Waste happens at the time of purchase.
Not when you let something go.
Holding on to things you aren’t using isn’t thrifty.
It’s hoarding.

Yes, you spent ‘good’ money on something.
(Is there bad money?  Money isn’t moral, it’s a tool.)
Holding on to an unused item doesn’t get that money back.
If you haven’t used, eaten, worn, read, tried the item by now; you probably won’t.
Admit it and move on.

Spend wisely.
Shop with purpose.
A sale price isn’t always a bargain, and cheap usually is.

You are the Gift.

You are priceless.
Your wrapping is perfect.
There isn’t another like you, anywhere.
You don’t quite fit everyone, but why would you want to?
None of the other presents are as important to those you love
as your presence.

You are the Gift.

Constantly rushing around is not the same as getting things done.

Feeling overwhelmed by all you ‘should’ be doing.
Consistently arriving late.
The nagging sense throughout the day that you’ve 
forgotten someone or something important.
Surrounded by piles of things you’re ‘going to get to’,
but rarely do.

Not only is that kind of pace crazy making;
it’s not sustainable or healthy.

Stop.
Pause.
Take a breath.
Consider what’s really important.
(and not just what feels urgent)

Take things off your To Do list.
Be okay with imperfection.
​Ask for help.

There will never be more time.
There is only thoughtful management of the time you have.

Organizing Bites:

Quick, one step actions such as hanging up your jacket.

Putting your dirty dish in the dishwasher.

Throwing out the dried up pen.

Organizing Snacks:

Actions that take a bit longer and may involve

a few steps, such as sorting the day’s mail.

Putting away the folded laundry.

Sorting a shelf in the pantry.

Organizing Meals:

Just as a meal may involve prep, multiple courses,

and having the right ingredients at hand;

an Organizing Meal is a larger, multi step project.

Sorting and organizing an entire closet.

Creating a home office space.

Purging your file drawer.

Whether you have time for just a bite,

or you want the satisfaction of a whole meal:

By matching time, interest and energy to your Organizing tasks

it will be easier to be successful at making the changing you are hoping to accomplish.

Dig in!

Gretchen Rubin’s blog today was an interview with Jeffrey Davis, who writes about Wonder.

You may or may not want to read the post, but two passages resonated with me:

 “Wonder, more so than joy, gives rise to generosity, compassion, social attunement, and a sense of time abundance. Wonder often arises in conversation or collaboration, for instance.

 Wonder is not kid’s stuff. Wonder is radical grown-up stuff. The likes of ecologists, cultural anthropologists, and biologists alike have recognized that we need to foster more wonder in order for our species to thrive, if not for our planet to survive.”

You may wonder (bad pun) what Wonder has to do with decluttering and organization.
I believe the reason to declutter and be more organized is to create the time and energy in our lives
to be our authentic selves.
To have the space and attention to spend doing what we love, and being with the people we love.
To experience joy, generosity, compassion and abundance.
To have room for Wonder………

Smile.
Wait patiently.
Bite your tongue.
Leave a bigger tip.
Be a thoughtful listener.
Let someone else go first.
Thank someone for their time.
Give a little more than expected.

Most acts of generosity have little to do with money,
and much to do with recognizing and paying attention
to the people and world around you.
Generosity is an outward expression of gratitude.

Choose the generous option.

Done is better than perfect. As cliched as Just Do It has become, ​the sentiment is true. Stop waiting until you can do something perfectly. Or you have the perfect system in place, or the perfect container. Make a choice and move on. Honestly, most of our actions don’t really have long term consequences. Chances are, we will get to (or have to) make many of the same decisions again in the future. Make a choice and move on. Stop allowing the idea of a perfect solution  to keep you from getting on with your life. No one is perfect. No one makes the best decision every time. Stop letting the idea of perfection keep you from taking care of situations in your life. Trust yourself that the decisions you make will be the right ones, for now. (and really, now is all there is)

One of the basic guidelines of being organized is to keep like with like.

Not only does it minimize the time you spend hunting for things,
it is also a visual reminder of how many of a type of thing you have.

The idea works in the pantry:  Stack all the soups together, all the packages of pasta,
baking ingredients, bottles of sauces, and cans of beans.
It works in your closet: Hang all the pants together, all the long sleeve shirts side by side,
skirts or suits, and dresses and sweaters.

Keep those like things near where they get used.
It seems obvious, but as our lives and interests change,
we don’t always rearrange things to reflect how we now spend our time and energy.

Is there one shelf, one drawer, one closet, or one bin that you could better utilize
and could become a more appropriate home for some like items?

Would that storage adjustment make your life easier?
Make more sense?
Move you toward your goal of a less cluttered, and more organized life?

There is a difference between clutter and a mess.
Clutter are things you don’t use, need or value.
A mess is made up of things you’ve chosen to have in your life,
that never got put alway.

Clutter happens when you over buy,
or haven’t decided how many is enough,
or you’ve kept something our of guilt or obligation,
or you allow Justin Case to store things at your house.

Messes happen when you fail to put things in their homes when you finish using them.
If it is important enough to keep, you should know where it lives.
If it’s not that important-it’s clutter.

Look around.
Is it clutter or a mess?
Take the appropriate action to clear the space.

​

We want our less cluttered lives to reflect  who we are and what we truly value.

One way to connect the decluttering process to those values is 
by giving those items we no longer need, use or love 
to organizations  doing work  supporting causes that resonate with our heads and hearts.

It is easier for us to let go of things when we know the items will be used by people who sincerely need them.  Our  excess stuff can help transform lives.

Sometimes letting go of things can be a challenge.  “What if someday I need it?”  
Take a moment to consider that today might hold that need for someone else.  
Give it away and give someone else what they need to live the life they truly value.

Less Stuff.  More Possibilities.