Instead of thinking, “From now on I’ll ______________.”
Get up ten minutes earlier.  
Load the dishwasher every night.
Pay all my bills on Monday.  
Go to the gym three times a week.
Connect with friends.

Try framing a small change as an experiment with a time limit.
Commit to doing something for a month.
It is far less daunting to consider doing something for 30 days,
than for the rest of your life.

At the end of the month, check in with yourself.
Did the change produce results you appreciated?
Was it easier than you anticipated?
What consistently got in the way of your commitment?

Based on your results,
maybe extend the experiment for another month.
Or modify the experiment to better match the reality of your life.

Be curious, not judgmental, about the results of your ‘experiment’.
Use what you learned to help you move forward.
Small changes impact the mechanics of daily living,
and help you live an easier life.

Step away from the cash register.
Put down the Two for One bargain.
Don’t hit the Buy it Now button.
Walk away from hobby supply.
Ignore the bright shiny object.
How many __________ are enough?

Before you bring one more thing into your house:
Do you need it?
Where will it live?
Does it replace or improve something I you currently own?
Do you have the time or energy to maintain, use, or play with it?

What are you willing to let go of to make space for this in your home and life?
If this one comes in, what one are you letting go?

Life involves trading.  
You only have so much money, 
a limited amount of time,
and a finite space.

Make sure you aren’t trading your money, 
your time, or your space
​ for clutter.

By choosing to spend ten minutes at the end of your day doing a mini decluttering you can start the next morning in  a calm organized space.

A quick putting away of items that have been left out, 
or set down and forgotten, 
dishes that didn’t make it to the dishwasher or 
toys that were abandoned, 
keeps small messes from becoming big clutter.

On a daily basis putting things in their homes,
tossing things in the trash, 
recycling and letting go of items you don’t need, use or love 
reinforces the habits and systems of a simple, less cluttered life. 

A ten minute evening ritual, involving everyone in the family 
(its their stuff too) gets everyone in the habit of remembering to 
‘Don’t just put it down, put it away’.

By learning and practicing the Two Minute Rule: If you can do something in two minutes or less, do it now; decluttering may not even take ten minutes each evening!

For those of you who work at a desk, it’s a great idea to plan in a five minute desk decluttering at the end of your day also.
Organize the papers, files, notes and projects. Put away the supplies and clear space so that you can start the next day with a clear head in a fresh space.

Spend a few minutes every day and you’ll keep the items of daily living 
​from turning into the nightmare of clutter.

I should be more organized.
I should have a cleaner house.
I should exercise.
I should volunteer more.
I should spend more time with family.
Should. Should. Should.
Ick.
How much stress and anxiety are all these shoulds creating in your life?

The next time an ‘I should’ thought goes through you head,
check out whose voice is really speaking.
Chances are it isn’t your own voice at all.
(It takes practice really listening to be able to hear what your own authentic voice is saying)

A large piece of living the life you truly want is
recognizing who and what is really important to you.
Then making choices and decisions about your actions
that reflect and support what you truly value.

Trade the shoulds for “I want to, I choose to, it’s important to me that I…….”

If being more organized means you spend less time on the mechanics of daily life
and more time doing something you love:
Then make the effort to declutter and organize.

Exercise because you like the way it makes you feel inside your own body,
not because someone else thinks you should.

Spend more time with family and friends because you want to feel connected,
not because you feel pressure or obligation.

Over the next week notice when you start shoulding, 
and see if the action demanded
resonates with what’s really important to your head and heart.

(Oh, and be careful you don’t should on anyone else) 

Have chores you hate to do?
Bill paying.
Laundry.
Filling and emptying the dishwasher.

Switch them from chores to routines.
By creating daily (or weekly) routines for certain activities
they will get done on a regular basis.
You will waste less time trying to figure out when you’re going to do what.
You will be less likely to avoid or procrastinate because you’ve established a day or time 
​to take care of the task. 

If you make it your routine to Pay Bills every Monday; for the rest of the week you can forget about what’s due, what you’ve paid, or what you might have missed. 
You’ve taken care of it on Monday. 
If more bills come in during the week, you’ll take care of them next Monday.

If you make it your routine to run a load of laundry every day. 
There won’t be a mountain of dirty clothes threatening to suck up your entire weekend.

Run the dishwasher every night.
Empty it every morning.
(Or assign someone else in your home the task)
Make it a routine.

Establishing some simple routines (or call them habits if you prefer)
around tedious tasks frees up physical and mental energy. 

Simple, easy to remember routines make the best use of your time, 
and make the mechanics of daily living easier.
And isn’t an easier life what you want to create?

You are enough.
You do enough.
You have enough.

“I’m not obsessed with organization,
I’m obsessed with living a simple, remarkable life
and being organized is just a tool to help me toward that goal.” Erin Doland

Being organized and living (or working) in an uncluttered space makes the mechanics of daily living easier.
Simple routines that develop into habits keep our lives running smoothly 
and help us cope with the unexpected with less anxiety or drama.

Remember, true organization isn’t about how the space looks; it’s about how it functions.
How can you best arrange, store, and manage your possessions so that they serve your currents needs?

Where is one place in your home, work space, or life that you could 
whip out your tool of organization 
​and make a small and meaningful difference?

If you change nothing, nothing will change……..

Often what keeps us stuck or procrastinating is our focus is on how hard something is going to be, 
or why we don’t want to do it.
(whine, whine)

Instead, focus on  the benefits of doing the work.
What opportunities might be created?
Remember why you wanted to take on the project.
Remind yourself of the changes your actions will produce.

Procrastination and stalling take energy.  
Why not put that effort into achieving the goal?
Weigh the long term benefits 
against the short time needed to do the actual work.

Switching your focus from the mechanics of the doingness part, 
to the positive outcome and changes having done the work will create; 
you can change how you feel.

Place your attention on the results.
Inviting a shift in perspective makes it easier to get things done.

What are the benefits of a less cluttered life?
Make that your focus.

The most valuable things, aren’t things.

It isn’t about your stuff.
It’s about your connections with others.

Make time with others a priority.
Give someone a little Grace.
(Give some to yourself)
Spend your money on experiences,
not more stuff.

Who do you miss?
What one step could you take to
reconnect with someone who feeds your soul?
And makes you laugh.

Take the step.
Move in the direction of the life you want to be leading.
​

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 this worth keeping?”

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 what you have in your home and heart
create a home you enjoy and a life you love.