Banish 'Sneaky Clutter!'

I have a new personal project. 

As you might imagine I love to surf the web doing research. What do people need to know? Who are the other top organizers? Are there any new books I should know about? I am also a passionate animal advocate and I love to travel. There's lots to learn! 

As I surf I very often sign up for newsletters. But lately I feel that it can be overwhelming. I realized this week that some of these e-mails have got to go. But websites don't want to lose you so hitting the unsubscribe button often takes you to a series of steps that must be performed before they release you.  Some companies ply you with guilt when you hit the unsubscribe button. 'Are you sure you want to unsubscribe?' 'How about less frequent e-mails?' On and on it goes until I feel as if I'm breaking up with some guy who doesn't 'get' that it's over.

And that's my project for this long holiday weekend: I'm sifting through my in box very carefully and releasing the majority of the information that comes to me. I started last evening and guess what came up for me? A feeling of loss! I've changed my viewpoint and now I feel excited and very relieved. What did I change? I moved from a feeling of loss to one of anticipation. I'm making room in my in box for newsletters I haven't yet discovered. I am excited.

Your in box is a place for sneaky clutter. Would you like to join me this Memorial Day weekend? If you devote 8 minutes a day by Monday morning your in box will be a lean machine ready to focus on whatever is next and best for you. 

One of my all time favorite radio interviews.

http://cindydole.com/on-air/2011/2/15/organizing-your-home-and-your-life.html

Cindy Dole is the host of a wonderful weekly radio show in Los Angeles.  It's on KFWB, a CBS affiliate every Saturday at 2 pm. Cindy generously gave me the opening hour this past week.  I hope you enjoy and ... do become a fan of Cindy's!

Regina

Games People Play

You can call in the professional organizer, spend a fortune at The Container Store, announce your plans to friend and foe alike, take time off work and ... still never get organized.  Why?  Because deep in your heart you don't want to surrender the control you assume have over your life, your space and others through the 'tool of chaos.'

It took years for me to recognize these clients when I entered their homes.  Now I see the signs almost immediately.  I don't want to waste your money and my time on a fool's errand. I've learned to speak up and ask if the person really wants the changes that an organized, peace filled, nurturing environment will bring.  And are they willing to do the work? If we decide a mistake has been made, I willingly leave.  I learned my lesson the hard way.  Over the past 20+ years there have been 3 people who weren't ready for order but I stayed determined to help them.  The problem is you can't help someone who doesn't want what you're offering! (And that goes for all relationships, doesn't it?) If you're a professional organizer just getting started, learn to read the signs.  Your client is unconsciously setting you up for failure! If you call them on their behavior, they have a choice: stop or change.

As you read these words what comes up for you?  Are you organized?  Do you start projects and never finish them?  Do you begin a project and allow yourself to get side tracked with more 'fun' activities like Facebook, e-mail, or the phone? What is your avoidance tool? I truly believe you have to understand the past and what created this behavior before you can create something new, wonderful, organized and  ... lasting! One Year to an Organized Life is filled with journal prompts that help you get at the root cause of your delaying tactics.

There is power, control and I might even say a kind of grace when you live with an environment that serves, supports and nurtures you.  I grew up in one.  I've always lived in one.  I've created them for other people for over 20 years.  And with my books I can guide you to the experience.  All you have to do is abandon the game.

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?

Food for (money) thought...

"Your relationship with money is like any relationship: it needs to be tended like a garden."

Regina Leeds

What is your relationship like with money on this day?

What about the relationship you have with your home? Is it a nurturing sanctuary?

And what about the relationship you have with your work space? Does your set-up enhance your ability to do your best work or are you sabotaging yourself at every turn?

Spend a few minutes in honest communication with these aspects of your life this weekend. Let me know what improvements you put into place.

Regina

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