Did anyone ever tell you that organizing is a SKILL that only 10-12% of the human population on the planet earth is born with (see note below)? Most people assume that everyone should just know how. Parents expect their kids to know how to clean up their rooms. Bosses expect their employees to know how to organizing their office. Yet, 90% of the human population on the planet earth really struggle.
So believe me when I say… – If clutter clearing was easy, the piles wouldn’t be there. – And if organizing was easy, the chaos wouldn’t be here.
If you are part of the 10% then:
Walking into a room filled with clutter and chaos gets you excited
Your hands get itchy and you want to start touching and moving the stuff
You go into a trance or creative zone when you are doing the work
You are often helping other people with their disorganization and maybe you have even started an organizing business.
If you are NOT born with the innate skill then:
You struggle with where to start, what to do and how to keep it up
Even thinking about clutter clearing or organizing is draining
Your attempts to get organized have left you feeling helpless and hopeless
You have probably ready many books and tried many approaches only to give up
My story of how it all began… It was April of 1999 when I met my first organizing client. I was there to work on her home office. I was excited and also terrified. We had only spoken on the phone so I didn’t know what to expect and I felt clueless about how I would help her. I had many tools and lots of experience to draw from but I didn’t have a system to take us through the process.
Throughout my first year I witnessed over and over again that my clients were wired differently from me. They got confused and didn’t understand the steps. This is when the Clear & Simple Systems were born. I realized I needed a way to teach them the SKILL. And I wanted it to be fun and easy.
Coming up, I will be sharing SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. and STACKS. These systems teach the SKILL. These simple steps are what make organizing easier. If you want more information now, go to www.clearsimple.com/systems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WsdRs6WoT0
NOTE: In the last 20 years, I have consulted with hundreds of clients and audiences. According to my research only 10-12% of the human population is born with the organizing gene, with the innate skill. The other 90% really struggle.
Your Guide, Marla Dee – teaching the Clear & Simple Way to live free of clutter and get organized at last
The Holidays are a favorite time of year! We love them and can also get stressed by them.
I am sharing my top organizing tips for the holiday season. These tips may seem simple but they help. Have fun watching my segment on Fresh Living! Also, get our Top Ten Tips for Home & Holidays eBook FREE – see below.
Here are my top tips for decreasing stress and adding JOY.
1. Choose one theme for your decorations and gift-wrap to make it easier. You can really simplify by having one color gift wrap for all your holidays.
2. Make Memories! Have fun making gifts along with favorite family traditions. Sit down together as a family and choose what would be the most meaningful time.
3. Keep all your lists handy either in a small notebook or an app on your phone. I love the free app Wunderlist for all my lists.
4. Get a fabulous container for the kitchen counter to handle the incoming paper and stuff. Get one with a top so you can cover it up when company is coming over.
My team can come help you create a beautiful & organized home for the holidays as a GIFT to yourself. You deserve a joyful and stress-free holiday season!
I love my life and want you to love yours, Marla Dee
During the Holidays we want our homes to be organized and also beautiful. This is our favorite tip for bringing both of those together!
The secret to success is CONTAINERS! Containers provide a home for all the loose stuff so it is easier to find, use and return.
1 – Containers inside: Use containers within drawers, closets, and cupboards and on shelves to add clarity and beauty. When it comes to the kitchen and pantry, containers make a huge difference. Our favorite resource is The Container Store.
2 – Consistent: Then be consistent (all white, wicker, etc) to add that clean feeling and functionality. You can also add one color for fun!
3 – Label: Lastly, label all containers for instant ease in returning to their home and zone. There are many ways to label now so you can get really creative. Check out this erasable duct tape. See The Container Store’s other fabulous labels.
Have FUN getting Holiday Container for your wrapping paper, gifts, and decorations.
Our FREE GIFT for this holiday season is our Ebook – Top Ten Tips for Home & Holidays. You can get it on our Shop Page.
We know, we know… “FUN – REALLY?” Yes, fun! With a simple plan, a support group of people honoring each other, fabulous resources and inspiration along the way; it can be fun to clear out the stuff! You’ll get all of this with our 30 Day Clutter Clear Out Event.
Simple Plan: The invitation is to simply commit to releasing one thing each day for 30 days. It can be anything – a broken toy, old dress, extra gadget, or old pile of paper. We will give you a simple guide to follow or you can choose each day.
Strong Support Group: Join our Facebook Group to connect with the crew and see other’s postings about their journey.
Inspiration: Weekly blogs, weekly Q&A and daily postings on Facebook will keep you moving and excited. Marla will also be sharing her journey throughout the month on Facebook Live giving you her best guidance.
Watch Marla talk through the ABC’s on KUTV Fresh Living!
The first step is to SORT into general categories such as family, friends, major events, or time lines such as increments of 1, 2 or 10 years. This is your general sort and it goes easier if you stick to the categories.
• A stands for ALBUM. This is for the photos that you know you want printed for albums or photo books. These are the treasures that you want to look at often and share with your loved ones.
• B stands for BOX or BACKUP. These are the pictures you want to keep but don’t need to see regularly. Printed photos can be stored in a photo box. Digital ones can be stored on your computer and in the cloud.
• C stands for CAN (Trash Can). These are all the duplicates, the bad shots, and the meaningless shots! You will be amazed how many of these surface when you are going through the piles.
• S stands for STORIES. We remember most of our life by events and stories so keeping your photos this way works wonderfully.
Remember – you can get help from a professional organizer. Go to www.APPO.org to find a trained one in your area. For those of you in Utah, we have two excellent organizers.
1 – Natalie Avery, of 2sparehands, is a member of APPO and can help with all levels of the process.
2 – Donna & Scott Harper, of SharperTransfer, can help you with your photos and your old movies.
Or – Come to our August 19th LIVE workshop to meet the experts and see all our tips in action. you even get to bring 25 treasure photos and have them scanned onsite. clearsimple.com/photoworkshop
We have experienced such fun and freedom having our photos organized and ready for viewing and hope you will too! Marla, Kate & Team
SPRING is here! Time to weed out your cluttered closet and create a happy one!
Spring is the best season for clearing out the clothes closet. And yet the project can also feel overwhelming. Enjoy our juicy tips for transforming your closet so you get excited every morning.
Pull EVERYTHING out to clear out. It just doesn’t work to go through this while leaving the stuff in it’s old place.
Tip for the brave – Try EVERYTHING on your body and ask, “Is this really me, and is this me now?” Be prepared to laugh and cry. Do this with a friend. You might find it impossible to put the item back that no longer works.
SORT first so you can see what you have. This makes all the other steps easier.
TOSS comes next and you will want to be honest with yourself. Do you love it, wear it often, and/or need it?
ASSIGN strong zones for all the different types of stuff including shoes, purses, hats, etc.
CONTAIN – Get consistent hangers in all the same color and type. This makes it easy for your brain and body to focus on the clothes rather than be distracted by the hangers. You will also want to contain all the little stuff on the shelves rather than having it loose.
KEEP IT UP by putting dirty clothes in the laundry basket and putting shoes where they belong at the end of the day.
SIMPLIFY your clothes closet by aligning with your body and wardrobe type. We love the powerful system called Dressing Your Truth.
