Category: Lenten Organizing Challenge

An Organized Person… Doesn’t Procrastinate (much…)

This week is National Procrastination Week.  Or not. I could be wrong.

You see, it moves around from year to year just because.  It’s usually in March, but has been slowly moving later and later in the month.    Oh, those funny procrastinators…

Per Merriam Webster, of course, to Procrastinate is:

: to put off intentionally and habitually     (or) 
: to put off intentionally the doing of something that should be done.
It means to delay the doing of something that needs done for no particular reason, or at least not a particularly good reason.  Here are some of the reasons WHY we procrastinate, and what to do about them!
Sometimes we procrastinate because we’re not sure just how long a project will take.
  • Put your project on your own terms.  Instead of believing we need to start and finish a project in one sitting, start believing that progress towards a goal is often enough.   We may never be able to finish our big projects in one session, but that shouldn’t keep us from starting!
  • Set a timer and make some progress, even if you can’t finish.
  • Progress towards a goal is plenty for today!

Sometimes, we procrastinate because it is what we’re used to doing.   Perhaps, we just have to overcome our inertia.
Today,
Start with the easiest task… or
Start with the hardest task… or
Start with the quickest task… or
Start with the longest task.  Just
Start.
Sometime we procrastinate because a project feels SOOOOO BIG AND OVERWHELMING!!!
  • Once, a client had “buy paper towels”, “call the plumber” and “learn how to play the guitar” all on the same daily to-do list.  Obviously, the scope of the guitar task was far beyond the other two simple tasks.  And not surprisingly, “learn to play the guitar” was too broad and too vague to really allow any progress towards the goal!
  • Break down big projects into smaller, more manageable pieces.  My client’s first step might be to locate the family guitar in the attic, or contact her friend who’s taking guitar lessons for the instructor’s contact information.  Little pieces!
Sometimes we procrastinate because we don’t actually know how to do what needs done. 
  • If the task was assigned by someone else, request clarification.  And if it is our own task, think it through and make a plan!
  • Fortunately, information is at our fingertips all the time, so we can learn how to do something we don’t know how to do.
  • We can also ask our experts, or outsource the task.   Two examples that come to mind are:
    • For months, I researched and internally debated if I should become an LLC or a corporation.  Finally, I asked my attorney who answered my question in 5 minutes and then set everything up for me without breaking a sweat.
    • Same goes for my web design expert!  What would have taken me weeks of fumbling took my expert a week, and I still LOVE my website redesign.
      I should have started with my experts!

So, next time you find yourself procrastinating and you don’t know why, take a look at this list for insight and solutions to the problem!

An Organized Person… Marches Forth and Actually Completes Tasks

Last week, we started looking at what Organized People Do.  We started with a plan, which is the best place to start.

The next natural step after planning is to ACT.

How about this for an acronym:
ACT = Actually Complete a Task.  Or, Already Completed a Task?  You choose!

The calendar says Spring is coming, though it’s a ridiculously brisk and sunny 5 degrees here in Chicago.   Despite the chill,  my internal motivators are all pointing to Spring, too.

My coaching friend Mark suggests there are 5 broad areas in our lives – Health, Work, Family, Social and Sleep – where we need to focus our energies.  I was thinking of those as I penned my list for the week, adjusting as needed, and you should adjust as needed, too.

Here are my areas of ACTion this week:   Wellness, Home, Family, Work and Spirituality.

  • I signed up for and started a wellness challenge today.  I weighed in and measured up this morning, (gulp) posting my weight and measurement in a closed FB group for 30 complete strangers to see.  In the spirit of this challenge, today I will also clean the fridge, make our menu and create our grocery list for this week.
    Any ACTions you could take this week for wellness?
  • The painter is scheduled to stop and give me an estimate on repainting our bathroom.  And when I’m done with this article, I have a handful of calls to make for tree removal and planting, awning cleaning and other Spring Cleaning tasks.  Mainly, today I want to get on people’s lists for ACTion when Spring actually arrives, to get our work done sooner rather than later.
    What ACTions could you take this week for Home Maintenance?
  • This month our family will see both celebrations and challenges.  Today, I am sending RSVPs, scheduling events and making plans for those events.   Looking at your schedule,
    What ACTions can you take this week to make room for Family?
  • Not to neglect work, I have quite the long list of tasks to complete for my business and for professional development this week, too.  However, I find that work is always there and I tend to always make time for work to the detriment of some of the other areas of my life.
    What work ACTions have been awaiting your attention lately?  What Work ACTions would move you towards your goals this week?
  • This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, and I take my Lent seriously.  This week, I will add Lenten prayer and reflections to my morning routine, and today and tomorrow,  I will prayerfully discern what other Lenten observations I may want to undertake.
    What ACTions can you take this week to make your efforts more meaningful and spiritual? 

What ACTions can you take this week, friends? March forth!!

An Organized Person… Starts With A Plan

An Organized Person…   Starts with a plan.

So here is the plan:  I will spend the next blog article series sharing organizational wisdom, life hacks, tips and suggestions to help us do the things  that life requires us to do.

If you follow me on FB, you may have noticed (or even been a part of) the lively conversation last week around life skills.

I don’t care for the term “adulting”, though many of these types of tasks are required of we adults, so I asked for alternative ideas.  Suggested titles for this blog series include:

  • The business of your business or someone else’s business or just the business of yourself.
  • “Umm…life?”
  • Mom’s not here
  • How to not be a jerk / slacker / (and other more colorful words)
  • How to be productive member of society
  • “Things you need to know how to do before you’re 30 (or 25 or 40) or
  • “Organizing Skills You Need to Know Before You’re 30 or 25 or 40″
  • That which we must do to provide for those we love
  • The Next Step
  • Responsibility, goal setting, integrity, maturity, demonstrating self-sufficiency, possessing life skills.
  • How to Grow Up, or Grow Up and Get it Done
  • “You couldn’t wait to grow up! Here is grown up stuff you have to do!”
  • The Art of Being an Adult
  • “Now that you’re ripened! 🤣. or….Now that you’re a big kid….here’s your list of things”
  • Owning It…how to get back your time by getting stuff done
  • “You put your big boy/girl pants on, now what?”

Have I mentioned lately?  I love my community!

The plan is to introduce a topic a week, perhaps requesting input from my community regarding the tips (and even upcoming topics).  These topics will all be a part of being an organized person.

As part of my plan, topics in the near future include “Organized People…

  • work smarter
  • outsource
  • do important stuff by 8 am
  • put things in the same place twice (or more)
  • pack a bag (maybe every day)
  • ignore shiny things and focus on the task in front of them
  • have habits around paying their bills
  • pay their taxes
  • and more!”

I’m looking forward to having some fun and learning a lot in this process, so glad you all are with me!  See you in a week!

National Clutter Awareness Week: When Clutter Comes Back

Did you know? This week is National Clutter Awareness Week.  Many of us are already aware of clutter!  I’ve been talking to folks lately about what happens when clutter comes back.

You know how it is… We do the hard work.  We set aside time, we sort all our stuff, and get rid of some.  And that feels GREAT!  We look around and see clear and calm spaces.  We breathe a sigh of relief and contentment.  And then we put away our good stuff, pat ourselves on the back, and happily bump along for a while.

But then one day, days or weeks or months later,  we look around, and some of the clutter has crept back.   One of my clients whispered on the phone to me “It’s multiplying while I’m gone!”.

Clutter comes back because:

  • We use things up or items wear out, and then we buy more things;
  • We just need to put stuff away;
  • As we age and evolve, our priorities, interests and hobbies change;
  • Our children grow up and their toys and interested change, too;
  • Our families grow and shrink, people move in and move out;
  • Sometimes, we move to a new home;
  • We make big changes to our current home (Chatting with a friend / client recently, she mentioned that the basement that we organized has relapsed into disorganization after a big furnace replacement); Or
  • Our situation or health changes – Perhaps maintenance used to be easy, but then you battled an illness or a physical challenge, and now your capacity or energy for organizing are diminished.

Clutter comes back.   Sometimes, I feel like Mr. Incredible when he said, “No matter how many times you save the world, it always manages to get back in jeopardy again. Sometimes I just want it to stay saved! You know?! For a little bit. I feel like the maid: “I just cleaned up this mess! Can we keep it clean for, for 10 minutes?! Please?!”

Sure, we can choose to get cranky and resentful about maintenance.  Better yet, though, we can recognize and embrace the fact that maintaining our organizing is inevitable and necessary, and get on with it.

How to?

  • Never assume clutter and disorganization are gone forever.   You will have to tweak or update your organizing once in a while.  Simple things like doing laundry and putting it away, cleaning the house, buying and using groceries – all count as maintenance.
  • Pay attention to the times when clutter seems to creep back in.
    • I notice clutter around transition times – daily transitions like leaving for work or coming home; or life transitions like trips and travel and moves and projects.
    • Once you notice your habits, think about how you can ease those transition times.
      • For example, I have daily habits around hanging up my coat and bag every time I come home, or leaving my shoes the same place all the time.
      • For bigger transitions, I have a habit around unpacking immediately and putting things away, so I don’t have to face the clutter later.
  • Be nice to you, when the clutter comes back.  Cut yourself some slack, acknowledge that maintenance is inevitable and necessary, and then get to work.
  • Perhaps we  just need to put things back, and resume the organizational system we had in place before.  Make time daily or weekly for restoring order.
  • Is it time to rethink our system?  When we re-did our kitchen last summer, we had a chance to re-think some of our systems.  Most of our kitchen items when back similarly to the old kitchen.  But we had enough new drawers and bigger cabinets, so we used the opportunity to make positive change.
  • Easiest suggestion?  Maintain your systems once they’re in place.  Put stuff away, don’t buy what you don’t need, spend time daily or weekly to take care of routine tasks, process paperwork, clear clutter and keep healthy habits!  Then if the clutter creeps back in, you’ll be ready to tackle it!

This Clutter Awareness Week, accept that a little maintenance effort will go a long way, and get to it!

To:

Receive more ideas and suggestions like these;
Book time with me in person or virtually;
Arrange a presentation for your upcoming event; or
Discover the benefits of Organizational Coaching;

Please contact me.

Call / text 708.790.1940
Online at  http://peaceofmindpo.com
www.Facebook.com/MColleenKlimczakCPO
Via Twitter, @ColleenCPO

National procrastination week (No, you don’t get to procrastinate)

Did you know? The first full week of March is National Procrastination Week, supposedly an entire week dedicated to putting things off.   

Um… you know that is NOT what I’m going to recommend, right?  Instead, let’s look at how to get things done, even when the path is difficult!

I am a solo entrepreneur, which is a fancy term for a small-business owner who does EVERYTHING.  In the midst of delivering organizing services, coaching and offering presentations, I also need to plan and grow my business for the long term with new ideas and products.

 Lately, I’ve been wrapping my head around a remarkably daunting project (hosting webinars), and last week, I mentioned to a fellow business owner that if I was an employee in charge of this particular project, I would have fired me by now!

Sometimes, we just need to do what needs done!  Can you relate?  Either professionally or personally?   Got a project you’ve been dragging your feet about?

If you’re procrastinating, it’s time to figure out what exactly the problem is.  You need to do something, but:

You… Don’t know how.

  • Call in your experts.  Years ago, I spent time and energy worrying if I should become an LLC or an S or C Corporation.  What a waste of time.  I didn’t need to figure out, I just need to contact a trusted friend, my attorney Eileen Kerlin Walsh. She knew exactly what I needed and made it happen with a minimum of fuss.  The same strategy worked when I needed to update my website.  I didn’t need to learn how to build a new one, I called my expert, my webdesigner Claire at Aplify7,  and she made me look great with no hassle!
  • You don’t need to know everything, you just need to reach out.

You… Worry about the cost, monetary or otherwise, of working on a project.

  • Is this project worthwhile?  Explain out loud why you need to do this thing or meet this goal,  and perhaps that will help motivate you to act.
  • Sometimes action costs money or time or other resources, true.  But if you’re procrastinating around a business venture, or health care issue that you can’t seem to make the appointment for, or house repair that you’ve been avoiding, the better question is “Can you afford to NOT do this?”
  • While I wrote this, a friend reached out to me about trademark and copyright laws for protecting their business brand.  I don’t know the answers, so I asked my experts and of course, they stepped up! But this was a great example for weighing the potential high price of working with a knowledgeable attorney vs. the even higher cost of NOT acting and having your brand damaged.

You … Don’t want to, it may be uncomfortable.

  • Have you ever noticed?  We spend far more time dreading the unknown task than it usually takes to complete it.  I missed an article deadline recently for another publication, and I dreaded (and avoided) for days fessing up and letting the publisher down.  And they were kind and not bothered at all.  I spent far more time being uncomfortable about NOT doing something than actually doing something about it. Seems rather silly now.
  • Know yourself. We like to be comfortable, right?  So agree to be just A LITTLE uncomfortable, try just a small new thing, in the interest of progress.  Once you try something, it’s not new anymore.

You… Don’t want to start when there isn’t time to finish. 

  • Do you hear yourself when you say these things?  We tell ourselves we only want the finished project, but we never start?  That, my friend, is what we call a Contradiction.
  • Set a timer, focus on time dedicated and not completion of the task.  Some progress towards a goal is still progress, even if you don’t complete the project this time.
  • Acknowledge that Perfectionism and Procrastination often go hand in hand, and may be working against the actual completion of your project.

You… Don’t know how long it will take.

  • Yup, this one terrifies me. For example, I procrastinate about making phone calls.  Not logical or wise, I know. But my very real fear is getting stuck on the phone and not knowing how long the call may last.  But I can decide how much time to dedicate to a task.  Even if I won’t complete the task, I can still start.

You… Are just not feeling it right now.  

  • We’ve all been there.
  • Long ago, a client said she was waiting to wake up one morning and be suddenly motivated to exercise, keep her house clean, get a job, etc. And because she was paying me to, I asked the tough question “Has that EVER actually happened?”  And the answer was… uh, no.  So, we fake it until we make it.
  • Intentionally procrastinate for a few (JUST A FEW!)  minutes.  Set a 10 minute timer, step back, change your scenery, get up and grab a cup of coffee or tea.  Then get back to work!
 Rest assured, I am saying these things to ME right now, too!  Observe National Procrastination Week by actually getting over some procrastination!
To:

Receive more ideas and suggestions like these;
Book time with me in person or virtually;
Arrange a presentation for your upcoming event; or
Discover the benefits of Organizational Coaching;

Please contact me.

Call / text 708.790.1940
Online at  http://peaceofmindpo.com
www.Facebook.com/MColleenKlimczakCPO
Via Twitter, @ColleenCPO

Tips For Chasing Those Elusive Zzzzzz’s! (Yes, Sleep Hygiene is really a thing)

A few times a year, I have the privilege of teaching the Time Management Component for a Career readiness program at a local community college.  I LOVE teaching this group!

Tomorrow is the day, and today I finished crafting a Sleep Hygiene handout for these hardworking and often sleep-deprived folks!  So, since I am sharing the info with them tomorrow, I want to share it with you today!

TIPS FOR A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP

  • Sleep is essential for optimal performance and health.  It gives our bodies time to rebuild, and our minds time to process stimuli.
  • We may all struggle at different times in our lives to get enough sleep or good sleep.
  • What happens if we don’t sleep?
    • In the short term, simple things like feeling tired, lack of focus, irritability and lethargy.
  • Long term sleep loss can lead to
    • job loss, decreased cognitive function, physical ailments (high blood pressure, increased risk of heart disease, inflammation, decreased metabolism, skewed hormones) and psychological issues (depression, anxiety).
  • Sleep cycle (Harvard.edu): Nightly, we alternate between REM (lighter, Rapid Eye Movement) sleep and Non-REM sleep (deeper, more restorative sleep).  We need both for optimal physical and mental recuperation, and memory consolidation.
  • I’m not a sleep expert, but as an organizer, I recognize logical, objective ways to improve routines and physical space to live better.

How does our home environment impact sleep?

  • The National Sleep Foundation states that people who make their beds daily are more likely to sleep well every night, and 71 percent of us sleep better in a fresh-smelling bedroom.  A cluttered room reminds us of unfinished tasks, whereas an uncluttered room helps us relax.  Closing closet doors and dresser drawers further soothes us.  In addition, 75% of people sleep better when they have clean sheets.
  • According to The Anxiety and Depression Association of America, depression can cause clutter, and clutter can cause people to feel tired and more depressed!
  • Individuals who live in clean homes are generally healthier than their counterparts living in clutter, according to research conducted at Indiana University

Take Care of Your Sleep Environment:

  • Not too loud: Soothing music is nice, if you need it, but set a timer for it to turn off and don’t sleep with ear phones in your ears.
  • Not too quiet:  Silence can be even more distracting than noise. A white noise machine may help, or a cool vaporizer like the one we run all winter helps drown out nighttime noise.
  • A cool room is best for sleeping, and some prefer a fan to move air around.  Sleep with blankets in layers, not just one really heavy one, so you can shed or add covers as needed.
  • An actual bed (get off the couch!) and the right pillow – not too soft or hard, or too many.
  • Bedrooms are Bed Rooms. Limit your bedroom to sleep and relaxation.  No computer, TV, treadmill or workout equipment, no unfinished work or unfolded laundry. Sleep and relaxation!
  • And, sorry to say this, but if you’re having trouble sleeping, have your pets sleep elsewhere.

Clean up your Sleep Hygiene for better sleep.

  • Your “sleep hygiene” is your daily routine for getting a good night’s sleep.
  • Determine how much sleep you actually need.  We don’t all need exactly 8 hours a night to live our best lives. Some folks need less and some need more, based on age, physical demands, individual rhythms and a host of other variables.  Fix your wake-up time, and work back from there for your bedtime, first with 8 hours, then 7.5, then 7.
  • You may be getting more sleep than you think.  It may feel like you’re awake, since your sleep may be shallow and not restorative.  And obviously, intentionally napping or even nodding off while watching TV counts as sleep and can undermine your overnight sleep.
  • How to adjust your daily routine for better sleep:
    • Set a consistent sleep schedule. Keep your bed-time and wake-time the same, even on weekends.  Wake-time should vary no more an hour from weekday to weekend.
    • During the day, exercise, but not close to bedtime.
    • Avoid caffeine after lunch, and check your medications, foods and beverages for hidden caffeine, sugar or other stimulants.  You would be amazed all the places caffeine hides, or how medicines like steroids can keep you awake at night!
    • Avoid overhead and fluorescent lighting as much as possible.  Turn down all your lights after dinner, to tell your brain it is time to start shutting down for the night.
    • Start winding down a little before bedtime. Choose the same 3 or 4 soothing activities before bed nightly, like yoga, wash your face, warm beverage, a warm shower, quiet TV viewing or reading (with soft lighting or a clip light) in a darkened room.
    • Screen Time: turn off anything with a screen (TV, computer, phone) half an hour before bed time, and keep computers and TVs out of the bedroom completely if you are having sleep issues.  The electronic fields can interfere with good sleep.  Set your device screens for “night time” and lower the brightness, with less blue light to keep you awake.
    • Keep a notebook and pen at your bedside, to jot down random thoughts that might keep you awake.

And now, stop reading and go to sleep!  G’Night!

Change The Habit or Change The House?

Working with a client this morning, I was reminded  of an article I recently read on ApartmentTherapy.com similar to this one (edited and updated, July 2020).

In the comments for an article about creating an entry way in a small space, a reader asked if the solution to the problem was to “Change the habit or the house?”.

This is a powerful and useful question as we get organized!  And… what does that mean?

Let’s say I notice that, when I walk in the door every day, I consistently put my keys on the same side table and toss my coat over the same chair or the back of the sofa.

Leaving my keys and coat exactly there makes the space look cluttered or disorganized, so I could elect to try and change my HABIT and come in a different door, or walk down the hallway and hang things up in a closet, etc.   However, since I am consistent about where these items fall, I can find them in an instant and be out the door efficiently.

So the HABIT is a good one, but the entry way of the HOUSE doesn’t support the HABIT well.   I could change the house to support the habit by adding a decorative bowl in the entry way for keys and phone, setting a chair in the entry way for our coat and bag, or perhaps adding a coat tree or some wall hooks.

Another example.  This morning’s client has 2 school aged daughters, and they both consistently drop their school backpacks and sport bags in the same places in the living room / dining room.  This can drive a parent crazy, let me tell you!

Yes, the piles in these living spaces are unsightly.  However, these students have good and consistent habits that helps them keep track of their school work and team uniforms.  So, the question we asked this morning was “Is it easier to change the habit or the house?”

My client didn’t actually mind the location of the piles, merely the appearance of them.  So, de- cluttering the pile contents and adding attractive large wicker baskets to hold the bags and gear in the habitual drop zones seems a better solution than trying to establish new habits and drop zones elsewhere.

Years ago, I organized with a real estate agent who had a lovely home office, but she didn’t really like to work in there.  She preferred to work in her kitchen – it was warm and cozy, had great light plus coffee!  So, instead of trying to change her preferred habit of working happily in the kitchen, we instead set up a work space in the kitchen and reserved the home office for meetings with clients, and file and supply storage.  We helped her home better fit her good work habit.

Again, the question: Do I need to change my house or change my habit?

Is there is a space in your home or office that regularly causes you frustration?  A place that has just never seemed to “work” right for you?

If your habit is a problem – you drop stuff where it becomes unsafe, you neglect client files, you are inconsistent with your stuff and the habits around it – then consider changing your habits.

If, however, your habits are sound but the space doesn’t support the habit, consider what you can do to Support the Good Habit and Change the house around it!

Thanks for reading!

To:

Receive more ideas and suggestions like these;
Book time with me in person or virtually;
Arrange a presentation for your upcoming event; or
Discover the benefits of Organizational Coaching;

Please contact me.

Call / text 708.790.1940
Online at  http://peaceofmindpo.com
www.Facebook.com/MColleenKlimczakCPO
Via Twitter, @ColleenCPO

9 Things Every Closet Needs! Tips for National Clean Out Your Closet Month

Did you know?  January is National Clean Out Your Closet Month!

Today, I want to suggest how to celebrate Clean Out Your Closet Month with some ad-ins that will keep your closet organized every day of the year! Check them out!

EVERY CLOSET NEEDS…

  1. A basket / bag for dirty laundry. This keeps random bits from piling up, and makes that dirty  laundry more like to get washed!
  2. A basket / bag for regular trips to the dry-cleaners or tailor (optional).  Ours dry-cleaner bag lives in our laundry room, and we have a weekly errand for taking in and picking up.
  3. A basket/ bag and a path for items to leave.  Our home has a system for getting rid of no-longer-needed items.  These items go into the dirty laundry basket with everything else and get laundered, then tucked in the “Donate” or “Off-To-Our-Cousin” baskets that live in our laundry room.
  4. A wastebasket.  Rubbish needs a path and a receptacle to leave a space.  Show me a closet littered with plastic dry cleaning bags, clothing tags, dirty tissues and general trash, and I’ll show you it lacks a wastebasket.
  5. Good hangers. I’m not suggesting you spend a fortune on your hangers, but invest in plastic or felted hangers to take good care of your clothes and give your closet a tidier appearance.
  6. A few extra hangers, but only a few.  One of the first and easiest steps to making more room in a closet is to clear out all the empty hangers.  Trust me, some have dozens taking up precious rod space!  Once all your clothes are hung and the closet is organized, keep all but 3 or 4 of your empty hangers in your laundry room instead of in your closet.
  7. An Ish-Hook or 2.  I have 3 hooks in my closet for clean-ISH clothes.  Clean-ISH, that you plan to wear again soon.  You know – the pajamas you only wore once? or the track pants and sweat shirt you put on when you get home from work?  Perhaps the jeans you wore for a little while but plan to wear again tomorrow.  It’s not worth it to wash them all, or to hang them all up again, so we need a way to keep them close at hand but not strewn about your space!
  8. A clear floor.  Imagine with me:  You’re standing in your closet, trying to get dressed in the morning. Or perhaps you have clean laundry to put away.  Now imagine trying to do these regular tasks while stepping on clothes or shoes, or dodging shopping bags or neglected empty suitcases.  Having those physical obstacles in the way will likely keep you from completing the simple maintenance tasks needed to make your closet work well for you.
  9. A plan! Every month or so, I get the itch to review my closet and drawers, straightening and purging as I go.  I encourage my sons to do the same, at least a couple of times a year.  This quick but regular maintenance keeps my clothes and closet organized and relatively clutter free all year long!

Spend some time taking care of your closet this week, and it will take care of you every day!

To:

Receive more ideas and suggestions like these;
Book time with me in person or virtually;
Arrange a presentation for your upcoming event; or
Discover the benefits of Organizational Coaching;

Please contact me.

Call / text 708.790.1940
Online at  http://peaceofmindpo.com
www.Facebook.com/MColleenKlimczakCPO
Via Twitter, @ColleenCPO

Put Stuff Away Before You Take Anything Else Out

Have you ever noticed?  When we are excited about an upcoming adventure / event / road trip, our first reaction is to jump in and start pulling things out to get ready.

Perhaps we are packing for a trip.  We’re leaving in the morning, so we run to the closet or dresser drawers, and start pulling out clothes and piling them on top of a potentially already cluttered dresser or bed.

Sometimes, we have a project for work that must be done right away, and we spread it out on top of the projects already on our desk or work space.

Maybe we’re famished and we need to start dinner, so we pull things out of the fridge to the already crowded counter and then wonder why cooking is such a hassle.

AHHHHH!!! Let me suggest a better way:

  • STOP!
  • Put your stuff away before you start pulling more things out.
  • Just 5 or 10 minutes of clearing out and cleaning up will help you find focus and clarity and a clear work space!
  • As you tidy up, craft your packing list or project plan in your mind.   Then, when your mind and space are de-cluttered, jump in to action!

Let’s go back to packing for that trip.  Take 5 minutes and hang up that pile of stuff on the dresser or bedpost (you know, THAT pile).  Locate and put away your clean laundry, pulling out items you want to take along with you.  Then pull out your suitcase or satchel and get packing!

Need to pack up more orders for shipment?  Finish the ones from yesterday and load them in the van.  THEN… start on the new ones.  A clear work space is always going to make the job go more smoothly!

Back to that new project for work?  Take the 5 minutes to clear up the old project, so the two don’t get mixed up.

Friends coming for dinner, and you just got home with all the groceries? Before you turn on the oven or open one package, take 5 minutes and put your groceries away, setting aside the supplies you need to make dinner on a tray or cookie sheet, and wipe clean the counter.  Just those few moments of putting away and getting ready will make your meal prep a lot easier!

I always encourage action instead of inaction, but we should also be taking the RIGHT action. So, clear and clean up before you leap in and give your next actions some thought.  Then go ahead and jump!

Your Stuff Needs an AWAY.

We all have stuff.  Stuff we need, stuff we use, stuff we love*.  Stuff.

 

(*if anyone can tell me who crafted the ‘Need, Use, Love’ criteria, I would love to know!)

 

Sometimes we have stuff we don’t need or use or love, and then our Stuff turns into Clutter.

 

 

Perhaps you have Stuff that you do need and use, but it is scattered around the house.  In the way, on surfaces, in bags, on top of other things. In this case, your Stuff becomes visual clutter.  We know we need to keep it, but it still drives us crazy.

 

Your Stuff needs an AWAY.
 
Once we determine what Stuff is needed and useful, we need to establish an AWAY, a spot or maybe multiple spots in our house for our Stuff to live.
 
Then we need to create and maintain the habit of actually putting our Stuff AWAY.
 
We put our Stuff AWAY…
  • to take good care of our Stuff so we don’t have to buy our Stuff again;
  • so we can find our Stuff again when we need it; and
  • to give our eyes a break and our homes a breath of clean and fresh air.
Ideas to consider:
  • If you have look around your home and notice piles of Stuff, we first ask – is that Stuff or Clutter?  If it’s Stuff, it needs an AWAY.  If it’s Clutter it needs to be purged.
  • We need to establish an AWAY for our Stuff that is convenient to where we use our Stuff. Obviously, we keep cooking and food items in the kitchen.  But we can be more specific, as in, keeping the coffee cups in the cabinet above the coffee maker which is also right next to the sink.
  • We also need to establish an AWAY that is convenient for the other related Stuff that goes with our Stuff.  So, in the coffee analogy, I might also keep the cream and sugar near the coffee maker and mugs, and the travel mugs nearby, too.
  • An AWAY for our stuff helps us decide about quantity.  For example: to me, one large dresser drawer full of t-shirts is a reasonable amount.  So, when I put my clean laundry AWAY and the drawer is too full (perhaps a recent shopping trip?), the boundaries of the drawer remind me of a reasonable t-shirt collection size, and I purge a few.
  • When we have a reliable AWAY and habit around putting our Stuff AWAY, we can check the AWAY location to determine if we need to buy more of our Stuff.  Again, using the coffee analogy, when the KCup holder (the AWAY) is empty, I know it is time to buy more KCups.  Imagine if I randomly stashed KCups all over the kitchen.  I wouldn’t know what I have, nor would I use it very well when I needed it.
  • Consider this idea from the other direction – If your stuff doesn’t have a home – an AWAY – it’s likely clutter.
 
Make the habit to put your Stuff AWAY.  Once a day, a couple times a week?  Put your Stuff Away, and enjoy the clutter-free space.  A clear space signals to your brain that you’re done, that work is complete, that the room is clean, etc.  A clear space can be both calming and energizing!
 
 
To sum up:
  • Decide what is Stuff and what is Clutter;
  • establish an AWAY for your Stuff;
  • establish good habits around putting your Stuff AWAY, so
  • you can take good care of your Stuff and enjoy a less cluttered home.
Have a great week!