Decluttering is an important process to help free up space and gain a feeling of control in your life reducing stress, anxiety and overwhelm.  Having only what you use, need and enjoy in your life gives you more time, energy and finances to create a life full of meaning, joy and new relationships. Let’s get started. As you move through your office looking for the 9 things on the list to declutter remember to make decisions quickly and move quickly around the room.   You might get distracted by clutter that is not on the list.  Make a note of other things you would like to o ..read more

The challenge started with cosmetics, continued with bedrooms, and then the dining room.  You can join the challenge anytime and do it in any order. Remember to work quickly for 10 – 30 minutes going around the space and collecting items you no longer need, use or love.  Use music to motivate you and a timer to help you stay on task. Donating and recycling Many items can be recycled, batteries, pens and markers, and printer cartridges at Staples.  Habitat for Humanity takes building supplies and old electronics for recycling.  Check with thrift stores in your area.  Th ..read more

I hope you found the tips for decluttering quickly in Quick Declutter Challenge 2 helpful. Don’t skip this challenge because you don’t have a dining room.  Many dining spaces have been turned into offices.  You probably have a table that collects clutter or a cupboard that collects too many candles, napkins and unused dishes.  It might be in the kitchen, a hallway or a dining room. When clutter is continually visible in a common space area people can start to feel anxious. In a book I am reading Limitless by Jim Kwik he says, “A Princeton study found that physical clutter compet ..read more

How did the quick declutter challenge 1 – cosmetics go?  Did you find it difficult to do it quickly? Did you spend a lot of time making decisions about what to keep and what to let go? Let’s start with question 1.  Set a timer.  A timer can help you to focus on the task because there is a deadline for you to stop. to start because you know you only have to do the task for a short time and then it is over. if you can see or hear the time clicking by, it builds a sense of urgency and importance Play Music Music can help people to focus by blocking out thoughts of other things o ..read more

For the next couple of months, I am going to challenge you to declutter quickly.  Too often you can get stuck in the decluttering step and give up.  I want you to declutter quickly so you see progress immediately.  Decluttering and organizing is not something you do once and it is over.  Sorry to break the bad news to you.  It is an ongoing process.  Learning how to declutter quickly makes light work staying organized. You do a little bit every day and soon it is much better.  Don’t get stuck in the perfection wheel.  That is where you keep working on on ..read more

Reading time a-5 minutes  Judith Kolberg founded FileHeads, a professional organizing company, in 1989 and has been a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO) since 1990. She formed the Institute for Challenging Disorganization and has served as its director for seven years. Judith is the author of Conquering Chronic Disorganization, co-author with Dr. Kathleen Nadeau of ADD-Friendly Ways to Organize Your Life, and Organize for Disaster: Prepare Your Family and Your Home for Any Natural or Unnatural Disaster and Getting Organized in the Era of Endless. Everyth ..read more

So you want to get organized? Achieving order in your life doesn’t mean being perfect. That’s not realistic. Getting organized is not an event; it’s a process that happens over time. Like changing your eating or exercise habits, it sometimes involves behavioural changes and routines. Perfectionism Is being unrealistic by spending so much time on a task that it deprives other important tasks of sufficient time. Excellence Is doing the best job you can with the time and resources at your disposal. What is organization?  Being organized has less to do with the way an environment looks than ..read more

Reading time –  10 minutes Transitioning from a relaxed summer mindset to a productive routine can be challenging. There are several strategies you can use to regain motivation and boost your productivity. Here are some tips to help you get back on track. 1. Set Clear Goals Define specific, measurable goals for what you want to achieve after the summer. Having a clear sense of purpose will give you a reason to stay motivated and work towards your objectives. Making a realistic list of tasks to complete helps to structure your workday. 2. Start Small Begin with small tasks or projects to ..read more

Reading time – 10 minutes Living in a small apartment has many challenges.  The biggest is the lack of space. Many people wind up in homes that simply aren’t large enough to house all their possessions. Fortunately, it turns out that there are numerous strategies you can use to increase the amount of space you have available. In this post, you’ll find all sorts of ways to expand the space available to you, even if you live in a studio (or something even smaller) Use Outdoor Space If your apartment has any outdoor space, such as a balcony or shared shed, then use it. The more outdoor equi ..read more

Great ideas for downsizing, moving or moving a family member Whether you are moving from a house to an apartment, retirement home or you have already done this but still have abundance in your home and want to scale down even more understanding the where, why, who how and what can make the decisions easier. Where does all the stuff come from? It may not even be your stuff.  Some of you have things from your parents downsizing that ended up at your house because your Mom and Dad didn’t want to give it away but didn’t have room, so out of respect to your parents you stored it at you ..read more