Clear clutter now so you can soar in 2013!

I had the best of intentions to do a lot of writing in the week between Christmas and New Years. But, I just couldn’t do it. I’ve been dealing with some difficult challenges this past month with my mother who has dementia. It’s amazing how much emotional energy it takes to figure out what to do to keep her safe and at the same time allow her privacy and quality of life. And, I suspect that I’ve been grieving the loss of the competent mom that she always was. It’s hard to watch a parent decline.

Since I was shut down and couldn’t write, I decided to honor the state I was in, instead of trying to push past the exhaustion or beating myself up for not being more productive. I read a novel, watched some mindless TV, ran errands that had been on hold because of holiday travels and family obligations, and I cleared and organized my desktop. I got the new printer I needed and set it up. I hung my new calendars and entered addresses and phone numbers in my computer address book. I took a look at my finances and paid my mother’s bills. I did all that little stuff that is so easily put off. Why? Because it grounds me. Because I knew that by doing those tasks I was setting the stage to hit the new year with order in my office and my life, a great foundation for a great year ahead.

Yes, there will be more challenges with Mom’s health and her resistance to help. But, if I’m grounded and my own house is in order, I can handle whatever comes at me. And, if my office is clutter-free and organized, I will be able to write again when this grief patch subsides.

Start your new year on a positive note by creating order in the places you use the most. It’s the best investment of time and energy you could make right now. You will be signaling the Universe that you’re ready for the best year of your life!

© 2012 Clearing Clutter for Good Online Program | 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 www.letcluttergo.com.

When I arrived at my client’s house and asked if we were going to do Christmas cards she said, “Yes! As of 5 p.m. yesterday I had nothing ready to do cards, and amazingly I’m now ready!” This is a client who has a history of having great difficulty getting her cards done by Christmas. One July several years earlier we came across her Christmas cards that she had never finished from the Christmas before. When I asked her if we could pitch them, she said, “No, I still want to send them.” So, together we finished them. And, ever since she has scheduled one or two sessions prior to Christmas to have me help her get them done. Our current session was the second attempt this year to get the cards done.

My client knew that if she didn’t pull together the stamps and return address labels, print her labels, and get her photo card printed, she was at risk of not getting her cards done this year. She was blocked because she didn’t have a good photo of her children. She could have chosen to cancel our appointment or use our time together for another project. But, she decided to use the pressure of the deadline of our appointment to motivate her to seek help from an employee to create the photo card. Once that block was removed, she was able to move forward.

While I put the stamps, address labels, and return address labels on the envelopes and stuffed the photo cards in them, my client wrote her annual Christmas letter. By the time we ended our session, the letter was written, printed and folded to go in the cards. All that was left to do was sign the cards and add some personal notes!

What was most remarkable about this whole experience was the change in my client’s energy when it became clear that we were going to get the cards to a point where she could easily finish them on her own. This client is a fairly reserved person, not prone to outward expressions of excitement, but that night she was absolutely glowing and thrilled with what she had been able to pull off in such a short period of time. It seemed like a miracle to her.

Would she have been at the same point if she had not set a deadline by hiring me to help her? No way! Deadlines can be really powerful motivators if you honor them!

Yesterday I had surgery to remove a basal cell skin cancer on my face. I had doctor’s orders to rest so my incision could heal properly. I used that order to give myself permission to stop doing and start resting. Isn’t it sad that it takes a doctor’s order for me to stop and take care of myself?

I indulged in reading a novel most of the day. From time to time I’d feel the twinge of “you should be using this time to get some writing done,” but for most of the day I ignored it. At 5 p.m. when I needed a break from my book, I picked up my laptop and checked my email. Then I wrote an organizing tip, 2 blog posts and reviewed a stack of speech evaluations and entered about 40 emails into my database.

The learning? If I allow myself to rest, I have better mental clarity than if I keep limping along at half speed. If I allow myself to rest, my productivity soars!

Hmmmm. . . . .now, how to keep myself from going back to autopilot of work, work, work all the time without the doctor’s help?

© 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.

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 recently reflected back on the 11+ years that I have been working full-time as a professional organizer and the two to three years that I have been writing regularly about my organizing experiences and lessons I’ve learned, I realized that there are two areas of the organizing process that I enjoy most: clutter clearing and helping people get things done. I am both very sensitive to energy and visually oriented, therefore I am very affected by the negative effects of clutter. And, I’m a task-oriented person. I like to get things done, finished, settled, decided. So, it makes sense that clutter clearing and getting things done would be my primary areas of interest.

After I pinpointed my primary organizing interests I began to think about the connection between clutter clearing and getting things done. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Clutter is a physical block to getting things done. The negative energy of clutter blocks both the thinking and the inclination to get things done.
2. Clearing clutter makes it possible to see what needs to be done and frees energy to make taking action possible.
3. When clutter has been cleared it is easier to plan what needs to be done and to problem-solve how to get things done.
4. Some clutter is the physical evidence of tasks that have not been done. For example you might leave the paint can and brush out in a room to remind you to touch up a painted surface.
5. Unfinished projects can have the same negative energy as clutter.
6. Getting things done reduces clutter.

Clearly clearing clutter and getting things done are intertwined! Go clear some clutter today and make it easier to get things done!

Conclusions:

• If people made a commitment to keeping their spaces clutter free, they would be more productive.
• If people were more productive, there would be less clutter.

I make a living as a professional organizer. You’d think that it would have been a cinch for me to get organized to write my first book. Unfortunately, when it comes to enormous new projects that I’m scared to death to do, I need more than my organizing skills to get me going.

I had known for years that I had a book in me. I believed that writing a book would be beneficial for clients who often left my seminars and speeches wanting more information. And, I’d even made some feeble attempts to get started. I kept getting hung up on the organization of the content of the book. I had so much information to share. I just couldn’t figure out how arrange it in a simple, easy to understand outline.

In 2009 I began working with Mark LeBlanc, a business success coach, to help me launch myself as a national speaker. In the first session he said, “I want you to write a book in 90 days.” After taking a deep breath I squeaked out, “OK, and how am I going to do that?” He replied, “Write 50 minutes a day five days a week.” I said, “I can do that. Can I still use Rock Scissors Paper as the title?” He asked me to clarify the meaning of Rock Scissors Paper. After I explained the meaning of the words he said, “Great! And, the three chapters can be Rock, Scissors and Paper.” With those words he gave me the solution for the organization of the book. I was off and running. The bulk of the content of the book was written in less than 90 days. And the finished product was in my hands 7 months later.

If you’re reading this article, I imagine you’re looking for some help to make the enormous task of writing a book less daunting and more doable. Here are four lessons I learned that may help you with your journey:

1. Tell others, especially people who have already published a book, about your intention to write a book. You never know what kind of helpful advice you might get! Those of us who have been on the journey to book publication are happy to share advice and resources that could make your experience easier.

2. Start with tasks that you can do. Doing anything will give you momentum to keep going. Writing a book is much more than writing the content. Other tasks include editing, layout, cover design and then choosing a publisher, not to mention marketing the book. Part of the reason I was afraid to really commit to writing a book was because the whole process from start to finish included so many unknowns. For example, I had no clue how to choose a cover designer or editor. But, I could look at other books of the same genre and make some decisions about the look and feel of my book. I found an organizing book with a cover and layout that I just loved. It gave me a model to use when I was making design choices about my book size, the cover and content fonts and layout.

3. Consider blogging to get yourself writing and develop your content in small bites. Dan Poynter, the guru of self-publishing, first introduced me to the idea of “blooking”. Blooking is writing blog entries until you have enough content to organize it into a book. The idea of writing a whole chapter is pretty overwhelming, but writing two to five paragraphs is much more doable. Doing it as a blog entry and publishing it also gave me the opportunity to try out my content on interested readers before committing to a whole book.

4. Ask others who have already self-published to share their resources with you. My coach, who had already published a book, gave me the name and contact information of his cover designer and publisher, and recommended a reputable editor. What a relief that was for me! I hate researching services! I liked the look and feel of Mark’s book, so I knew I would be in good hands if I used his resources.

If you have a book inside you, don’t let overwhelm and fear of the unknown stop you from giving birth to it! Writing and publishing a book can’t be a solo project if you want to successfully complete it. Start where you can and be open to help from knowledgeable others.

I’ve been told that whatever can go wrong when doing a speech will go wrong at some point in your career. Of course, I like to think I’m different, or perhaps that I’ll be the lucky one and escape some of those challenges. If I just prepare well enough, everything will be OK.

Well, I recently had an experience that humbled me. It was as if the Universe was letting me get a real taste of what can go wrong on the day of a speech. First, I showed up at the wrong location. I thought I knew where I was going. I went to the Commonwealth Club instead of the Colony Club! Who knew that there were two clubs in Richmond, Virginia whose names begin with a C! Fortunately the woman who had arranged for me to speak was available by cell phone. And, lucky for me, the Colony Club was only three blocks up on the same street! Whew! I was able to correct that mistake pretty quickly!

Once I got to the Colony Club and parked, I was unsure if I was in the right parking area. If I was wrong, my car would be towed. I decided to be safe rather than sorry. When I went to back up, there was a van parked behind me, preventing me from moving my car. The owner of the car was nowhere to be seen! Ahhhhh!!!! I decided to take my chances and left my car where it was.

When I got into the building I was dismayed to find I would be speaking in a ballroom in the basement. It is very difficult to make basements feel comfortable because they are under ground, usually have insufficient natural light and have the lowest energy in a building. The room proved to be as dismal as I could have imagined. Wall paper and carpeting, no matter how luxurious, just cannot make up for a lack of windows! And, the ceiling may have been a bit lower than normal because it felt like it was pressing down on me. Add to that several enormous columns that blocked my view of some of the participants. And, of course those participants couldn’t see me either! Not an ideal environment for making a speech.

“Oh, well,” I thought, “At least the people are very nice,” and I began setting up for my speech. First I discovered that the extension cord that had been provided for me would not accommodate my three prong plug. I had accidentally left my extension cord home with supplies I’d organized for a workshop I’m doing this weekend. That problem was quickly solved when I realized that I actually had a cord in my bag that would work. Great!

Then I couldn’t get my computer to talk to my projector. I’d set up my equipment many times with no trouble, but this particular day I had difficulty figuring out how to connect all the parts. It may have been that the light in the space was just dim enough to shut down the part of my brain that I need for technology challenges, especially since I am no technology whiz! Finally the woman in charge suggested that I shut down my computer and start over. Good idea! When I began to shut it down it magically began projecting my slides! Yeah! However, I still couldn’t get the remote to connect. The nice woman offered to advance my slides for me. I agreed to that and then remembered that I did have another remote that came with the projector. It worked! I was good to go!

When it came time to speak I stood up and took the microphone. To my surprise and dismay its cord was too short to reach all the way to where I needed to stand close to my computer. Wonderful! No problem, I’d just speak from the spot where the cord ended. Unfortunately the remote only worked when it was very close to the computer. So, there I was speaking into the microphone and then stretching my body to make the remote advance my slides. Because I was unfamiliar with that remote it took me some time to understand that it was slow to advance the slides. Over and over again I thought it hadn’t gotten the signal to advance and pushed the button again. Then it advanced two slides. Back and forth I went with the slides. What a fiasco!

I’m sure it looked like a comedy routine to the participants! What was I doing while all these challenges were occurring? I was thinking, “They told me that whatever can go wrong when speaking will go wrong. I guess this is what they meant!” And, I kept solving the problems right in front of me and kept on speaking. I kept acting professionally, making light of the challenges and moving forward despite the string of obstacles even though I just wanted to scream or pack my bags and call it a day. Fortunately I know my material well enough that I was able to do a good job delivering the content when the correct slide was on the screen. And, fortunately I was speaking to an audience of incredibly kind, patient and understanding people.

I was so glad when I finished that speech. I felt like I’d run a marathon! And, I’d pulled it off without losing my cool or throwing in the towel. It was like finishing a final exam. I had no hopes for an A on that exam. A passing grade would do. Much to my surprise a number of people came up to ask me questions and bought my book. I thought to myself, “I must have gotten my information across despite the comedy routine and delays!” And, the evaluation forms were all positive. Not one person commented on the comedy of errors they’d witnessed. What a miracle! What a learning experience for me!

So, the next time you run into obstacles on your path, I recommend that you remember that you just have to solve the next problem in front of you. Had I begun judging myself for my mistakes or allowed myself to ruminate about what the participants must be thinking of me, I could not have kept moving forward. Those thoughts would have shut down my creative energy and stopped me in my tracks. Instead, I kept problem solving. And, I kept thinking, “I can do this. I just have to finish this speech. What I’m doing is important and must be done.”

A few weeks ago I was helping my father rake leaves. I really don’t like to rake leaves. Why? Because I can easily get overwhelmed by how much there is to do and how long it takes to see any progress.

This time I decided to apply the Lariope Method, an approach I unconsciously developed to handle big jobs, one that keeps you from getting overwhelmed. The way it works is you keep your head down, focus right in front of you and avoid looking at the whole picture of what needs to be done. By keeping your head down you can feel good about what you are accomplishing and avoid blowing yourself out of the water by comparing what you’ve gotten done to how much more is left to be done.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard clients lament how much there is left to do instead of celebrating the success of what they have gotten done. Their focus is one of the reasons they are unsuccessful at getting and staying organized. It’s so important that you do whatever you have to do to keep yourself feeling positive about your efforts. Sometimes that means you have to make yourself keep your head down to avoid feeling overwhelmed.

Once Dad and I got a large part of the yard raked, when the end was in sight, I was able to raise my head and feel encouraged by how much we had gotten done. And, yes, we finished the job!

Got a large project? Keep your head down while you work so you can stay positive and get it done!

Have you ever noticed that it’s harder to think clearly on rainy days? As I am writing this post we are getting some much needed rain. I have been wrestling with thoughts about some significant relationships in my life. And, I have really been struggling to get clarity. My brain feels as cloudy as the gray sky that greets me whenever I go outside. It’s as if the negative energy of a rainy day, caused by the discomfort of the wetness, the lack of light that dulls the color of the landscape, and absence of the optimistic blue sky, makes it impossible for me to think clearly. I thought to myself, “When it’s muddy outside, I feel muddy in my brain!”

And then I reflected on how I feel and function when the sun is shining and the sky is clear. On those days there is a predominance of positive energy in the landscape and my brain works at warp speed. Making decisions is easier. I have more clarity about my priorities, my choices and what really matters.

Given what I understand about energy from my study of feng shui, it makes perfect sense that I’d have a fuzzy brain on a cloudy, rainy day. All that negative energy is just too distracting. Recognizing that reality, I think that on rainy days my best course of action is to slow down, weigh decisions a little more carefully, and not expect the mental sharpness I enjoy feeling on clear days.

It’s a low energy day. Feng shui teaches that everything is connected. It makes perfect sense that I would be affected by that energy. I may not be as productive as I want to be. Clear thinking may be a struggle. I just need to remember that not only is everything connected, but everything is also changing. And, so too will the weather. For now I’ll be gentle with myself, slow down and remember that soon I’ll again enjoy the positive energy and clarity of a sunny day.

Have you been putting off opening those boxes that your mother handed over to you when she was cleaning out her attic, boxes full of papers, trinkets and treasures from your childhood? Many people shove those boxes in their own attics to deal with later. Why? Because they have the power to bring your history back to life, at least in your memory. And, our histories are a mixed bag!

But, there is a payoff for sorting memorabilia in search of the most precious items, those that stir the best memories and feelings. When you let go of quantities of things from the past, you release some of the emotional burden of the past and can be more fully present in your life.

Use the following 9 tips to help you face the challenge of searching for the true treasures, the diamonds, among the stuff of your past, the stones.

1. Schedule a time for sorting your memorabilia when you’ll have plenty of time to reflect, feel your feelings and recover from any sad, mad or other uncomfortable feelings.
2. Consider sorting memorabilia with a trusted friend or family member who might be interested in the content and who understands that examining and letting go of memorabilia can be a difficult process.
3. Your intention for the first pass should be to eliminate items with obvious negative energies, those that bring up sad, hurt or angry feelings. If you hold onto those items you will be anchoring those old feelings in place.
4. Sort the memorabilia into items that are for-sure keep, for-sure get rid of, and undecided. Remember that you are looking for items that have the BEST energies of the past, items that make your heart smile. You are looking for diamond energy in a sea of stones!
5. When you choose items to keep, consider how they will fit into your home. It is always best if memorabilia can be displayed or at least is easily accessible to you so you can enjoy the positive memories it calls forth. If space is limited, keep the best of smaller items that anchor the energy of a particular time period or person. It isn’t necessary to keep everything that holds those energies. Just keep the best! For example, I keep the memory of my maternal grandmother alive with my favorite photograph of her on the wall of my office and her wedding band that I wear every day. When I inherit her china, I will keep a special piece or two and sell the rest. I need no more than 3 or 4 items to keep her awesome energy in my space and in my life.
6. If items identified for release could be important to another family member or a museum, offer them to the person or institution. If they really have no value to anyone but you, and you’ve decided to part with them, either donate them or throw them in the trash.
7. Only consider selling items that have clear monetary value, like jewelry or antiques. And, do it in a way that is easy and safe to do, like consignment or through an email broker who works with Craig’s List or Ebay. Selling is a hassle and often does not bring results that are worth the effort. And, it’s not uncommon for people to put things aside to sell, but never make those arrangements because they don’t know the best way to do it. Wanting to sell things can be a barrier to getting rid of them.
8. If you get stuck on items that you are undecided about, put those items to the side and set a deadline for when you will revisit them. You’ll find that if you get rid of the items that you easily identified to toss, you’ll shift the energies in your space for the better. When that happens your perspective will also shift. That way, when you revisit those items, you can examine them with the benefit of better energy in your space and more clarity in your thinking. It will be easier for you to decide what to keep and what to pitch!
9. If after a waiting period you are still struggling with what to do with certain items, invite a trusted friend or family member to help you make decisions about them. Sometimes if you tell another person the story of an item’s significance, you can let it go. Or, at the very least you’ll be able to hear your own energy in your voice as you talk about it. Items that should be kept are those about which you still have strong feelings and high energy.

Clearing memorabilia will help you be more present in the current moment. Who knows? You may remove energetic barriers that you didn’t even know were blocking happiness, success and forward progress toward achieving your goals and dreams.