More Than Organized

Blog

A List for Every Occasion SAGE Column July 2010

When I work with clients there are two things I always find as we explore their piles. One is money and the other is abandoned lists – written on what ever scrap of paper was handy at the time.
A list is not a plan, just a piece of a plan. Having a plan will help…

Coming out of the Closet, Bag & Box…#11

After 10 sessions we are taking a break so my special client can see how she does on her own. I am still available when she has questions or gets stuck. Sometimes people just need a chance to try it out for awhile. This is her first week solo.
Simply Simply Simply
When I walk into my…

Coming Out of the Closet, Bag & Box…#10

Another great revelation from my fantastic client. She has been very brave to share her side of the story and I am truly grateful that she does so.
The dirty secret: process.
There is a certain artistry and spirituality to this process. I entered into it so casually and, now, can’t help but feel like it provides…

Coming Out of the Closet Bag & Box…#9

Another great big thank you to my client who has so generously agreed to share her journey to organization with the world. I hope this group of blogs enlightens and inspires you to take a different look at the clutter in your life, and know that there is a clear space on the other side…

Coming Out of the Closet Bag & Box…#8

One Sock at a Time
The small efforts that comprise the day-by-day of our lives shouldn’t be
over simplified. But reductionism is, in a sense, the name of this game,
right? The whole reduce, recycle, reuse issue brought to home. So can I then
assume that the casual act of picking up a stray pink sock and tossing it
into…

Categorizing SAGE Column June 2010

Over Categorizing: How Many are Enough?
Believe it or not, people sometimes organize themselves into confusion and overwhelm instead of out of it. The trouble is over-categorizing.
When you over-categorize, you wind up treating everything as very special. So nothing gets rotated out. When you keep like items together, it is much easier to determine when something…

Magic Red Geranium

My friend Carol Olmstead had this fable in her book Feng Shui Quick Guide for Home and Office. Yes she wrote the book, and I recommend it. Anyway, this story seems quite appropriate and motivational in relation to the sharing going on on this blog. So without further ado…
Have you heard the fable of the…

Coming Out of the Closet, Bag & Box… #7

My client now realizes that there is more to streamlining than just decluttering…
Here’s what I don’t understand. Why, when I allocate time to work on the house but decide to start by putting the dishes in the dishwasher and clearing off the kitchen table/resting place of every paper that comes in from the mailbox, the…

Indecision SAGE Column May 2010

Indecision – Is It In Your Way?
How many times do you put something down or aside to decide about later? Do you ever decide? Now wait a minute, you actually make 5 decisions every time you do that.

You decide you can’t decide now.
You decide it’s important enough to keep.
You decide…

Coming Out of the Closet, Bag & Box…#6

WWMD Part Deux: Rubik’s-cube-of-life
Dory: Hey there, Mr. Grumpy Gills. When life gets you down do you wanna know what you’ve gotta do?
Marlin: No I don’t wanna know.
Dory: [singing] Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming. Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming. What do we do? We swim, swim.
Marlin: Dory, no singing.
Dory: [continuing] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ho….