missile attack]. If I had sent my report up the chain of command, nobody would have said a word against it,” he said. 2
As the sirens screamed louder and louder, Petrov instructed his subordinates to run more tests to check whether the missile attack was real—he decided to wait until all procedures were complete.
But within a few minutes, another alarm went off and the overhead displays flashed in red with a rocket attack sign.
This time the computer system showed five nuclear missiles in quick succession headed toward the Soviet Union.
The tension in the command center was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. As Petrov noted: “The moment the third alarm went off, I started feeling like I was sitting in a hot frying pan. I broke out into a sweat. I couldn’t feel my feet.” 3
Over 200 of Petrov’s subordinates fixed their eyes on him to hear the final decision.
But Petrov didn’t react. Instead, he chose to delay his decision and gather more information.
With only a few minutes left before impact, Petrov finally picked up the phone and called his superiors to inform them that the attack was a false alarm caused by a system malfunction.
He was right. The Soviet satellites had mistaken the sun’s reflection off the clouds for a missile attack from the United States.
Petrov’s delay in taking action prevented a potential nuclear retaliation and Third World War.
Decades later, the mass media of the Western world caught wind of Petrov’s role in the Cold War, and dubbed him “The Man Who Saved the World.” 4
In a Fast World, Think Slow and Act Slower
“We never live; we are always in the expectation of living.”
—Voltaire
Everything around us is moving faster and faster, and it doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon.
We want it all and we want it now: Instant messages, fast food, same-day grocery deliveries, speed dating, quick riches, rapid business growth, and the list goes on.
Impatience is our new virtue and speed is our motto.
But the constant pressure to get things done faster and make quick decisions often leads to avoidable mistakes that cost significant time and money, stress and burnout.
A series of studies conducted by two professors from Stanford and UCLA, Jeffrey Pfeffer and Sanford E. DeVoe, found that when we think about time as money—as we often do nowadays—we work longer hours and sacrifice our leisure and social time. 5
In particular, the researchers were shocked to discover that higher salaries earned by the participants led to more time pressure to work faster and longer, more stress outside of working hours and greater impatience with results.
As Pfeffer noted: “There’s some evidence that people feel more overworked and pressed for time than ever before, which is inconsistent with most measures to date of how much people are actually working in comparison to their leisure time.” 6
The mass media promotes the idea that faster is better and successful people make quick decisions in the “blink” of an eye.
But what if taking things slow and waiting until the last minute is better for decision-making, up until a certain point?
Decisions made too quick or too slow are sub-optimal.
Is it a coincidence that exceptional entrepreneurs, athletes, and investors, like Warren Buffett, have an uncanny ability to wait and then act at the right time within their circle of competence?
Or that the greatest military generals tend to spend a good amount of time observing before taking action, and genius innovators like Albert Einstein, spend years in solitude before they discover ingenious breakthrough ideas?
The common thread amongst top performers isn’t how fast they act. It’s when they act.
And when they act is often at the point of optimal time delay, which helps them to make better decisions than everyone else and stay at the top of their game.
So, how do you figure out your optimal time delay before taking action?
The answer to this question is less of an exact science and more of a subtle art.
It varies based on the nature of the decision, your level of experience in making similar decisions and your gut feeling.
As a rule of thumb, the more deliberate practise you’ve put into making similar decisions, the shorter your optimal time delay. Because your subconscious mind has been trained so well to take action on your behalf without much thinking required.
If you’re constantly stressed out, have a track record of making avoidable mistakes and struggle with instant gratification, then it’s likely you’re too far left of your optimal time delay and need to procrastinate a bit longer before making decisions.
By delaying our actions in our everyday lives—before speaking, replying to emails, saying yes and committing, hiring a new employee, creating a new year’s resolution, and so on—we can regain clarity of what’s truly important, make better decisions and achieve our potential.
Wait
We have a tendency to beat ourselves up for putting things off until the last minute.
But more times than not, it pays to wait before making a decision.
Stanislav Petrov’s decision to delay his final decision until the last minute arguably saved the world from war and destruction.
And in our everyday lives, we can save ourselves from stress, and bad mistakes that waste valuable time and money, if we simply wait a bit longer before making decisions.
In art, it’s the “subtle” changes that make the difference between a breathtaking and uninspiring painting.
In life, however, it’s the “subtle” moments of delay that make the difference between success and failure.
Mayo Oshin writes at MayoOshin.Com, where he shares the best practical ideas based on proven science and the habits of highly successful people for stress-free productivity and improved mental performance. To get these strategies to stop procrastinating, get more things by doing less and improve your focus, join his free weekly newsletter. The internet is noisy. Want to cut through the noise of useless information and feed your brain with well-researched ideas? Join 10,000 curious minds and get your brain food by clicking subscribe
I think this article has covered everything. Are there any ideas that should be added? Let me know in the comments.
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
Reading time – 5 minutes
When I am working with clients one of the first things they tell me is how many junk drawers they have. I can tell they usually think they should have none. Depending on how you define junk drawers they may be right. Why are they keeping junk? Most likely they are referring to the drawers that contain many items, from a number of categories, that they don’t know where to store so they put them all in one drawer. Does that sound familiar? Let me relieve your discomfort and say a junk drawer is ok.
What is a junk drawer?
When I am working with clients I know that they need a drawer to place things that they need to access quickly. It may be a screwdriver, takeout menus, a lighter for candles, string, tape for labelling leftovers or light timers etc. What is in your junk drawer? The problems arise when the junk drawer has junk in it. Spilled expired pills, pieces of ribbon, miscellaneous hardware, unwrapped candy, unneeded receipts etc. These items need to go to the garbage or appropriate recycling. Clean out your junk drawer and make it a quick access drawer. Rename your junk drawer so it is easier to determine what should be stored in it to make your life easier. What is the new name for your junk drawer?
How many junk drawers may I have?
Now that we have established you don’t keep junk. You want things accessible. With my clients, I think that junk drawers in the kitchen and home office are common. It is easy to have a drawer on the main floor, usually the kitchen, for items that you commonly use and don’t want to go to other areas of the house to get. In the office, there is a drawer that holds things that are used frequently and you don’t want to go searching for them, tape, glue, paper, envelopes, and electronics. Make sure that your office doesn’t become a junk room, storing everything that has not been assigned a storage space somewhere else in the home. I would suggest one junk drawer per floor in your home. How many junk drawers do you have?
Are junk drawers a bad thing? Only if they contain junk. Share on X
How to organize a junk drawer
A junk drawer should not be disorganized. You won’t be able to find what you need in the drawer. I have seen junk drawers so stuffed full that they can’t be opened. Use containers to organize items so that when you open the drawer you can access what you are looking for. There are lots of products available to keep the drawer organized:
- containers
- expansion drawer dividers
- expandable trays
- jars
- ziplock bags
Whatever your preference is, sort, remove unneeded items and then purchase your organizing product or repurpose items you already own.
I have containers for:
- pens, paper, pencils and makers,
- twist ties, elastics and bread tags,
- light timer and electrical outlet power bar
- string and tape
- first aid items.
That is what I need in my junk drawer. What do you need in your easy access drawer?
Why are junk drawers bad?
Junk drawers are not bad. Everyone needs a place to put items they don’t know where to store. Junk drawers are only bad when they store items you don’t need and are afraid to let go of. Look through your junk drawer on a regular schedule and clean it out. Remove items you don’t need, take items to their proper storage place and put the real junk in the garbage. Junk drawers are bad when they give you an excuse to procrastinate and not take the time to put things away properly or make decisions about what to keep and what to let go. Does your junk drawer let you procrastinate?
Let me help you with your junk drawers. 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 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
Perhaps you are familiar with the Professional Organizer industry. It is an unregulated industry. Anyone can call themselves a Professional Organizer. Professional Organizers in Canada (POC) was established about 23 years ago and the National Association of Productivity and Organizing Professionals (NAPO) the American organization is about 40 years old. Look for organizers listed on these directories. Most Professional Organizers have their own businesses and specialize in areas of organizing. As you read their websites you will be able to see their years of experience, type of training and continuing education.
What happens when you call an organizer?
Usually, there is some type of conversation over the phone, Zoom or email to discover what type of organizing dilemma you want solved. It might be to have a space organized, help with moving, develop systems to make things function more smoothly, downsizing, coaching or virtual organizing etc. Then there is a description of how the job will be completed. This is about the only common business practice. Since we all own our own businesses we have varying ways of continuing.
When you contact Mind over Clutter:
Can you get an estimate of the cost for the work to be completed?
Most times it is hard to estimate how long a job will take during the conversation. I offer a free one-hour assessment to my in-person clients to see what the job entails and give you an idea of how long I think it might take and what we will do. I also offer a 30-minute assessment to my virtual clients. One of the biggest factors on how long a job will take is how easily and quickly you can make decisions if items stay or go. The second factor is, that sometimes the job expands to include unforeseen work: filing papers, assembling shelving or bookcases, corners and areas not discussed during the assessment. I work at an hourly rate and offer a package of 10 hours at a reduced rate.
How does it work?
My virtual clients have 4 ways of working with me.
- A series of mini sessions
- Be there with you online as you work on your project to support, coach and mentor you
- Complete plan is developed for you to do on your own timeframe
- Develop routines and systems to help manage your time
80% of my in-person clients work with me to go through items and decide what will stay and what will be donated or recycled. Then we discuss the best place and way to store the items so they can be easily found and used. Most clients like to learn the skill of organizing so working together helps them to learn where start, how to sort, how to decide what stays and what goes, how to store things in containers and where is the best location to store different types of items.
What if you don’t want to help or can’t help?
If you don’t want to help, I can work alone sorting items based on our conversation on what you want to keep and what you want to donate. Then I create a donate pile a garbage pile and a recycle pile. Nothing leaves the house until you have looked through each pile. If you can’t help, you can sit with me and I can bring you things to do and you can answer my questions.
What if you need some guidance but can do all the work myself?
We can work together virtually. You show me the space to organize over Zoom and I send you a plan and you complete the work. Here is more information about virtual organizing. Or I can coach you through the process virtuallyusing Zoom by discussing what you want to accomplish and how you can accomplish it.
Maybe you don’t want me to see your home. You can purchase my online course
What happens with donations and recycling?
At the end of each work session, I take the donations. I will drop them at centers that will take your things. I can take them to the donation center of your choice too. I take non-curbside recycling at the end of each session. Usually, that includes batteries, paint cans, small electronics, small appliances, textile recycling, medications, and plastic bags.
Why wouldn’t you just do it yourself after the one hour free assessment?
Some people do. They have enough information and can continue with the job. Most people feel overwhelmed and stressed by doing it on their own. They find it easier to work with a professional who can guide them through the problem, help solve it and reduce the stress they feel about the situation. Working with someone makes you block time out for the appointment and helps you to stop putting it off. It is always more fun working with someone than working alone.
My virtual clients find that working with me makes them accountable to themselves and to me, especially in the mini-session program. We work together weekly, biweekly or monthly.
Will you give me homework to do?
Only if you want it. Some people like to keep going with the work and get it done quickly. Some people don’t want to work alone or would feel bad if they didn’t get the homework done so I don’t give that person anything to do. There are some tasks that are very time consuming and if you can do it on your own it makes it more cost effective for you, sorting paper, going through books, CDs, VHS tapes, and clothing. However, those tasks can be difficult to figure out what to keep and what to donate, so it might be easier for you to do it with me present.
Let’s chat
If you need more information book a complimentary 30-minute virtual chat with me, whether you want to work in person or online. I hope to hear from you soon.
Please post your questions in the comments.
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 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
Do you have a home or office that is creating anxiety and a feeling of stress and overwhelm? You know you want to change the situation. With a little knowledge, help and support you could start to feel happy in your home and organized in your office. I have been offering virtual organizing sessions for 7 years, this may be the year for you to try it.
Who would use virtual organizing services?
For clients who:
- wish to do the “hands-on “organizing themselves
- are uncertain about someone coming into their home,
- want a cost-effective way to get organized
- need to manage their organizing appointments to fit a complex schedule
- need support to stay focused on the project
Why would I offer this service?
Virtual organizing allows me to:
- to provide support to you through prearranged online meetings
- I can help you no matter where you live
- I can keep working with you even if you moved away
- in addition to organizing, I can coach, teach, support and mentor you
What would a virtual organizing session look like
There are probably as many ways to do virtual organizing as there are organizers. Here are my 4 formats.
A series of mini sessions.
This format starts with a one-hour session to establish the goals you want to achieve and is followed up with 30-minute mini sessions to set steps to follow to complete the job.
Be there with you
This format is for you if you don’t like to work alone. I am with you on my computer helping you to:
- know what to do next,
- make decisions about what to keep and what to donate and
- set up organizing systems to store your stuff.
Complete Plan
This format is for people who want to work by themselves on their own schedule. After you contact me, I set up a 1-2 hour Zoom call and you show me the room you want to get organized. I develop a customized organizing plan that you implement. If you have questions we can set up a support call to:
- solve problems,
- clarify the next step,
- receive storage suggestions.
- receive donation and recycling information
- check-in with you while you are working
Develop Routines
A lot of organizing and maintaining a home, office or room is establishing routines and systems. We work together to set up step-by-step systems.
There are the A, B, C, D’s of virtual organizing
For more detailed information check Virtual Organizing Services on my website
To book a complimentary 30 minute virtual assessment use this link or contact me directly at julie@mindoverclutter.ca
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
Here are 5 scenarios about why people have clutter. Clutter is different for everyone but most people have some clutter in their lives. Let’s look at the psychology of clutter.
Scenario 1 – Retail Therapy
I was talking with a friend about people who buy something when they are sad to make themselves feel better and how this can cause clutter, financial problems or health problems if it is food. She said when she had a bad day at school her mom would take her to a store and buy her a teddy bear. So she understands her joy in shopping.
Why do people shop and create clutter in their homes and offices? It’s the process of assigning the emotion of fulfillment, satisfaction or simply “non-depression” to an item. You were feeling sad and now you bought something and feel better, for a while.
This quote is from a book called Living More with Less:
“As someone once said
- we have bought into the foolish obsession of buying stuff we don’t need
- with money we don’t have
- to impress people we don’t even know.”
I think we can all relate to a purchase that we have made fitting this description.
Scenario 2 – Fear causes clutter
Perhaps it is fear that helps people hold onto things
- What if I need it someday – fear of scarcity
- I’ll keep it just in case – fear of uncertainly and doubt
- I can’t give that away it was a gift – fear of rejection
- I can’t decide so I’ll keep it and what if it is worth something someday – fear of making mistakes
In an article by Hellen Buttigieg, 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 or 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
Scenario 3 – Sentimentality and Clutter
I have clients who if they touch an object will automatically keep it, so I hold up the object and don’t let them touch it when they are deciding to keep it or give it away. Other clients need to touch an item before they can donate it, it is like saying goodbye to it.
The sentimentality can be associated with
- Someone you loved gave it to you or
- Someone you once loved used it
- Stuff that you associate with a time when you were happy. (memorabilia)
Being able to separate an object from a person can be difficult. Make sure to keep only a few objects that are the best representation of that period in your life period or moment. Learning that you can still have the memory and the corresponding feeling without having the object will help you to be able to donate items.
Scenario 4 – Control
Clients will hire me and want me to do their plans. As I work with them and make suggestions about alternative ways to organize things generally, they say no and then at my next appointment they usually say I thought about your idea, let’s try it.
People want to have control over their decisions and environment. Avoiding power struggles over decisions about what stays and what goes makes decluttering easier.
Scenario 5 – Keeping your Stuff to Sell
I have clients who want to make lots of money selling their stuff. Sometimes it is possible and sometimes it isn’t. They will hold onto stuff for garage sales, to put on Kijiji, eBay or Facebook Marketplace. Sometimes they hold onto it for so long that it has lost its value. They think I paid good money for it. The reality is the money has been spent
Just because it was costly to purchase does not mean that it’s valuable today. Items change in value. What’s important is whether you are using what you have now, or if what you have is distracting you from the lifestyle you want. If you are not loving, using and enjoying your things, then reconsider their ‘value’.
I summarize these 5 scenarios into
- Social – learning that you can’t always feel happy and that acquiring things will not make you happy
- Psychological – trusting yourself helps you have the courage to let go,
- Emotional – learning you can have that wonderful feeling without the object
- Personality – people need control over their decisions, you can’t make it for them
- Financial – The value of an object in the enjoyment it brings to your life
The important thing to discover is what reasons make it hard for you to let go of the things or cause you to buy more things and change those mindsets.
Which scenarios do you relate to the most?
If you need help clearing the clutter contact me julie@mindoverclutter.ca
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
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
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
Every year you set yourself resolutions, some you keep some you might not but if there is one resolution that should be attainable for everyone is the January de-clutter. In fact, there really is no better time to sort through, organize, and de-clutter than the post-Christmas holidays. You and your family have no doubt accumulated an awful lot of new stuff and you need to make room for it. Don’t let your new belongings sit on top of the old ones, use this time to donate the stuff you no longer use or need and make room for your appreciatively received new goodies.
How to start your New Year declutter
To successfully undertake a declutter you need to be organized with a plan and agenda, and you need to stick to it. Here are some ways to help you organize your decluttering.
- List your areas for decluttering; do not just wander aimlessly around your house opening random cupboard doors looking for inspiration. List where you want to declutter and start with the easiest area first or the area that bothers you the most.
- Have a deadline; decide on a time that you want each area decluttered by and give yourself sufficient time to do the work. It could be an hour, 10 minutes a day, or a full afternoon dedicated to one space. Whatever works for you.
- Develop a system; when it comes to going through all of your stuff put in place a system of what you are going to do with your items. A good place to start is by having four stations, donate/recycle, sell, trash, keep. Everything should go into one of these piles but your keep pile should be dramatically reduced. Remember if you haven’t used it in a year – donate it.
- Make sure everything has a place; if you are keeping it make sure it has a place to live and it stays there without causing mess or clutter. If it doesn’t have a place then make a place that is easily accessible and close to where you use it or don’t keep it.
Benefits of decluttering
If you still are not tempted to declutter, consider some of these benefits to help persuade you.
- Reduce stress and anxiety. Mess, clutter, and chaos in your home can have a negative impact on your stress and comfort levels. It can cause a sensory overload, you might feel embarrassed or stressed at the prospect of not knowing where things are.
- Easier to clean and tidy. With so much less stuff in the way, it will be easier to keep your home in order and keep things clean and tidy, which will inevitably make life easier when hosting and entertaining.
- Positive impact on selling your home. Having a clean, tidy, decluttered home will make selling your home easier. If listing your home is something you are considering doing a declutter is essential as all top realtors such as https://jenjewell.ca/ will conclude.
- Help to remove allergens. Dust, pet hair, and pollen can gather in all kinds of places and there is no better place than on tops of items sitting around taking up space and gathering dust. Getting rid of clutter should help to improve the airflow of your home and remove gathering dust and allergens.
If you need help with decluttering and organizing your home, purchase my online course, Create an organized home.
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
