Clutter has many sources. It can be internal, such as in mind clutter, or external, like physical things or spaces. Clutter can also appear in your schedule. Believe it or not, it’s beneficial when you’re bothered and stressed by clutter. Why? You’re at a tipping point, which means you’re more likely to make a positive change.

In last week’s blog, I shared my latest clutter discoveries. In the comments, one of my wonderful friends and colleagues, Seana Turner, mentioned an idea from The Happiness of Subtraction episode on The Happiness Lab podcast hosted by Dr. Laurie Santos. I was intrigued, so I listened to the podcast, which inspired this post.

In the episode, Laurie talked with Tim Harford, author of Messy, about the value of subtraction and how it can enhance one's life. He noted that often, people tend to add more instead of taking things away. Does this sound familiar?

• You take on one more commitment you don’t have time for.

• You purchase more pants and shirts and stuff them into a closet overflowing with clothes.

• You fill your vacation itinerary with so many places to visit that you’re too exhausted to enjoy the trip.

• You go to another tag sale and bring home “bargains” you don’t have space for and will never use.

• You enroll your kids in so many extracurricular activities that they feel overwhelmed and anxious without downtime.

The Big Clutter Question

During the podcast, Laurie asked a thought-provoking question:

“If forced to take one thing away, what would it be?”

I’ve been mulling this over for a few days. Except for the word “forced,” I love the question. It asks you to look directly at the extras in your life.

• What is putting you over the edge?

• What ‘one thing’ can be released?

• What ‘one thing’ no longer belongs?

• What can go?

You are the decision-maker. No one is forcing you. Instead, view this as an opportunity. This is your opening to make a change. Release the things holding you back.

“Opportunity Cost”

Tim talked about how something has an “opportunity cost.” For example, “…everything you say yes to is getting in the way of something else.” The idea is to subtract as much as possible to make space for the “good stuff.”

• What are you “over-subscribed” to?

• What can you remove from your schedule?

• How does saying no make space for saying yes to what you value most?

• What could you be doing if you subtracted something else?

“Subtraction lets you create space for what you treasure most.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

“Yes-Damn” Effect

Laurie discussed the familiar “yes-damn” effect from Hal Hershfield’s book Your Future Self about our time biases. This has probably happened to you before. Laurie said you get asked:

• “Hey, do you wanna do this presentation?

• Or Hey, do you wanna go to this kind of not very interesting dinner party?

• Or Hey, do you wanna sign up for something in your schedule and you feel kind of bad?

• So you’re like, yes.

• Then weeks later, that project or that dinner party comes up and that’s where you say, damn.”

You said yes to something, and time passed. When you see it on your schedule, you regret the yes and are annoyed at yourself.

“No-Yay” Effect

Laurie prefers and uses a different strategy. Through “periodic reminders,” the “no-yay” effect reinforces the reward of saying no.

She shares this example. Let’s say someone asks you if you want to do a specific project, and you know the due date. You know you don’t want to do it, so you say no.

You could leave it there, at your no. Instead, you take it one step further. On the project’s due date, you write on your calendar, “Hey Laura, you didn’t have to do the project this day.”

Time elapses. You arrive at that future due date, see your note, and recognize how much harder things would have been if you had committed to doing that project. “And then you have the experience of the yay.”

Clutter shows up in our minds, schedules, and homes. Feeling bothered is a positive because it’s your cue for change. Subtraction lets you create space for what you treasure most.

What are you ready to subtract? If you need help making a plan or decluttering, reach out anytime. Please email me, Linda, at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Decluttering is possible, especially with support.

This is the newest release (v45) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature, with my latest finds that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. These unique, inspiring clutter discoveries reflect this month’s blog theme.

You are an intelligent, generous, and engaged group. I am deeply grateful for your ongoing presence, positive energy, and contributions to this community. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced.

What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? – 5 Best Clutter Discoveries

1. Interesting Workshop – Overwhelming Clutter

Do you feel stuck and overwhelmed by emotional and physical clutter? If you answered “yes,” you’re not alone. Help is here!

Join me, Linda Samuels, Professional Organizer, for an empowering workshop – How to Let That Sh*t Go on Thursday, June 6th, from 7:00-8:00 pm EDT.

Together, we’ll unleash your superpower and learn to let go of thoughts, time, and things that no longer serve you.

This one-hour Zoom workshop will teach you transformative strategies to spark immediate positive changes. Release the clutter holding you back and say hello to a happier, more organized you. Reserve your spot now!

2. Interesting Product – Card Clutter

One of the questions clients frequently ask me is,

“What should I do with all the cards I have received?”

Card recipients often feel guilty for letting them go, so they hold onto them for years or decades. However, they feel distressed by card clutter and the space they take.

Some cards aren’t as treasured. However, many are sentimental and meaningful, received by loved ones here and gone. So, how do you decide what to do?

Card Decluttering Process: 

• Gather your cards

• Keep your favorites, which include cherished hand-written messages or ones you especially enjoy

• Recycle the rest

What can you do with the keepers? You can contain them in a box. Or, there’s another fun way to make them a usable keepsake. Transform them into an 8” x 8” custom hardcover book with Cards by Artkive.

Check out the video describing their process.

3. Interesting Read – Communication Clutter

Are you overwhelmed by email, text, and other communication clutter? This deluge creates mind clutter, too. There have never been this many ways to communicate, and it’s a lot to sift through.

Smart Brevity–The Power of Saying More with Less by the co-creators of Axios and Politico said, “Never in the history of humanity have we vomited more words in more places with more velocity.”

As a verbal processor, I am guilty of using lots of words. However, this book inspires me to think about the impact and stress this has on others. It includes specific techniques for creating shorter, more robust communication for email, meetings, speeches, presentations, social media, and more. “Smart Brevity is a new way to think about creating, sharing, and consuming information in our cluttered, clanging digital world.”

Authors Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen, and Roy Schwartz created a nifty AI-powered Smart Brevity® test. Enter your text, and the tool scores how “smart, clear, and effective it is.”

Declutter your communication. Stop overexplaining. “We make people deduce what we’re trying to say instead of just blurting it out. Don’t be fancy-be effective.”

“Remove clutter that’s distracting you.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP@

4. Interesting Resource – Textile Clutter

Do you have textile clutter and want to keep it out of the landfill? If so, you’re in luck. Retold Recycling has a solution for you. To date, they’ve diverted 150 tons of textiles from landfills.

Easy Recycling (Decluttering) Process:

• Gather your unwanted textiles, including fabric scraps, rags, stained, ripped, or unwanted clothing, linens, single socks, cotton face masks, and more.

• Do not include pillows or cushions.

• Order your Retold bag with a pre-paid label.

• Fill your bag and bring it to the post office.

• Retold will sort your goods and send them to thrift stores, donation centers, recyclers, resellers, and up-cyclers.

5. Interesting Thought – ‘Noise’ Clutter

When your spaces, calendars, and thoughts are filled with too much noise, it’s impossible to focus on what matters most. This is an excellent time of year to quiet things down. Remove clutter that’s distracting you. Let go of the unnecessary, and create space to invite in what you truly value.

Can you share one interesting, clutter-related discovery? Which of these resonates with you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

Do you want help decluttering? If so, reach out anytime. Please email me, Linda, at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Letting go of clutter is possible, especially with support.

When it comes to doing hard things, it’s helpful to have strategies that encourage you when you’re stuck. What happens when you don’t have tools to rely on? You can become overwhelmed, depressed, anxious, paralyzed, or give up altogether. Letting go can be challenging. However, with this one easy strategy, you can become an expert at releasing those things that no longer belong. Let me share some context before I explain the strategy.

I notice things that don't belong when walking around or traveling. They catch my eye. For example, I walked along the river the other day and saw a single blue glove on the ground. Maybe it dropped out of a coat pocket. It was out of place by itself on the ground. Another time, I visited a lovely garden. An empty plastic soda bottle protruded from this beautiful ancient stone lion’s mouth. You guessed it! The bottle was in the wrong place and should have been in the recycling bin instead.

Did you see the photo of neatly stacked sweaters? Can you tell they are in the microwave? These examples cue you to notice when things are out of place, which is the first part of the letting go strategy I will share with you.

Easy Letting Go Strategy

One of the simplest ways to let go is to notice the things that don’t belong. You can do this in any room, space, container, or area. When you identify what is in the wrong place, you can change the dynamic by letting go. There are three steps:

1. Awareness – Notice what is out of place. It could be:

• Something that accidentally was put in the wrong spot by you or someone in your household

• Something that was placed without thinking about if it belonged there

• Something that ‘temporarily’ was put in the wrong spot as a holding area and then remained there indefinitely

• Something that was randomly put into a cabinet, on a shelf, or in a closet to give the illusion of being clutter-free

2. Ask– Now that you see ‘it,’ you can’t unsee it. That’s a good thing. It’s decision-making time. These questions will help you figure out what to do next. Ask:

• Does this thing belong elsewhere?

• Does it belong elsewhere, but I don’t know where it should ‘live?’

• Do I want this anymore?

• Can I let it go?

“One of the simplest ways to let go is to notice the things that don’t belong.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

 3. Act – You asked the questions, and now it’s time to take action.

• If it belongs elsewhere, route it to its home.

• If it belongs elsewhere, but you are still determining where it should go, remove it from its current spot and choose the best location to store it.

• If you no longer want it and are ready to let it go, donate, giveaway, sell, recycle, or trash it.

I hope you don’t have sweaters in your microwave or plastic bottles stored in a sculpture, but you most likely have things sitting in unhelpful spots. Quickly become a pro at letting go by noticing what’s out of place, deciding about it, and removing it from the current location.

What eases your letting go process? How can this letting go strategy work for you? I’d love to hear your thoughts and invite you to join the conversation.

If you need help letting go, I’m here to help. Please email me at linda@ohsorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or schedule a Discovery Call. Letting go is possible, especially with support.

A new month just began. While it’s not spring yet, green growth is starting to emerge from the muted winter landscape. Signs of possibilities abound.

It’s an excellent time to check in and locate where you are. How are you doing with your organizing goals? Are you zipping along, moving projects forward, and making things happen? Or are you feeling stuck, overwhelmed, and unsure of your next step?

When people contact me for organizing help, the most common reason is they want to advance, but activation is challenging. The desire is there, but the overwhelm they’re experiencing prevents them from identifying their next step. Without doing next, progress stops.

The Progress Cycle

• Each tiny step you take is progress.

• Progress builds momentum.

• Momentum reinforces continued action, which propels you toward your goal.

One Strategy to Get Unstuck

When The Progress Cycle feels elusive, how can you get it started? What can you do when you’re overwhelmed?

To be mindful of the stress you may be experiencing, I’m simplifying the options and sharing only one strategy. Here is the strategy: To get unstuck, reach out for help to identify your next step.

There is no reason to go it alone. Support can come from a trusted, nonjudgmental family member, friend, colleague, or professional organizer like me. Together, we will identify your next step. Figuring out what happens next starts the cycle, enabling activation, progress, momentum, and movement toward your goal.

“To get unstuck, reach out for help to identify your next step.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVOP™

What Does a Next Step Look Like?

During virtual organizing sessions, I help my clients identify the next step and encourage action. We work on closing the gap between thinking and doing. Having a session with me adds motivation and accountability, which results in progress. Below is a small sample of the types of next steps clients identified and actions taken during their one-hour virtual organizing sessions:

• Cleared out and organized an email inbox

• Identified and committed to the next tiny steps of a large project

• Edited, organized, and cleared desk papers

• Set up a paper management system

• Created a list of home organization projects and determined where to begin

• Unpacked and put things back in order after returning from vacation

• Identified, discussed, and prioritized next step options

• Edited and organized dresser drawers

• Assessed and let go of some of your deceased loved one’s belongings

• Determined the need for and created a good sleep hygiene plan

• Edited and organized memorabilia

• Decluttered a chair covered with books, papers, and clothes

Progress was made during the organizing sessions and continued between sessions. Using a combination of support, focus, and small blocks of time, your next step will happen.

Have you ever reached out for help about your next step? If so, what was your experience like? I’d love to hear your thoughts.

If you want guidance with your next step, I’m here to help. Please email me at linda@ohsoorganized.com, call 914-271-5673, or click here to schedule a Discovery Call. Progress is possible, especially with support.