One of the things I love about working with my organizing clients is joining them on the journey as they transform their spaces, habits, and thoughts about clutter, organizing, and life. I’m most often called to help when they are feeling stuck, overwhelmed, at a crossroads, or in the midst of a life transition. The common thread is that they deeply desire change. They might be unclear about how to get there or the steps needed for change to occur, but they want a shift. They want something different.

Clients often begin with a certain level of clutter overwhelm paired with a desire to make their environment feel positive and supportive. Clients tell me that clutter overload paralyzes their decision making abilities. When they see clutter, they shut down. One client explained that the clutter, especially surface clutter, becomes one giant pile of undistinguishable items that feel impossible to sort, edit or organize. The cluttered areas negate the peaceful, “happy place” feeling she’d like.

To help her transform the bedroom to that “happy place,” we focused on one surface at a time. We broke down the undistinguishable pile on the dresser top, removed all the items, and sorted them onto the bed into smaller categories, grouping like with like. Grouped piles make it easier to visually see and decide for example about those ten mascaras, five bottles of lotion or fifty hair ties. In addition to reducing decision fatigue and overwhelm, organizing the big pile into small groups allowed us to pair up missing items, determine how much was enough, remove things that belonged elsewhere, and let go of possessions that had served their purpose, but were no longer useful or appreciated.

We reviewed each category and item, one at a time. Each decision resulted in routing objects to one of these categories: discard, donate, recycle, give to a specific person, move elsewhere, or keep in the bedroom. Once the dresser surface was cleared, edited and organized, we addressed a few other surfaces. The edited piles were then moved to their destinations.

By the time we finished, the clutter was gone, her “happy place” was restored, and we were ready to tackle the next room.

How do you handle the cluttered areas in your life? I’d love to know your thoughts. I invite you to join the conversation.

The latest installment (v12) of the “What’s Interesting?” feature has my newest discoveries that inform, educate, and relate to organizing and life balance. I’ve included unique and inspiring possibility-thinking-related finds reflecting this month’s blog theme.

You’re a wonderfully engaged group. I look forward to your participation and additions to the collection I’ve sourced for you. What do you find interesting?

What’s Interesting? . . .

1. Interesting Read – Productivity Possibilities

How does productivity work? Why are some people and companies more productive than others? Why do some imagine and actualize possibilities while others struggle? Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning author, explores these questions in his latest book, Smarter Faster Better – The Secrets of Being Productive in Life and Business.

The book is “about how to recognize the choices that fuel true productivity” and “…how to succeed with less effort.” He explores eight concepts, including motivation, goal setting, and decision making, that emerged from studying experiences of highly productive people and the latest research in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral economics.

Dughigg says, “…productivity is about making certain choices in certain ways. The way we choose to see ourselves and frame daily decisions; the stories we tell ourselves, and the easy goals we ignore; the sense of community we build among teammates; the creative cultures we establish as leaders: These are the things that separate the merely busy from the genuinely productive.”

2. Interesting Perspective - Organized Possibilities

While many believe there is a “right” way or just “one” way to be organized, let’s dispel that myth. It’s just not true. We are different.  We have diverse needs and preferences.

For organizing strategies to be effective and useful, they have to reflect our uniqueness. So, while I might prefer to have my clothes hanging in my closet, facing the same direction on matching hangers, by clothing type and in color order, you might prefer piling your clothes on the big, comfy chair in the corner of your bedroom. And you know what? If “chairdrobe” works for you, go for it! Being organized looks and feels different to each of us. What possibilities can you imagine when you take ‘should’ out of the organizing equation?

3. Interesting Research - Feel Good Possibilities

Have you noticed that in the digital age, we tend to use our fingers or voices to type, text, and communicate? We write by hand, much less. While there’s speed and efficiency when using our digital devices, we might miss out on a few things.

Research suggests that writing by hand helps the brain remember more and can make you feel good, too. Neuroscientist and author Kelly Lambert, Ph.D., says, “The brain’s reward center is connected to one of the movement centers…so one way to activate pleasure is through physical effort.” Next time you need a boost, pick up a pen and activate the possibilities.

4. Interesting Product – Time Possibilities

A favorite product I’ve featured many times is the Time Timer®, a simple time management tool designed to display time elapsing with the movement of a red disk on the timer’s face.

The company just developed a new accessory, a dry-erase board that integrates beautifully with the timer to highlight time-sensitive messages and appointments. This wonderful combo enhances the possibilities for managing our time more effectively.

5. Interesting Thought - Unleashing Possibilities

Are you having challenges moving forward, pursuing a new idea, or accomplishing a goal? Have you considered the power of your thoughts? What messages are you telling yourself? Are your thoughts enhancing or hindering your possibilities?

As the graphic here asks, “What’s stopping you?” Focus on positive thoughts and unleash amazing possibilities.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What are your interesting finds? Which possibilities resonate with you?  You matter. I invite you to join the conversation!

Matthew Hoffman, Artist

Are you ready to learn one of the best ways to facilitate letting go?

Parameters.

Set some boundaries or guidelines around your decision-making before you start the actual process of releasing things. Setting parameters in advance will allow you to move faster, decrease stress, and reduce decision fatigue.

Here's one way you might use this concept. Let’s say you have decades worth of health-related newsletters. Some you’ve read and others you haven’t. While you know there’s a lot of interesting information in those pages, the information isn’t current.

Instead of reading through every newsletter, you decide to activate a parameter. You choose that for any health newsletter over five years old, you'll recycle it immediately without looking through the pages. By setting this date parameter, you’ll save yourself hours of reading information that isn’t relevant. Instead, you can use your decision-making energy to make more important choices.

You can use the parameter concept for other areas, too. Let’s say your closet is overflowing. It’s a daily challenge to get dressed. There’s no space on the racks or shelves to move things around, so you can't see what’s there. You have an abundance of black pants and bulky sweaters, many of which you don't wear.

Instead of organizing the entire closet, you start with only those two categories. You opt to put some guidelines in place and decide that four pairs of black pants and six bulky sweaters are ‘enough.’ Now, it’s a matter of selecting your favorites. With your number parameters in place, letting go is more manageable.

It’s your turn to choose. Which parameters will make the letting go part of your organizing journey easier? Remember that the more parameters you establish in advance, the less decision fatigue you’ll experience, the faster you’ll reach your goals, and the less stress you’ll experience.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What has your experience been with creating letting go parameters? 

Homes are being combed through. Drawers, closets, bookshelves, garages, basements, and attics are being emptied. The “stuff” of life that was once treasured or collected is getting ready to exit. Have you noticed? We’re in the season of decluttering and tag sales. The spring blooms have arrived along with the volume of tag sale announcements.

My family has been preparing for such an event, which will happen this weekend. It’s been a fascinating experience to go through my “stuff” having a specific deadline and goal. What’s most interesting is that I’ve got good, fun, and useful things. Here’s the bottom line: I don’t need or want all of it.

As I evaluated each item with a more critical eye than usual, I was faced with a yes/no decision. Does it stay or go? There were the obvious keepers, the obvious giveaways, and the not-so-obvious items. Making the decision for the first two categories was simple. The third category was trickier, and required more questions like:

• Is the space it occupies worth the real estate and emotional energy?

• Is it still relevant in my current life?

• When was the last time I needed, used, or wanted it?

• Is not using “x” for the last 5 years, 10 years, 15 years an indicator that it’s time to let go?

Something else which provided me with some comic relief and helped in the letting go and clutter releasing process were various sounds and action calls I said like:

“OUT!”

“It’s time!”

“Going...NOW!”

“Linda, come on. You know you don’t need that anymore.”

We’ve got temporary clutter, as the “going” items are being piled and prepared.  This purposeful clutter doesn’t bother me because I know it will exit soon. When it does, the space will open up, I’ll feel lighter, and a new, clearer chapter will begin. I can visualize how this will look and feel with less.

I’d love to hear your thoughts. What helps you make decisions? What becomes possible when you let go of clutter? Come join the conversation.