The ART of Letting Go
Letting go is never easy, but it can be easier.  Read our 3 simple steps belowâŠ
As professional organizers we regularly witness the immense pain, struggle and hopelessness that comes from having too much stuff and not knowing what to do with it. As human beings weâve also experienced these emotions ourselves. As a society weâve learned to value things âbecause they belonged to grandmaâ, âtheyâll be worth something one dayâ, âbecause we might need them in the futureâ, and so on.
Our beliefs are now shifting because we are overwhelmed with too much stuff. We no longer believe that anything is worth keeping if it causes us stress, depletes our energy or keeps us from living a good life. We deserve to wake up each day free of stress, smile with a grateful heart for the day ahead, a day filled with what matters most.
To get to this point takes practice and shedding layers upon layers; choosing into gratitude; releasing possessions, commitments and energy that no longer serve us; deciding that we really are the masters of our lives and our destinies.
If you are ready to begin this process, we invite you to read The ART of Letting Go by our own Marla Dee.
âThis treasure of an ebook will give you inspiration and steps to clear the clutter that is dragging you down and keeping you stuck.â â Marla Dee
Excerpt:
Letâs explore the ART of Letting Go
Because the nature of clutter is heavy and dense, I wanted to simplify the process into three meaningful steps. I want you to hear that there are three stages we go through over and over again. Acknowledging that these three steps are the natural way will make the letting go easier. We will use the word ART to guide you through:
~ Acceptance ~ Release ~ Trust
ACCEPTANCE
All of our clutter tells a story and everyone has their own form of it in some area of their life. Accepting this fact is the beginning. Accepting that your environment is simply a reflection of your life up until now, a reflection of what has happened to you and what is going on inside you is vital. There does not need to be shame or blame in looking at this picture. That would only keep you in the role of a victim. In order to step into the power of change and growth you must be willing to open your eyes and look at it.
There is no purpose or healthy payoff in focusing on the clutter itself, on staying locked up in guilt â not for you or for others. However, there is great power in becoming accountable for the fact that you are the creator of your life and of your environment. Your old things, your old patterns, your old relationships reflect who you have been and what you have built or what you have avoided â it is YOUR PAST!
Download your FREE copy now to continue reading.
âI honor your willingness to reach out and seek help so you can let go of the clutter at last. As a Professional Organizer for many years, I have witnessed tremendous courage from my clients in their willingness to get real with the story their clutter tells; to let go of the past and welcome a new change. Letting go is never easy, but it can be made easier.â â Marla Dee
Your life is waiting for you,
Marla, Kate and Team
Our Top Ten Tips for Summer
Make this your best summer ever using the Clear & Simple Way!
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SEE IT â get in touch with what is most important to you
MAP IT â make it happen by writing it down on your calendar
DO IT â then enjoy each event to its fullest!
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- Put FUN First â Choose the most important FUN Activity and fill up on the juicy energy it offers.
- Before you leave on vacation â make two copies of each document in your wallet. Keep one in a safe place at home and take one with you to put in the hotel safe. Then you are prepared if anything should happen.
- Connect with the Earth â Choose one morning or evening each week to be your time to connect with the earth â a long walk, sitting outside under a tree, a bike ride, or soaking up the sun. Let this be a time that fills you!
- Garden â If you want to garden but just never have the time, plant a container with a favorite flower or vegetable. You will still enjoy gardening but on a more manageable scale.
- Family Passes â Buy a family pass to your favorite summer place, then as a family review the schedule of events and mark your calendar with those you donât want to miss!
- Three Most Important Things â Every morning, when you are planning your day, write down the three things that truly matter most that day. The sense of accomplishment that you will feel when you complete these three things will free you to do other things.
- Organize Last Years School Papers â Make a date with your child to spend an afternoon to go through all of the papers you saved from the last school year.Lay them all out on the dining room table or the floor. Enjoy reliving the last year. Then choose the keepers and treasures. Next simply three hole punch them and put in a fun binder so your child can look at it whenever he/she wants too.
- Birthdays, Graduations, Weddings â Take one hour and make a master list of all the birthdays, graduations, and weddings, which are coming up this summer. Keep a copy with you so you can jot down gift ideas and have it handy when you are shopping
- Weekend Project â Take one weekend, pick one project, (i.e. a closet, pantry or storage) and using the Clear & Simple Systems (see download below) organize the space. Then mentally let go of the rest and enjoy your summer.
- Keep it simple, take a deep breath.
We would love to hear from you â what are your favorite Summer Tips?
Marla Dee & Team
Download a pdf copy of our TOP TEN TIPS for Summer.
Get more guidance with SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © and S.T.A.C.K.S. © by downloading our Systems Card.
SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © and S.T.A.C.K.S. © are property of Clear & Simple, LLC. All Rights Reserved
Our Love Affair with Wunderlist!
Love lists? Dread lists? Try this cool tool!!
We are on fire about Wunderlist and we just have to share it!! We have known about it for some time, dabbled with it a bitand then got totally hooked. Because it is available across most devices, we always have our lists with us. We are able to MAP easily. We can share lists with other people through the app or by emailing them. We can also print and carry them around when needed.
A feature that we have just begun to use, but are very excited about is Emailing to Wunderlist. You simply forward the email to Wunderlist and it becomes a To Do. The subject is the Task Name and the body of the email gets put into the Notes. Even attachments are included on the To Do. Seriously? Thank you Wunderlist for giving us a way to clean out our inboxes!!
We are now running our whole business and our personal lives using this cool tool. We loves that it reminds us what to do and when to do it, Â having one place to dump everything that we need to remember, and knowing can access it everywhere we go.
You can have lists forâŠ
- Places to visit
- Personal To Doâs
- Work To Doâs
- Personal Projects
- Work Projects
- Books to read
- Groceries â with sub categories for each store she shops at.
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Check out Wunderlist on iTunes and Google Play. Go to the Wunderlist Website to download for other devices.
Wunderlist helps millions of people around the world capture their ideas, things to do and places to see. Whether youâre sharing a grocery list with a loved one, working on a project, or planning a vacation, Wunderlist makes it easy to share your lists and collaborate with everyone in your life. Wunderlist instantly syncs between your phone, tablet and computer, so you can access your lists from anywhere. Take a look at the possibilities in the picture below! All of this possible in the FREE version, but they do offer a PAID version with even more options.
We hope you embrace this fun and simple way to manage your lists! Let us know what you think.
Marla
Creators of the Clear & SIMPLE Way to get & stay organized!
First comes SORT. Next comes TOSS.
The key is ONE question at a time and one decision at a time!
The TOSS (the letting go) is the most loaded step of clutter clearing and organizing. If we could do it easily then the piles of stuff wouldnât be filling up our space. It is often the emotional attachment with the stuff, the story it tells, and the overwhelm of just too much everywhere that keeps us procrastinating going through it.
Here are some of the struggles we hear all the time. I can go through other peopleâs stuff but not my own. Why is it so hard? I get stuck as soon as I start going through it, especially if Iâm touching it. It is overwhelming â I donât know where to start. My basement is full of my motherâs things. HELP!!
This is why we love the system of S.T.A.C.K.S. © for getting through the stuff.  Remember, in the blog Sort First. Toss Later. you were asked to sort first so you can see what you have. The steps of S.T.A.C.K.S. © build upon each other. In the SORT step you are only asking what is it? When you are done you have a clear picture of how much you have â how many months worth of electric bills, how many of the same black shirt, how many pens & pencils, or the same garden tool. Now the TOSS step is easier.
S.T.A.C.K.S.© â Sort, Toss, Assign, Contain, Keep it up, Simplify
TOSS â here is more guidance:
Question:Â Do I need it or want it? It is amazing how often we keep things we donât even want or need.- Power Question:Â Does this item support my vision for this space and this time in my life? Honor the chapter you are in!
- Action:Â Put it in the keep or discard pile. If using bankers boxes then leave the item in the box and have bags/boxes ready for the give-away, shred, garbage, elsewhere toss categories so it goes quickly.
- Tip: Remember you used bankers boxes in the sort so just take ONE box at a time when going through the toss. This will save you from distractions and confusion.
- Reward: You will get through the toss quicker and with less energy. What you have left is what needs to be organized.
By asking just one question and making only one decision at a time, you WILL be able to get through all of the stuff. And you are still not asking where it will go or what it will go in. Those steps are ahead.
We want to be clear that we know with every fiber of our beings just how loaded the Toss step can be. It is SO loaded that Marla wrote a simple, yet powerhouse little guide called The ART of Letting Go. Please download this free gift and share it with anyone you feel may benefit.
Stay tuned in upcoming weeks as we continue through the S.T.A.C.K.S. © process.
Download our Systems Card as a companion guide to SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © and S.T.A.C.K.S. ©.
With you each step of the way,
Marla, Kate & Team
Organize Your Year
A new year is a new journey. Create the map for where you want to go! I dare you to take one day out of the year and create your personal map for the next year. Taking this precious time sets the path for what you most want and value to happen in the year ahead. You...iRAFT Your Paper
Are you drowning in a sea of paper pain? Did you know you can handle all of your incoming paper in less than an hour a week?! We know paper comes at you from all directions and you think itâs impossible to ever manage it all. Behold⊠iRAFT©! We have created a system...Simplify Choices
Taking responsiblity for my choices takes courage. The impetus of all human behavior is the yearning for freedom. Freedom is to be at-choice in every condition or circumstance. Most of humanity is rearely at-choice: we simply repeat the old reaction patterns. This is...Revitalize and Organize for Spring
Harness the last of the spring energy before summer hits!
You know how contagious spring energy can be. It hits your body and you feel compelled to start clearing your space, go buy cool containers and somehow bring your space to life. You want to mirror what is happening outside and bring it inside. We believe that each season has itâs own energy and tapping into that makes organizing easier.
To help you really enjoy this Spring, we are sharing our top ten organizing tips throughout the month. Read our Pretty & Practical Tips, our Simple Spring Organizing Rituals, and get a printable version of all of our TOP TEN TIPS for Spring.
This week is about the Personal Touch:
2. You get to choose what stays and what goes!
This is your space, this is your life, this is your choice, and your responsibility. There is a gift if you claim your personal power and make your space what you really want. Start with one room and ask â how do you want it to look, feel and function? Take out everything that doesnât align with YOU! Then have fun making changes like adding color, or a new plant, a sweet bookshelf, or soft rug. Create a room that you love being in!
The challenge here is that only YOU can make the decisions about your stuff. Donât leave clutter clearing your home for your children, your friends or strangers to deal with. Get honest and ask the tough question â if you were gone from this life tomorrow, what would you be leaving behind for your loved ones? Â Start with one room again and bring it into alignment with your present time life.
Download our FREE eBook â The ART of Letting Go for help. ART stands for Acceptance, Release & Trust. This sweet book by Marla Dee also lists our favorite resources and experts to help you let go.
7. Refresh Your Clothes Closet
Spring is the best season for clearing out the clothes closet. Here are two personal tips for this personal area that gets a lot of use. First, we suggest getting real by trying EVERYTHING on your body and asking, âIs this me?â Be prepared to laugh and cry. Make it a party and do this with a friend. You will actually be able to release the clothes much easier than if you just look at them on the hanger. A great resource for radically simplifying your wardrobe is Project 333 by Courtney Carver.
Second, choose hanger heaven rather than hanger hell by simply getting the same color and material. This is the easiest and cheapest closet transformation. Choose one color and get the different types you need in that color. The body and brain go to color first. You will be amazed at the difference.
Get a printable version of all of Our TOP TEN TIPS for Spring.
We would love to hear your stories. Please share this with anyone in your life that would enjoy and benefit.
Marla, Kate & Team
