Peace of Mind Organizing

Can decluttering lead to happiness?

8 April 2009

Gretchen Rubin who writes the blog (and upcoming book) The Happiness Project also blogs for Real Simple.

A couple of weeks ago, in a Real Simple blog post, she discusses how she gets a lift from decluttering. If she’s feeling down, cleaning out a cabinet makes her feel better. She’s found a link between happiness and the act of getting rid of creating order.

It’s an interesting idea and I get it. I find that I usually get a lift from the result of decluttering, and often enjoy the process, though I often kind of dread the prospect of starting it. (Participants in our teleclass, Declutter Happy Hour get some help with that as Shannon Wilkinson takes participants through some meditation-like exercises that jazz them up to start decluttering.) I can tell you this much: It’s way more fun for me to help other people declutter their stuff than it is to tackle my own.

In the end of her blog post, Gretchen writes, “And if I want to lift my mood, I clear a little clutter. If I can’t face a closet, I tackle a drawer. If I can’t face a drawer, I clean out the fridge. How about you? Do you find it cheering to clear clutter – or just annoying?”

The comments she received in response are worth reading. If you ever doubt the value of taking some time to declutter, the commenters might change your mind.

Free talk: New ways to get more done

7 April 2009

If you struggle with getting things done and you live in the St. Louis area, you might want to take advantage of the free talk I’ll be giving on April 22 in Webster Groves.

It’s called Time management: New ways to get more done

As I’ve detailed in this blog, I’m enamored of Autofocus, the new task-management system created by Mark Forster. Mark has given me permission to present his principles at this public talk. Participants will learn some tips and techniques to help them become more productive—and maybe even create some time to relax. For me, it’s all about making (and taking) time to relax.

In addition to Autofocus, I’ll be talking about some of the the principles Mark covers in his great book Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management.

At the talk, I’ll cover:

• Autofocus: an exciting new system for keeping track of what you have to do (and actually doing it!)
• Conquering procrastination
• Selecting a calendar
• Automating your life: creating new habits and routines
• The importance of taking breaks

There will be at least one giveaway of an item that will help you implement Autofocus.

The event will be held on Tuesday, April 22, from 7 to 8 p.m. at Pudd’nHead Books in Webster Groves, Missouri.

Registration is required. Go to the events page on my website to sign up

Getting fit the Wii way

6 April 2009

I just purchased a Wii video-game console so that I could use the Wii Fit program and balance board. This is huge for me, for a couple of reasons. First, I’m pretty sure I haven’t played a video game since Pong. (I’m not kidding.) Second, I don’t work out. I’m lucky enough to have a great metabolism, so I don’t need to work out to stay slender. I’m not a total couch potato: I walk my dogs daily and I’ve walked three half-marathons. For the last seven years, I’ve done about three minutes’ worth of exercises every morning with seven-pound dumbbells, followed by 100 crunches most days. Not bad, but not much of a workout.

But I’m in the latter half of my 40s and it seemed it was time to change up the fitness routine. I’d heard a lot about the Wii Fit, so I decided to try it. I think I’m hooked.

The Wii Fit combines what you see on the TV with a “balance board”, a plastic board a little larger than a bathroom scale that you stand on when you work out. It gives feedback to the game console, so it knows if you’re doing the exercises properly.

I worked out for about 35 minutes both Saturday and Sunday. I’m here to tell you, I’m sore today. I don’t think I’ve been sore since the last time I walked a half-marathon. My abs, in particular, are sore. And I don’t remember doing any abdominal exercises.

So far, the Wii Fit workouts are kinda fun. I start with the yoga exercises. I’ve dabbled in yoga before and it’s not my favorite thing to do. But with the Wii Fit, I get instant feedback on how well I’m maintaining my center of balance, which gives me something to work toward. I love the feedback.

After yoga, I did some strength exercises, which killed me. I found push-ups really hard. But I’m going to keep at it until they’re less hard. After strength training, things started getting fun. First, the aerobic exercises. We’re not talking jumping jacks here, or Jane Fonda-style aerobics (which I did back in the day). We’re talking invisible hula hoops. The screen mirrors how you’re doing keeping the hula hoop up on your hips (based on the info you’re giving it through the balance board). There are other aerobic exercises, but I don’t remember them off hand.

Then, my favorite part: the balance exercises. The people who invented this program are geniuses. I can practice balance exercises by pretending I’m hitting soccer balls with my head, skiing a slalom course, using my body to manipulate a board and roll balls into a hole, do a ski jump, etc. etc. The more I do, the more games open up to me.

I realize I’ve only done this two days. But I’m anxious for day three. That says something good, doesn’t it? My 25th college reunion is coming up at the end of May. I’d like to look my best for it. Something tells me that the reunion will provide just the motivation I need for regular workouts.

The Wii Fit comes with a Don’t-Break-the-Chain-style calendar that you stamp each time you do a workout. Brilliant. It also monitors your weight and BMI, as well as how well you do on each exercise. I’m only competing with myself (my husband’s not on board…yet) but I find myself wanting to best my prior score.

There’s no way I’d go to a gym to work out. Not going to happen. With the Wii Fit, I don’t have to.

Scrambling

2 April 2009

It’s so interesting to me how in control I feel when I have (and take) the time to keep my systems going, and to maintain order. And it’s also interesting how quickly those systems can break down.

In the last week or so, things have deteriorated around here fairly substantially. I was busy getting ready for Declutter Happy Hour (the first class went well!) and then I’ve had more than 20 hours of client work this week, which is over my maximum comfort level if I’m going to get anything else done.

The result? Things are piling up. I have a mountain of laundry to do. My once nearly empty email inbox has 71 messages, ten of them unread. Surfaces are starting to attract clutter. I haven’t looked at my Autofocus list all week. Eek!

Here’s the worst part: I ordered a Wii so that I can do Wii Fit. It arrived yesterday and I won’t have time to even hook it up until Saturday afternoon!

I’m going to have to focus some effort this weekend on gaining some control of my stuff, clothing, email and, yes, my mind. Ordinarily, I like to do a lot of sitting around on the weekends, knitting and catching up on TV and movies. I’m going to have to try the method I blogged about a couple of months ago, where I reward myself with some solid sit-on-my-butt time.

And that Wii Fit? At the very least, I’ll get the Wii console it hooked up. And I hope to be rejuvenated enough to actually try out the workout!

New poncho!

1 April 2009

Occasionally, I like sharing my knitting projects here. It’s just so fun to complete something I like that I have to post a photo.

Today’s pride and joy is the Rap on Stripes cotton poncho from the book Wrap Style by Pam Allen. I completed it in March. My friend, Geralin Thomas helped me select the colors, which I really like.

It was knit in the round, from the bottom up, with decreases at the beginning and end of most rounds, creating a chevron effect.

Here are a couple of photos:

In other knitting news, I just have to share the notions bag my friend Bobbi made. Knitters always have to carry around little doodads, called notions, to help us, like stitch holders, stitch markers, scissors, crochet hooks, tapestry needles, stuff like that. (I always keep a fingernail file in mine as well.) I have a small collection of small bags to hold these things. But my new notions bag is by far my favorite.

The fabric is what Bobbi calls creepy toile circus fabric. I love it. Here’s a photo:

She lined it with polka dots. What’s not to love about that?

Love that lining!

Bobbi is very talented. She’s not only really good and precise at sewing, she has wonderful taste in fabric. And here’s the good news for you: She has an etsy shop!.

I started a lace silk scarf that’s driving me batty, so I put it down and started on a felted bag (so easy). I’m finishing that this week and will post some photos. And maybe I’ll be able to get back to that challenging scarf after that nice break.

Declutter Happy Hour starts tomorrow!

30 March 2009

Our first “Declutter Happy Hour” session begins tomorrow, March 31, at 2 p.m. central. If you haven’t signed up yet but are intrigued, head on over to the Declutter Happy Hour website and check it out.

This four-week teleclass is a unique collaboration between a professional organizer (me) and a life coach (the fabulous Shannon Wilkinson). If you sign up for the class, we’ll help you get rid of clutter by offering my practical advice on decluttering, coupled with techniques from Shannon to help clear your emotional barriers to getting rid of your excess stuff. And we give you time, during the class, to actually go about decluttering.

For only $129, here’s what you get:

• More than six hours of class
• Time set aside in your life to actually do the decluttering you’ve been talking about
• An end to the barriers to getting started
• Access to our expertise at a fraction of our hourly rates
• Recordings of the classes so you can listen again and again (also useful if you can’t be on the call live)
• Support, enthusiasm and lasting tools you can use as you clear the clutter so you can live the life you want

Sounds like a bargain, doesn’t it?

Just head on over to Declutter Happy Hour and join in on the fun!

Cash for your unwanted gadgets

27 March 2009

What’s that old saying? One person’s trash is another person’s treasure? That’s how those of us who are decluttering our lives can actually make some money. Your old digital camera may not be valuable to you after you upgrade to a snazzier one, but someone else may find it perfect.

I experienced this first hand when I sold my retired Palm T|X handheld device on the fabulous website Gazelle, which offers cash for your old gadgets. I had replaced my Palm with an iPod Touch and the Palm was just sitting in a drawer.

Gazelle buys used electronics. In a very clear user interface, I told it about my Palm, answered a few questions, and received an offer of $81 for it. $81! They sent me a postage-paid box and I sent them the Palm, its manual, software and cables. I received an email saying they’d received it and they were checking out its condition. A day or two later, I received an email saying it checked out and their offer of $81 held. In the sales process, I had elected to receive my money in the form of an Amazon gift card. A day or two after the transaction was completed, Gazelle emailed me my gift card. I’ve redeemed it. I’m happy!

Here’s how it works: Just identify a gadget (MP3 player, laptop, external hard drive, camcorder, gaming console, digital camera, cell phone, etc). Find it on Gazelle, answer some questions, and immediately you’ll get an offer. If your item isn’t worth anything to Gazelle, they’ll offer to take it from you to recycle. (I’m assuming you have to pay the postage in that case.) If you accept their offer, they mail you a box for mailing the gadget to them.

What does Gazelle do with the stuff it buys from people? According to their website, they sell it on eBay and other online marketplaces.

My experience with them was seamless and I’m delighted to share what seems like a great resource.