How is your New Year going?

People have fascinating misperceptions about professional organizers.  In general they think that we lead perfect lives because we're organized. Ha! We're human beings who are subject to colds, the flu, flat tires and ... changes of heart.  I may not always love that green sweater I bought this past Christmas.  One day it will be in the giveaway pile.  I saw a wonderful quote from a designer in Architectural Digest about a year ago that I loved.  I'd like to share it with you:

"A house should change. It should never stay static.  If it does, it's symbolic of your life."  

That's very often the message our possessions are trying to tell us: let me go.  You've moved on and I'm not needed anymore. Heaven forbid we stay stuck! Very often I think a bit part of our sorrow comes from the fact that the item reminds us of a time long past.  Perhaps it's from a relationship that failed or a loved one who passed away.  Maybe it reminds us of our carefree school days when we lived at home or that great trip to France we took a few years ago.  Whatever the association we are sometimes afraid we'll forget the experience without the object.  Take a photo of the treasured object or better yet frame a photo of you wearing/using/living with the item and look at that from time to time.  We hold memories in our hearts and minds.  No matter how dear, 'stuff' is always going to be 'stuff.'

I want to leave you with another quote.  This one is from Julia Cameron and it's from The Artist's Way.  I loved it so much that I used it in my first book The Zen of Organizing. I think it speaks for itself.

Shifts in taste and perception frequently accompany shifts in identity.  One of the clearest signals that something healthy is afoot is the impulse to weed out, sort through and discard old clothes, papers, and belongings ... By tossing out the old and unworkable, we make way for the new and suitable... When the search-and-discard impulse seizes you, two crosscurrents are at work: the old you is leaving and grieving, while the new you celebrates and grows strong.

If you've gotten stalled on the path to fulfilling your New Year's goals and resolutions maybe it's time to clear out a bit more of the physical past.  Make room on every level for the new!  Let me know how you're doing.

The 'Stuff' of life and the chaos it creates

I've spent more than twenty years helping people eliminate the 'excess stuff' they've accumulated. But it isn't just 'stuff' that needs to go from the physical environment. From time to time it's also people, places or jobs.

We sometimes hold onto relationships for years after they have ended. We all know one sided friendships or marriages that are dead. We witness destructive relationships that seem to go on forever. What's the old saying? 'The devil you know is better than the one you don't.' This was no doubt stated by someone who was frozen with fear. After all, what if the devil got his walking papers and a bevy of angels was invited in to stay?

There's a law of physics that states that two objects can not occupy the same space at the same time. You won't have more nurturing friends, a better love relationship or a great workplace if you don't create the space. I'm not suggesting you wake up tomorrow and do a wholesale cleaning of your life. I am suggesting you take some time to examine every aspect of your life and see if something needs to be eliminated. You may discover what needs to be done is some serious nurturing of current relationships whether they be personal or professional.

I helped a client recently who had some plants. She adored them. She simply forgot to care for them on a regular basis. She found it heartwarming to see how quickly they could bounce back with a little water. I suggested she nurture them on a regular basis so that they didn't have to come back from the brink every few weeks. There's a metaphor for life in this story. Do you nurture your relationships on a regular basis? Do you nurture yourself by creating an environment that supports you on every level? Or are you the kind of person who senses distance in your friends and rushes in with last minute invitations to dinner? Does your home get so messy you have to tidy up every few weekends?  Do you wonder why the order you created never lasts? Only long term and consistent care will create the results you want whether it's people or places.

I had to walk away from a long term friendship recently. Something happened that hurt me deeply. When I examined the relationship I realized that for several years it had been falling apart. Had we been honest we would have seen the hand writing on the wall and parted years ago. My environment 'speaks' to me in much the same way. I look around and suddenly something I treasured and loved looks old or out of place. I realize I've outgrown the item. And then I have the fun of replacing it with something that reflects who I am in this moment. If the original object is still in great condition I can compound my fun by giving it to someone else. Now even the object has a fresh start.

I took a leap of faith when I created my organizing business. I took another when I decided to write my first book. Both have developed in ways I could never have imagined. These leaps of faith have given me experiences, friends and creative fulfillment beyond my wildest imagination. I never considered that my business would take off and I'd be organizing 21 years later. Nor could I possible have dreamed that I'd one day be writing my 8th book.

What can you eliminate that may open the door to greater possibilities?

The Fourth of July: more than a day for hot dogs and fire works

Are you holding on to something that drags you down?

Perhaps you delight in 'saving the day' and carry every object known to man in your purse or brief case? Whether it's a flashlight or a nail file, you take care of the requests of friends and strangers. It's breaking your back but the moment of rescue makes you feel too important to change.

Or maybe you refuse to toss anything out of your environment because 'someday' you might need it? This usually hides behind the pseudo mantra: 'I'm not a person who wastes things.' 'If you wait long enough everything comes back into style.' 'The minute I toss something, I need it!' Do these sound like the things you say as you move about your impacted space?

Sometimes what we hold on to are the pains of the past like the time your second grade teacher humiliated you in front of your class mates. Or maybe it's the last relationship that haunts you. He or she 'did you wrong' and you can't move forward because you cared so deeply.

Take a few minutes before this wonderful holiday and see if you are keeping yourself a prisoner. Are you hiding behind words that deflect responsibility? Whatever happened to you is in the past. It can't be re-done. It can serve as a wise teacher.

Declare your personal freedom this holiday.

Set new goals and intentions. Let them float into the night sky with the fireworks display in your neighborhood or on the TV. Embrace your ability to start over.

Blessings,
Regina

New Year: will it mean a New You?

January 2, 2009

I'm so sorry to have fallen off the 'posting wagon!' I have to confess that I actually took time to enjoy myself this December. I'm a type A personality by nature and it's sometimes difficult for me to slow down. Of course the fact I love my work adds to the issue: it's a joy to write, to work with my clients and to help promote my books. Very often everything else feels like a distraction.

On December 17 I had the good fortune to be a guest at Miraval Spa outside Tucson. I was invited to participate in their first ever Writer's Program. Miraval is a place of healing and perfection. I had a wonderful time and much to my surprise came home with new friends and new clients! Sometimes my cup truly runneth over...

When I returned to Los Angeles on the 21st, the holiday season was in full swing. I decided to continue to unwind. I'm about to begin work on my seventh book: One Year to an Organized Financial Life. I never experience writer's block and I think the reason is that for a good month before I ever sit down to write, I'm working the manuscript out in my head. I walk at least 3 miles a day, for example, and it's a great time to mull things over. By the time I'm facing the keyboard, I'm ready to rock!

My great PR project at this moment in time, however, is getting the word out about my just released book One Year to an Organized Work Life. I've taken the principles from my New York Times best seller One Year to an Organized Life and applied them to the office. The basics stay the same. What changes with all of our organizing challenges are the items in our hands. Whether it's a blouse, a bill, a pack of batteries or a project for work or school, the Magic Formula will carry you home to peace, order and calm.

What is The Magic Formula? It's a three step process: Eliminate (what you don't need, use or want), Categorize (keep related items together for automatic inventory control) and then Organize (when you are done, your categories should be beautiful, functional and easy to maintain). But today I'd like to write about the New Year....there's always time for The Magic Formula. In fact over the next few days, I'll show you how to use it to achieve your goals for 2009.

The reality of life is that every midnight ushers in a new beginning. January 1st has special power and momentum because the entire world is focused on the change to a new year. We can join forces with millions of others and feel the 'psychic surge.' But change isn't magical, it requires work and willingness to let go of the status quo...so more often than not, our desire to change becomes a good intention that is never acted upon.

Let's join forces and fill 2009 with a different experience.

For today, I'd like you to write down all the things you would like to change or do in this year. There are no limits. Vomit it all down on paper! I'll be back on Sunday to help you examine your list. For now, the sky's the limit...dream a little!

Blessings,
Regina