Tag: organization

Posted on in mindset

Organization

Today there are 19 days of the month of April behind me. It would seem that I’ve lost track of time, or that I’ve been too busy, and so it feels as if time is moving quicker than it should. In reality, most of time is outside of our awareness. It takes discipline, and sometimes tools, to manage time. In fact, time management is one area where I’ve done a lot of work with people. It’s a common struggle to synchronize with time. Is it possible that this struggle exists because we are actually created to be timeless? I believe there is a deep, spiritual principal hidden in this mystery.

In any case, while we are present in this existence, we are bound by time. We are also responsible for managing physical matter; our bodies included, as well as our possessions and surroundings. If you’ve been present with me on social media this month, we’ve been talking about all these different aspects to organizing one’s life. It’s no small task!

Every level of organization starts with a single decision. It continues by each single decision. Don’t focus so much on huge milestones that you miss the simple steps which will carry you there. Underlying the organization of one’s life is the principle of minimalism. Now, I know there are those of you out there who will disagree with me. Some of you are very attached to your possessions and wouldn’t dream of minimizing what you carry in this life. You are welcome to accumulate and carry as much weight as you can hold. The fact is everyone has a limit. I am often working with people on decluttering and reducing material possessions because the outside environment has taken an ill effect on the internal environment (mind and emotions). True minimalism is a principle, a mindset, and lens through which you view the world. It’s not about reaching a magical number of photos, books, or kitchen mugs. It’s about loving what you have, that which is useful, and not attaching yourself to material possessions.

I could write a book on this topic! Maybe I will. If you are struggling with the organization in your life, whether it’s your thoughts, emotions, time, energy, possessions, relationships, etc., I am here to help you find your way. Connect with me if you’d like to go deeper.

Posted on in personal development, Success

So much “stuff”

Do you have clutter in your home? So often we casually allow clutter to become a normal thing. I find it very interesting how Merriam-Webster defines clutter:

 

clutter

noun

1a: a crowded or confused mass or collection
“a clutter of motels and restaurants”
b: things that clutter a place
“tried to minimize the unnecessary clutter in her house”
2: interfering radar echoes caused by reflection from objects (as on the ground) other than the target
3: chiefly dialectal : DISTURBANCE, HUBBUB

The keywords which stand out to me are; confused, unnecessary, and disturbance. These accurately describe how I feel when I am around clutter. Over the past few years I have been on a journey toward minimalism. For awhile the lifestyle called “minimalism” was a hot topic which inspired books, television shows, and a lot of new year resolutions! There is no exact science to what living minimalist looks like because it is different for everyone. For me, it’s about doing more with less. Many of the people I work with struggle with organizing and ridding clutter. I like to share what works for me and I have found it to help many others.

The needs which are common to all people can be satisfied when a person has both a place and a purpose. Our basic physical, emotional, and social needs are satisfied when we have a place to belong. Our higher intellectual/emotional needs are satisfied by having a purpose to accomplish. I truly believe that we must find our place and purpose to be healthy and grow.

If I can personify my “stuff” in this way, it becomes apparent how to rid clutter and organize my home and life. I consider this to be why our stuff is called belongings. That which belongs in my life must have a place and a purpose which compliments my own place and purpose. With this value system in place, I can assess any item and find where it belongs. “Does this item have a functional place in my home?” “Does this item have a functional purpose in my life?” If I cannot validate either of those questions, the item needs to go somewhere it will have a place and purpose. 

My value based assessment is very simple and easy to apply. It has helped me to re-home & re-purpose a significant amount of stuff as I have downsized more than 50% in under two years. It has helped many others along the journey of organizing life and I hope it will help you.