Today's clutter: I took another piece of candy bar art down to the lobby. I also deleted 90 emails.
It was a beautiful day. April is here tomorrow, and the NORTH AMERICAN DECLUTTER EVENT is happening this Saturday! Join us by holding a yard/garage sale in your neighborhood, and posting your results!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
Monday the 30th
Today I recycled six paper bags that I will never get around to using for the garbage.
After posting yesterday, I deleted 679 old emails.
Results: This is not purely a result of decluttering, but is more a result of the entire process of doing the project. Here's a big thank you to Landmark Education for their SELP class, through which who I am today became possible. And a shout out to Steve, for making the class possible for me. Love you, my friend!
OK, here's the result: I'm content. There are many things I want to do, and yet there's nothing missing from my life. If I died today, I'd die a happy woman.
Yeah, baby.
After posting yesterday, I deleted 679 old emails.
Results: This is not purely a result of decluttering, but is more a result of the entire process of doing the project. Here's a big thank you to Landmark Education for their SELP class, through which who I am today became possible. And a shout out to Steve, for making the class possible for me. Love you, my friend!
OK, here's the result: I'm content. There are many things I want to do, and yet there's nothing missing from my life. If I died today, I'd die a happy woman.
Yeah, baby.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sunday March 29
Today I threw away two Almay makeup items that I was going to send back for a refund about 4 years ago. I don't know why I never returned them, much less why I hung on to them for so long thinking I'd return them. I actually feel quite free just from throwing them in the trash. Who knew something so small could be a burden?
Oh, I mentioned a few days ago that I'd be posting photos of the lobby decorations done by my tall neighbor. Alas, I waited too long to take a picture of the Chinese character - it was gone a couple days ago. But I still have the cat mask and the pretty paper garland, so here they are:
It's a little weird how these are formatted. I couldn't figure out a way to get them side-by-side. But I figured how to type in between without knowing that's what would happen. Cool! Maybe I should try to learn html - I seem to have a knack for it. That's something that I can thank an eBay expert's template program for. I learned quite a lot from using that program to do my listings. I list stuff on craigslist nowadays. It's free and you don't have to worry about getting negative feedback without being allowed to respond.
Final thought for this post. I need tips on how to promote this blog. If anyone out there has been inspired or helped by the blog, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell your friends. And if any of you know how to do internet promotion, I'd appreciate any tips you can offer. Thanks!
P.S. Now that I've posted it, I see the formatting IS side-by-side. You can't tell from the compose window.
Oh, I mentioned a few days ago that I'd be posting photos of the lobby decorations done by my tall neighbor. Alas, I waited too long to take a picture of the Chinese character - it was gone a couple days ago. But I still have the cat mask and the pretty paper garland, so here they are:
It's a little weird how these are formatted. I couldn't figure out a way to get them side-by-side. But I figured how to type in between without knowing that's what would happen. Cool! Maybe I should try to learn html - I seem to have a knack for it. That's something that I can thank an eBay expert's template program for. I learned quite a lot from using that program to do my listings. I list stuff on craigslist nowadays. It's free and you don't have to worry about getting negative feedback without being allowed to respond.
Final thought for this post. I need tips on how to promote this blog. If anyone out there has been inspired or helped by the blog, I'd appreciate it if you'd tell your friends. And if any of you know how to do internet promotion, I'd appreciate any tips you can offer. Thanks!
P.S. Now that I've posted it, I see the formatting IS side-by-side. You can't tell from the compose window.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday's Clutter
Today I took a bunch of Christmas cookie recipe cards down to the lobby.
Results: I ran into a neighbor who is going to join me in the yard sale next Saturday! We're going to do it at his house - he has a garage AND a yard. He said it's just the push he needed. Yay!
Results: I ran into a neighbor who is going to join me in the yard sale next Saturday! We're going to do it at his house - he has a garage AND a yard. He said it's just the push he needed. Yay!
Thursday & Friday
Thursday: I threw away an old plastic rain cape - the kind with a hood. The thing had torn so many times the hood wouldn't stay on anymore, so I didn't use it once this year, and neither could anyone else.
Friday: I took out an old National Geographic that I never read.
Results: I just found out that my next paycheck will show an increase due to the decrease in Federal taxes that's a part of one of these stimulus plans. That's great - it will just about cover the increase in Metrocards that we are going to have in NYC in June!
Friday: I took out an old National Geographic that I never read.
Results: I just found out that my next paycheck will show an increase due to the decrease in Federal taxes that's a part of one of these stimulus plans. That's great - it will just about cover the increase in Metrocards that we are going to have in NYC in June!
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Tuesday & Wednesday
Tuesday: I took an old potato peeler to the lobby. I have a better one and never used the old one anymore.
Aside: I noticed the other day that the Chinese character that I took to the lobby awhile back was hanging from the mirror! My fun neighbor is at it again. I am going to post pix of all the fun decorating that neighbor has done.
Today: I recycled a WAMU check box that I never put together. Also recycled a plastic bag at the store, but that doesn't count cuz it never made it into the house.
Results: I had a great blind date last night!
Aside: I noticed the other day that the Chinese character that I took to the lobby awhile back was hanging from the mirror! My fun neighbor is at it again. I am going to post pix of all the fun decorating that neighbor has done.
Today: I recycled a WAMU check box that I never put together. Also recycled a plastic bag at the store, but that doesn't count cuz it never made it into the house.
Results: I had a great blind date last night!
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday
Today I took a squishy ball with a hedge fund logo on it down to the lobby. I also deleted 517 emails.
Results: I've been forgetting to say that I've removed several negative beliefs in the last couple weeks. For example, I got rid of "I'll never get what I want," and "Life is hard." Beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies, but they aren't necessarily true. I'm excited to see how life starts to happen for me now that these two major blocks are gone.
Results: I've been forgetting to say that I've removed several negative beliefs in the last couple weeks. For example, I got rid of "I'll never get what I want," and "Life is hard." Beliefs become self-fulfilling prophecies, but they aren't necessarily true. I'm excited to see how life starts to happen for me now that these two major blocks are gone.
Saturday Night and Sunday
On Saturday as I was going out for the night, I took out a little painting that came in a candy bar (Artbar, from Ithaca Chocolate Co.) and stuck it in the mirror in the lobby.
Sunday's clutter: Recycled 19 plastic bags at the store. It's taken FOREVER for NYC to have this service in supermarkets. I'm so glad it's available now! For all NYC is supposed to be the center of everything, it is way behind the times when it comes to recycling.
Here's a great result: I have a day off today! I used to have Mondays off all the time, by design, but for a few months there I was working five days a week.
It's nice to have an extra day to do stuff around the house, since I spend most weekends just winding down from the week. That's one reason this one-item-a-day decluttering works for me, cuz it's ongoing and easy, and not something to cram into two days on the weekend.
More later!
Sunday's clutter: Recycled 19 plastic bags at the store. It's taken FOREVER for NYC to have this service in supermarkets. I'm so glad it's available now! For all NYC is supposed to be the center of everything, it is way behind the times when it comes to recycling.
Here's a great result: I have a day off today! I used to have Mondays off all the time, by design, but for a few months there I was working five days a week.
It's nice to have an extra day to do stuff around the house, since I spend most weekends just winding down from the week. That's one reason this one-item-a-day decluttering works for me, cuz it's ongoing and easy, and not something to cram into two days on the weekend.
More later!
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Raymond Aaron’s Guide To Double Your Income By Decluttering
Readers, I'm happy to present you with tips from our latest guest expert, Raymond Aaron! Raymond is the creator of the terrific goal-setting program, The Monthly Mentor, which makes goals easy to set and achieve. He was one of the inspirations behind this blog. Here are Raymond's unique insights on decluttering!
Raymond Aaron’s Guide To Double Your Income By Decluttering
Authored by Raymond Aaron
http://www.DoubleYourIncomeCHALLENGE.com
The very most important concept I have personally discovered on the topic of Double Your Income is clutter. Or, should I say ‘declutter’.
The most oft-quoted statement I have ever made is …
“Every Mess Is A Lock On The Gate Which Keeps Abundance Out.”
It means that, no matter how hard you try and effort, you will be constantly thwarted in your attempt to earn more money if you have lots of Messes.
For example, you may have physical Messes, like:
• Messy basement
• Messy garage
• Messy desktop
• Messy tax receipts in a ‘shoebox’
• Messy purse or wallet
• Messy closet
• Messy car
Or, you may have relationship or emotional Messes, like:
• An upset with someone
• A grudge
• A broken promise (for which you have not apologized)
• A borrowed item that you have not returned
• Unfiled income tax returns for years
• Insufficient attention paid to spouse or children or parents
You can easily see how physical Messes, emotional Messes and relationship Messes hurt you by making you feel small, incomplete, ineffective. This is not where you really want to live.
You must clean your Messes. But, you cannot. Yes, you read me right. You cannot clean your Messes. Why not? Because you are an expert at creating your Messes and you are obviously incompetent at cleaning your Messes. How do I know? Because you have those Messes and they don’t go away.
So, if you need to clean Messes but you can’t, what is the solution?
The solution is to get help. You need to delegate. You need to others on your team. You need support.
If your garage is a mess, ask a neighbor (who has a totally clean and organized garage) to come to your home Saturday morning and help you. Offer to ply him with beer and pizza. He will likely just do it for free because he loves cleaning garages. In this way, for free or almost for free, you have someone doing part of the work for you or with you.
Be creative. Get the help you need because you are incompetent at doing it yourself.
The next critically important point is that there are two aspects of cleaning a Mess:
• First, there is the once-only upfront action of undoing it.
• Second, there is the ongoing necessity to have a plan or process in place to prevent the Mess from coming back.
These two actions are totally different. The first one is really tough for you to do because you are incompetent at it. The second is usually not even done, so the Mess simply and unfortunately recurs.
Here’s the three steps that totally work …
STEP ONE – GET HELP TO CLEAN THE MESS
Find a person or company that can do all or part of the work for you or with you. Hire them. Barter with them. Ask for a favor. Figure it out, but get help.
STEP TWO – GET A PROCESS TO KEEP IT CLEAN ONGOINGLY
This is a totally different process. It may require a different support person. It is not done once. It is actually not even done at all. It is a plan in place ongoingly which keeps you in the neat place and does not permit slipping back into the clutter place.
STEP THREE – CHECKING ON HOW IT’S WORKING
This is critically important. Not only is Step Two simply not known and hence Messes recur, but Step Three is rarely ever done and so even the best plan begins to slip away and begin to not work.
Here is an example in my own life. My clothes closet was a mess. I asked a friend to come to my home to help me. She loved the idea.
STEP ONE – SHE CLEANED THE CLOSET WITH ME
She brought out of my closet every single item of clothing. Every single one. Every tie, every pair of underwear, every bathing suit, every shirt, every pair of pants. Everything. I tried on every single item right in front of her. Between us, we decided which of the three categories that item fit into:
• GREAT AS IS – keep it and hang it back in the closet
• GREAT BUT NEEDS WORK – put it in a pile on the floor for dry cleaning, for repair, for taking in or letting out or hemming etc.
• DISCARD – put it in the pile for submission to the Goodwill collection box.
She was so clever in cleaning closets that she actually demanded that I go with her that moment for a drive. We first went to the Goodwill collection box and deposited all the clothes to be discarded. Wow, did that ever feel great. Next we went to my dry cleaner and explained what had to be done with each item.
On my own, I would likely have left those two piles on my floor for a while so that I could have some new Messes!! But, she knew that and solved it.
That’s the first step of cleaning the mess. Now, the second step of preventing the return.
STEP TWO – SHE TAUGHT ME HER SYSTEM
She explained that suits go here, then summer shirts, then summer pants, then winter shirts, then winter pants. The underwear, socks, bathing suits, etc. go in designated drawers. My closet was almost empty – but the clothes left in it were actually the only ones I really did wear. I thanked her and thought I’d never see her again. But, I was wrong. She then told me that I would make some mistakes which she wanted to prevent. So, she made an appointment with me to return to my home in three months to check on my progress.
STEP THREE – SHE CHECKED MY CLOSET IN 3 MONTHS TO SEE WHERE I WAS FAILING
She came back and found that my clothes were not in the order she had dictated. I explained that, when I return from picking up my dry cleaning, the clothes are inside a clear plastic bag. I just hang the collection of clothes on the rail and then pull off the bag. But, then the clothes are not in the order she created. She asked me to re-hang the clothes after the bag was pulled off. I told her that I would likely forget. I was absurdly proud of my addiction to clutter. I thought that my addiction was more powerful than her de-cluttering abilities. I was wrong again. She was a master. She told me to hang my bagged dry-cleaned clothes on the door knob of my closet door, not on the rail. Then, pull off the plastic bag. Since I was not going to leave my clothes on the closet door knob, and since the clothes were no long bundled together by the plastic bag, I would naturally take each hanger separately and place it where it belongs. She was right. My closet is now permanently and effortlessly neat.
My final comment is that it is really true that “Every Mess Is A Lock On The Gate Which Keeps Abundance Out.” So, de-clutter and keep yourself de-cluttered and watch your happiness level and your income level rise.
PS … If you enjoyed this blogpost, please also enjoy my blog at http://www.DoubleYourIncomeCHALLENGE.com and please follow me on Twitter @RaymondAaron. Thank you.
Raymond Aaron’s Guide To Double Your Income By Decluttering
Authored by Raymond Aaron
http://www.DoubleYourIncomeCHALLENGE.com
The very most important concept I have personally discovered on the topic of Double Your Income is clutter. Or, should I say ‘declutter’.
The most oft-quoted statement I have ever made is …
“Every Mess Is A Lock On The Gate Which Keeps Abundance Out.”
It means that, no matter how hard you try and effort, you will be constantly thwarted in your attempt to earn more money if you have lots of Messes.
For example, you may have physical Messes, like:
• Messy basement
• Messy garage
• Messy desktop
• Messy tax receipts in a ‘shoebox’
• Messy purse or wallet
• Messy closet
• Messy car
Or, you may have relationship or emotional Messes, like:
• An upset with someone
• A grudge
• A broken promise (for which you have not apologized)
• A borrowed item that you have not returned
• Unfiled income tax returns for years
• Insufficient attention paid to spouse or children or parents
You can easily see how physical Messes, emotional Messes and relationship Messes hurt you by making you feel small, incomplete, ineffective. This is not where you really want to live.
You must clean your Messes. But, you cannot. Yes, you read me right. You cannot clean your Messes. Why not? Because you are an expert at creating your Messes and you are obviously incompetent at cleaning your Messes. How do I know? Because you have those Messes and they don’t go away.
So, if you need to clean Messes but you can’t, what is the solution?
The solution is to get help. You need to delegate. You need to others on your team. You need support.
If your garage is a mess, ask a neighbor (who has a totally clean and organized garage) to come to your home Saturday morning and help you. Offer to ply him with beer and pizza. He will likely just do it for free because he loves cleaning garages. In this way, for free or almost for free, you have someone doing part of the work for you or with you.
Be creative. Get the help you need because you are incompetent at doing it yourself.
The next critically important point is that there are two aspects of cleaning a Mess:
• First, there is the once-only upfront action of undoing it.
• Second, there is the ongoing necessity to have a plan or process in place to prevent the Mess from coming back.
These two actions are totally different. The first one is really tough for you to do because you are incompetent at it. The second is usually not even done, so the Mess simply and unfortunately recurs.
Here’s the three steps that totally work …
STEP ONE – GET HELP TO CLEAN THE MESS
Find a person or company that can do all or part of the work for you or with you. Hire them. Barter with them. Ask for a favor. Figure it out, but get help.
STEP TWO – GET A PROCESS TO KEEP IT CLEAN ONGOINGLY
This is a totally different process. It may require a different support person. It is not done once. It is actually not even done at all. It is a plan in place ongoingly which keeps you in the neat place and does not permit slipping back into the clutter place.
STEP THREE – CHECKING ON HOW IT’S WORKING
This is critically important. Not only is Step Two simply not known and hence Messes recur, but Step Three is rarely ever done and so even the best plan begins to slip away and begin to not work.
Here is an example in my own life. My clothes closet was a mess. I asked a friend to come to my home to help me. She loved the idea.
STEP ONE – SHE CLEANED THE CLOSET WITH ME
She brought out of my closet every single item of clothing. Every single one. Every tie, every pair of underwear, every bathing suit, every shirt, every pair of pants. Everything. I tried on every single item right in front of her. Between us, we decided which of the three categories that item fit into:
• GREAT AS IS – keep it and hang it back in the closet
• GREAT BUT NEEDS WORK – put it in a pile on the floor for dry cleaning, for repair, for taking in or letting out or hemming etc.
• DISCARD – put it in the pile for submission to the Goodwill collection box.
She was so clever in cleaning closets that she actually demanded that I go with her that moment for a drive. We first went to the Goodwill collection box and deposited all the clothes to be discarded. Wow, did that ever feel great. Next we went to my dry cleaner and explained what had to be done with each item.
On my own, I would likely have left those two piles on my floor for a while so that I could have some new Messes!! But, she knew that and solved it.
That’s the first step of cleaning the mess. Now, the second step of preventing the return.
STEP TWO – SHE TAUGHT ME HER SYSTEM
She explained that suits go here, then summer shirts, then summer pants, then winter shirts, then winter pants. The underwear, socks, bathing suits, etc. go in designated drawers. My closet was almost empty – but the clothes left in it were actually the only ones I really did wear. I thanked her and thought I’d never see her again. But, I was wrong. She then told me that I would make some mistakes which she wanted to prevent. So, she made an appointment with me to return to my home in three months to check on my progress.
STEP THREE – SHE CHECKED MY CLOSET IN 3 MONTHS TO SEE WHERE I WAS FAILING
She came back and found that my clothes were not in the order she had dictated. I explained that, when I return from picking up my dry cleaning, the clothes are inside a clear plastic bag. I just hang the collection of clothes on the rail and then pull off the bag. But, then the clothes are not in the order she created. She asked me to re-hang the clothes after the bag was pulled off. I told her that I would likely forget. I was absurdly proud of my addiction to clutter. I thought that my addiction was more powerful than her de-cluttering abilities. I was wrong again. She was a master. She told me to hang my bagged dry-cleaned clothes on the door knob of my closet door, not on the rail. Then, pull off the plastic bag. Since I was not going to leave my clothes on the closet door knob, and since the clothes were no long bundled together by the plastic bag, I would naturally take each hanger separately and place it where it belongs. She was right. My closet is now permanently and effortlessly neat.
My final comment is that it is really true that “Every Mess Is A Lock On The Gate Which Keeps Abundance Out.” So, de-clutter and keep yourself de-cluttered and watch your happiness level and your income level rise.
PS … If you enjoyed this blogpost, please also enjoy my blog at http://www.DoubleYourIncomeCHALLENGE.com and please follow me on Twitter @RaymondAaron. Thank you.
Saturday the 21st
Today I threw away a plastic container that zips that I used to bring my lunch to work for some years. It was ripped along several seams and wasn't going to last much longer. It was a great example of reusing something - it was originally used as packaging for coffee that I brought home from Hawaii for friends.
I also swept all my floors this am. Also scrubbed up a couple of dirty spots in the kitchen. Tomorrow I'll move the couch and bed and sweep under them.
Oh! I did sell that craigslist thing! Now I'm thinking of all the stuff I could list there even before the North American Declutter event. AND I can list the sale itself on craigslist. I attribute that great brainstorm to the decluttering. It never occurred to me before to run a free ad.
Hope some of you will be joining us on April 4th with your own sales!
I also swept all my floors this am. Also scrubbed up a couple of dirty spots in the kitchen. Tomorrow I'll move the couch and bed and sweep under them.
Oh! I did sell that craigslist thing! Now I'm thinking of all the stuff I could list there even before the North American Declutter event. AND I can list the sale itself on craigslist. I attribute that great brainstorm to the decluttering. It never occurred to me before to run a free ad.
Hope some of you will be joining us on April 4th with your own sales!
Friday, March 20, 2009
First Day of Snow...Er, Spring
After a week of lovely weather including hitting the 60s on Wednesday, it's snowing in NYC today, the first day of spring!
In keeping with the theme of the week, today two more plain, random magnets are going to the lobby. My fridge is starting to look good.
I'm also meeting someone this evening who's interested in buying a sales program I listed on craigslist! Hooray!
In keeping with the theme of the week, today two more plain, random magnets are going to the lobby. My fridge is starting to look good.
I'm also meeting someone this evening who's interested in buying a sales program I listed on craigslist! Hooray!
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Thursday
This morning I took another fridge magnet down to the lobby. This was a kind of fun one. It was a Levaquin magnet - I can't think HOW I came by it - and it had dozens of cartoon faces with different expressions, and a box to put around the face that expressed your feelings for the day. The box said "Today I feel..." and then the faces said the expressions: happy, depressed, satisfied, anxious, and so on. I never played with it anymore so I thought the kids in the building might have fun with it.
I have been noticing something really funny lately. In the past month or so, my hair has gotten wavier. I had curly hair as a little girl, then my mom cut it into a pageboy and I wore it straight for years after that. It always held a curl, but it was basically straight. Then when I was 16, I asked a friend to give me the Princess Diana haircut from a diagram I got in a Seventeen magazine. As she was cutting it, she said "Where is all this curl coming from?" My mom then told her of my curly-haired toddler days. Cutting my hair short with layers brought out the wave. Well, my hair was wavy for years after that, till my early 30s I'd guess. Then it got straight again and my then hairdresser said she had seen this happen and it usually didn't go back to curly. Boohoo, but I found a good hairstyle and lived with it. Always had cowlicks, always held a curl well, just wasn't wavy like it had been.
Till now. A hairdresser friend I ran into tonight said it totally could happen. She sees it all the time - says it's hormonal. That totally makes sense due to some supplements I've been taking. I have had more energy and felt more like my 30s self than my 40s self, but who knew wavy hair would be part of it?!
This has nothing to do with clutter, BTW. It's just a digression from the usual. Though one could make a case for changing one's diet in the context of decluttering, and producing a result such as energy or weight loss. Or in my case, pretty hair!
I have been noticing something really funny lately. In the past month or so, my hair has gotten wavier. I had curly hair as a little girl, then my mom cut it into a pageboy and I wore it straight for years after that. It always held a curl, but it was basically straight. Then when I was 16, I asked a friend to give me the Princess Diana haircut from a diagram I got in a Seventeen magazine. As she was cutting it, she said "Where is all this curl coming from?" My mom then told her of my curly-haired toddler days. Cutting my hair short with layers brought out the wave. Well, my hair was wavy for years after that, till my early 30s I'd guess. Then it got straight again and my then hairdresser said she had seen this happen and it usually didn't go back to curly. Boohoo, but I found a good hairstyle and lived with it. Always had cowlicks, always held a curl well, just wasn't wavy like it had been.
Till now. A hairdresser friend I ran into tonight said it totally could happen. She sees it all the time - says it's hormonal. That totally makes sense due to some supplements I've been taking. I have had more energy and felt more like my 30s self than my 40s self, but who knew wavy hair would be part of it?!
This has nothing to do with clutter, BTW. It's just a digression from the usual. Though one could make a case for changing one's diet in the context of decluttering, and producing a result such as energy or weight loss. Or in my case, pretty hair!
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Wednesday the 18th
Today I threw out a refrigerator magnet from an insurance agent I had in Oregon. Pretty astounding the things we hold on to.
Results I forgot to mention yesterday: I got an email from someone who saw my ad on craigslist for a sales program I'm selling! He also called me later with questions. Woohoo! Also, I found a penny and my friend bought it off me for a dollar so that he could throw it under the train. Haha!
I also had an ending yesterday - one that I've been struggling with. I unintentionally hurt someone I love and it made me realize that I need to let go for his sake as much as my own. I hope he forgives me, so we can remain friends.
Finally, I JUST got an invitation to a party in the Hamptons Saturday night! Now, I'm a big homebody, but I recently decided to start accepting invitations and dating. The coolest thing about this is that until ten minutes ago, I didn't get invited places. Ever. So this could be the start of a new trend!
I just noticed that I had the wrong link up for the Lefkoe Institute. This is the correct one:
http://www.recreateyourlife.com/cmd.php?af=895159
Their method gets rid of negative beliefs permanently. It's awesome!
Results I forgot to mention yesterday: I got an email from someone who saw my ad on craigslist for a sales program I'm selling! He also called me later with questions. Woohoo! Also, I found a penny and my friend bought it off me for a dollar so that he could throw it under the train. Haha!
I also had an ending yesterday - one that I've been struggling with. I unintentionally hurt someone I love and it made me realize that I need to let go for his sake as much as my own. I hope he forgives me, so we can remain friends.
Finally, I JUST got an invitation to a party in the Hamptons Saturday night! Now, I'm a big homebody, but I recently decided to start accepting invitations and dating. The coolest thing about this is that until ten minutes ago, I didn't get invited places. Ever. So this could be the start of a new trend!
I just noticed that I had the wrong link up for the Lefkoe Institute. This is the correct one:
http://www.recreateyourlife.
Their method gets rid of negative beliefs permanently. It's awesome!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
St. Patrick's Day
Today I took a golf ball to the lobby. It was from the first (and only) time I played golf, a few years ago with my dad. He gave me the ball to keep. But that's not the kind of keepsake I get sentimental about. I have great memories of that morning playing golf and that's all I need.
Happy St. Patty's!
Happy St. Patty's!
Monday, March 16, 2009
Monday March 16th
Today I got rid of the packaging for a pair of shoe lifts I bought years ago. I also took a headphone adaptor to the lobby - I broke the headphones a year or two ago.
Results I forgot to mention yesterday: On Saturday I eliminated a negative belief that has been holding me back. I used this great program from The Lefkoe Institute. Here's a link so you can check it out:
http://www.recreateyourlife.com/cmd.php?af=895159
Their method really works. It gets rid of negative beliefs PERMANENTLY!
Results I forgot to mention yesterday: On Saturday I eliminated a negative belief that has been holding me back. I used this great program from The Lefkoe Institute. Here's a link so you can check it out:
http://www.recreateyourlife.
Their method really works. It gets rid of negative beliefs PERMANENTLY!
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Saturday & Sunday
Saturday: Threw away useless software left by the cable guy, and took three brackets and seven screws down to the lobby. I had no idea what they were for, but they were gone quickly - I guess hardware is something everyone can use!
Today: Took 17 plastic bags to the store to recycle. Also returned three inks to Staples for one of my jobs.
Results: Got some exciting new real estate opportunities via email this week. Also was visited by a new friend last night, who happens to be a real estate investor as well. Hmmm...
Today: Took 17 plastic bags to the store to recycle. Also returned three inks to Staples for one of my jobs.
Results: Got some exciting new real estate opportunities via email this week. Also was visited by a new friend last night, who happens to be a real estate investor as well. Hmmm...
Friday, March 13, 2009
Tips on clearing clutter from Lisa Zaslow
Thanks, Judy for inviting me to guest post! This is a great forum for people to come together to support each other in letting go of the things that no longer support them.
I’m the founder of
and have helped hundreds of people to be more organized over the past 8 years. I thought I’d share some of my tips to make the clutter clearing process easier.
With “spring cleaning” season approaching, this is a great time to clear clutter so you can make room for the things that are really important to you.
I love this quote from Oprah -“You can’t have greatness in your life if it’s cluttered with junk. You need to open up to the possibilities.” And from Dorothy Parker "It's not the tragedies that kill us, it's the messes."
Set aside a specific block of time to tackle the stuff that’s been piling up. Start small; even 15 minutes can make a difference! When I work with clients, we usually work in a 3 hour session – don’t expect to be able to go that long on your own. It can be draining. I recently heard that when the moon is in a waning phase, it’s the best time to let stuff go – couldn’t hurt to coordinate with the celestial rhythms!
Gather some supplies before you begin. Your task will be much easier if you have some sturdy garbage bags, recycling bins, and a few cardboard boxes for stuff you want to give away or donate to charity.
To speed your sorting, establish criteria ahead of time to determine what you will get rid of. Some examples of things that you might want to toss:
- Things you never use.
- Things you hate. Even if it was a gift. (Well, maybe not if it was a gift from your spouse or your mother …)
- Things that are broken -- it’s almost never worth your time or money to repair them. I can’t tell you how many old phones and answering machines I find taking up valuable space in people’s closets. There was a reason you bought a new one, right?!
- Things that are out of date. If you feel you MUST save old magazines and journals, determine an “expiration date” that makes sense – almost any printed material more than a year or two old is probably stale by now.
- Duplicate things – one staple remover is enough; a drawer full of pens is probably too many. How many extra shopping bags do you really need?
- Mystery things – odd cables, business cards of people you’ve forgotten, random keys, etc. If you don’t know what it is, you probably don’t need it.
- Things that you don’t have time for or that are no longer a priority. Are you ever really going to have time to read all the magazines piled up in that giant stack? To finish that old knitting project? these kinds of things can be huge energy drains.
Remember, there is a cost to the storing all this stuff. The idea is to only hold onto things that are useful and important to you.
Establish criteria for the things that you want to keep: - You use it.
- It’s related to a project or goal you’re working on.
- There are legal, tax or compliance reasons for keeping it.
- It’s hard to replace or valuable.
- You love it; it makes you feel good.
- Try to avoid “It might come in handy some day”. This is a recipe for holding onto everything! And as the comedian Steven Wright said, “You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?”
Now you’re ready to begin.
Make your clutter clearing as fun as possible. Turn on some music or the TV; invite a friend to help; have some snacks ready for when you need a break.
Once you get started, try to stay focused on just letting stuff go. Just decide – is this something to keep or something I can let go of?
This is not the time to read every old file and article that you’d clipped to read “some day”. Don’t start a trip down memory lane and reminisce about your old mementos.
If you’re struggling with a decision on whether you should throw something out, consider putting it into a temporary holding bin (with a Decide By date) or sticking a Post It marked ‘Keep?” on it – just use this time to toss the trash.
Don’t get bogged down in finding the perfect “home” for any useable items that you no longer need (unless they are truly valuable). Pick a thrift shop near you and just get the stuff out as quickly as possible.
When you’re done, congratulate yourself and do something to celebrate. You’ve just cleared some space so new things can come into your life.
For additional information about getting organized, and to subscribe to my free Productivity Tips newsletter visit http://www.gothamorganizers.com/ You get my tip of the day by following me on Twitter – GothamOrganizer.
If you have any questions, or if you’re having a hard time letting stuff go, or you’re in the NY area and would like some hands-on help, e-mail me at info@gothamorganizers.com ; I’d be happy to help.
Friday the 13th
Today I'm taking a child's piggy bank, in the form of a paper U-Haul truck, to the lobby. I used to work for U-Haul. Driving those trucks was fun!
Also taking a few items to work to shred.
Also taking a few items to work to shred.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
EXTRA, EXTRA!
We will have our first guest post tomorrow! Lisa Zaslow of Gotham Organizers will be sharing tips for all of us declutterers! You can check out Lisa's website at www.gothamorganizers.com
Thursday
Today I'm taking two old New Year's noisemakers to the lobby. I've had them for at least 8 years, probably more like 12. BYEE!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday
Whew, busy week! Here's the clutter countdown:
Monday: I took an old bridal magazine down to the lobby. One of my stupider purchases - I bought it not knowing that the bookstore would not accept magazine returns, even if it was the next day.
Tuesday: Left a pencil in the lobby. And coming home Tuesday night, left a book that I had just finished reading for the 10th time. I also took some stuff to work to shred.
Wednesday: Threw away an empty shampoo bottle.
Results: Last night I connected with one of my sisters for possibly the first time. We hadn't been close due to circumstance, but turns out we both wanted to have each other in our lives. So we had a real conversation on the phone last night. I say "real" because we've always been somewhat constrained in the past. Feels like that's gone now, and it makes me happy!
Also noticing what might be some self-sabotage at work. Something to keep an eye on.
Monday: I took an old bridal magazine down to the lobby. One of my stupider purchases - I bought it not knowing that the bookstore would not accept magazine returns, even if it was the next day.
Tuesday: Left a pencil in the lobby. And coming home Tuesday night, left a book that I had just finished reading for the 10th time. I also took some stuff to work to shred.
Wednesday: Threw away an empty shampoo bottle.
Results: Last night I connected with one of my sisters for possibly the first time. We hadn't been close due to circumstance, but turns out we both wanted to have each other in our lives. So we had a real conversation on the phone last night. I say "real" because we've always been somewhat constrained in the past. Feels like that's gone now, and it makes me happy!
Also noticing what might be some self-sabotage at work. Something to keep an eye on.
Sunday, March 8, 2009
Sunday the 8th
Today I took an encyclopedia to the lobby. I got it from the lobby a month or two ago!
Saturday, March 7, 2009
Saturday Morning
Today I am giving a hat to a friend, with a note to put it in the lobby if she doesn't want it. It's a stretch for me to get rid of clothing. Could be the start of a new phase in decluttering!
The nationwide yard sale event is happening April 4th! Let us know if you'll be participating!
The nationwide yard sale event is happening April 4th! Let us know if you'll be participating!
Friday, March 6, 2009
Friday's Clutter
Today I took out a National Geographic and a funny little Chinese character on a string that was hanging on my front door. I don't remember who gave it to me or why it was there. Saw it yesterday and thought, "Hey, that could go!" They both landed in the lobby - and the incense tile from yesterday WAS still there.
Did more cleaning up at work too. Different job, but basically the same sort of thing - files to go through, doing my job as it was meant to be done, looking into how I can minimize mistakes and really excel at the job. It was good. And I saw a cute guy from another floor on the elevator - going down AND up! When we got back on at the same time, he commented on how unusual it was. I had wanted to ask him about his rugby shirt on the way down and didn't, so I said that was why we ran into each other again and we talked about his shirt and how the designer probably never played rugby. When he got off he said, "Till next time!" It was fun.
Gotta make some T-shirts! Till next time!
Did more cleaning up at work too. Different job, but basically the same sort of thing - files to go through, doing my job as it was meant to be done, looking into how I can minimize mistakes and really excel at the job. It was good. And I saw a cute guy from another floor on the elevator - going down AND up! When we got back on at the same time, he commented on how unusual it was. I had wanted to ask him about his rugby shirt on the way down and didn't, so I said that was why we ran into each other again and we talked about his shirt and how the designer probably never played rugby. When he got off he said, "Till next time!" It was fun.
Gotta make some T-shirts! Till next time!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Thursday's Results
I got so much done today that I felt it deserved its own post. Excuse me if I'm being indulgent, and remember, you all can be just as indulgent any time you feel like making a comment!
I got up earlier than I've gotten up in months, and went to the gym. Then I went to Target to get some things for another project I'm working on. They actually had what I needed, which was fantastic because otherwise I would have had to go to Staples and that wasn't happening today. Went home and had breakfast, took a shower, worked on graphics for the project, and was out the door in 45 minutes. Stopped in at the liquor store for a going-away present for a co-worker who was leaving, bought a Metro card, bought cat food on the walk from the subway to work, and still made it to the office 20 minutes early.
Then at work I started working on stuff that had been cluttering my desk for several months. I decided to do my job as it was meant to be done, so a lot of things got filed and some work got caught up that I somehow rarely found time for.
Somewhere in there I got motivated to clean house when I got home. I started with laundry, which included stripping my bed to do the sheets. I had a coaching call while at the laundromat, and also went to pick up a certified letter while there. Came home and made some calls to some old friends, put away some of the laundry and hung up some still-damp items, answered an email from my sister, checked on my guest post progress, posted to the blog, and worked on the other project graphics a bit more. I just now did the dishes (they had piled up all week - I am a packrat after all) and am cooking dinner (a bit late) as I write this.
It feels really good to look back at the day and see how much was accomplished and how easy it all seemed to be. This is the second time recently - maybe since starting the decluttering - that I've been really productive on a given day. It's a new experience for me, and a wonderful one.
I got up earlier than I've gotten up in months, and went to the gym. Then I went to Target to get some things for another project I'm working on. They actually had what I needed, which was fantastic because otherwise I would have had to go to Staples and that wasn't happening today. Went home and had breakfast, took a shower, worked on graphics for the project, and was out the door in 45 minutes. Stopped in at the liquor store for a going-away present for a co-worker who was leaving, bought a Metro card, bought cat food on the walk from the subway to work, and still made it to the office 20 minutes early.
Then at work I started working on stuff that had been cluttering my desk for several months. I decided to do my job as it was meant to be done, so a lot of things got filed and some work got caught up that I somehow rarely found time for.
Somewhere in there I got motivated to clean house when I got home. I started with laundry, which included stripping my bed to do the sheets. I had a coaching call while at the laundromat, and also went to pick up a certified letter while there. Came home and made some calls to some old friends, put away some of the laundry and hung up some still-damp items, answered an email from my sister, checked on my guest post progress, posted to the blog, and worked on the other project graphics a bit more. I just now did the dishes (they had piled up all week - I am a packrat after all) and am cooking dinner (a bit late) as I write this.
It feels really good to look back at the day and see how much was accomplished and how easy it all seemed to be. This is the second time recently - maybe since starting the decluttering - that I've been really productive on a given day. It's a new experience for me, and a wonderful one.
Guest Authors Extraordinaire Coming Soon!
This past couple weeks I got some exciting news! Two clutter experts will be doing guest posts on the blog!
The first guest author is my friend Lisa Zaslow, who is a professional organizer. Her company is Gotham Organizers, and she has written an ebook on the subject. It'll be great to see what she has to say about clutter!
The second guest is someone I mentioned in my first post on this blog. He is a mentor of mine, Raymond Aaron, who is an expert at cleaning up messes - in your life, in your house, wherever. This is great for all you declutterers because Raymond has cleaned up some really big messes in his life and has never looked back! He knows his stuff.
Stay tuned!
The first guest author is my friend Lisa Zaslow, who is a professional organizer. Her company is Gotham Organizers, and she has written an ebook on the subject. It'll be great to see what she has to say about clutter!
The second guest is someone I mentioned in my first post on this blog. He is a mentor of mine, Raymond Aaron, who is an expert at cleaning up messes - in your life, in your house, wherever. This is great for all you declutterers because Raymond has cleaned up some really big messes in his life and has never looked back! He knows his stuff.
Stay tuned!
Thursday the 5th
Today I took a book down to the lobby. I had an incense burner too, but realized it was actually something nice that I could sell at the upcoming yard sale event, so I kept it. There was also a tiny tile incense holder which I left with the book. I doubted anyone would know what it was, but it disappeared and the book is still there, so maybe there is an incense fan in the building!
Last night I got a tip from someone who's done a lot of decluttering of workspaces. He recommended something called the 5 S's. Here's a link:
http://www.lmsi.ca/5s.htm
Scroll down for the 5 S's. I checked it out and can see where it could be used in one's personal life as well as at work. If anyone tries it, please leave a comment on how it worked for you!
Last night I got a tip from someone who's done a lot of decluttering of workspaces. He recommended something called the 5 S's. Here's a link:
http://www.lmsi.ca/5s.htm
Scroll down for the 5 S's. I checked it out and can see where it could be used in one's personal life as well as at work. If anyone tries it, please leave a comment on how it worked for you!
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Wednesday, March 4th
Today I took out another package of incense. Knew I had a few, didn't realize how many extra there actually are.
Results: Pondering life, the universe, and everything. Who knew? Also reconnecting with friends I haven't seen in YEARS via Facebook. Again, who knew?
Results: Pondering life, the universe, and everything. Who knew? Also reconnecting with friends I haven't seen in YEARS via Facebook. Again, who knew?
Tuesday, March 3, 2009
Monday/Tuesday
Monday: I took out a package of incense. I have a few, and I rarely burn incense. It went to the lobby.
Today: A stoneware teacup, color natural with two dark blue stripes, is going to the lobby.
Results: Got a lot of hits in the last couple days and some great comments. Thanks everyone! Keep it coming!
Today: A stoneware teacup, color natural with two dark blue stripes, is going to the lobby.
Results: Got a lot of hits in the last couple days and some great comments. Thanks everyone! Keep it coming!
Sunday, March 1, 2009
Sunday's Clutter
Today I took an old hard plastic cup down to the lobby. It's cracked in a couple places, but I liked the color and thought I could put a plant in it or something. Needless to say, this didn't happen, so it's outta here!
I also listed a sales program on craigslist. It's called Sales Dogs and it's a Rich Dad Advisors product. Probably should have posted it to a real estate club bulletin board. If it doesn't sell, that will be next.
Also took out the garbage and paper recycling. It's always so nice to take out a big bag of paper to the recycling bins. There's this sense of space left behind.
I also listed a sales program on craigslist. It's called Sales Dogs and it's a Rich Dad Advisors product. Probably should have posted it to a real estate club bulletin board. If it doesn't sell, that will be next.
Also took out the garbage and paper recycling. It's always so nice to take out a big bag of paper to the recycling bins. There's this sense of space left behind.
What This Blog is For
I just want to shout out and say that this blog is for everyone who has an issue with clutter and wants support. It's a place to share your progress, too.
It's also for anyone who has CONQUERED clutter to share how they did it. We packrats will love your tips!
No matter how much clutter you have, one piece of junk out the door daily is progress. If you can commit to that, you are on your way to a clutter-free life!
It's also for anyone who has CONQUERED clutter to share how they did it. We packrats will love your tips!
No matter how much clutter you have, one piece of junk out the door daily is progress. If you can commit to that, you are on your way to a clutter-free life!
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