Posts Tagged ‘Decluttering’
Organizing for the Holidays
Fall is a great time to organize for the holidays. Stores are full of Halloween costumes and treats with some already setting up aisles of Christmas//Hannukah themes.
But wait… Don’t you already have rafters or storage closets full of holiday decorations from years’ past? Most people I know have many bins (some even entire storage units) full.
Instead of giving into the temptation of purchasing new holiday decorations, why not save hundreds or thousands of dollars by shopping from your own supplies? To make this more pleasurable, first do the following:
1) Gather all holiday items from every part of your home and/or storage areas into one space.
2) Remove everything from the boxes and bins.
3) Sort and Categorize items by holidays (e.g., Easter, 4th of July, Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hannukah, New Year’s, etc.)
4) Evaluate everything to see what may need to be repaired, donated or tossed. this is also a great time to untangle lights, cords or other messes caused from last year’s rush to clean up.
5) Choose the best of the best to decorate your home with this year. Anything not being put on display can now be re-evaluated. Is it time to let it go?
This exercise will most likely take several hours and for some, several days! 😉
Make the process easier by inviting me in to do the sorting and categorizing part. Once all is nicely arranged, all you need do is shop from your own, well-organized holiday store!
Sensible Organizing Solutions, Inc.
(858) 300-5757 or (619) 302-5254
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Helping smart, busy people make room for what they love best!
Love It or Lose It
Every object contains an energy force. The energy we sense while touching something can powerfully influence how we feel. These feelings can influence our decisions about what to do with what we’ve just touched.
Some professional organizers discourage their clients from touching the items being sorted because often, intense feelings can arise from holding an object. This may delay the process of letting it go or moving it forward.
When we notice a client hesitate about whether to keep or let go of an object, we often ask,, “How does this object make you feel?” If the feeling is sad, angry, or negative in any way, it is important to explore why? Ask, “Will keeping this thing promote positive energy in my life or will I feel a heavy weight by hanging on to it?
Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object? ~ Confucius
Ideally, to enjoy a truly harmonious, uncluttered space, you want to love and make good use of each item in that space. If you don’t absolutely love it and plan to use it in the very near future, then consider letting it go.
Loving your things means honoring them and caring for them. Putting them in a safe, secure, practical place when not in use. Or proudly displaying them where they are kept dust-free and protected from breakage.
So ask yourself: Do I really love it? If not… lose it.
Making Post-Holiday Clutter Disappear
Look around. Are there still remnants of your holidays cluttering areas of your home or office?
Some of the clutter may be pleasant reminders of good times you had. Some of it is just annoying stuff that is now blocking your progress.
Regardless of why the clutter is there and what it represents, the new year is a perfect time for starting fresh. Here’s how to move forward:
- Decide you are ready for a fresh start with a vision in mind of what “fresh” looks and feels like.
- Schedule an appropriate amount of time to declutter (Be realistic. Most people underestimate how much time is needed to declutter and organize a space. Give it your best guess and then DOUBLE that estimate, to account for interruptions and setbacks)
- Get firm commitments from everyone who is going to help you and block out that time on your calendars.
- Prepare your tools before getting started (.e.g, boxes, bags, bins).
Now, most of you who have worked with me already know about the SPACE formula. This formula will help you cut through the clutter quickly if you stay focused on this method.
- SORT out all of the stuff in a methodical manner by placing like-items into the boxes and bins.
- Once like-items have been sorted into the various boxes and bins — decide what can go away and PURGE. Donate, re-gift, recycle or trash–just get the old stuff out of there, quickly.
- ASSIGN homes for all the items you have decided to keep and deliver these items from the boxes and bins to each individual home. Note: If you have run out of space because you’ve got more items than can fit in their assigned homes then its time to do more purging. Or… find another home for those sets of items.
- Use CONTAINERS that fit the size and weight of the items going into them. The containers must also fit into the shelf or drawer or other space you have chosen for it.
- EQUALIZE your newly organized system by continually Sorting, Purging, Assigning new homes and Containerizing items as your life evolves and transitions.
Remember: Organizing is not a one-time event — It is a process. Like bathing or brushing your teeth, it must be done over and over. The old must go to make room for the fresh and new. Otherwise… we WILL have clutter. It really is that simple.
Jana Hartwell, CPO
Making Room for What You LOVE…
With LOVE as our theme for this month, think about how you demonstrate your love for the special people and things in your life.
What demands (or conditions) do you place on the things you profess to love? Are these “treasures” hidden in boxes, bins, closets or cabinets to collect dust and rob you of valuable “loving” space?
This month, sort through some of your buried treasures. Make a commitment to cherish the items you truly love by finding a suitable place in your home or office to honor (display) them.
And, if you are lacking space to display treasures…Let go of some things not so cherished to make room for what you really LOVE!
Result: People around you feel more cared for when you let go of extra stuff (stagnant weight) that blocks the flow of love.
Jana Hartwell, CPO
Sensible Organizing Solutions