One of my favorite books years ago when I first got interested in organizing and clutter busting was “Sidetracked Home Executives: from pigpen to paradise” (Warner Books 2001) by Pam Young and Peggy Jones.

I just rediscovered their website and found some great reminders including:
• There is a way out of our chaos
• There are many ways unique we got into our chaotic state
• It ultimately has to be up to you to create calm and step away from chaos
• Getting a plan of action is the first step to getting out of chaos

And most importantly, I was reminded that it’s all about the routine. Does your routine need tweaking? I am going to review mine today.

I bet you are wondering how my basement project is coming. I said that I would be done by the end of January. While not done, I am closer to completing it.

I seem to have run into many roadblocks along this clutter busting journey and I have learned many lessons climbing over or going around those roadblocks.

What I learned recently is that we all have mental habits and emotions that stop us from achieving our desires. We strive for perfection, we ruminate, we feel guilty and use negative self-talk. We want to do everything really well and when that doesn’t happen we take it out on ourselves.

To let go of a mindset or a situation, pull back and review the emotions surrounding it. Observe the emotion or mental habit as if you were looking at it from the view of an outsider. Observing the emotion instead of living it enables you to let go of it and move on. By taking yourself out of the situation you can get to a place where you can let go of your negative emotions and make a clear-headed decision about what to do.

How does that relate to my basement project? By letting go of perfectionism and by changing my self-talk to positive affirmations about the finished project, I have made major progress this month. The holiday decorations are all put away, labeled and stored in their designated spot. By eliminating two Christmas boxes (by regifting or donating) I was able to add my other seasonal decoration storage boxes to the same area. By group all seasonal decorations in one area, it feels less cluttered and is starting to feel lighter. I have eliminated another cardboard box of papers that were old references and not records. Using grandma’s cabinet for storage of some baking and entertaining supplies lessened the number of boxes as well.

For a while now I have been discouraged about my progress in the basement and felt that I wasn’t being a great role model …the kind that I intended to be for this journey.

My hope is that you learn along with me. I feel the journey has added to my coaching skills for clutter busting.

I have decided to trust myself to handle this project…that it will be what it is meant to be…and that turns off the stress. So back to the basement I go to de-clutter some more.

I have replaced New Year’s resolutions with a theme word for the year. For 2012 my word is surrender.

Now I am not talking about giving up or waving the white flag, but surrendering to the opportunities presented to me. Working on controlling things less and going with the flow instead to see where that takes me.

What do you think about selecting a word versus making a resolution?

What word would you choose for yourself this year? Intrigued by the idea? A great website/resource to assist you through the process is http://myoneword.org/choose/.

Big step or little step? What matters most is taking the initial step.

In my recent post I talked about using the New Year as an opportunity for your next big step. What I realized as I was contemplating my next big step (I had work on that since I wrote about it) is that what type of step you take is not as important as just taking the step.

When you feel stuck or in a rut or not challenged just think about taking a step…any step. What will it take to give you forward momentum? Simply putting one foot in front of the other will carry you forward. Sometimes that just means reframing your thought about a situation. Or it means committing to something for five minutes.

If you are stuck on what to do consider a  list of 31 Beginner Babysteps for you to implement from a great resource: www.flylady.net.

Did you ever feel like the New Year is a chance for a do-over? An opportunity to get it right this time? A possibility to finally break a bad habit? A reason to change for good this last time?

This New Year as you consider your resolutions and whether or not to make some or make the same ones. I would like you to consider the New Year as an opportunity to take your next big step.

Personally, I have spent the previous nine months on a clutter busting journey in my basement that I have shared with you along the way. I have had to keep reminding myself that this is a journey and that sometimes just taking one step no matter how big or how small can create momentum.

During December my momentum got stalled and I haven’t reached my current goal for the basement yet. And still I feel that the New Year is an opportunity not for a do-over but for my next big step. Wonder what that will be?

We spend January 1 walking through our lives, room by room, drawing up a list of work to be done, cracks to be patched. Maybe this year, to balance the list, we ought to walk through the rooms of our lives… not looking for flaws, but for potential. ~Ellen Goodman

As we say good-bye to one year and hello to the next, l wish you a year full of possibilities. Seek opportunities. Look at things differently. Impossible looked at in another way is really “I’m possible”.

Happy New Year 2012!

Season’s Greetings!

During this holiday time may you be surrounded by the best gifts of all… the presence, health and happiness of your family and friends.

The best of all gifts around any Christmas tree: the presence of a happy family all wrapped up in each other. ~Burton Hillis

I mentioned in my post last month that the basement really is a journey. It is also a resolution. I am resolving to keep an organized and useful basement. And that continues as I move through the 9th month of this project.

I have been able to deal with incompletes in my life as I have gone through this basement clearing process. Estate records and school papers being held onto longer than necessary, reference files that no longer serve a purpose, family “treasures” not dealt with and extra household items no longer used.

I learned again that in order to move forward you have to clear away some of the past.

Is the basement done? Almost. The goal is by the end of the month I will have it all sorted and those items that are no longer needed will be out of the house. In January I will map out permanent storage spots and storage items such as shelving will be purchased. In February all will be in its place. This will put me in a great spot for moving forward with plans to finish the basement.

What a great journey.

I know that many people feel apalled at the idea of regifting. But I find it a useful tool in managing clutter. As I was going through my basement clutter busting journey this year I used it as an opportunity to evaluate items for potential regifts (yes, family and friends you may have been regifted).

Regifting is not about getting rid of junk or pawning something off on someone else. It is about passing on items that would be more appreciated by others or more useful to others. Note that there are definitely some rules to follow about regifting.

So as you finalize your holiday gift buying this year (if you haven’t already finished) do a quick evaluation of items that your could potentially be appreciated or used by someone else. And enjoy less clutter. Celebrate National Regifting Day.

Sometimes when you are de-cluttering you may need to call in the professionals. Once you have sorted and purge your papers, instead of spending hours at the shredder there are services that will come to your home or business to shred your documents. Or you can take them to a local company that provides that service.

If you are picking a professional shredding company:
• Determine how much shredding you have and the cost and whether you want the company to come to you or if you want to drop the documents off.
• Decide if it is important for you to witness document destruction or not.
• Ask for references and visit their website for testimonials.
• Schedule time to take your papers or to have the truck come to you.
• Breathe a sigh of relief as more papers leave your home.

Also, there are junk removal services that will help clear clutter out a home. Sometimes after donating, selling, giving to family and tossing lots there is still stuff leftover. Sure you could recycle some stuff each week with your garbage pickup or you could take it to a local recycling place or you can just throw it in the trash. If you want to be environmentally conscious and want to get the stuff out of the house calling in a junk removal service could be money well spent.

Just remember that while many times it costs less to do it yourself, you sometimes need to evaluate the actual time cost to yourself not to mention the stress factor. Just getting stuff gone can take a tremendous weight off your shoulders not to mention worry. So don’t hesitate to get professional help when needed.