"downsize", "minimize" and "de-clutter"

I've been hearing the words "downsize", "minimize" and "de-clutter" for the past few years and wanted to encourage you to make a date with yourself to do just that! Set aside 15-20 minutes each day to tackle a small project (e.g. go thru a stack of mail) or larger project (e.g. sorting through a kitchen drawer). Taking time out to tackle a "task" on your "to do list" will keep you encouraged and motivated to continue setting small organizational goals & accomplishing them! It's a win, win!

Declutter your wallet

I recently got pulled over for making an illegal U-turn (whoops!) and discovered that my insurance card was out-of-date. Thankfully, the police officer was very nice and only gave me a warning. Since this happened, I decided that it was high-time to declutter my wallet. This is the perfect 10-15 minute goal to tackle and here's what I recommend.

(1) Take out all your receipts, lose coupons, etc and put them in 1-3 piles

(2) Go thru the coupon pile and weed out any coupons that are no longer valid

(3) Go thru the receipt pile and attach them to your bank statement for future reconciliation purposes

(4) Take out any unused store/credit cards to free up space & lighten your load

(5) Take out money and sort from largest to smallest bills

(6) Take out loose change and put in a piggy bank or put in jar to take to the bank or CoinStar machine

Doing this simple task will cut down on unnecessary clutter and help you to retain only current information. While you're at it, check your driver's license to see when it needs to be renewed. That reminds me, I have to put that on my To Do list too!

After you complete this task, reward yourself!

Happy Decluttering!

A Place for Everything...

Hey there clutter-busters!

I was inspired over the weekend to start blogging again. Over the weekend, I had the opportunity to work with a family of 6! Our goal was to tackle organizing the kitchen cabinets. It's important when starting a project to look at the "big picture", meaning, what do I hope to accomplish by completing this project?
Here's what we did to assess the situation:
Step #1: Open all the cabinets and look inside
Step #2: Begin identifying what is non-essential (e.g. if you only use a cooler in the summertime, you don't need to take up valuable "real estate" in your cabinet to store it in the fall/winter months).
Step #3: Weed out non-essential items and find a "new home" for them
Step #4: Begin organizing cabinets by purpose (e.g. plates/cups or baking items)
Step #5: Clean up space and organize the items
Step #6: Make a goal to tackle 1-2 cabinets in a 2 hr period. You can re-evaluate the project after the 2 hrs to set aside another day to accomplish more. This will give you a sense of accomplishment and help you to stay motivated.

So, as I tell my clients, there truly is "a place for everything" we want to keep, it just means finding an appropriate "home" for it.

Happy Spring! Happy De-cluttering!

Jen

15 minutes is all it takes...

...to complete a simple task. In order to reduce the overwhelming-ness (is that a word?) of de-cluttering/organizing, why not start with 15 minute segments. Identify a small task to tackle, set the timer and work at it for 15 minutes. For example, I sorted through a glass filled with loose change, picture hooks, paperclips and other random items the other night. It took me about 15 minutes to sort through the glass, put the change in a container and make a home for the paperclips. By accomplishing smaller tasks, you will empower yourself to work your way to tackling larger projects. You can do it!

Holding on to heirlooms...

I recently overheard a conversation of a woman having difficulty parting with some boxes/heirlooms in her basement. As she described her predictament of letting go of these prized possessions, I was thinking of asking her the following questions:

Do you know what is in the boxes you're holding on to?
and
Are you ready to sort through the boxes and make some decisions on the contents?

If either answer was "yes", I was going to offer my services to her so that she could get the ball rolling on de-cluttering her home of the boxes she has looked at over the last few months.

If you're experiencing difficulty in tackling a "sort through" project, I would encourage you to break this task down into smaller steps. Make a goal for yourself to go through 1 box at a time. Perhaps it would be helpful to make a list of the items you want to keep and then set another box aside to collect those items you want to get rid out, recycle, sell, etc...

Remember to reward yourself after you complete your goal so that you can stay motivated and energized to complete your project.

You can do it!

Feeling those winter blues...

...if you're like many people, the close of winter can bring on the winter doldrums. In order to move through to more positive thoughts and reduce the "emotional clutter" that has built up, try these calming ideas...

- Book a Spa Day
- Take a trip (day-trips can be fun and good way to change the scenery!)
- Read a good book
- Call up an old friend & reconnect
- Cook up a new recipe
- Take a jog or long walk
- Journal your thoughts

However you decide to "declutter your mind and soul", enjoy yourself. Afterall, we are constantly bombarded with negativity and toxicity wherever we go, be good to yourself and remember...spring is on the way!