One thing I’ve learned while recuperating from bunion surgery is that I am far more productive when I have a busy schedule than when I have an open schedule. I thought I’d get so many tasks done that require chunks of time to accomplish. Not! I guess the pressure of the busy schedule helped me be strategic with my time, given that the windows that were not scheduled were few and far between. Conversely, the lack of structure and consequently the lack of pressure of an open schedule make it easy for me to drift about.

For years speech participants have shared that they had high aspirations for the projects they’d get done once they retired. Once retired, however, they found they got less done than when they were working full-time. Now I really understand how that could happen!

Being able to drift for a little while is probably good for me. I’m a slave driver with myself. I really love getting things done, so I work hard and long and play very little. But, if the unstructured schedule was to become my norm, I’d have to create a structure and hold myself to it. Otherwise, life could get out of control pretty quickly!

Are you drifting when you’d rather be productive? Create a structure specifying when specific activities will be done. Or, hold yourself to doing a specific number of important tasks per day. If you find yourself cheating on the structure you’ve established, find an accountability partner who is regularly informed of your goals and timelines and to whom you can report your progress on a regular basis. Then watch your productivity soar!

The energy of items that you no longer love or use dies. For example, an old pair of shoes that is no longer worn because the shoes hurt your feet has dead energy.

You will find dead stuff in all parts of your house. One way to clear clutter from your house is to become a dead energy sleuth. You do that by constantly looking for dead stuff. Every time you open a drawer, cabinet, closet, the attic, basement or garage, look for dead things to move out of your home. If you develop this new habit and pitch dead stuff when you encounter it, you’ll rarely have to do a major clutter clearing.

Just do it! Look for dead stuff! Pitch it, lighten your load and keep moving forward!

Does the thought of getting rid of clothes make you feel tired or anxious? Does it seem like too big a job to ever tackle?

Here are some ideas for accomplishing the same goal, getting rid of clothes you no longer wear. To start, pick the option that seems the easiest to do. When you’ve had success with that option, add another and another until your closet holds only clothes you love and wear at least once a year.

1. Every time you buy a new garment, get rid of at least one older garment. This process will gradually replace the clothes that are no longer used with clothes that you will use.
2. Every time you buy a new garment, get rid of at least two garments. This process will gradually thin out your wardrobe since there are more items going out than coming in.
3. Look for clothes that are more than one size smaller than your current size and get rid of those clothes. Those clothes only make you feel sad that you are no longer that small size. If you do lose weight so you need clothes that small, you deserve to go out and buy some new clothes.
4. Look for clothes that are more than one size larger than your current size and get rid of them. If you keep those clothes you are ready to get fat!
5. Look for clothes that have been torn or stained and get rid of them.
6. Look for clothes that are uncomfortable and get rid of them.
7. Look for clothes that make you feel fat and get rid of them.
8. Look for clothes that look unattractive on you and get rid of them, even if they cost a lot of money!
9. Look for clothes that remind you of an unpleasant event and get rid of them. They only keep unpleasant memories alive!
10. Commit to giving at least one clothing item to charities that request donations by sending pink and yellow bags in your mail every time you get a request.

The overall goal is to make sure that clothes are not only added to your wardrobe, but also leave on a regular basis. Change out your clothes as you change! Lighten your load and show the world who you are today!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner, Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in life. If you’re ready to clear clutter and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

When I’ve helped women clients clear out their closets, I’ve had the impression that what we really were doing was helping them take a close look at who they really were at that moment in time. Tackling their closet ALWAYS seemed to empower them.

It was as if when a woman’s clothes closet was a mess, she was totally out of touch with herself, her gifts, her wants and needs and her value. Once the closet was done, the woman would stand taller and give a great sigh of relief. Of course! She just got herself back! What a wonderful feeling!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner, Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in life. If you’re ready to clear clutter and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

Have you ever had a weak moment and said “yes” when you should have said “NO!” Well, that was me last year. In a weak moment, when I was longing for time away with my husband, I agreed to pay a small sum for an opportunity to spend three days and two nights in a hotel in Williamsburg, VA in exchange for 90 minutes of our time. We’d done this before. We knew we were going to be urged to buy a timeshare.

Well, the hotel was old. The room was small and smelled like disinfectant. Worst of all, THE WALLS WERE WHITE!!!! If you’ve been reading my blog for any time now you must know that I really feel very uncomfortable in rooms with white walls. The thought of spending time in a room that felt like I was in the middle of a blizzard made me want to run for Richmond! Add to that, my husband was not thrilled be there in the first place! Great!

The pitch we got the next day took almost three hours instead of the promised 90 minutes. We were hammered by not one, but two salesmen. Thank goodness we had agreed beforehand that we were not buying anything! To get through the ordeal, I watched the process they used to try to convince us that we could not leave without committing to at least $11,400 of debt in exchange for travel opportunities. Their effort was really impressive! Those men were masters of manipulation!

By the time we left with our gifts, starving and with a whopping headache, I felt like I’d been through the wringer. The whole experience was really difficult and exhausting. So much so that all I wanted nothing more than to go to our frosty hotel room (previously thought of as the smelly blizzard room), curl up with a book and take a nap! Instead we took one of our “gifts” and bought and wolfed down a much needed late lunch (we had had no breakfast!).

When we finally got back to our room, I was amazed that the room that had seemed such a disappointment the night before could so quickly become a safe haven following our traumatic experience. My thoughts and emotions were transformative. Yes, the walls were still white, stark and unwelcoming, but the bed was comfortable and we could close the door to decompress and recover from my mistake.

I think the Universe sometimes gives us very unpleasant experiences to help us learn lessons we keep failing to learn. One lesson was that I can handle a white room when it’s more appealing than being battered by a salesman! Another lesson was, “Just say NO to ANY phone solicitations, ESPECIALLY those that offer free vacations!!!!!” And finally I learned that it’s important to make sure that my basic needs for rest, relaxation, and recreation with my husband are met so I’m not so vulnerable to offers that sound good but really cost more than is immediately evident!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner, Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in life. If you’re ready to clear clutter and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

Today I learned that you never know how far your influence will travel.

Last week I spoke with a woman who heard me speak for an hour about clearing clutter to create prosperity. She told me that my speech had spurred her into immediate action in her home. She began in her bedroom, getting real about her willingness to try to lose weight to get into her size 6 clothes. Not! She said she realized that it’s just not that important to her to lose that much weight, and besides, it’s too much work! Her clearing also got her daughter motivated as well and they’re having a yard sale this weekend!

My message and the benefits she received from clutter clearing so inspired her that she put what she had learned into a devotional that she delivered over the intercom at a local hospital. Soon after she gave the devotional she got calls from several people telling her how much her message had helped them. One man reported that he had become motivated to have several vehicles hauled away from his property. Wow! All that clearing from a 60 minute speech!

The best news was that colleagues have been telling this woman that they can tell that something important is going on with her. They’ve noticed a difference in her–perhaps her attitude, her energy, her demeanor? The impression I had was that the change was good and those people were curious about the cause of her personal shift in spirits.

I love stories like that! I love it when I can share information that helps people get moving to clear obstacles that block their happiness and success. What can you let go of to make space for positive change?

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner, Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in life. If you’re ready to clear clutter and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

“Debbie, I saw my doctor today and she told me the same thing you’ve been telling me!”

“Hmmm. . . .I wonder what I said,” I pondered. As my client, “Rachel,” continued she explained that her doctor had noticed that her spirits were low and asked what was going on with her. Rachel, a weary elementary school principal who has done wonderful work in an inner city public school system, had reached the point of burnout. When she shared information about her difficult work situation, the wise doctor affirmed that she had done important work in the community, and as a result, was well respected.  She urged her to consider moving on to other work in some other arena or form. I’d been doing the same thing for at least three years! Like me, the doctor too had no doubt that Rachel would be a success where ever she was led to work.

Hearing the same message from two credible sources got my client’s attention. It seemed to be the shot in the arm she needed to begin to believe that she really would survive financially if she left her current position. For the first time in all the years I’ve worked with her, I heard determination and optimism in her voice about making that significant job change. And, she was making plans to take actions could lead her out of her current situation and on to something better.

It’s interesting how the Universe works. The message from the doctor came after two major clutter clearing sessions with me. In those sessions Rachel made hundreds of decisions to let go of books, supplies, and other teaching materials that she had held on to for years. It was as though she was slowly pulling up the roots of doubt and fear with each decision to move things along to others who could use them. That done, she was both physically and psychologically lighter and therefore more receptive to that important message from her doctor.

If you hear the same message from two people you trust, don’t blow it off. Messages from God, your Higher Power, the Universe, your intuition, whatever you call that small wise voice within you that looks out for your well-being, get repeated until they’re heeded. I learned long ago that when I hear something twice, it’s time to take action. I have NEVER regretted taking those actions. Each one has taken me further along on a wonderful journey!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner, Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in life. If you’re ready to clear clutter and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

“My husband’s father died last night.” I had known that my client’s father-in-law was expected to die. When I heard those words, however, I knew that what I was able to accomplish that day would not only help Jill clear her kitchen so its renovation could proceed, but I’d be helping her whole family face a sad and difficult time fully grounded with no worries at home when they flew to Texas for the funeral.

After four hours of decision-making, intense packing, and moving boxes, I left Jill with only a few minor tasks to do to have her kitchen and dining room clear for construction. As I got ready to leave, she gave me a hug and a relieved smile and said, “I don’t know what I would have done without you!”

The work I did that day was some of the most gratifying I have recently done. It gave me such pleasure to ease Jill’s burden by my presence and my ability to get things done for her so she can better handle her current challenges. That is sacred work!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner, Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in life. If you’re ready to clear clutter and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

“When I get stressed, I just drop stuff on my desk! And, then it gets like this!” My client and I looked at her small desk piled about six inches high with a wild assortment of paper. She was upset with herself and I was excited for her. It often takes getting to the point where you “can’t stand it any more” to be ready to make a real change in your behavior that will result in real change in your space. I love it when clients get there.

Sometimes it takes years for a client to get ready to change the behaviors that are causing their physical mess, as it did with this client. Her busyness with family and work had distracted her from focusing on what she was doing to create her own nightmare. I’d come back to help her clear paper from time to time. Each time she’d lament that we always worked on paper when she’d really rather have me help her in other areas of her house. I initially told her what it would take to move on, but she wasn’t ready to hear my suggestions and take a good look at her habits. So, I waited. I’ve learned to wait for that wonderful moment of angst that is the sign that the client can hear my recommendations and is ready to commit to changing behavior.

By the time I left that day my client had committed to stop dropping paper on her desk in a messy pile. If paper cannot be processed immediately, it will be stacked neatly on one side of her desk. She also had agreed to take five minutes a day to sort paper Monday through Saturday, the days that she gets mail, no matter how stressed she feels. What she really was agreeing to do was to get conscious about what she does with paper and to be intentional about her behavior with paper.

Are you fed up with the mess you create by not taking the paper challenge by the horns? Have you reached the “I can’t stand it any more” point when change is possible? Identify what you do to create your paper nightmare. Then change that behavior to something that works better, like taking five minutes a day to sort mail. Take charge of paper! And watch you space and your feelings about yourself change for the better!

© 2012 Clutter Clearing Community | Debbie Bowie

“Author, Organizing Expert and Feng Shui Practitioner, Debbie Bowie, is a leading authority on clutter clearing to attract more of what you want in life. If you’re ready to clear clutter and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.