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Time To Get Off Autopilot

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Day after day you have good intentions on getting organized and clearing out the clutter. But by the end of the week do you wonder why nothing was done? Do you even remember what you did each day? If not it could be because you are on autopilot.

Autopilot may work great for airplanes but it’s not always so good for people. When an emergency happens we sometimes go into autopilot mode to handle the matter without falling apart. But to just get through each hectic day by being on autopilot doesn’t get us where we want to go.

Time to turn off autopilot! Here are three words to add to your vocabulary to help get off autopilot and take charge of your life. These are proactive, consciously, and intentionally.

Proactive: Taking the initiative. Action of taking the first step.

When we are proactive we take steps to prevent clutter from coming into our homes. This could be by reducing the junk mail we receive. It could mean not “shopping till we drop” just because we are feeling down. It could also mean setting up a system to keep our bills and other paperwork organized and not left in piles to “take care of later”.

Consciously: Knowing what one is doing and why they are doing it.

When we are aware of what we are doing we can make better choices to move towards our goals. You go to the grocery store with a list so you only buy the things you need and not a lot of things you don’t need. It also means you shop for clothes knowing how they will work in your wardrobe. You don’t buy something “just because” you like it at that moment.

Instead of going through the day haphazardly you consciously plan it out and prioritize the things you want to accomplish. You learn to limit the time wasters like phone calls with friends and the too much time on the internet by setting a timer. After your time limit is up get back to what you were working on.

Intentionally: Doing things on purpose.

Intentionally is putting proactive and consciously together. You intentionally take actions to prevent clutter and disorganization from building up in your home. You intentionally pay attention to the routines and everyday things you do so that they are in line with your goal to get and stay organized. You clear out the clutter on purpose so you can live in a more comfortable and less stressful environment.

Make these words part of your everyday language and get off autopilot. You will accomplish more each day and by the end of the week you won’t be asking yourself what you did all week. All you have to do is look around and see your accomplishments.

Janice

 

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Organize Kitchen Cabinet Clutter

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Sometimes all it takes is a simple tool to help keep an area organized. Unfortunately it is hard to know if the sales/marketers claims are true or a bunch of baloney. I’m sure you have bought items that claimed to help you become organized and decluttered. I know I have! But many of those items don’t live up to their hype.

Along the way I have bought many items that do work and I’m sure you have too. Today I want to share one simple item that has keep one of my kitchen cabinets organized for the past 17 years. It’s a wire rack that holds my cutting boards, cupcake tins, and cookie sheets that would otherwise be a mess.

 

When I bought those wire racks they cost me $11 each. They have been well worth the $22 spent. I saw on Amazon these same racks are selling for under $10 dollars. Your local stores that have kitchen supplies may have them at similar prices.

Look at your cabinets before you buy any tools to help you organize. A tool such as this wire rack will keep you organized but only if it fits your cabinets. You may have to look for some other tool that will work for your kitchen.

Do you have other tools that help your kitchen cabinets or drawers stay organized? Please leave a comment and let me know. Thanks.

Janice

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Company Coming – Time To Clean!

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I find it interesting that when I am cleaning the house to have company over I notice things that are in my “blind spots” the rest of the time. For example, I have white baseboards which of course have the tendency to show dirt. Most of the time I don’t even notice the slight darker color on the top of them.

I had company over for the Superbowl yesterday and while vacuuming IMGP0746-1_edited-1 all of the sudden the dirt on the baseboards seemed to have a spotlight shining on all their dirtiness. Would my company notice my lack of housecleaning skills? I couldn’t take a chance. So I got a damp rag and wiped the baseboards clean.

 

This happens anytime I have company over. The problem is I don’t have company all that often so those “blind spots” have a tendency to be neglected for too long.

Of course if I followed Flylady’s zone cleaning each month the baseboards wouldn’t get so bad. Unfortunately, after 8 years I still have a problem following some of her routines. I’m good with most of them but I’m not perfect nor do I expect to be. I’ve learned what works for me and believe everyone needs to figure out what works best for them. That’s why there are so many different ways to declutter and organize your home. Sometimes you can read a suggestion and know it will work for you. Sometimes it’s a matter of trial and error. The key is to never give up.

Yes, I beat myself up a little for not having the house perfectly clean. Did my friends notice? They never said a word and I wasn’t going to bring it up. After all, they are my friends. They weren’t about to pull out white gloves and check for dirt on the baseboards.

Maybe I should just plan on having company at least once a month. That would help me keep those “blind spots” clean.

Janice

Website/blog:  CutClutterWithScisors

FaceBook Pages:  CutClutterWithScissors

                                CutOutThePaperClutter

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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If At First You Don’t Succeed

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It’s a new month. It’s a new week, if you count Monday as day one. January is gone but February is here! If you didn’t get done what you wanted to last month, oh well. Don’t get down on yourself. Start fresh this month with working towards your goals whether it’s decluttering your home, organizing papers, or building routines.

“It’s not how many times you fall down, it’s how many times you get back up.” ~Anon

I like the quote above because it tells me that if I didn’t get done what I wanted to last month then all I have to do is to give it another try. Of course the quote below by W.C. Fields makes me laugh about sometimes being bull headed and not quitting something when I should.

“If at first you don’t succeed, try try again. Then quit. No sense being a damn fool about it.” — W.C. Fields (1879-1946).

Life is like that – sometimes you got to just keep trying till you succeed and sometimes it’s time to quit and try a different direction.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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Small Actions Can Help You Get Organized

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It’s hard to believe this month is almost over. January was “National Get Organized Month”. Have you been organizing your desk, office, or home? If you’re like me it’s takes a lot longer than one month to get organized.

I’ve been working at it for years and it’s an ongoing process. It’s like floating down a river in a raft, sometimes it is calm and sometimes you hit the rapids. When the papers and other clutter enter your home faster than you can put them away then it’s time to take small but quick actions to help you get control.

If the paper piles on your desk or counter have been piling up with bills from the holidays, tax papers, children’s school papers, etc. then you need to take a few minutes and organize them. You’ll feel better and more in control. Check out my article on Divide and Conquer Paper Clutter.

If you still haven’t put away the holiday decorations now would be a good time to do it. Take one room at a time or set a timer each day. Before you know it they will all be put away.

If all the new toys your children got for the holidays are still laying around everywhere it may be time to free up some shelf space for them. Go through their old toys and get rid of the ones they no longer play with.

When you hit the rapids of disorganization then think of what small actions you can take immediately to help you navigate the rough waters. Those small actions will add up.

Janice

https://cutclutterwithscissors.com

http://twitter.com/jlscissors

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