Life Balance: It isn't all about the clutter either

In light of being a recent breast cancer survivor and probably just naturally as I age, I realize it isn't all about clutter clearing, even for me, maybe especially for me. I start to look at clutter more philosophically. If it (the clutter) isn't interfering with the important aspects of my life like my faith and relationships, then is it something that really needs to take my time and energy to weed out or organize? Maybe as I get older, I am just slower or maybe I am working a little smarter. I start to ask better questions, I think, to keep my life in balance.

As I look around my home, I ask myself:

1. Do I need to weed it out or organize it right now, or is there something more important I could be doing right now?

2. What is the worst thing that will happen if I just walk away from it right now?

3. Is the clutter interfering with the lives and happiness of the people who live here, or is it just hanging out right now?

Life is about staying in balance and making good choices. If the answers to the above questions are "No. Nothing. And, no." then I may be more in balance to continue with my life flow than to stop and deal with the clutter.

Clutter can wait, but maybe my life and relationships can't. In the end, life is a marathon rather than a sprint, and the joy is in the moments of the journey. How do you balance living life with organizing and clutter clearing it? 

Quit trying to get motivated to clear out clutter: 3 steps to just do it

The walls creep inward after the holidays in the cold of winter. Normal household clutter and newly gifted items and sale shopping purchases crowd our space. It is depressing and demoralizing to come home and look at the stuff. Quit trying to get motivated to purge and just do it:

1. Set the timer for fifteen minutes. You will either be done, close to completion, or "into it" when the timer goes off. You will make more progress than you think you will. Just do it.

2. Work in your personal prime time. Weeding out is about making lots of decisions. Make decisions at your best time of day. In the morning if you are a morning person...Just do it.

3. Time yourself at the tasks that create household clutter and back up on you. Don't let dishes linger in the sink when it only takes 6 minutes to empty the dishwasher. Don't let clean wrinkled clothing pile up in the laundry basket when it only takes 30 minutes to sort it and put it away...When you time yourself, you gain and keep perspective and you will tackle these things rather than waste time stalling. Just do it.

What is the secret to staying motivated to weed out clutter? The secret is developing lots of tiny habits to process the stuff that comes into your life so that it will also flow out of your life when it is time for it to leave. Don't get motivated, just do it. You will create space to enjoy, peace at home, and the potential to live your best life. Just do it.

A small well-organized yet "maxed out" child's closet

Simplify your holidays with these ideas

Check out the Clear Clutter and Save Money Before the Holidays article at CBS MoneyWatch.com where I was interviewed to share some helpful tips!

How to Get Rid of Clutter

Check out the interview with me at CommitNow.comhttp://commitmentnow.com/cooking-parties-travel-fun/the-get-organized-club/features/the-emotions-and-real-reasons-why-you-are-disorganized/feature and register for the free monthly clutter clearing tips newsletter.

Simplify your household paperwork filing system

Paper clutter. It is the most frequently mentioned clutter in America! Whatever happened to going paperless? Instead, we all have our own printer-scanner-fax combos! We have super-sized our home offices. In fact, many of us now have a "home office" whether or not we have a home-based business. That is something to think about. While you are thinking, consider decluttering and simplifying the household paperwork filing system.

When my filing cabinets and paper storage boxes became full, I knew it was time to make another effort to unclutter the household paperwork filing system. As I hunkered on the floor, weeded out, reorganized, and making new files, I learned a lot about household files:

1. Some files can and do age out over time. Clutter happens because Life happens. Life moves along, but the paper file created by the life event (a purchase, death, job change, hobby...) lingers, and lingers, and lingers.

2. Files that get too thick can be split. One way to split them is to look at dates and separate them chronologically (2002-2007, 2008-). Another way is to give each subcategory its own file (A vacation folder might become: Vacations Abroad, Vacations USA, Vacations Local).

3. Several thin files on a related topic can sometimes be consolidated. I think I found a craft folder and a hobby folder that both held similar things, as well as  a long-term plans folder and a retirement folder. Keep an eye out for redundancies that may creep into your filing system.

4. Finally, keep an eye out for files that can go to long-term storage in a file box. Not everything in the family file cabinet needs to be referred to regularly or even stored there. Tip: If you pull out files you aren't using very often, you can leave empty folders in the cabinet with a sheet in each that refers you to the location of the file box, or you can keep a file index listing of all your folders and indicate which ones are in the file box as opposed to the file cabinet.

If you can shred and recycle instead of purchasing another file box, that is great, but don't be hard on yourself if your choice is to get another file box. The trick is to keep your household filing cabinet from getting too crowded to be functional for you. Life happens and as long as it does, it will continue to generate paperwork.

Don't have time to declutter? Why to declutter today

Don't have time to declutter? We live busy, stressful, modern lives. Why bother with clutter clearing? Here are some important reasons to consider getting rid of the clutter today. Besides, not taking the time to unclutter may be costing you more than you think.

Clutter wastes valuable time. Literally. According to the American Demographics Society, Americans, as a whole, spend 9 million hours per day looking for lost or misplaced items. Do you have time to spare?

Clutter costs you money. When you can't find something, you go out and buy it. Why spend time and money to purchase something you already own. If you don't believe me, check out the duplicates in your spice rack, clothing closet, and bathroom drawers just for starters.

Clutter is the current American epidemic. There are television shows, magazine articles, and numerous books and experts out there. Still, we struggle. If technology helps us go "paperless," many of us still go through a lot of printer ink!  Not to mention, our closets, drawers, and cupboards are still crammed full.

In addition to saving valuable time and money, a little clutter clearing offers many other benefits. Consider that it may actually take less time and energy to deal with clutter than to suffer from it. People consistently over-estimate the time it will take to make those piles go away--the piles that nag at them, wear them down, and prevent their homes from being the relaxing, restoring spaces they can be.

If the piles were gone, you could enjoy more control over your life. You would know where the things you own are, and you would only keep things that are beautiful or useful to you today. You would have greater peace of mind--you would have less, literally, to store, maintain, keep track of, and worry about. You would enjoy order and calmness. There wouldn't be frantic last-minute hunts for things. Finally, you would have more time and energy for your priorities, and a home environment that nurtures and supports you instead of dragging you down. Still can't take time to declutter? Think again!

Are you ready to reclaim your happy home from the clutter that has taken over?

Here is a discussion with Marti and Erin of GoodEnough Moms that you can
listen to at their website:

www.goodenoughmoms.com

There are simple ideas we can all do to prevent clutter from taking over our homes.

5 Q: Barbara Tako helps you take on your clutter by Matthew R. Perrine, Budgeteer News, Duluth, MN

Here is a great newspaper interview plus 10 of my favorite clutter clearing tips!

Here is the link: http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/event/article/id/165062/group/News/


What tips would you share? Thank you.

Interview with Joshua Mackey on Midwest Lifestyles - Hot Country 106.5FM

I was happy to do this radio interview with Joshua Mackey on Midwest Lifestytle - Hot Country 106.5 FM today. Joshua asked some great questions. Please click on the link below to listen:

http://www.kmcx.com/pages/midwestlifestyles.html?feed=340372&article=6943980

 It was a great chance to talk about my book "Clutter Clearing Choices" and share some clutter clearing tips.

Clutter clearing for garage clutter and shed clutter

It is time to clear clutter in the garage and shed. We have had the whole winter (in Minnesota, anyway) to ignore the garage and shed areas of our home. If you are like me, those areas sometimes become dumping grounds for things you don't want to clutter up the more lived in areas of your home! Don't have a spot for it? Just take it out to the garage or put it in the shed...Here are some things to consider when clutter clearing the garage and shed.

First, let's sort out the problems with shed and garage clutter. To start with, it is important to recognize that we often aren't the only ones contributing to the clutter problems in those spaces. The garage and shed are often used as a dumping ground by everyone in the family!

Tip 1: You didn't get into this clutter trouble by yourself, so let's all get together to unclutter these areas. If you weren't the only one putting things there, it isn't fair that you be the only one deciding what gets tossed, donated, or relocated. Besides, it is really difficult to decide what to do with someone else's stuff (it often is hard enough to make those clutter decisions about our own things).

Second, people often dread this chore for a variety of reasons (some of these are addressed below). It can be hard to get other family members to commit to helping you. You may be dragging your feet on this one yourself! Who wants to organize a damp, dirty, messy, awkward place?

Tip 2: With garage clutter (and you already know this), it doesn't make sense  to park a vehicle, worth thousands of dollars, out in the elements because of maybe a few hundred dollars worth of clutter in the garage. It also helps to take a positive approach to clutter clearing these areas! Start with a plan or goal of what family members want to use this space for! In the case of a garage, this is the last place you see every time you leave your home and the first place you see every time you come home! Make this a pleasant location for you and everyone else in your household. You deserve that!

Third, items thrown in these areas often aren't small and manageable. Bulky, awkward items often wind up in the garage or shed because, well, they don't store easily and they take do take up a lot of space.

Tip 3: Pick a sunny warm day when you, and the other family members helping you, can pull these items out into the driveway or yard where they will be easier to sort, clean, and organize. This won't work very well on a rainy, muddy, or cold day.

Fourth, it does take a lot of time to deal with the awkward clutter that winds up in the garage and shed. Things tend to be bulky, dusty, dirty, or broken. Sometimes there are chemicals that have been kept in these spots too. Clutter clearing is making a lot of decisions that have been postponed, and these decisions have already been postponed at least once--that's how they wound up in the garage!

Tip 4: Allow a large block of time to deal with garage clutter. It takes time to wash, repair, and haul away items or figure out how to properly dispose of any paints or other chemicals. If you set aside at least a half day, maybe more, you won't get frustrated at a job that only gets partially completed.

Finally, after the garage or shed has been emptied out, take the time to dust and sweep before organizing and putting things back. Knock down the cobwebs. Sweep out the sand and dirt! Clean the bugs out of the light fixtures. When things are back in place, go out for ice-cream! Give yourself credit for a difficult job well done.

Do you have photo frame clutter in your home?

 A large collection of mismatched picture frames on a table top or shelf can look like clutter. Plus, it becomes time intensive to dust the frames and the table top!

My solution was to buy large inexpensive almost poster-size frames and print out my favorite pictures and make photo collages. Chain retail craft stores often sell many frame options that are reasonably priced. A little acid-free double sided photo tape works well to hold them in place on the mat. I usually choose a mat, again from the craft store, that goes with the colors in the room where I plan to hang it.

I  cut and trim each photo as needed to fit even more together. I can group photos together and display over 30 awesome pictures in one simple frame on the wall.

Another trick to reduce the visual clutter of multiple mismatched picture frames is to always buy one color of frame (black or white usually is easiest to find and be consistent). This draws the attention to the pictures rather than to their frames, and it ties the pictures together better as a grouping.

Clutter clearing and home organizing "rules"

I am frustrated by home organizing and clutter clearing television shows that seem to miss the mark in terms of what their viewing audiences seek. The shows assume that "experts" need to call the shots. The shows assume that people seeking help are always extremely cluttered or disorganized.  It is also assumed that a less-cluttered audience gains something from watching what is done for people at the extreme end of the spectrum. I think there is a gap here.

Here are some new clutter clearing and home organizing "rules":

1. There is no single right way to clear clutter or get organized.
2. Many of us don't have huge organizational or clutter concerns, but we still count.
3. It is helpful for many people to learn how to tweak and improve this aspect of their lives, even if they don't have major problems with it.
4. Each person can tailor their clutter clearing and home organizing techniques to match his or her own personality and stage of life.
5. Many people are capable of learning techniques and applying them themselves.
6. Clearing clutter and getting organized isn't about creating a "magazine-cover" home. It is about freeing up time and energy for personal priorities, whatever they are.

I would like to see a television show that follows the new rules. 

I needed to get that off my chest. Thank you.

Newbie clutter clearing author appreciates the press coverage

Yes, I am a newbie author. I really think it is cool to be featured in the local paper. I am very grateful for the generous coverage. It really paid off: The local library where I spoke and signed copies of my book last night had six times the usual attendance for a book signing.

Here is the article link if you would like to see it. It has some helpful organizing tips.

http://www.presspubs.com/articles/2010/01/26/white_bear_press/news/doc4b5f8a5c793dc227826677.txt

Thank you!

Check out this link for organizing ideas

Clever containers hold clutter and add interest

http://www.examiner.com/x-20584-Pittsburgh-Interior-Decorating-Examiner~y2010m1d20-Clever-containers-hold-clutter-and-add-interest

Networkingwitches.com: Check out the book giveaway!

Networking Witches is a fun website for women that offers blogging for a cause, chatter, giveaways, reviews and more.

Check out www.networkingwitches.com. Enter to win a free copy of "Clutter Clearing Choices: Clear Clutter, Organize Your Home, & Reclaim Your Life!" Check out their other offers while you are there!

Emotional Clutter Clearing: Perspective!

Wow. People tend to be anxious and stress out a lot in anticipation of events. I get pretty wound up anticipating future events. As a new author, I have had opportunities for talks and radio interviews and television appearances. These are all positive things but they are stressful, even for someone who speaks to earn part of her living. They are new and different and unknown. I worry, "Will they like me?" "Will I do it right?" "Will the roads be icey?" The list goes on and on.

Here are three thoughts that help me clear this emotional clutter, or, at least manage it a little better. Let me know what you think.

"I'll see you later." Or, "I'll see you this evening." When someone I love says this to me, I realize, "Yes! No matter how well or poorly the stuff I am anticipating goes today, I will be with this person later. Time will pass. The stress for that day's particular event will be over, and life will go on." I hang onto comments like that because they help me maintain perspective.

Another helpful realization for me involves a little bit of risk assessment. I can get pretty wound up about a lot of things that don't really matter. If I mess up the event, what does that do? Does my family disappear? Do my dogs stop loving me? Does the rest of my world even wobble? Usually the answer is no.

Finally, there  something else that helps me keep perspective. It is this: I stop at my skin. I can't control other people's actions or reactions or the weather or any of a great number of things that I worry about in my life. When I remember that, I can use that to help myself let go of the emotional clutter I am carrying. The book that talks about that is Taming Your Gremlin (Revised Edition): A Surprisingly Simple Method for Getting Out of Your Own Way by Rick Carson. The author says,  "Remember where you end and all else begins."

Perspective. Keeping perspective can help reduce the emotional clutter and free up your time, energy, and enthusiasm for other things!

Article by National Home & Living Examiner

Yes, I am a new author, and I am thrilled and honored the National Home & Living Examiner posted an informational article about my book "Clutter Clearing Choices: Clear Clutter, Organize Your Home, & Reclaim Your Life" and some of my clutter clearing tips.

Click here to check it out!

Please see the article below...

Please see the article below. I struggle with guilt and excuses about clearing out certain items, so I wrote the article below to get past these struggles. What works for you to free yourself from guilt and let an item go? Thanks!

Spring Clean: Declutter & Get Organized!

10 minutes per day. Really. Set a timer and tackle a clutter clearing task that you have been walking by and fretting about instead of solving. You can do it!

We create stress for ourselves when we fret rather than solve things. It often takes less time to resolve something than to repeatedly worry about it.

Spring is in the air. Clear the clutter so you can get out and enjoy it. Yes, you can!

Help others and help yourself: Declutter for green living, charity, and yourself

I've been thinking...It is easier to embark on spring clutter clearing when we know the household items we toss will go to help someone else or at least be recycled.

We can all weed out household clutter and donate it to charity. There are many positive outcomes for everyone here. It is a win-win-win situation:

• Clutter clearing helps us live in a more tranquil and focused space at home. This frees our time and energy for our priorities instead of continuing our struggles with our quantities of stuff.
• We don't necessarily need to hire anyone to declutter. We can help ourselves for free!
• Even if we are facing tough economic times ourselves, we are reminded that it isn't how much we have, it is what we do with what we have that matters.
  
• Donating clutter supports a charity we believe in.
• Donating clutter helps those having economic difficulties in these tough times.
• Donating is living green. It isn't adding to a landfill!
  
  If you are looking for ideas to motivate yourself to declutter and for help with clutter clearing techniques. Please check out the ideas, resources, and free monthly newsletter on my website: www.clutterclearingchoices.com. Thank you!