Are you plagued by clutter in your personal or professional life? Is there someone in your family or your work who is? Based on my experience, the answer is probably "Yes!"
As a professional organizing consultant for more than 20 years, I have discovered that eight out of ten people are bogged down in life with physical clutter somewhere in their lives. Ironically, most of them suffer in silence. In many cases, you would never know it just by seeing them, or even working with them, because they are frequently some of the smartest and most successful people in the world. In far more cases than most people believe, the clutter actually drives them to do or not to do the very things they want most or want not to do. In some cases, it causes emotional paralysis, even mental illness. The only thing stronger that their desire to get of the clutter is their desire to hang on to it, and a vicious cycle results.
My consulting business has been built on the concept "Clutter is Postponed Decisions?." In the beginning, I was referring to the physical clutter that plagues so many people in our increasingly materialist society. When I began to explore this issue, it became evident that the physical clutter was an outgrowth of another kind of clutter: emotional clutter ? internal beliefs that control our behavior and our results.
If I just get organized, I will be able to do it all. I, or someone else I know, might need it someday If I keep it long enough, I can justify the fact that I bought it. I can't get rid of it because someone else gave it to me.
You can keep everything you want if you are willing to pay the price: time, space, money, and energy.
It suddenly occurred to me that decision-making about our emotional environment is just as important as decision-making about our physical environment. Deciding what thoughts to keep determine whether we just "keep on keeping on" or learn from our experiences, move on to even better things, and help others to learn by our example.
I once interviewed an extremely talented and prolific painter in her home studio. It was filled with beautiful paintings. "Do you ever like something you create so much that you can't let go of it," I asked. "On, no," she immediately responded. "I have to. Otherwise nothing new would come."
? Barbara Hemphill is the author of Kiplinger's Taming the Paper Tiger at Work and Taming the Paper Tiger at Home and co-author of Love It or Lose It: Living Clutter-Free Forever. The mission of Hemphill Productivity Institute is to help individuals and organizations create and sustain a productive environment so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. We do this by organizing space, information, and time. We can be reached at 800-427-0237 or at www.productiveenvironment.com
affordable house cleaning Park Ridge ..What do you do with those special items that have... Read More
Balance- what a popular topic these days! Finding a work-life... Read More
In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to... Read More
1. A calendar is an essential organizing tool ? start... Read More
What does "time" have to do with getting organized? Everything!... Read More
Ever feel overwhelmed by all the papers, notices, artwork, and... Read More
Light, Work, and YouWinter is here-and with it, short days,... Read More
To make room for new things to come into you... Read More
Our children are probably the biggest clutter creators we have... Read More
Obviously, productivity involves producing. Producing widgets, events, reports, sales. The... Read More
One of the most basic ways to find papers when... Read More
A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care... Read More
The Law of the 1st StepA good first step in... Read More
Last year I attended a presentation from Parenting Expert and... Read More
We are in a society where people are applauded for... Read More
From time to time I hear this question from an... Read More
Decide When And Where To StartDecide when and where to... Read More
'A well-ordered life is like climbing a tower; the view... Read More
Spring is such a refreshing time- we are filled with... Read More
1) It's easy to have a good clear out: Not... Read More
Life with ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) can be a constant... Read More
In one of my favorite books, First Things First, written... Read More
Getting Things Done (GTD), is a productivity methodology designed by... Read More
Keeping on task and getting organized starts with a basic... Read More
The summer is flying by for Cindy and her family.... Read More
affordable house cleaning Mundelein ..Spring?. Fresh breezes through open windows, sleeping trees come awake... Read More
The true definition of an organization is one that is... Read More
Do you feel like you are running around in circles,... Read More
Take time to declutter this summer...Writing can certainly consume the... Read More
What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More
What do you gain if you SIMPLIFY?Dictionary* says:to reduce to... Read More
You start each week with great intentions. You are determined... Read More
In many of the companies I have worked in, there... Read More
Your closet is often the first thing you see in... Read More
Spring is such a refreshing time- we are filled with... Read More
Sometimes major life lessons come from the most unlikely of... Read More
Decluttering is a simple-to-learn process, once you break it down... Read More
I recently conducted a survey to look at the relationship... Read More
Nature loves clutter. Just think of all the stuff that... Read More
Each area of your home has a symbolic meaning with... Read More
Individuals who are organized in their personal lives most generally... Read More
Clutter is a big problem for many people. At a... Read More
Take a look around you right now. Look away from... Read More
In most homes, paper causes clutter. And it seems to... Read More
Finish each day and be done with it. You have... Read More
I recently had a conversation with a friend about clutter.... Read More
Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer,... Read More
Collections are the outward manifestation of a deeply-felt principle or... Read More
Clothes. Check. School supplies. Check. No doubt you've got to... Read More
Dennis is working as a factory worker during the day... Read More
Get Organized - Organization |