Because less clutter means less stress.
Because being more organized means I have more time to relax.
Because being organized opens up space and time to spend with people who make me laugh.
Because routines and habits make it easier to deal with the unexpected.
Because less clutter means I’m not so overwhelmed.
Because kids mimic adults,
      and learning to be organized when you’re a kid is easier than learning when you’re an adult.

Because I really do want to have a simple, abundant life.

I know it all comes down to the choices I make.
I’m choosing less, in order to have more.

And you?

If you’ve been waiting to donate the not your style clothing gift,
or the tea cups from your grandmother,
or the wedding gift you’ve never used,
or clear the file cabinet of papers from five years ago,
the garage of sports equipment that you paid a lot of money for,
or toss sale food from the pantry that you know you’ll never eat,
or a pile of your child’s art work-
Please, go ahead.
Permission granted.

If you thanked the giver, if you know your grandmother isn’t the tea cups,
you have no intention of every making waffles, 
you’ve long since broken the small appliance that you’ve saved the warranty for,
your schedule doesn’t have room for tennis or golf or even croquet,
you now realize the bargain Costco multi pack didn’t mean you’d eat it,
and that just because your child created it, doesn’t mean you need to keep it.

Really, it’s okay to let stuff go.
Gifts, items you’ve out grown (on any level), the repetitive, the redundant,
the ‘sale’ purchases that weren’t really a bargain,
the items you’ve been storing for Justin Case.

Donating the unused, unneeded and unworn doesn’t make your life smaller-
it opens up space for you to see and use the things that are important and have value.

Give yourself permission to surround yourself with the things you love,
the people you want to spend time with,
doing activities that speak to your whole hearted life.

It’s true.  One of the reasons I like to be organized is that it allows me to be lazy.

Spending extra time and energy looking for something takes effort.
Having to pick some thing up multiple times makes more work for me.
Writing a check, stuffing an envelope, then making sure I get the statement to the post office in time
isn’t nearly as easy as paying the bill on line.

Having simple systems for the mechanics of daily living gives me time to do the things I enjoy.
By making less work for myself, eliminating unnecessary and repetitive decisions,
and by narrowing my choices and options, things get easier.

Living with clutter and disorganization sucks your energy and time.
Life is hard enough.
Do what you can to make it easier for yourself.
It’s your choice.

“In a world that has learned everything is about trading,
offering is how we experience the generosity of spirit.”          Agapi Stassinopoulos

Every day we create narratives  to explain, justify, praise, condemn, condone, dismiss,  and give meaning to our actions.
(Or lack of)

Repetition has made us believe some of them are true,
others are a convenient way to avoid action,
and some have become so habitual we fail to notice their consequences.

What stories do you tell yourself about your clutter and disorganization?
    “When I have more time, then I’ll get organized.”
    “I know what’s in every pile.”
    “I can find things-eventually.”
    “I’ll never change.”

What if you got a bit more creative in your story telling?
What if you changed the narrative to reflect the life you want to be living?
What if your internal dialogue encouraged you to make some different choices?

Maybe the new stories could go something like this:
    “I’m going to spend five minutes before bed getting things ready for the morning.”
    “I’ll put this item away, not just set on that pile.”
    “Having a home for things makes them easier and faster to find.”
    “I don’t have to do it all at once; I can make small changes that will encourage me to keep trying.”

You’re the one writing the story of your life.
You’re the one choosing where the story takes place, selecting the scenery,
choosing how you’ll react to plot twists,
which situations will amuse or challenge you,
and who the cast of supporting characters will be.

Don’t clutter the story with stuff that no longer serves you, items you don’t need or love, and
things (or thoughts) you’ve been keeping out of guilt or obligation.

Make your life and your story a creative reflection of your most heartfelt desires.

Yes, Costco can be a great place to shop.
And it can be a mistake to buy things there.

One of the basic organizational shopping guidelines (so much nicer term than rules, don’t you think?) is:
How much is enough?
Another guideline is:
Where is this going to live when I bring it home?
And,
What’s the real cost of saving money?

It’s easy to get caught up in mindset of bulk buying must be a bargain, or
I’m going to need this eventually so why not buy a lot of it now, or
this might not be here next time so I should grab it while I have the chance.

However, all those bargains, multi packs and deals are going to need to be stored somewhere once you get them home.
Plus you need to remember you have them,
find them when you need them and
use them up in a timely manner.

Every square foot of your house or apartment costs you on a daily basis.
(Divide your mortgage or rent by your square footage and see what you pay for each square foot)
Is the money you ‘saved’ worth the storage cost involved?

If you end up throwing things away that have gone bad,
or never using them,
or stuffing your closets to over flowing just to store all these bargains: 
What’s the real price of all this saving?

Be mindful of what you really eat.
Pay attention to what products you really use and in what quantity.
Remember the One in One Out rule.
Be an intentional shopper.
(and not just at Costco)

Eliminate  steps whenever you can.
(Unless you’re doing the Tango or walking for exercise)

Easier as in:
    Sort the mail over the recycle bin.
    Set up on line bill paying.
    Put a hook on the back of the door and skip the hanger hassle.
    Keep your grocery list on your phone.
    Say No.
    Buy fewer things.

Make the mechanics of daily living as simple as possible.
Set yourself up to succeed at creating less clutter and being more organized.

Start with the results you want to achieve:  Less mess, bills paid promptly, more personal time, less stuff to clean/store/keep track of.  

Then figure out the fewest steps, least amount of energy and brain power you need to exert to make it happen.
(Trust me, there are no bonus points for making things complicated)

Life is complicated enough,
when you have the opportunity make it as simple and easy for yourself as you possibly can.

This weekend I watched a video I haven’t been able to stop thinking about:

A Place at the Table about hunger in America.

As this documentary shows, Food Insecurity is an issue with many causes, ramifications and no easy simple solution.
(Just like every other complex problem we face)
However just because it is complicated and complex isn’t a reason to avoid confronting it
or working to find some solutions that will change people’s (and especially children’s) access to good nutritional food. 

But we can’t change what we aren’t aware of,
what we don’t make a priority,
or if we fail to change our attitudes and actions.

I do know that Little Bites (no food pun intended) 
does work as a way to tackle a big problem or what seems to be an overwhelming situation.

Doing what you can, where you are, with what you have
is the way for each of us to make a difference.

It is wrong that people are going to bed hungry in a country with more than enough food.

My question this week:
How can each of us become part of the solution?

Grab a bag.
Go to a closet, dresser, shelf or drawer.
Choose five items that you’re ready to let go.
(Donate, recycle or trash-your choice) 
   Pants that don’t fit.
   Dvds you’ll never watch again.
   Tight socks.
   Old catalogues.
   Excess mugs.
   Plastic containers.
   Hobby supplies you’ll never use.
   Shoes.

Once you have your five items:  Throw out the trashy ones, recycle appropriately,
and take the donation items out to your car so you have them the next time you drive by a donation opportunity.

Tomorrow or the next day choose a different closet, dresser, shelf or drawer.
Repeat the process.
Create room in the closet, free up space in a drawer, and open up inches on a shelf.
Make it easier to see what you have and access what you use.

Want an extra bit of challenge?
Try letting go of something that you think you’re not quite ready to part with.
Consider what thoughts, ideas, beliefs and emotions keeps you tied to a possession.

Make sure that the things in your home
  bring you real joy, personal satisfaction, inspire you and 
  reflect the life you want to be living now.

Yup.  Give up.
Give up trying to be perfect.
Give up trying to fit into clothes from two sizes ago.
Give up your need to always be right.
Give up the righteous grudge you’ve been holding on to for months.

You will never have a totally clutter free and perfectly organized home.
(Well not for more than a nano second at best!)
Accept the body, and the life you have right now.
Choose to be kind and let the conversation end.
Forgive someone and feel your own heart lighten.

This week try to pay attention to your self as a human being,
  not a human doing.

You will be amazed how giving up will get you more of what you really want.
Trust me.