Why We Hold On To Our Stuff
There are some common reasons that we hold on to our stuff. Once we realize what is stopping us, it becomes easier to acknowledge it and then let it go. It actually is very empowering and freeing to let things go.
Do you suffer from the "I'm gonna's"?
A big culprit for allowing clutter to remain in our lives, is what I lovingly refer to as the I’m gonna’s. This is the excuse I hear most often. I would guess that you may have said this yourself a time or two. I swear I’m going to write a book about it someday because the list is endless.
Where's the fork?
Have you ever wondered where you would find a fork, or where the fork should go when you’re finished with it? I doubt it. That’s because the fork has been assigned a home in your house. Getting organized simply means finding a home for everything, so that you can find it as easily as finding a fork, when you need it. And you know exactly where it goes when you’re finished with it.
Oops, I did it again...
I’ve talked about my problem with time clutter here many times before. It continues to be a challenge for me since my desire to help others is so strong, I forget to think about myself, and my own needs, when I accept commitments. Back in May, I cleared my schedule completely for 2 weeks while I took the time to map out the vision, or direction, for my life, family and business. After mapping out the vision, I had to remove things from my schedule that didn’t fit into that vision.
Food for Thought
If you hold on to the beautiful dish sets your mother collected after she dies, but they are wrapped up in boxes in the basement, are they really there as a memory of her? Wouldn’t it make more sense to save one of the dishes and display it? Or take a picture of the set and then pass them on to someone in need, or sell them?
SLS Chosen as Top Ten Websites by SocialYell.com
Simplified Living Solutions was chosen by SocialYell.com as one of the top ten websites for reducing and recycling your junk mail. I am a really big advocate for people making the time to take the steps necessary to reduce their junk mail. I have handed out the information with the necessary steps so many times that I finally posted it on our website. It will only take you 20-30 minutes, and $1 – $2 to complete the steps. And it will save you so much time and stress in the future dealing with junk mail. I promise! What are you waiting for?
Why we keep stuff
Yesterday I reached for a perfume bottle with just a few sprays left in it, and then stopped myself from using it because if I used it, then it would be gone. I had to laugh when I realized that I’ve been doing that very same thing daily for at least a year.
Paper, paper, everywhere!
I recently worked with a client that had 7-8 boxes of paperwork sort of scattered throughout her home. Dealing with the paperwork seemed daunting and overwhelming and so she just put it off. In reality though she was dealing with it every day by not dealing with it. She felt stressed, depressed, overwhelmed and out of control all of the time.
My home is not perfect
People always ask me if my home is in perfect order, well it isn’t always. I do have a home for everything though, and so when it gets chaotic or I need to put everything back where it belongs, it doesn’t take long. You know, I have always been aware of the mental drain that a chaotic home or office environment has on people’s lives, but I recently got a taste of it first-hand.
Getting organized is like going on a diet
Being overweight is a daily downer; your clothes don’t fit, you don’t feel good physically or mentally and you have less energy than you would otherwise. Unfortunately, I know this first hand.
SLS featured in online article
I am so excited to have Simplified Living Solutions and my tips included in a back to school article for getting kids out the door on She Knows.Com. Raising two children as a single parent, I saw the benefits first-hand of being organized and having plans in place to simplify everyday activities, reduce the stress and keep things running smoothly.
Closet update
I finally made myself block out some time to declutter and organize my closet. It took me about 3 hours start to finish. I was right when I said that I thought at least 80% of the clothes in my closet would end up being donated. I dropped off the clothes that no longer fit me at Mercy Ministries, which is a home for troubled or abused teenage girls. They get to live there completely free while they seek help dealing with their pasts. Not only do I feel great about tackling my closet, I also know that I’ve made a difference in others lives by donating my unwanted things to a charity that needs them. How did you do?
Clearing out my closet
It’s so funny how people that clean houses never take the time to clean their own. People that build websites never take the time to keep their own updated. Well, I’ve been so busy helping others get organized that I’ve let my own space go and it’s driving me crazy. So I am going to tackle them this week, beginning with my closet.
I remember when...
I can still remember a time so vividly, almost like it happened yesterday. When in fact, it’s been closer to 20 years ago (yikes!). I was a recently divorced, single mother of two young girls, 6 months old and 3 years old. I held a very good full time job, but since we were not receiving any type of financial support from their father or my family, and I had to pay ENORMOUS daycare bills, were struggling to put it mildly.
Where do the forks go?
Do you ever have to stop and think where the forks go when you are putting away dishes? Do you ever wonder where you’ll find a fork when you need one? Most likely your answer to these questions is a resounding no.
Power through Procrastination
Part of helping people unclutter and organize their home, office and life is coaching them through their procrastination to make decisions or take actions that they have been putting off. I’ve said it over and over, but clutter is delayed decisions. So the only way to unclutter is to make those decisions.
Why is de-cluttering so hard?
Did you know that clutter represents delayed decisions? Once you know that, it makes the thought of de-cluttering seem less overwhelming. You think to yourself All I have to do is make decisions on everything. That can’t be that hard. While de-cluttering is extremely empowering, it is also mentally and emotionally draining.
Clutter is Delayed Decisions
This is the most eye opening statement that I share with my clients. It’s true! Clutter is nothing but delayed decisions. I know we are all busy and just don’t feel like we have the time to tackle our clutter. But if you think about it long enough, you’ll realize that it is not just that we are too busy to deal with our clutter, but we also realize that to deal with the clutter we must make decisions. Realizing the necessity to make decisions in order to declutter only makes us put it off longer. The more we put off the decisions, the bigger the pile grows until we are completely overwhelmed. Here is the catch…even when you think you are not dealing with your clutter, the pending decisions are weighing you down with stress, anxiety and leaving you feeling overwhelmed. When you hire a professional organizer, we are well trained to help you make these decisions in the easiest fashion possible. This weeks blog posts will help you break your clutter down into manageable chunks. We will also share some tips to make it easier for you.
About the Author
Sue Anderson, Owner of Simplified Living Solutions, is an expert in the professional organizing field.
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