Keep it simple. Make it easy

Keep it simple.  Make it easy.

The easier you make the system the more likely you are to comply.

The fewer the steps, the more likely you are to complete the task.

Limiting the options makes choosing easier,

Use hooks instead of hangers.

File in broad general categories,

Always have a donation bag in the laundry room.

Sort the mail over the recycle bin.

Put your keys in the same place, everyday.

Pay your bills on line.

Don’t put something down, put it away.

Say no; without guilt or explanations.

Move on.

Make the mechanics of daily living as simple and effortless as possible.

Put your energy into the relationships and activities that matter most to you.

Choose from your heart.

Karen 

This week's idea:  Focus on the benefits. Often what keeps us stuck or procrastinating is that 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 where you want your results to be. 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. Karen

 Who knows when?

I had a client pass away unexpectedly last week.

Sigh…

What an abrupt reminder of who knows when it will happen to any of us.

With the news came a wash of thoughts, emotions and questions.

Two of which I want to share with you, hoping to get you thinking or move you to action. 

First, despite condolence cards being one of the most challenging to write and send, (what can one possibly say that doesn’t sound trite, or remind the person of their recent loss) having been on the receiving end; I know it isn’t what people say, it’s knowing that they acknowledge your loss and are offering you kind words or a remembrance of the one who is gone.

So please, the next time someone you know passes away, or someone you know loses someone they care about, send a card.  Just a few words, reminding all of us about our heartfelt connections.

Second, coping with the emotions of losing someone is hard.  Don’t make the mechanics of it be an addition burden.

“Get your papers in order!”, I say in my bossiest voice.

This is the one area where it’s okay to do things Justin Case.

Decide not only on who is going to take care of the legal end of things, but who will handle the personal tasks and obligations.

Give someone a key to your house, let people know where to find your important papers and documents.  Make a list of your bank account numbers.

Figure out who needs to know, and who’d you’d like to know, if something were to happen to you.

Need some help figuring out just what paperwork might be important?

Erin Doland from UnClutterer has this article.

Lynda Schrager’s Caregiver Blog offers this advice.

And here is a Checklist of Documents, Including Forms.

Because we really don’t know when the last time will be when we’ll see someone, or which might be our final conversation, be as kind and loving as possible-in every moment.

Death makes it so obvious that it isn’t about our stuff.

It truly is about our connections.

You get to choose.

Karen

This week's idea:  Ten @ the end.

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.

If you want things to change, you have to make different choices.

Karen

What you see.

"Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.
"

Thomas Merton

Just as we get habituated to the piles and clutter in our homes,

this can happen with the art we have on our walls, the photos on the book shelf and the mementos on our desks.

When we chose to display these various items it was because they had meaning and we felt connected to them and the memories they evoked.

Perhaps it is time to revisit these decorations.

Thoughtfully consider if your taste is the same, the book shelf is over crowded or your mementos have just become dust magnets.

Simply rearranging some items could give new feeling to a room or space. 

Or editing a collection down to just a few of the most special items.

Reframing the photos in similar frames would unify the look and draw your attention to the subjects.  (Perhaps it is time for updated photos of the people you love and care about?)

We each get to decide what is art in our lives. 

The items we hang on our walls, display on our shelves and have homes on our desks should be things that make our hearts happy.

Choose to surround yourself with those items which continue to have meaning, inspire you, remind you, and make you feel at home in your own house and life.

Happy rearranging.

Karen