Doodle

Are there things you do to sabotage your de-cluttering goals?

I got the idea for this post after reading “No More Clutter” by Sue Kay. She suggests the following as ways we undermine our decluttering efforts:

1. Do you focus on how much there is left to do rather than how much you have achieved?
2. Do you find your self apologising a lot to others and calling yourself lazy and other derogatory names rather than defining yourself in more positive language and a ‘work in progress’.
3. Do you throw away essential things that then prove how risky decluttering is?
4. Do you create such a mess when decluttering that you give up half way through a task and have made everything worse.
5. Does being a perfectionist stop you from doing small 15 minute tasks; one drawer or one shelf at a time. Is it all or nothing; an entire room or it’s not worth it…but you can never bring yourself to face a whole room?
6. Are you easily distracted, starting off one task in the kitchen, wondering off to the bedroom to put something away and start sorting the  laundry on your floor  which leads you to the bathroom to put dirty clothes in the laundry bin when you spot the sink needs a clean…
7. Over complex or unrealistic plans of where or how  you might get rid of stuff

I have definitely at some point done all of these except for 3) The good news is,from my experience, that once you bring these behaviours from your unconscious to conscious level, all these traits you can train out of yourself and create new habits.

When working on my own stuff, I now consciously choose to tackle decluttering in small bite size chunks. If I am in the mood for a few hours sorting, I finish one bit before starting the next session, because I know how my energy for the task can suddenly go.

Of course, when working with clients, I work differently because we know we are going to be keeping going for 3-4 hours per session: I’m there as the energiser and motivator, attuning to each clients individual needs, so we won’t be giving up after 20 minutes. This does mean I can empty whole wardrobes and larders at the start rather than doing small chunks. In this instance, it is down to me to ensure the pace we work at balances with the time I allow at the end to leave the area we are working in   a far better state than when we started.

We create piles on the floor for things that need to be put away elsewhere in the house. Then we do that all at the end, rather than lots of too-ing and fro-ing distracting us from the task in hand.

A significant proportion of my clients apologise a lot and feel bad about themselves with regard to their clutter. I always gently challenge that view of themselves, because there are always life reasons why things have become too much and now they are taking steps to change: they deserve to praise themselves and believe this is the start of change.

In my own home, I find it very helpful to set an alarm/kitchen timer for 15 minutes to tackle an area I just can’t face: it means I make a little breakthrough and am then rewarded by being allowed to stop. Occasionally of course, it gets me going and I keep going long past the 15 minutes. But it is ok to stop at 15 minutes. It’s a technique I pass on to clients too.

Do you recognise yourself in any of the above 1-7 list? If you recognise any of them as the way you used to do things, how have you changed?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something from a bathroom in your home.

Eco Tip for the Day

Here’s one way to save paper. Write your grocery list on the fridge with a whiteboard marker and then photograph it with your cell phone and take that with you when you go shopping.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

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Doodle

Those of us who have been decluttering for a while, know the general principles laid out below:

1)If you haven’t worn it for a year, then it possibly needs to go.

2)Don’t buy clothes you need to lose weight to look good in.  Don’t keep clothes there isn’t a realistic chance of fitting into in the next year.

3)If you haven’t touched an unfinished creative project for 2 years, it’s fair to say you probably never will.

I think these are great principles but of course, there are always exceptions to the rule and I’ve just experienced 2 of them, so I shall confess…

Here’s a picture I embroidered 23 years ago and it’s been stuck in a bag ever since waiting to be framed. I’ve dithered over whether to get it done many times, and then back in the attic it has gone.

Don’t these indecisions hang over you eh?

But last month I finally got it done and it now hangs on my mantle piece.  And the relief of that decision being done and dusted is immense.

So what was the dithering about? I guess for a long time I had little money to spare for such luxuries as framing. And then some of the time I wasn’t sure how much I liked it and then there was a slight problem with the embroidered mount that wasn’t easy to resolve and put me off trying. And finally, I could never face the decision making process of what sort of frame would look good. All this took up TWENTY THREE YEARS!

And now it is done and I so love it and it is giving me much pleasure every time I walk into the room. It is the only embroidery I have ever done, as like my mother, me and needle work are not natural bedfellows. But I was very poorly at the time I did it and there wasn’t much else I could find to occupy my time that I could actually do. It represents one of the first times in my life I took an irrational fancy to doing something unfamiliar and let myself do it with finding a 100 reasons to not just follow my feeling. That was the start of the road to recovery.

My other experience is that last year I fell in love with a dress in a nearly new shop and bought it even though it was a size too small. Now we know that breaks the cardinal rule don’t we. Buy clothes for now, not some never never time in the future when we think we will lose weight like we’ve been promising ourselves for  along time…

Then, very unexpectedly, given various health issues I have had over a number of years, I took up running in the Autumn, following a marvellous beginners program called C25k (couch to 5k) which gets complete couch potatoes running 5K (3.1 miles) in 9 ish weeks.  Yesterday I tried on the dress. It fits and really suits me.

I guess that’s why we have the saying ‘exceptions to the rule’.  I shall ensure it remains an exception though!

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter a décor item. Anything from curtaining to floral arrangements to cushions or figurines.

Eco Tip for the Day

Stop using fabric softener some experts say that it is a waste of money and not that good for your clothes. Try using white vinegar instead. Not only will it remove chemical residue in your fabrics but will also help control mould and mildew in your washing machine. If you like to add a nice scent to your wash load add a few drops of essential oil.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

I find myself frequently playing a game with my stuff,: would I take this with me if I was moving house?
If the answer is no, my things are then divided into two groups

1) Get rid of it
2) I’m happy to hang on to this for now (e.g. craft supplies than are all neatly stored that I may use in a few years).With these things I decide to keep, the game is, I think, helping me to detach myself more and more from many of my belongings,  so it will be easy to let go of them when I really need to. Though the true ‘proof of the pudding’ will of course be is I ever move. In fact the increasing detachment will enable me to get rid of them sooner than that I suspect.

A variant of this game helps me get even closer to what truly matters to me and why.

Here’s a picture of my sitting room fireplace  mantle piece.

As you can see, I have no aspirations to have the  ‘minimalist look’. If I had no other belongings in the room and five empty shelves, I would still choose to have all my things crowded together on one small shelf because that is a style of ‘arranging’ I enjoy.
These are in fact a high proportion of most of the ‘knick knacks’ I own. And the rest of the four walls of the room are covered in bookshelves containing my husband’s books 😉 This is my little space.
Anyway, the game is, in the event leaving the house in an emergency and there was only time to grab 2 pieces in my two hands, which 2 pieces would I save and why?
Everything there has some sentimental memory attached and I really like them. Items range from things from my childhood to things I’ve been given in more recent years by a variety of people.

For the record, I chose:

• The small pot to the right – it’s an old mustard jar my mum made a bedside light from when I was a little girl.
• The painted wine glass in the left with the dried hedgerow posy from our wedding in it.
• And then I cheated and grabbed the cow money box because I just love its sculptural shape 😀

Go play the game yourself and see what you come up with – you can choose any shelf in your home you like. Does it lead to you letting go of anything?

Today’s Mini Mission

Do a use it up challenge on some leftover ingredients in your fridge or pantry. Preferably items that have lingered there for a while.

Eco Tip for the Day

Don’t leave the TV on during the day just for company. You may laugh but I have know plenty of cases of people doing this.

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow

Doodle

So, it’s the New Year, a time to look forward with new plans and hopes.

I’ve often wondered if the New Year has different significance in different parts of the world. (Of course many cultures and religions have dates different to the Western world use of January 1^st). Here in the UK, in the northern hemisphere, January 1^st,  is the traditional time for people to start diets and new exercising regimes – ironically at probably hardest time of the year to do so as winter is just kicking in and it gets dark by 4.30 pm. as does the need for warming comfort food.

Historically, in this country until 1751, New Year used to be March 25^th. This seems to be an eminently more sensible time to deal with the sense of promise that the New Year seems to engender, with spring springing.  As a professional de-clutterer, this is reflected in the fact that work goes very quiet over the dark winter months, but come spring the phone starts ringing.

My gesture to New Year, New Start this year was to tackle my underwear drawer. Though to be correct, I don’t have a drawer but three wicker baskets on a shelf: one each for socks, knickers/ bras, and long sleeved undertops.

I finally cleared out the mishmash of my old limp underwear covering various sizes I have been and bought in new:  I now have just four bras,   (plus two for sport) and 10 pairs of knickers. They feel fresh and fit perfectly (I got measured for the bras) and remind me of that lovely childhood feeling when starting the new school year with new uniform and fresh exercise books.

There is something very life affirming and self valuing about new underwear.

All my holey sock have gone out and been replaced and I’ve  got 5 new silky thermal long sleeves vests (includes some for outdoor exercising), getting rid of  what I had before that were all becoming a little less than fresh .

How’s your underwear drawer, if I may be so bold?

Today’s Mini Mission

Declutter something made from glass or china. Crockery, figurines, eye glasses, glass beaded necklace…

For a full list of my eco tips so far click here

It matters not how fast I go, I hurry faster when I’m slow