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Your clutter action plan

January 17, 2019 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Paper management, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources

What areas of Clutter overwhelm you? It’s important to identify where you get stuck and understand why. This clutter action plan will help you establish order and bring clutter under control. If you’re not clear on this, check out my post on the muddy water metaphor to help you identify with the feelings behind your clutter…then hop back over here or jump in now!

Clutter Action Plan

Start with the least cluttered category. Whatever category on your list above feels easiest – small stuff or big stuff (clear a big space)-start easy! By starting with easier items we gain compelling momentum! You will move on to bigger challenges once you’ve made progress in easier areas.

Decide before you begin. Start with a category of items (my preference), ex. all books, all kids clothes, all papers, all kitchen stuff or work by location (one closet at a time etc). There are advantages to each. When working by category you need to gather everything in one place and when working by location you may have to go back to locate things that belong in other categories. Decide before you begin.

  • Schedule it. Block out distractions and give yourself a deadline (a day a week etc). Set aside the time you think this will take. Estimate it and give yourself a bit of extra but set a limit. If appropriate, schedule a donation pick up, this will motivate you to get it done by the time they come for the pick up!
  • Gather supplies. Such as bags, boxes, sorters, a label maker/labels, rubber bands, paperclips, a shredder etc and make sure these items are handy if not right by your side).
  • Create a work zone. This will serve for the duration of your clutter clearing project. Ideally you can leave things (supplies, unsorted stuff, donation stuff) in this location till you are done! Even better if you can close the door on them between sessions if you can’t complete everything at once (a day, a weekend etc).
  • Make it fun! Put on some great music, light a candle, some incense…whatever will put you in a happy place.
  • Sort it. Start with trash, toss items if they are broken, don’t bring joy or are otherwise not functional. Make a maybe pile if you aren’t sure. Start with what’s easiest, if you think it’s useful but don’t need it, donate it to your charity of choice! It helps to know your things will be loved and used by others-share your abundance!
  • Categorize it. (seasonal, where you use it, how often etc). This is where you begin to see your organizing systems emerge. What do you need based on what you have?
  • Contain it. If you can’t do this all at once the create an area to work through un-categorized items until you’ve finished every last item. It can help to work through one category at a time. Don’t stop till you’ve returned things to their homes (old or new), tossed the trash and donations are out the door.
  • Reward yourself and Repeat. For each category or location take the steps above to complete the action plan and reward yourself with something small (flowers, a meal out etc).

 When you have cleared all of your clutter, you can be of greater service to those around you.

-Michael B. Kitson

What are Clutter Magnets?

January 8, 2019 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Systems & Techniques

What are clutter magnets?  They are those spots in your home or work that tend to accumulate clutter, no matter what you do to change them. Maybe they look something like this?

IMG_0446

WHAT: These are items that tend to accumulate in ‘Clutter Magnet zones’.

It could be just about anything, but here are some commonly “magnetic” items.

  • Keys/keychains
  • Mail
  • Wallets
  • Backpacks
  • Purses
  • Umbrellas
  • Clothes/accessories
  • Sports equipment/toys
  • Books
  • Lunch bags, water bottles, and other snack/food items
  • Projects (paperwork, hobbies, homework, etc.)

WHERE: Possible areas that might be clutter magnets.

  • By the front door, on a table or bench, anywhere in the “Drop zone”.
  • Kitchen or Dining Room tables: Any vertical surface is in danger of becoming a clutter magnet, and tables, no matter how we try to keep them clean, always attract stuff.
  • Kitchen counters, especially if you have an entrance nearby.
  • Bags! Sweep it into the bag, never to be seen again!
  • Your Car? The kids’ extra toys, clothes, trash, and more…
  • Desktops: Ensure that you regularly update these items.

WHY: Take an honest look at why clutter magnet zones happen.

  • Laziness: Put things back where they belong! (I’m not judging…I’m just saying!)
  • Homeless items, if you don’t know where to put them, then they will end up just about anywhere.
  • Bad habits can be changed.
  • Too busy-this isn’t an excuse if you have created solutions for your stuff-take the correct action.

HOW: Can we change this behavior?

  • Turn these clutter magnets into clutter-free zones!
  • Identify what lands in your clutter magnet and decide where everything belongs.
  • Create homes for the items that do not have a permanent landing place.
  • Use hooks for keys, bags (such as purses, backpacks, etc.)
  • Shelves for electronics, wallets, and other “pocket contents”.
  • Baskets or boxes for mail… better yet, drop what you don’t need right into recycling and take the rest to your desk “action” file or inbox.

I’m not going to lie, it may not be easy to fully erase clutter magnet zones, but you can change your habit by paying attention to where, what, and why things tend to accumulate. Once you understand your behavior patterns, you can then implement a plan and practice, practice, practice until it becomes a new habit.

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Is your clutter overwhelming you?

January 1, 2019 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Paper management, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources

As much as we all might like to live a totally clutter free life it may not be entirely possible.  If your is Clutter Overwhelming you, taking a look at what clutter categories are in our lives can help us understand what triggers our overwhelm.

 clut·ter verb ˈklə-tər

intransitive verb
: to run in disorder
transitive verb
: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness

There are many kinds of clutter in our lives. Take a moment to evaluate each category and decide where you can reduce clutter. Know that it might get worse before it gets better...all that dirt that may emerge by way of emotions and literal mess might not be pretty! Hang in there and you will be rewarded if you are can be open to the process. As your thinking about each of these categories, imagine them as you want them to be-intentions are powerful!  

  • Mail-incoming and outgoing (try reducing it by removing subscriptions to magazines, junk mail and catalogs).
  • Kids-school bags, sports equipment, books, toys, clothes etc…get your kids involved and create a place for easy pick up and storage of transient items.
  • Office-paperwork, files, receipts, mail etc. Create one designated area and consider using a type of action or tickler filing system to corral it all.
  • Digital-photos (delete the impulse pictures that don’t turn out well and you would never print!), email (removed yourself from subscriptions and consider creating multiple email addresses for different purposes), digital computer files (create a file hierarchy similar to your paper file system).
  • Household-things that you have sitting around but don’t love (rotate displays or give items away to friends and charity with no strings attached).
  • Mental-those endless thoughts that run in circles in your mind, find a way to tame them by taking notes, writing in a journal and releasing them if the are out of your control!

As much as we all might like to live a totally clutter free that’s probably not realistic. Understanding our limitations and having realistic expectations can help us decide where to start. Once you’ve evaluated the clutter areas in your life, prioritize them from worst to best and get ready for action.

“Clutter is a physical manifestation of fear that cripples our ability to grow.” ~H.G. Chissell 

There are so many kinds of clutter in our lives.  Take a moment to think about each category and evaluate which areas trigger your overwhelm.
  • Mail-incoming and outgoing (try reducing it by removing subscriptions to magazines, junk mail and catalogs)
  • Kids-school bags, sports equipment, books, toys, clothes etc…get your kids involved and create a place for easy pick up and storage of transient items
  • Office-paperwork, files, receipts, mail etc.  Create 1 designated area and consider using a type of action or tickler filing system to corral it all
  • Digital-photos (delete the impulse pic’s that don’t turn out well and you would never print!), email (removed yourself from subscriptions and consider creating multiple email addresses for different purposes), digital computer files (create a file hierarchy similar to your paper file system)
  • Household-things that you have sitting around but don’t love (rotate displays or give items away to friends and charity with no strings attached)
  • Mental-those endless thoughts that run in circles in your mind, find a way to tame them by taking notes, writing in a journal and releasing them if the are out of your control!

Once you’ve evaluated the cluttered areas of your life, prioritize them in order of worst to best join me this month for the Clutter Purge Challenge! On day one we will release 1 item, on day 31, we will releas 31 things! That’s almost 500 physical manifestations that are holding us back! Click here to join the challenge, you can join in at any time!

“When you have cleared all of your clutter, you can be of greater service to those around you.”~Michael B. Kitson

Hoarding Habits as we age…

September 29, 2018 by Heather Filed Under: Organize, Organizing Projects, Systems & Techniques

A little more than a week ago our local chapter of NAPO had a local mental health counselor come and speak with our members about helping clients with hoarding habits. Clients with Hoarding Habits are not my typical clientele…but there are several circumstances that I knew the client was on a deadline and the family was in a tight spot. Under the right circumstances I’ve helped quite a few clients with hoarding habits.

Hoarding was first discovered and labeled as such in 1947 in NYC when two brothers were found diseased under a pile of stuff in their home. Today it is estimated that over 3 million people suffer from “hoarding” and many go without treatment or diagnosis. This is not a disorder people are born with.

This project began with an intervention…this was the first time I was asked to be a part of an intervention. I had not yet met the client and was not involved in the decision to begin this way. The family took the approach they felt was best and there was a lot at stake and not much time to act. This client was a senior living in a senior facility…they knew she was a bit of a “pack rat” but the problem had escalated to put her health and safety in jeopardy. This is not unusual for clients with hoarding habits, especially senniors and I’ve since worked with several other seniors under extreme health and safety circumstances, I felt compelled to help with the support of the family. Each circumstance is different and I believe that though family, friends and professional organizers can help to a certain extent, mental health professionals are the most important tool for helping clients with hoarding habits.

Common circumstances or signs of (seniors or others) hoarding habits include:

  • Hazardous or risky living conditions including loss of power, running water, old/expired/moldy food, human or animal waste or bug infestations.
  • A tenancy to dis-associate with the problem, including assigning blame to others, making excuses for their behavior or justifying their behavior as “normal”.
  • “Save it” mentality (but not necessarily the critical thinking to know what’s valuable and what’s not).
  • Denial of any problem or in-ability identify problems.
  • Anger or agressiveness towards people who attempt to help them get rid of items they do not need.
  • Obsessive or compulsive tenancies (there are some different opinions regarding hoarding and OCD).
  • Depression or anxiety (this can be another sign but isn’t in and of itself a trigger)
  • Poor coping skills and lack of emotional regulation.
  • Excessive collecting of a variety of items that there is no rhyme or reason to (dolls, bottles, foil, containers, other collectibles etc)…not all collecting is hoarding!

I’m not a psychiatrist or counselor and I do not make a diagnosis of a hoarding disorder, but I can still understand behavior patterns that are warning signs that can lead to hoarding. Most importantly, I can be there to help support my clients in the process of learning to make healthy choices, recognizing their repeated behavior patterns and seeking the help of their family (if they are willing), mental health professionals and others who can support them as they try to heal and unpack their behavior.

Both this and other clients I’ve worked with had no choice once confronted with the family and director of the facility. It’s not uncommon when hoarding habits get severe that these individuals or families facing losing their home if they don’t get help.  This is never an ideal situation and I wish for their sake it had not come to this.

When I work with clients with hoarding habits I am compassionate while maintaining healthy boundaries and am clear that “clutter” can not be allowed back into the home. Maintaining this is something that should be done with the help of mental health professional who will know the triggers and signs of relapse.

With this project, the client was getting a total apartment renovation with new floors, new paint, appliances and some new furniture.  We (the family and I) remain positive and tried to make the experience as stress free as possible while keeping physical and mental challenges in mind. Working with seniors requires awareness of health conditions and they may tire more easily and have significant physical limitations.  Below are photo’s of before, during and after of this small studio apartment.

Hoarding Habits

Above is the main living area before we began.  The center and perimeters of the room were stacked with furnishings and boxes (of mostly papers and junk).  There were furnishings obstructing the main pathway and the closet was inaccessible.  Her newly renovated apartment has open floors, much less furniture and is clean and freshly painted.

Hoarding Habits

Bathroom and entry hallway.  In the before photo’s you can see that the path was obstructed with furniture and clutter.  This is a safety (trip) and fire hazard and one of the key things to look for in determining if someone has hoarding tenancies.  The bathroom was almost completely unusable with boxes and clothing piled up in the shower and on top of the toilet.  I’m not sure how this woman used her own facilities, perhaps she didn’t and used the public restroom but this is not a healthy or safe environment for anyone, much less a senior.

Hoarding Habits

Finally the pictures above show the main living area looking into the kitchen.  The floors had various rugs that were big trip hazards and the clutter was obstructing half of the kitchen.  The bottom left photo shows a small portion of the trash that we hauled out on day two and the bottom right shows the clean and renovated kitchen with new appliances.

This project was finished in three days and I did some of the work on my own but also had the help of the family.  It was important for me to establish trust with the client before the family worked with us. By them getting involved with the project hands on, they were able to better understand where they may need to monitor and help maintain hoarding habits in the future.

The follow through on their part will be critical in helping this client maintain this new, healthier environment.  As is usually the case, the client was not overly thrilled with having to let go of many of her belongings but in the end we kept everything she was most attached to (of both practical and sentimental value).

If you suspect that a family member is living in unhealthy hoarding conditions consider speaking with a professional (psychiatrist, psychologist or counselor with hoarding experience) before taking steps to intervene.  Much of the time can be relapse, which can be frustrating for everyone but in some cases the immediate health and safety needs have to come first.

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Learn to see like an organizer…

July 11, 2018 by Heather Filed Under: Home, Inspiration & Education, Organize, Planning & Goals, Systems & Techniques, Tips & Resources Leave a Comment

How can you learn to see like an organizer? When an organizer a designer, space planner, realtor and others walk into a space they are trained to “see the possibilities”. By using this process yourself you can also begin to see your space with a fresh set of eyes. I co-presented on this topic at a local home and design show and along with a kitchen designer and another organizer, we shared how we have learned to cultivate the practice of seeing with a fresh set of eyes! It’s something that I hear over and over, “I just need a fresh set of eyes” and it’s something we can all cultivate!

see like an organizer

So often we put things where we put them and forget about them. Sometimes we literally forget where we put things, sometimes we put things in certain spots out of habit and sometimes we just glaze over and stop seeing what’s right in front of us.

[bctt tweet=”Practice cultivating the art of seeing by shaking things up!” username=”hkpowerstudio”]

  • We get accustomed to seeing or rather, not seeing what surrounds us daily.
  • Be willing to try something different, be open to other peoples suggestions & ideas.
  • Seeing things with fresh eyes is a creative process, look for inspiring ideas (magazines, websites, experts).
  • The skill of seeing things differently can be cultivated.

Pausing and asking ourselves to take a fully conscious moment in our space to learn to cultivate the art of seeing can begin by asking ourselves a few questions.

How do you feel when you walk into a space? 

  • What feelings are evoked when you walk into the space? Something pleasant, or stressful? How do you want the space to feel?
  • What do you do in the space and how do you use it?
  • What doesn’t need to be here?
  • How would you use the space differently?

Rethink how you use your space. Does a space feel uncomfortable or off somehow? Spend some time there and determine why you are unable or uncomfortable in the space. If you had a blank slate, how could you use the space differently? Sometimes it’s a simple matter of re-arranging the space, other times, replacing furniture with something more functional might be a simple solution. Now, close your eyes & Imagine the space transformed!

Learning to see like an organizer might mean de-cluttering and imagining a home for everything that is used in the space, or maybe it means completely re-imagining how the spaces are used. Practice envisioning your space transformed into exactly what you need and imagine how it feels.

Common pitfalls that can prevent us from achieving our newly envisioned organizing goals can include, lack of labels, lack of lighting, buying containers before the stuff has been purged and sorted and overfilling containers. Leave yourself a bit of extra space in each bin, overstuffed spaces are hard to maintain!

seeing like an organizer

Organize by Category

Transform awkwardly defined spaces by determining specific uses first. Think about how you want to use the spaces. Determining your needs and assigning the space a specific category for use can lead you to unexpected surprising and successful solutions! Below, the solution started by defining a need for easy access snack storage!

seeing like an organizer

Make the Most of Unused and small spaces

  • Go Vertical-Hang it! Look up in the Rafters, or store narrow items on the wall
  • Consider Inside/backs of cabinets & doors
  • Awkward spaces like under the stairs, unused closets or niches can create beautiful and functional storage

Store things where you can see them

Hang things like jewelry, accessories, small tools, hardware where you will see them and use them daily!

Create simple customized solutions

seeing like an organizer

Tricky spaces sometimes need clever solutions. If you know what you need to store in a certain spot and can’t find an off the shelf solution, work with a handyman or carpenter to build something to your specifications. Custom doesn’t always mean expensive or complex! Above, a custom closet created just for overflow paper goods and ironing supplies-closer to the clothes, away from the laundry area)

Finally, Make it Easy + Make it Fun!

  • Aim for organized…not perfect
  • Repeat what works
  • No right or wrong way
  • Your space, your style
  • Have a friend help

If you have been able to cultivate the art of seeing like an organizer but have lost your momentum once you begin the process, head over to this post to check out how to maintain the momentum of your organizing project! Do you have examples of how you have transformed a space by re-organizing or design? I’d love you to join us and share them over in our Facebook group!

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