Principles are timeless. They never change. Here are the top ones I have found from all the studying and reading I have done over the years. Try to implement one at a time and see how it changes your life.
1) Set priorities and live by them.
2) People over things.
3) Become a person of one. One of everything within reason.
4) Keep it if its useful or beautiful.
5) Set a limit on your closet. Is it 40 pieces? 50? You decide and stick to it.
6) One in one out. Great way to keep a handle on the incoming flow of items.
7) Everything has its place. Put it there.
8) Use a paper calendar.
9) Budget. This is sets financial limits on consumption.
10) Simplify, simplify, simplify.
11) You are not your stuff.
12) Memories are attached to experiences with people not their stuff they leave behind.
13) Get rid of the likes to enjoy more time with the loves.
14) Clear out the excess and organize the rest.
I am sure there are more than this but these are my favorites so far. Do you have any favorite tried and true organzing priciples?
Wednesday, January 28, 2015
The Power of the PURGE
Why do most people find it difficult if not down right impossible to get and stay organized? I know for us when we started it was TOO MUCH STUFF! That's right. Once we got rid of the excess it was so much easier to organize the useful things we had left. There was far less time spend cleaning up and picking up. Our drawers finally shut. The closets weren't bulging to the point that doors do not shut. We could find food in the pantry. Our house became our most favorite place to be in the world.
How to purge a space/room:
1) What is the purpose of this room or space?
2) Take everything out
3) Only items that fit with the purpose of the space return
4) Sort: keep, trash, donate, sell or relocate
5) Clean and Organize
6) Keep it that way by regular pick up and limiting new stuff coming back into the room
We purge the entire house in January, May and October. January is a great time to get rid of old stuff after new stuff comes into the house due to Christmas. In May we go through winter clothing, boots, accessories etc. By October no one is wearing shorts and flip flops anymore. We go through all summer stuff then. Summer clothing, toys and bikes. We clean it out and pack up the keepers until next year.
Spring is on its way and now is a perfect time to start cleaning out!
How to purge a space/room:
1) What is the purpose of this room or space?
2) Take everything out
3) Only items that fit with the purpose of the space return
4) Sort: keep, trash, donate, sell or relocate
5) Clean and Organize
6) Keep it that way by regular pick up and limiting new stuff coming back into the room
We purge the entire house in January, May and October. January is a great time to get rid of old stuff after new stuff comes into the house due to Christmas. In May we go through winter clothing, boots, accessories etc. By October no one is wearing shorts and flip flops anymore. We go through all summer stuff then. Summer clothing, toys and bikes. We clean it out and pack up the keepers until next year.
Spring is on its way and now is a perfect time to start cleaning out!
Monday, January 26, 2015
Kyle's Office Makeover
Who doesn't love a great, organized and clean space to work in? My husband works from home and needed just that. His office had become a dumping ground for excess junk. We would ask "when should this go?" Let's just set it in the office. That's where everything that didn't have a logical home found itself. I can't even begin to understand how the man concentrated in this hole. In the pictures below you will fully understand what I am refering to. And yes that is a singing Dean Martin doll. His grandmother LOVED Dean Martin, bless her heart.
Before Pics:
So, we decided to start the process. Everything in the office came out. We only put back what was useful, beautiful and belonged in an office. We decided to stick with one desk. Kyle said he had more than enough work space with just the one. We placed the desk up against the wall the hide the ugly cords. The mission table which is his favorite piece stayed. The bottom shelves were used to hold office supplies.
Kyle has some memorabilia that he is not ready to part with. We used one plastic bin for that and the other for plastic work samples. This limited the amount of keepsakes to one tote. We both felt that this was a realistic limit for him. It allowed to keep the really important pieces and donating the rest.
We sorted everything else into piles. Office items, donate, sell, trash and relocate. There we a few items in the office such as the extra desk and the mini wine fridge that we can sell.
Kyle was so excited to start working in his new, organized office. I told him that just because it is so wonderful now that doesn't mean he can spend extra time down there! Here are the results:
We spent 2 hours working and no money to makeover this office space. We used things we already had at our house but maybe were not utilizing in the best way. I hope you enjoyed this project post!
Before Pics:
So, we decided to start the process. Everything in the office came out. We only put back what was useful, beautiful and belonged in an office. We decided to stick with one desk. Kyle said he had more than enough work space with just the one. We placed the desk up against the wall the hide the ugly cords. The mission table which is his favorite piece stayed. The bottom shelves were used to hold office supplies.
Kyle has some memorabilia that he is not ready to part with. We used one plastic bin for that and the other for plastic work samples. This limited the amount of keepsakes to one tote. We both felt that this was a realistic limit for him. It allowed to keep the really important pieces and donating the rest.
We sorted everything else into piles. Office items, donate, sell, trash and relocate. There we a few items in the office such as the extra desk and the mini wine fridge that we can sell.
Kyle was so excited to start working in his new, organized office. I told him that just because it is so wonderful now that doesn't mean he can spend extra time down there! Here are the results:
We spent 2 hours working and no money to makeover this office space. We used things we already had at our house but maybe were not utilizing in the best way. I hope you enjoyed this project post!
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Simplify Then Beautify
De-cluttering, purging , sorting and organizing allows us to spend more time with the people we love and the things we love doing. Less stuff means less stress, worry and work. Its means more time, focus, clarity of thought and productivity.
Before we beautify a space we must simplify the space. We get rid of the things we like so we can have more time for the things we love. Most people are only using 20 percent of what they own. We are drowning in excess. If its useful or beautiful keep it. If not donate or sell it. Someone else may benefit from something of yours that is just taking up space.
I hope you will join me as I begin this journey of helping others simply their lives and focus on the important things. The most important things are not things at all. You are not your stuff. Stay tuned to future posts and projects!
Before we beautify a space we must simplify the space. We get rid of the things we like so we can have more time for the things we love. Most people are only using 20 percent of what they own. We are drowning in excess. If its useful or beautiful keep it. If not donate or sell it. Someone else may benefit from something of yours that is just taking up space.
I hope you will join me as I begin this journey of helping others simply their lives and focus on the important things. The most important things are not things at all. You are not your stuff. Stay tuned to future posts and projects!
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