Clutter Busting Coach

...clearing clutter from your mind, body and space

Decluttering: the cure for chaos

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American Heritage® Dictionary defines chaos as:

  1. A condition or place of great disorder or confusion.
  2. A disorderly mass; a jumble.

Too many things or possessions can create chaos and so can the unplanned life. Chaos comes in many forms, but unpredictability and confusion are the key factors in all its variables.

Answer these questions to see if you have entered a state of chaos:

  • Do you ever feel as though one more problem or item on your “to do” list is going to send you over the edge?
  • Have you ever had so many things going on in your head at once you could not decide where to begin so you did nothing?
  • Are you gaining weight, losing sleep, feeling anxious about life?
  • Is it impossible to begin working without spending several minutes clearing a space, hunting for the necessary tools or just moving to another space because of the clutter?
  • Are you letting stress and disorganization reign?

Life coaching can help. Contact me or sign up for the free Clutter Busting Newsletter and get a free mini ecourse.

Paper Purge Challenge Wrap Up

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Did you join me for the May Paper Purge Challenge?

For me, doing a paper purge for the month was an interesting opportunity.  I was able to recycle a LOT of references including warranties for items we do not have any more, resources I had previously clipped and empty file folders. I stopped counting at three copy boxes worth of recycling. That is what happens when you skip your annual paper review for multiple years. And this was in addition to purging tax and financial records in April when we had an opportunity to participate in a shred event.

Here are some things that I learned during this process. [Read more…]

A Case for Conquering Paper Clutter

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I find myself every year around the tax deadline (I still think April 15 even though this year the deadline was extended) thinking about and dealing with paper.

The challenge with paper is that there is a lot of it and it requires a lot of decisions. Each piece of paper requires a choice.

While the pandemic has caused more of us to be virtual and more electronic, there still is a lot of paper to deal with from junk mail to filing. Many of us end up with paper clutter because, as previously mentioned, we delay decision making.

Think about your paper and how it serves you. Paper is either a reference or a record. And I will also acknowledge that it can be a memory too (special birthday card or acceptance letter for example).

One way to stop paper clutter before it starts is to stop it before it enters your house. Another way is to handle it as soon as it enters your home. While another way is to determine which papers you need really keep and then handle them immediately by filing them.

Commit to conquering you paper clutter today. Start with this year’s tax documentation and determine what you need to keep a hard copy of and what can be kept electronically and then shred the rest. Starting with this current paper pile can start you on the path

Deal with the Dreaded Task

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Have you ever procrastinated in starting a “dreaded” task? Do you have one right now that you should be tackling?

Maybe that is why you are having to deal with clutter because clutter is the result of delayed decisions. Yes. Clutter can be overwhelming. Yes. Decision making can cause anxiety. And yes, you can have clutter for many more reasons.

But let us focus on handling dreaded tasks here.

If you are avoiding dealing with your clutter, why? What are your thoughts about the clutter or the task? Why do you dread that task? Does it scare you? Do you think you will not be successful? Do you think it will take too much time? Or maybe you are afraid of the change on the other side? There are probably many other reasons that you could have for not handling your stuff.

You can start by building on past situations where you just tackled a dreaded task and ended up feeling invigorated at its completion and wondering why it took you so long. Can you think of one of those? I can.  Think about the feeling you had when you were done.

When we tackle a dreaded task, afterwards we often wonder why it took us so long to handle the task. What one dreaded, but small task can you handle today to get you started. To get the energy flowing in a positive way.  If you can remove an obstacle or two that is getting in your way….in the way of clearing your clutter, you may be surprised at how freeing it can be.

What one small, dreaded task, even if it is not dealing with clutter, can you do today? Just do it and be amazed at the energy and growth that can be opened for you.

 

40 Day Challenge Check In

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In a previous post, I invited you to join me in a 40 Day Challenge to remove clutter from your life.

Have you joined me? If not, why not? This Challenge is a great opportunity to take baby steps into the clutter busting journey. By selecting one item daily to either toss, recycle, donate or sell it can start you on a new path to remove clutter from your home/life. And, even if you start today, you can still declutter over 20 items.

If you have joined me, I hope you are learning something during this process. I sure am. I am always in awe that even though I have done this practice for the last several years, I continue to have ah-ha moments as well as clutter that I need to let go of.

I again recognized that it most difficult for me to declutter items that have been gifted to me. Yet, giving myself permission to let go of those items has proven to be freeing. Freeing, because I realized that I am grateful for the gift and the intent and the love behind it. And, if it has severed me or I no longer use it or love it, I do not have to continue to hold to it just because it was a gift.

What can you let go of? What lessons have you learned so far?