Decluttering

Struggling with Clutter

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Decluttering Tips – What area do you struggle with?
Volume 2, Issue 23
June 23, 2009

This past year I’ve written about many areas where I struggled with clutter. Most of my readers seem to have the same problems. But I was curious. What areas do you struggle with?

Over the years I have read lots books, researched online, and talked to many people about how to control clutter. I’m always willing to share my knowledge (this newsletter, website, blog). I am also always looking for new ideas and ways to control the clutter in our lives.

I have come up will several questions and would love to hear your opinion on them. Please leave your answers, ideas, suggestions, in the comment section.

Here are the questions.

1. What areas do you struggle with and would like some tips on? Kitchen, clothes/laundry, children’s toys, paper clutter, sporting goods, garden/lawn tools, holidays, gifts received/given, or any other area.

2. Do you like receiving the newsletter or would you prefer a more interactive media like my blog where you can post comments or ask questions? This way you can also contribute ideas from your experiences.

3. Do you like my monthly newsletter with the website links for different holidays and events going on during the month? You can always check out the current month newsletter on the sidebar of the blog.

Decluttering is an on going process. Life doesn’t stand still. My home always needs constant decluttering and organizing to keep it under control. Than being said, it rarely gets more than 15 minutes away from being clean, not perfect, but respectable.

Please a comment on the above questions. This way we can help each other learn to have a lighter load along the way.

If you would like to receive the blog updates in your email box please sign up on the side. This is a separate sign up from the newsletters.

Thank you,
Janice Scissors
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://organizebythemonth.com
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Mistakes As Clutter

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Here is last week’s newsletter. I want to post it here so people can leave comments if they would like.

We all make mistakes. Most of the time we learn from our mistakes and move on. When it comes to clutter “mistakes” sometimes we hold on to the clutter as a constant reminder of the mistake we made. Why do we do this to ourselves?
Think about some of the things we do that we consider mistakes. What if you go out to eat and end up disappointed with it. So what do you do now? You acknowledge your mistake and either don’t go to that restaurant again or make sure not to order that item or a similar one.

What you don’t do is dwell on it every time you drive by the building, nor do you bring home the leftovers and preserve them so you can look at them daily to remind you of wasting money on that dinner. This idea seems way out there but it is exactly what we do to ourselves when we buy a material item ( clothes, books, decorative items, furniture, etc.)

Yesterday my son, who just graduated college, was going through his clothes. He will be heading out to Los Angeles to find a job with computers and visual arts. He came upon a pair of jeans he bought two years ago. The price tags were still on them. He never like the way they fit but his older brother convinced him to buy them.
At first I felt angry for the wasted money spent (my money) then I saw his face. He also felt bad. I realized it was a “mistake” and it was time to let it go. I told him to put the jeans in the give away bag and someone else will get a chance to enjoy them. It was time to let go of the mistake and move forward.

How many “mistakes” to you have hanging in your closet, sitting of a shelf, or staring at you every time you walk into a room? Was it a waste of money? Perhaps. But so was the dinner you didn’t like or you thought you were overcharged for.

So why do we continue to hold onto the material things and constantly punish ourselves for that mistake? I think it has to do with the fact that nobody likes making mistakes and we feel guilty if we make them. We feel like we should be punished for wasting money. We value the money more than we value our own piece of mind.

Those “mistakes” are clutter in your home and mind. Let them go! Stop punishing yourself. The piece of mind and freedom you get with a clean and decluttered home is worth more than any supposedly wasted money.

Let me know what you think about “mistakes as clutter”.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors

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Incomplete Projects/Tasks Are Mind Clutter

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It has been a couple of weeks since I sent out a tip newsletter. I’ve had some health issues to deal with but I plan to get back on track now.

Because I promised to send a weekly tip and I didn’t, it became an incomplete project. This weighed heavy on my mind. Incomplete projects have a way of doing that to us.

When we have too many unfinished projects/tasks they clutter our minds with guilt. It doesn’t matter if they are big or small. A basket of clean laundry that isn’t folded and put away or the unpaid bills past their due date constantly nag at us to take care of them. This kind of clutter keeps us from finding peace and freedom to enjoy each day.

Okay, so you have all these incomplete projects/tasks in you life, now what? How can you possibly get everything completed along with all your other daily responsibilities? It’s not easy but you have to prioritize (pay the bills) and sometimes multi-task (fold laundry while watching TV). You also have to ask yourself if the project is even worth completing.

Sometimes an incomplete project has been that way so long it becomes outdated. I remember about two years ago when I was decluttering my sewing supplies I found a half-sewn pair of little boy’s shorts I was making for my son. This son graduated college two weeks ago. I don’t think those shorts will fit. It was a project that didn’t need completing anymore. Yes, I felt guilty for never finishing them but I got rid of the guilt when I threw the uncompleted shorts out.

Jack Canfield (Chicken Soup For the Soul books) has written a book called “The Success Principles”. In it he talks about getting into “completion consciousness”. He says to continually ask yourself “What does it take to actually get this task completed?”. I have written this question on an index card and have it on my desk right in front of me. When I get sidetracked I look at the question and it helps to bring my mind back in focus on what I have to do to complete the task I started.

To help get yourself in the habit of asking this question all the time you might want to write it on sticky notes or index cards and put them in places where you struggle the most with uncompleted projects/tasks. This might be your desk where the bills are, by the kitchen sink, near your sewing/craft area, or in the laundry room. Before you know it you will be completing projects large and small and clearing out the clutter from your mind and your home.

I would love to hear your opinion on this newsletter. Please leave a comment on this blog.

Or you can send me an email at: janice@cutclutterwithscissors.com.

Please forward this newsletter to any friends or family members who may benefit from this tip.

To a lighter load along the way.

Janice Scissors
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://organizebythemonth.com
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

P.S. If you would like to receive weekly newsletters like this one in your email please sign up on the right sidebar. You will also receive a monthly newsletter with dates of holidays and special events along with lots of links to find more information on them. These sites will help you plan out your holidays/events so you can fully enjoy them.

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Graduation Time

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My son is graduating from college this week. He’ll be moving back home for about a month and then heading out to Los Angeles, hopefully with interviews set up for a job. diploma with graduate's cap Vector Clip Art image

He has a degree in Information Technology (IT) so at least he’s in a field where there are jobs.

With the job market the way it is these young adults are facing an uncertain future, at least in the short run. As parents we raise our children to spread their wings and leave the nest. But many are coming back home or continuing their education (with their parents help) because of the way the job market is.

Since he will be home for a few weeks before leaving town I plan on going through a lot of his things with him. I probably have more memories attached to his things than he does. I may find it harder to let go but I have to. He’s starting new life and so am I. Decluttering the “things” from the past (physical things – not memories) will let us both move forward carrying a lighter load towards the future. I’ll take pictures of anything that is hard to let go of.

Each time our children graduate from one stage of their lives to another we also graduate. Whether it is from toddlerhood to school age child or high school to college or college to independent adulthood we have to let them move forward to the next stage of their life.

I will officially be graduating to empty nester. Each stage of our life gives us new opportunities to experience different things. I know it will be hard to let go of some “things” from the past but I also look forward to it.

How do you feel about “graduation time”? Please leave a comment and let me know.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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Earth Day – Going Green

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This week’s newsletter (if you haven’t signed up – please do so on the right sidebar) has lots of links and info to help you go green. Although Earth Day is only one day of the year we need to learn to follow it’s principles year round.

Here is a copy of this week’s newsletter so you can get all the information you need to learn how to go green.

Decluttering Tip Newsletter – Going Green
Volume 2, Issue 16
April 21, 2009

I’m sure you have heard by now that this is Earth Week and Wednesday (April 22) is Earth Day. I remember the first Earth Day in 1970 (I’m showing my age) when you heard about the smog warnings in the big cities and the polluted lakes and rivers. We’ve come a long way with those areas but the toxins in our homes and the waste we send to the landfills needs to get under control.

It is getting much easier to reduce, recycle, and reuse many items to prevent them from filling the landfill. This site has lots of ideas you can use.
http://www.earthday.gov/athome.htm

When you apply a lot of the ideas for reducing and recycling you will find that it is easier to keep your home decluttered. For example: when you use reusable fabric bags for shopping automatically there are less paper and plastic bags filling up the floor of your pantry or between the wall and the refrigerator.

When you buy and use only what you need there will be less clutter around. By using permanent things like dishes, cloth napkins (cheap washcloths work great when you have children), mugs, and durable plastic or glass containers for storage you will get in a habit of washing them so they are ready to use. You’ll save money and the landfills by not using so many disposables.

If you are trying to use healthier cleaning items, etc. in your home, here is a great website with lots of information.
http://planetgreen.discovery.com/go-green/green-cleaning/

If you don’t have curbside recycling or don’t know of a recycling center nearby it will take a little more effort on your part to recycle. Here is a site that can help you find places near you for different things, such as papers, plastic, household, etc.
http://earth911.com/blog/2009/04/20/barriers-to-being-green-accessibility/

For electronic recycling check out these sites for a place near you.
http://www.epa.gov/epawaste/conserve/materials/ecycling/live.htm
http://www.therecyclingcenter.info/recyclingcenters.php5

Remember, if you reduce the amount of products and items you bring into your home you’ll automatically reduce the amount of clutter. When you find places to recycle the old items you will be able to get rid of them and take away your excuse for not getting them out of your home.

Please forward this newsletter to anyone you know who will benefit from this tip.

Be sure to check out my blog this week for more information on Earth Day. http://organizebythemonth.com

Also check me out on Twitter. http://twitter.com/jlscissors I’m starting to get the hang of it.

To a lighter load along the way.
Janice Scissors
https://cutclutterwithscissors.com
http://organizebythemonth.com
http://twitter.com/jlscissors
http://cutoutthebreastcancer.wordpress.com

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