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KarenJane

Is it worth keeping?

Wait a minute, before you put that item away ask yourself, “Is it worth keeping?”

Putting things away when you’re finished with them is key to eliminating clutter.
Sometimes though it’s a good idea to stop and consider if you really need or want to keep an item.

Before you toss a dried up pen back in the drawer, 
put a chipped cup back on the shelf, 
hang up a shirt that’s a tiny bit too tight, 
or make room for another book on an already crowded shelf, 
ask yourself:  “Is it worth keeping?” 

Is its value equal to the space it uses?
The care it requires?
Will I ever really use/wear/read/need it again?

If it  isn’t, let it go.  (You know-recycle, donate, toss.)

Oh, and let’s not forget the mental or emotional items we’re keeping. 
Is it helpful to hold onto that grudge or resentment, anger or fear?
Would letting go of those stories and memories make space in your head and heart?

You decide what has worth and value in the life you’re living right now.
Thoughtful decisions  about your home and life reflect what you care about and value.

Spend. Save.

Save money.  Spend time.

Spend time.  Save money.

Two different ways to deal with a situation.
Some days you’d rather spend the time.
Other days, it’s a better option to spend the money.

Make conscious choices that support your values,
your energy level, and the results you’re hoping to achieve.

Retrieval

“Organization is about retrieval, not storage.”  Julie Morgenstern

If you needed X, where would you go to find it?
(If you can’t think of a place, perhaps you don’t need to be keeping/storing that item)

Being organized means the things we need and use are easily accessible 
where we need and use them.
It’s things having a logical (to you) place to live.
And it’s easy to return them to their home when you’ve finished using them.

And most importantly:
It isn’t about how the system looks-
it’s about how it functions for you.

(Matchy baskets might look nice, but if it’s out of sight/out of mind
it doesn’t make your life more organized)

Showing up

May we bring wild blessings and fierce love to all we encounter.  Elizabeth Rainey

Have to. Get to.

I have to go to the gym.
I get to experience my strength and stamina.

I have to go to the Holiday Party.
I get to spend time with people I love and don’t see often enough.

I have to participate in the Secret Santa.
I get to surprise someone with a funny and thoughtful gift.

I have to go to work.
I get paid to do something I’m good at and people appreciate.

Self talk and how we frame our experiences 
effects how we feel, and our attitude towards daily experiences.

If there are too many have tos, rethink why you feel they are necessary.
Is it still true?
If it isn’t; permission granted to let those things go.

Try coming from an attitude of gratitude and creativity about how you spend your time.
Make conscious choices that reflect the life you want to be living.

That decision has been made.

You can’t change the past.
No.  
Really, you can’t.

No amount of rehashing, rethinking, what iffing, replaying the conversation, 
blaming, playing the victim, or brilliant come back you’ve now thought of
will change what happened a minute, month or years ago.

It is perfectly okay, legitimate and a good idea to consider the consequences
of past actions.
But only if you let what you learned from the situation inform how you might
respond now.

Get out of the past.
Be present with who and what is going on in your life today.
Right now.
Minimize the time you spend looking in your personal rear view mirror.
You’re not going that way.

(Clearing mental clutter is as important as clearing physical space)

Gifts

“Gift-giving is an important ritual of happiness: it strengthens connections, allows us to express love, thoughtfulness, and appreciation, and gives us a way to be generous.”  Gretchen Rubin

​Just a tiny reminder: 
Make sure the gifts you give don’t end up as clutter in someone else’s life.
(Think:  Experiences, sharing time, things that will get used up)

Thoughtful gift giving enriches the experience for the giver and the receiver.

One step

Feeling overwhelmed by a project?

Start exercising?
Clear a counter?
Organize your desk?
Park in the garage?

Forget the big picture.
​Narrow your focus.
Think of one step you can do today to move you forward.

Walk to the corner.
Throw away the trash on the counter.
Put all the pens and pencils in one container.
Donate the sports equipment you’re not using.

Often just starting is the most daunting step.
The goal for today isn’t completion.
The focus of today is one step; moving you in the direction you want to go.

Tomorrow, another step.
Let momentum and progress carry you forward.

What one thing can you do today,
with the energy you have,
and the time that’s available,
to begin the project?
Take that step.

Make a list, or two…

 Make a list; check it twice.

Make a list:
Gift list.
Grocery list. 
Commitments list.  

Stop trying to keep track of everything in your head.
Write it down.

Written lists help insure that we shop with a purpose and a plan, 
we buy what we need, 
and we show up when and where we’re invited.

Getting things out of our heads and down on paper (or digitally noted)
makes keeping track of things easier.

Check the list twice:  
Or three times, 
or until everything is crossed off.
Carry the list with you.  
A list can’t help you if leave it on the counter and you’re in the store. 

(I’ve found that keeping  lists on my phone makes it easy to add items,
and I don’t have to worry about losing the piece of paper)

Lists mean crossing out!  Or deleting, if we’re doing it digitally.
A completed list or an empty note folder is a small but significant reward,
and reinforces that we can be in control of our time and money.

Sometimes clutter is a result of feeling scattered and overwhelmed 
about all we think we need to be doing and having in our lives.
Lists remind us what we need to be doing, 
help us focus, and remind us what we’ve chosen as our priorities.

Be Kind

Cut yourself some slack.

LIfe is challenging and hard, and sometimes we just need to 
ease up on ourselves.

Lower the expectation of all we should be doing
and just focus on what we can do, today.

Try talking to yourself in the same compassionate way
you’d talk to a friend who was dealing with a challenge.

Our default is usually judgement and criticism;
both of ourselves and others.
Make kindness your first option-
for yourself
and for those around you.

Things will change.
They always and inevitably do.
By offering kindness we will make the transition between now and then
less of a struggle.