Clutter Busting Coach

…clearing clutter from your mind, body and space

Clutter Busting

Perspective on Decluttering

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Decluttering can be tough. Keeping in mind the reason for decluttering can be helpful and, yet, one may still struggle with letting go of things.

Reasons for not letting go include:

  • “Just in case”
  • Status symbol
  • Security
  • Inherited “clutteritis”
  • A belief that more is better
  • Using clutter to suppress emotions
  • Territorialism
  • Identity

Do any of these sound like the reasons you have clutter? You may even have other reasons for keeping clutter around you. What if we changed our perspective and decided to keep ONLY what currently serves the life you want for yourself?

Take Inventory

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Are you feeling stuck? Is there are a lot on your list, but you are not getting to some the items? Are you feeling unproductive or overwhelmed? Is it time to take inventory of all your ‘to dos’?

Take a quick inventory now. On a piece of paper (or do this electronically) create three columns: like, dislike and neutral. Then thinking about a typical week or even your last week, list all the activities or tasks under one of the three categories. Now for items listed under dislike ask yourself: “Is this a must do item?” If the answer is yes, then determine how you can make a change so it more satisfying or agreeable.

Here are some ideas:

  • Change your thinking about the task so you can view it as something positive.
  • Express gratitude for the task and the work.
  • Determine if this is a task that could be delegated to someone else that is better at it or likes it better than you do and then do that.
  • Break the task into smaller parts and do one thing.
  • Do the worst first.

An inventory of your tasks (especially if you are stuck or overwhelmed) can help improve mood and productivity.

Email Jail

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April seems to be the month that I not only look to purge paper files but also electronic files as well.

One of the biggest electronic clutter culprits is our email and specifically our inbox. But that doesn’t have to continue. You can declutter your email inbox and manage your emails by using some easy tips and techniques.

I am tackling my email jail. Won’t you join me?

 

To Keep or Not to Keep…that is the question

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Paper is a clutter monster.

It is one of the hardest items to deal with when decluttering. Think about it…one paper pile could need up to 100+ decision to be made. And if you do make progress it could be hard to tell. While other items that are bigger can lead to obvious space clearing with fewer decisions.

So, with the annual tax deadline behind us for 2019, I thought I would encourage you to finish your process by filing away tax records and suggesting that you spend some project time on clearing out your archived papers.

To help you with that project you need to decide what records need to be kept and for how long. In order to get rid of paper clutter you do need to purge your papers. Focus on keeping records and not references. Note that you should always consult your accountant and/or attorney especially if you own a business and I am not endorsing any of the resources provided (well maybe the IRS guidelines).

Join me in tackling that paper monster?