Out of clutter, find simplicity. From discord, find harmony. In the middle of difficulty, lies opportunity. ~ Einstein I love the idea that within these unavoidable realities of life – clutter, discord and difficulty – we can find something better. And what beautiful things to search for! Today I’m going to let Einstein inspire me, […]
Category Archives: Home Organization
For many of us, getting rid of clutter is challenging. It can be even harder to let go of things we don’t need or love if they’ve been given to us as gifts. If you have a closet full of gifts you don’t need or like, what do you do with them all? Here are […]
13
May
May
This quote from artist and textile designer William Morris is a pithy prescription for avoiding clutter in your home. Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful or believe to be beautiful. To earn its place in your house, office, closet or life, according to Morris, each thing must: Serve […]
20
Mar
Mar
Spring has just begun in the US. What a lovely time of year! Whether you live in the US or on the other side of the world (Australia) like I do, you may be feeling inspired to spring clean – or at least to declutter, or to do a little home organization. To help you, […]
Ready to make the new year happy, organized and clutter-free? Here are some strategies to start the year off well. 3 Powerful Strategies For A Fabulous New Year Although the start of a new year is a fairly arbitrary thing, it offers a priceless psychological gift – motivation! Don’t waste this gift! Take advantage of […]
03
Nov
Nov
The following post was an article in a recent issue of the Get Organized newsletter. I received so much great feedback on the article that I thought I would reproduce it here. I hope you find it helpful! There are people who love the process of cleaning, decluttering and organizing. These are the Monica Gellers […]
Do you feel like clutter is taking over your life, and sapping your once-great determination to get organized and be tidy? It might seem inevitable that clutter should overtake your space over time – but it’s not! There are things you can do – simple, but life-changing things – that can insulate you from clutter […]
09
Aug
Aug
It seems everybody wants more time. We read books on getting things done. We stress ourselves out with multi-tasking. We complain to anyone who’ll listen that we’re so awfully busy. And we wish we had more energy. We load up on caffeine and sugar to get through the day. We don’t let ourselves stop for […]
Our grand business is not to see what lies dimly at a distance, but to do what lies clearly at hand. ~ Thomas Carlyle Have you been putting something off? At home? At work? In your personal life? It might be tempting to wait until some mythical perfect time. Perhaps when: You have more time […]
Clearing Clutter Can Increase Success Jack Canfield points out that a cluttered physical environment can undermine success in several ways: Clutter drains energy Clutter hides problems Clutter blinds us to opportunities and ideas. If you feel held back in your personal goals or career goals, could clutter be part of the cause? Get Rid Of […]
17
May
May
Before you can get organized, you have to get rid of clutter. It’s impossible to have an organized home, productive office, or simple life with too much stuff for the available space. A powerful aid to getting rid of clutter is the mantra we use here at Get Organized Wizard: Move fast. Don’t overthink. Let […]
14
Mar
Mar
If you’re part of my Facebook community, you might have seen that I’ve had my (Minnesota-based) sister and her family to stay. I loved spending time with this gorgeous little family, and I must admit I’ve been pretty sad since they left. Having 2 extra adults and 2 small kids in my compact, usually work-friendly […]
Do you have too much stuff, but feel conflicted about letting it go? Part of you feels excited about clearing the clutter and enjoying the space, freedom, and mental clarity of an organized home. But another part of you is nervous about stepping out of your comfort zone, and facing a future without clutter as your […]
01
Jan
Jan
In an issue of the Get Organized newsletter I wrote about the January 1 Effect – how you can get a gift of energy and motivation from the start of the new year. Why not take advantage of this once-a-year psychological boost, and start the year well! Here are 6 dos and don’ts for getting your […]
Whether you’re approaching a new year, season, birthday, anniversary, or any other milestone, it’s a great time to make a fresh start, and to think about what you want to leave behind. I’ve put together 20 ideas for things to do before starting afresh. Some of these will take an instant, some a little longer. Choose the […]
Can’t get organized? Can’t get rid of clutter? Is it because you’ve got an excuse you can’t argue yourself out of? Maybe I can help. Post your excuse as a comment and I’ll address it in a later post in this series. Excuse #1: I can’t get rid of my stuff – I might need […]
23
Nov
Nov
Thanksgiving is just around the corner, so it’s a great time for me to say a heartfelt thank you to my customers and readers. I really cherish you guys. And your intelligence and striking good looks are without parallel. Anyway, here are 2 little Thanksgiving-y resources from me, to help you to be: More organized […]
So far in this Simplify Your Life series, we’ve found ways to:
Simplify Your Closet (What Not To Wear)
Simplify Your To-Do List (What Not To Do).
Today, let’s consider how to simplify your stuff – at least new stuff that comes into your life – by streamlining the things you buy.
Simplify Your Stuff: What Not To Buy
I used to be someone who saved things up. A new pair of boots, a box of premium tea, a gift of my favorite perfume – new things got put aside until the ideal occasion. There was a certain pleasure in knowing I had something special waiting for me, for one day. But often I’d […]
Recently I was looking through the 52 Missions Home Organizer comments. I re-discovered a comment that reminded me afresh of the wonderful, unexpected gifts that can come when you finally release old stuff from your life: 11 full boxes of books are now sitting by the door, waiting to go to the donation bin at […]