Crammed closet.
Piles on the desk.
Cluttered kitchen counters.
Chaos under the bathroom sink.

Those aren’t the real problems, those are the results of  problems.

The problem with the closet is too many clothes that don’t fit,
are out of season or out of style, and a lack of organization.

The problem with the messy desk is no system for dealing with the mail,
piling instead of filing and random office items taking up valuable space.

The problem in the kitchen is no room in the pantry so things get left out,
dirty dishes that didn’t make it into the dishwasher, papers, books and household items
that were never properly put away.

The problem under the sink is it’s a wide deep cabinet,
too many multipacks and back up supplies, forgotten or never used
products or grooming aids.

Most problems are the result of:
Items not having a proper home.
No system or routine for dealing with things.
Trying to put too many things in too small of a space.

Once you see past the mess and understand what’s causing the problem
solutions will become obvious and easy to implement.

Sort the closet.
  Purge what you don’t wear, don’t like, doesn’t fit.
  Arrange like with like.

Deal with the mail on a regular basis.

Set up the pantry so you can see what you have;
  eat what’s in there and buy supplies on an as needed basis.
Don’t just set dirty dishes on the counter.
  Put them into the dishwasher.

Buy a small stacking shelf or drawer unit for bathroom cabinet
  and take advantage of the vertical space.
Store one back up product down there, not a multi pack’s worth.
Let go of the hair dryer, curling iron, pedicure set you don’t use.

Most solutions aren’t complicated.

Point Reyes National Seashore, California.

Sun, wind, hiking, wildflowers, birding, ocean, 
lagoons, ponds, history, elk, river otters, and miles
of sky……

Use your money to buy experiences, not stuff.
(this is my excuse for no post last week)

Trying to keep track of everything in your head can be crazy making.
Get your schedules, ideas, thoughts, plans, and dreams out of your mind and on to a list.

Not only does it free up space in your head, it gives you a visual reference and
reminder of what things you need to do, which tasks await your attention,  
and where you want to be spending your time and money.

You may want to have a Daily to Do List, (that fits on a Post it), grocery lists, a list of projects for your home,
ideas about your next vacation, The Five Year Plan Big Picture list,
books and movies you want to enjoy:
If it’s important to you write it down.

Once you have a list then begin to prioritize, as well as plan, how to make those things happen.
Which things are most important?
What needs to be done first?

For me, the best part of list making is crossing out!

Knowing I’ve taken care of something, done some sort of action to move things along, 
or not forgotten the obvious from the grocery store helps me feel in control of my life.

Also if something is on my list and I continue to avoid, ignore, procrastinate or never quite get around to it-
it becomes apparent that it isn’t the priority or desire I might have thought it was.
Which is just another opportunity to cross out!

Unstuff your head by making some lists.
Make Being Out of your Mind a good thing.

At what point does one more __________  become just that?  More.

“Stuff’ doesn’t protect us, determine our value, or necessarily make our lives easier.

Owning multiples of items often creates storages issues,
financial challenges, and can contribute to the clutter and chaos of our homes and lives.

Choosing to have fewer things of higher quality is a better investment of our money and our time.

Focus your attention on people instead of things, activities instead of acquiring,
and being mindful of the fact that your results are a mirror of your priorities.

Before you buy another __________, add one more ___________ to your closet,
shop for yet another variety of ___________, 
ask yourself  “How many is enough?”

No is a complete sentence.

Saying no is a powerful choice.

Saying it without explanation or justification,
quietly without shame or guilt, (to yourself or to others)
frees up time, 
clarifies your priorities and 
reminds you that you’re the one in charge of your reactions to situations and people.

No. You won’t be making time to spend with people whose company you no longer enjoy.
No. You’re not going to ignore the pile of mail on the dining room table.
No. You won’t be sharing the bit of gossip you heard.

Saying no helps you clarify how you use your time,
where you spend your money, and
who gets your attention.
(All of which are in limited supply)

By saying No to ‘stuff’,
you give yourself the space and time  
to say Yes to to the people and activities you truly love and value.

“Outer order contributes to inner calm.”  Gretchen Rubin

When we’re surrounded by piles and stacks, mess or clutter, 
it can add to our stress and feelings of being overwhelmed and out of control.

By taking even five minutes to put things away, deal with the mail,
hang up some clothes, or empty the sink, we give ourselves more room.
Putting our attention and effort into physical movement demonstrates to our
inner self that we can control parts of our lives and make small changes that 
have impact.

Creating order on the physical level of our lives can help to calm the agitation
that is often present on the inside.

The next time you’re feeling stressed, look around;
consider the role your physical environment is having
on your inner dialogue.
See if by creating a bit of outside order you are able to calm a bit on the inside.

If your medicine cabinet is cluttered with expired, unused, or outdated prescriptions:

Saturday, April 26th, is National Prescription Take-Back Day.

Want to find a location near you?  Click here.

Need more information about proper medicine disposal?  Click here.

Chances are, you’ll be out and about on Saturday anyway,
so take advantage of the opportunity to properly dispose of your medicine clutter.

When is a plus really a minus?

In other words: When does adding something actually take away something?

When we add things we get more.  
And we’ve been conditioned to think that more is better.
If we take something away, we often assume things have been diminished.

However, in the case of the things we bring into our home,
the activities we add to our calendar,
the duties we assume out of obligation:
Adding more rarely makes our life better.
In fact, more often adds to our clutter, stress and feelings 
of being overwhelmed, and life being out of control.

Subtracting items from our home that we no longer use, need or love,
  adds space and ease to our lives.
Eliminating activities that drain us gives us time to spend
  doing things we love with people we care about.
Carefully selecting our obligations makes the best use of our time and talents.

The next time you are tempted to add a thing,
an activity, or a commitment to your home, life or schedule-
Do the math.
Is it a plus?
Or will it really end up as a minus?

It is your story to write.

There is more to the price of something than the amount on the price tag.

Even if something is inexpensive doesn’t necessarily make it a bargain.

Spending money on something that is poorly made, easily broken , quickly worn out, or doesn’t do the job well
wastes not only the money we paid, but our time as well.

Having fewer things of better quality makes the best use of our money, and saves us time and frustration.

There are costs in every purchase we make.  
Try being more mindful of the the story of how that cheap thing became available.
Do the math to figure out your cost per usage.
Consider what will happen to the product when it no longer is functional.
(There really is no ‘away’ when you throw something away.  It goes somewhere……)

Spend a little more now to end up spending less later.
Own things of quality that work well, look good and last.

The next time you’re tempted because something “only costs________”
consider the real price you are paying.

It’s true.  
Your space is limited.
You only have so many drawers,
a limited amount of closet space,
and a finite number of cabinets.

Act now to:
Sort a closet.
Un-stuff a drawer.
Clear off a shelf.
Purge under a sink.

More is rarely better.
It is usually just the same thing over and over.
And repetition often creates clutter.

By setting limits on how much or how many, 
we keep control over how our spaces look, feel and function.
As well as better mange our time, money and resources.

Act now and make the best use of the space you have.

(Oh, and leave a bit of empty space-you’ll breathe easier.  Truly)