A Clutter Review and a Secret...

If you are still struggling with clutter...

don't worry, I am too.

Well...maybe not this badly...but...

I have found these tips!

Until now I'd never heard of the One Minute rule!

AND

I just found out a secret I never knew:
Clutter is the result of an unmade decision!
(CAN YOU SAY 'AHA MOMENT'?)

These  might help you out!

(Out of your piles, that is!) 

But, don't worry, I'm not laughing at you being buried....

I'm laughing with you, because I am buried too!

Have a Clutter Free week
(Or at least try to)

Truly,

Amber

Clutter Cleaning Adventure Complete!

I am proud to announce that my recent Clutter Cleaning Adventure was successful! 

It’s been two whole weeks since I decided to start tacking clutter again and began talking with a professional, making a plan, and setting aside time to do it.

I started with the living room since it’s the common area (and also the worst affected room). 

In the beginning this project seemed way too daunting, but with a little help and some dedicated time, it wasn’t so bad.

It’s been a week and we are still clutter free! (If you know me, you know this is a big feat.)

I’m actually enjoying this more than I thought I would! (I’ve involved the kids too, and their rooms look quite nice, if I might say so myself.)

I had mentioned in an earlier post, about a woman named Karen, who’s a professional clutter and organizing specialist.

She helped me see things through her eyes and below is a few other tips that she shared with me.

I thought they made complete sense and wanted to share them with you.

Top 3 Reasons to Hire Help :

1)  You hire a professional workout coach...so why not a professional organizer. If you need someone to motivate you to work out...what's wrong with hiring someone to motivate you to get organized?
2) Organization is not your strong point. By hiring a professional organizer such as a NAPO member (National Association of Professional Organizers) or an ICD member (Institute of Challenging Disorganization - works with Chronically Disorganized & Hoarding).... you are hiring a professional that can meet your specific needs.
3) You hire a professional to show you how to organize your space (or life) in the most efficient manner to make the best use of your space.

 

5 things you can do on a daily basis to avoid getting into the clutter-trap again:

1)  Do a little each day....  15 -20 minutes each day
2) Never leave a room without taking something out of it (and putting it back where it belongs)
3) If it doesn't fit....get rid of it
4) Don't buy things because they are on sale...only buy it if you REALLY need it. Also, if you don't have the space for it...don't buy 20 of one item
5) Have a place for everything...or get rid of it  

Here are two things I’ve realized myself-If I want to stay clutter-free:

1)      Use the touch-it-once strategy; put everything in its place and address items as soon as they are brought to your attention so as not to have a heaping pile of ‘procrastination’.

2)      Have good time management; leaving extra time to tackle the problems of paper clutter, to-do-lists and filing.

I hope you were inspired to join me in clutter cleaning an area of your home or office, and I am very optimistic about your success.

Please share with me what area(s) you chose and what one thing you learned.

Additionally, please visit Rowdy Kitten's blog I follow. Her guest blogger wrote about how to deal with sentimental items.

http://rowdykittens.com/2011/03/sentimental-items/

From my clutter-free living room to yours,

Truly,
Amber

To contact Karen Fried:

Karin E. Fried, CPC
Organizational Consulting Services
www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

www.professionalorganizer4u.blogspot.com
kefconsulting@gmail.com
(440) 666 - 9326

Member of:

National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) &  National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD)
Certificate of Study in Chronic Disorganization
Certificate of Study in Basic Hoarding Issues With the CD Client
Certificate of Study in Understanding the Needs of the Elderly CD Client
Certificate of Study in Basic ADD Issues with the CD Client

Certificate of Study in CD Client Administration
CD Specialist - Level II Certificate
NAPO, Quantum Leap Trainer
NAPO in the Schools Trained Provider

FU on Clutter Cleaning (Don't worry-this went better than Grace)

Take Two of 'Let’s Tackle Clutter'

 

I DID IT!!! 

I set aside time this weekend to tackle my living room!!!

The kids can sit on the couch again, my fiancee can find the ottoman, and I can write without moving ten million things beforehand! 

        
      Phfew!

Here is the before picture of a section of my writing area:

Here is the after:

What did it take exactly?

A free Saturday morning, a garbage bag and some storage bins...

...and the courage to throw papers away! (See, I told you this Follow Up would be better than Grace;)

What 1 thing did YOU do this week to clutter clean?

Did you attack the junk drawer? The linen closet? The trunk of your car maybe? 

I know! Maybe you decided to clean out the pantry or your Tupperware cabinet!!!! 

NO? -You didn’t do any clutter cleaning or purging this week?????????

Well, warm weather is coming; Spring Cleaning Season has arrived! 

Do it now, before you spend all your time outside!!!
 

"Less is more." - Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (architect)

Truly,

Amber

Let's Clutter Clean Today!

Let’s tackle clutter today!

I know that I’ve said this before…. but I mean it this time.  

Last time I was just thinking about it. 

You know… seeing if I liked the way ‘clutter cleaning’ rolled off my tongue…

I didn’t like it… so I decided not to do it. It became my April Fool’s joke instead.

Buuuutt….I have to admit that although I have done clutter cleaning over the years (I have! HONEST!), I think I may be out of the habit of identifying clutter and could stand to use a little refresher.

I recently talked to Karin E. Fried, CPC Organizational Consultant and maybe you can relate:

She said the Top 3 reasons for a person to clutter clean and work on changing clutter-keeping habits are:

1) Clutter causes stress... you don't want to invite people over because you are embarrassed with how your house looks...  so you cut yourself off from people
2) Clutter costs you money... you buy things that you already have...because you can't find them or don't know that you have them
3) Clutter costs you time... you are late for work or school because you can't find your car keys, report,  briefcase/book bag....

Hmmmm………

While I am not always 1, 2 and 3 at the same time, nor am I any of these 100%, I can say that there’s been occasions where #3 happens a lot more often than I’d like to admit…and maybe once in a while my mess does sometimes seem to hurl me into a frenzy of ‘tidying up’ before someone arrives at my home for a visit…

She also said that the Top 3 things that most people need assistance with are:

1) PAPER Management  ,,,,  the most sought after reasons to hire an organizer
2) TIME Management
3) Space Management

Okay, so maybe I do need a little help.

But where do I begin???  Clutter cleaning seems like such a daunting task.

Many clutter books say that the kitchen is the most troublesome spot.

I do not agree.

So, I asked Karin.

She suggests doing these three things first:

1)  Make a goal list and keep it short. Do not come up with a huge game plan. You are only setting yourself up to fail.
2)  Pick one room or one project.
3)  Break that room/project down into even smaller projects....  that way you will do them and feel like you accomplished something...therefore you will continue with the rest of your plan

 

I get it! Instead of declaring that I’m going to clutter clean the whole house!!  Which sounds great!!

I will pick one room at a time; identifying the problem areas that I’d like to see changed, then tackle them one at a time, i.e.; junk drawer, kitchen counter, shelf over the sink or living room bookcase and cabinet.

Then of course there is the time factor: Scheduling some!!! LOL!  Because otherwise, I know it will never get done.

I will use this motto that I heard a couple years ago:

IF IT’S NOT USEFUL, BEAUTIFUL OR JOYFUL, GET RID OF IT!

(I have a feeling I might also need to use My One Word: Grace…)

Wish me luck & maybe you will join me on my adventure!?
My 1st Room: Living Room 

Happy De-Cluttering!!!

Truly,

Amber
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Here is Karin’s latest Blogs about why people don’t ask for help with their clutter cleaning and of all things – Clutter in Gardening!

http://www.professionalorganizer4u.blogspot.com/

Read on CNN.com: Why we have clutter:

http://articles.cnn.com/2009-01-20/living/rs.top.causes.of.clutter_1_clothes-obstacle-attic?_s=PM:LIVING

Here is a link to some questions you can ask yourself about your clutter:

http://www.unclutter-organize-transform.com/is-this-you.html

Here is a link to a minimalist blog that I follow (Tammy shares closet cleaning tips in this post):

http://rowdykittens.com/2009/12/5-simple-closet-cleaning-tips/

To Contact Karin E. Fried, CPC Organizational Consulting Services:

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

www.professionalorganizer4u.blogspot.com

kefconsulting@gmail.com

(440) 666 - 9326

Member: National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) and National Study Group on Chronic Disorganization (NSGCD)
Certificates of Study in Chronic Disorganization, Basic Hoarding Issues With the CD Client, Understanding the Needs of the Elderly CD Client, Basic ADD Issues with the CD Client, CD Client Administration, CD Specialist - Level II Certificate
NAPO, Quantum Leap Trainer
NAPO in the Schools Trained Provider

Einstein was no fool...

I decided to relax after dinner by reading something different.
I picked up a recent issue I had of Women's Day magazine (April 1, 2011)

I don't normally get this magazine. It's a replacement for a subscription I have to an interiors mag, which subsequently went out of print. I had not yet tossed this issue.
...maybe this is part of my problem....

Anyways, I came upon an article about organizing. The title: ‘No More clutter’ by Arianne Cohen.

'YAH RIGHT!' was the first thing that came to mind. Well actually that was the second thing that came to mind. What came first was the daydream of a completely white room with maybe a splash of color; tightly organized bookshelves, and end tables that were spotless. I dreamt a bit further to see not a spec of dust, paper or clutter on any surface...

THAT'S when I woke up,  'YAH- RIGHT!'

I have several books on this subject and have actually come a long way with the help I've received   from friends and loved ones who don’t like stuff- (they scare me).

But...I'm still always left with a problem.
Paper.

I have done the 'take pictures of artwork and memorabilia, then throw away the item'…It works.

I have created an art gallery in the hall for the kids ‘best’ art work, and I try to throw away things I don’t need. We have been giving away to Salvation Army, United Way, and neighbors for years. We resell books to the used bookstores, donate them to the library and to the kids’ schools. We don't really shop for 'stuff' so it's not like a have a surplus of extra things that I don't know what to do with.

But…there is still stuff!

So, I've been thinking that maybe, JUST maybe, it might be time to do that clutter clean thing again.

It wasn’t the article that made me want to tackle the clutter again, it was my own frustration!!

It infuriates me when I know that I have something but can’t find it.

Like many busy parents, home is the place where I show up, drop my belongings, tend to everyone and everything else and almost never organize anything.

I am forever in and out of the front door that I am too busy to sit-n-sort. At the end of the day, when I collapse… I'm checking over kids homework, reading, writing or on the phone.

And when I finally do set aside time to organize I get so caught up in the ‘every single thing I pick up’ deal;

And have to think about every piece and it tends to take too long, so I usually don’t do it until it is way over due and then I decide to pile it up and shove it in a cabinet…hence why I cannot find the paper I am looking for!

The living room was neat and clean and then.. I needed to find something! Grrrr.

I used to think it was just me who had a clutter problem….

But when there’s books on it, magazine articles covering it, T.V shows on it, organizing consultants selling their services, minimalists blogging about the ‘movement’ of less stuff…….

I know I am not alone.

THEREFORE,  I HAVE decided to TACKLE CLUTTER!!!

Not!

Einstein's Desk Was Full of Clutter! :) And He Was a Genius!!! 

...Maybe Tomorrow I will Tackle Clutter...
Because Today I Am Feeling Rather Smart!

HAPPY FRIDAY!  
Some Popular April Fools Jokes over the years:
http://www.aprilfools.com/
(Want to read which April Fools Jokes I fell for in the past,go to: http://www.FamilyMatterswithAmber.blogspot.com)

ENJOY YOUR APRIL FOOLS!

Truly,

Amber