Julie, my client who had a dream of moving to the mountains to raise alpacas, whose story I’ve written about in my 4/24, 5/16, and 6/15 posts, says she feels like she’s come home. After clearing her house from top to bottom between January and April with my help, she sold her house to the second couple who looked at it, and moved to Asheville, NC in June. Julie’s new house came with goats, so for now she’s raising goats, not alpacas. But, Julie’s story is still a clutter clearing victory. Had she not committed to clearing out everything that did not support her dream, she could still be living here in Richmond, VA with her dream still hanging out in her brain.

I received an email of thanks from Julie a few weeks ago. She said all was well and was so happy she made the move. I called her yesterday to get more of the details about her new life living her dream.

“I love my house. I love the place. The people are so nice. I love my neighbors. People stop their cars when I’m walking my dogs to introduce themselves. I’ve found people to run with. I’m meeting people.

Julie's New Home

I’m going hiking tomorrow. I just love it. Not once have I regretted my decision to move.” I’d say the results of her clutter clearing efforts were primarily positive! When you clear clutter, you open a pathway for new, good things to come to you. That’s certainly what Julie has experienced. She just went through one of the most stressful experiences one can experience, selling her house and moving to a new location–all by herself! And yet, she is full of optimism.

Julie did mention that she has not yet found work, that the area is quite depressed, especially for professional positions. She said she may need to do odd jobs for awhile, but was not stressed about finding work. Despite not having a job, Julie is thrilled with her new life. She knows she is in just the right place and that she will be OK. How many people can say that about their lives–even when they have a paying job? Perhaps one of the benefits of clearing clutter and getting clear is an increasing awareness that all is well and that all things really do work together for good.

My clients often hesitate to clear clutter from their homes and offices because they’re afraid they may need those items that could be purged. Perhaps those things to which they cling to assuage their fears actually hold fear in place, blocking them from the relief, the freedom and the knowing that all is well and all things work together for good.

Julie’s story certainly is evidence that clearing clutter can make it possible to realize long held dreams. And, without the weight of excessive things cluttering her space, Julie is clearly attracting more good experiences and people into her life, exactly what she needs to thrive. Not only is she attracting good, but she is also able to drink in and appreciate all the good that is coming her way.

Remember, you too can clear clutter for good!℠

© 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 your life. If you’re ready to finally clear the clutter from your life and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

Imagine this. You have decided to move to a new home, one that is considerably smaller than the one you now live in. How would you approach that task?

I have moved house and home many times. Each time, in anticipation of an impending move, even before I’d found a new home, I would immediately begin clutter clearing, doing something every day to lighten my load on moving day. I would slowly make my way through the house, trashing or donating everything that would not fit with the life I wanted to have in my new home. I describe myself as a plodder, someone who when faced with a task does a little bit of work every day until the task is done. I appreciate a deadline, but don’t need a deadline to take action.

As you know, not everyone is a plodder. I was recently working with a client who was planning a move. She had a large home and would be downsizing. Instead of beginning to clear clutter, she was out looking at houses. The work she wanted us to do together focused on digging out her backlog of paper that had been accumulating for months, but I was chomping at the bit to help her begin clearing out those things that would not be going with her to her new home. I sensed no such urgency from her. If anything, she seemed reluctant to start clearing out her house to prepare for the move. When she talked about looking at houses I asked, “ Do you want to find the home you’ll buy so you’ll have a deadline to motivate you to start clearing out this house and packing to move? Are you needing that deadline to get you moving?” She said, “ Yes, I guess I do.” My client is what I call a “burster”, someone who works in bursts of activity, mostly motivated by firm deadlines, especially when tasks that need to be done are difficult, overwhelming or boring.

I first became aware that there were differences in the way people approach getting tasks done when I was in high school. In my diligent, plodding manner I’d always finish my assignments well in advance of their due dates. I had several friends, however, who would coast along enjoying life while I worked, and then work frantically the day before an assignment was due. I plodded. They worked in last minute bursts! I have one such friend who says, “If it weren’t for the last minute, nothing would get done!”

I have since learned that the explanation behind plodder and burster behavior is differences in brain wiring. Some people are wired such that they need the pressure of a deadline to activate their prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain associated with executive functions like organizing and getting things done. Others, like me, can activate the prefrontal cortex without the pressure of a deadline. In fact, my brain works less efficiently if rushing to finish a task at the last minute.

What are you, a burster or a plodder? Which ever type you are, it’s probably due to your wiring, and therefore a way of being that is difficult and possibly impossible to change. Being conscious of the way you work is helpful. Plodders can become more tolerant and less judgmental of bursters who seem to thrive on stress, understanding that there is more going on than just an addiction to excitement, and that there is more than one way to get things done. Bursters, knowing that they need deadlines to create the motivation to take action, can create deadlines for themselves to make sure that important tasks get done.

© 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 your life. If you’re ready to finally clear the clutter from your life and move your life forward, get your FREE TIP SHEET, “Feng Shui Tips for Instant Success” at http://www.clutterclearingcommunity.com.

When I walk my dogs through the neighborhood I have the opportunity to see fences of all kinds. Today I noticed a new fence. It was hard to miss. It was made of wood, its boards tight together and straight across at the top. It was perched on top of a rise and ran in a straight line down one edge of its owner’s yard. Part of the reason I noticed this fence was because its hard edge energy was in such sharp contrast to the more gentle energy of the surrounding landscape.

I found myself writing this blog post in my head as I continued my walk, ranting to an unseen audience about the aesthetics of fences, how they can complement the landscape or impale it as the above fence seemed to be doing. I wondered what the owner had been thinking when he or she chose the fence design. Were they just wanting a wall of privacy behind which they could contain their dog and children having given little thought to design? Was their choice the most affordable option? I thought it sad that their most recent addition to their outdoor environment only detracted from the loveliness of their landscape.

Was that fence good feng shui? Heck no! Straight lines do not occur in nature. They are a telltale sign of man’s influence. When choosing a fence or putting in a sidewalk, curving lines are always preferable. Most fences run in straight lines because that’s the easiest way to lay a fence, often following property lines. But, you can soften lines of the fence by making the upper edge convex or concave so it will resemble waves as it travels across the yard.

Another way to soften the feel of a straight fence is by leaving space between the slats. That way you can see vegetation through the fence. Check out the fences in your neighborhood. I have a hunch you’ll find the ones that are not solid walls of wood with straight tops the most appealing. Even a chain link fence with its obvious man-made materials feels friendlier than a wall of wood because it can more easily blend into the landscape.

If you ever put up a fence, remember, its energy will have a profound effect on the look and feel of your yard. Wouldn’t you rather have a gentle, waving line that blends with the landscape instead of a sharp blade that cuts through it? You get to choose your fence design. The extra cost of a lovely fence will pay off with years of visual pleasure and good feng shui!

As I drove out to Kilmarnock, Virginia, to visit my Mom recently, I found myself feeling such joy. I was being fed with Peter, Paul and Mary on Pandora internet radio, the beauty of lush, green farmland, and gratitude for my comfortable home and solid marriage. Everything is alive with energy, and I was able to access positive energies from all those sources.

What made it possible for me to drink in the positive in my life? I had cleared some significant clutter the week before.

• I went to court for a speeding ticket I got while singing along to Pandora on a previous trip to Mom’s house. I was lucky to come away with the opportunity to go to driving school and keep my driving record clean. After court I immediately found a school and got the class scheduled!
• I’d recorded several videos for The 12 Month Clutter Clearing Community site, clearing some of my own fear and insecurity about speaking in front of a camera.
• My house had been cleaned the day before.
• My assistant had paid my bills, so I was current about our financial status.
• I’d cleared some concern about my father’s well-being by calling him and discovering that his situation had improved since our last call.
• And, I’d cleared at least 30 files!