by CS Team
All change begins with ACCEPTANCE…
The first step in letting go is accepting the story your clutter tells. All clutter tells a story and everyone has clutter in some area of his or her life. Accept that your environment is simply a reflection of your life up until now, a reflection of what’s happened to you and what’s going on inside you. There’s no 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 see it. There is no healthy payoff in focusing on the clutter itself, on staying locked up in guilt—not for you or for others. However, great power is arises when you accept 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—it is YOUR PAST!
By accepting the full story in front of you, you can step into present time. There is a famous line in the Alcoholics Anonymous book that says “Acceptance is the answer to all my problems today.” I believe this is true. Acceptance is the beginning of any change. Acceptance brings peace. Acceptance opens the door for support to come in.
Here are some simple exercises to support you in coming to a place of acceptance:
Answer the following questions:
– What am I having a hard time accepting?
– Why am I having a hard time accepting where I am today?
– What am I telling myself about why I am stuck?
– What is the story I want to get out before I can move on?
– Am I willing to accept what is in front of me?
Acknowledge your feelings:
– I accept that I am scared.
– I accept that I feel hopeless.
– I accept that I have created this situation.
– What would acceptance feel like?
Then answer:
– Where can I begin my acceptance?
– If I accept what is in front of me, how will I be set free?
– By accepting my situation, what can I let go of that is dragging me down or holding me back?
– What would acceptance look like?
Another method for getting out and accepting your old story is to tell it out loud. The key is to find a person you trust who is willing to listen with heart and attention. I have found many people hold on to their stuff because they feel they need it in order to share their life story with another human being.
This is an excerpt from Marla’s book The ART of Letting Go, which you can download now as a gift from her.
by CS Team
Ready to have some fun clearing clutter?
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.
Fabulous Resources: Jump on our website page clearsimple.com/clutterclearout/ for gifts and experts to help make it simple.
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.
See Marla on TV How to Clear the Clutter for some jump start encouragement!
We can’t wait to hear all your stories, support you and celebrate together! Marla, Kate & Team.
by CS Team
Are your precious photos stashed in boxes & bins in the basement?
Do you have thousands of pictures on your phone and computer?
Photos can be our most precious possession yet trying to keep them organized can be a nightmare.
We are excited to share our best tips and systems for photo organizing all month long. This blog is all about the Sort Step in S.T.A.C.K.S.© (Sort, Toss, Assign, Keep it Up & Simplify). We are also sharing the fabulous ABC’S system created by Cathi Nelson, President of APPO (Association of Personal Photo Organizers).
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.
Next take each category and SORT again using the ABC’S© system. SORT the photo’s into the following four 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
by CS Team
Write down the 3 MOST IMPORTANT to do’s of your day and let that be enough.
FREE is the word we hear the most when we ask our clients to share how they feel after getting organized! Getting free of the clutter and chaos allows you to have what you really want.
One of the most challenging areas to clear & organize is our calendar. We tend to pile on way more then we can possibly handle. And technology has only added to the overload. The stress of this eats away at our health and happiness.
At C&S we love making things simpler. So here is our favorite, and our client’s favorite, tip for your time. This is the DO IT© step. (Check out SEE IT© and MAP IT© blogs.)
DO IT© – How can I possibly fit everything into my day, much less make it simple? Try out the power of 3.
Start by taking only 5 minutes at the start and end of each day to ask what are the 3 MOST IMPORTANT TASKS for your personal and work life – the ones that only you can do? Then write them done in a simple notebook, on a yellow pad, in your smart phone notebook or app (try Wunderlist), on a 3×5 card or even a Post-it note. At the end of the day, look back and celebrate getting those 3 things done! Or you will get to notice how you got distracted so you can practice again the next day.
This simple practice will help you discern what really needs your attention each day. Along with the sense of accomplishment for getting done what matters most to YOU!
Using the Clear & SIMPLE System of SEE IT© MAP IT© DO IT©, we can show you how to make time tangible and manageable!
Let us know what your experience is once you try this – Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
Travel can be stressful so enjoy our tips that simplify & help you organize all your trips!
We have used all the tips & tools below to radically reduce the stress and struggle that travel can bring. These tips are the SEE IT. MAP IT. & DO IT. steps for travel. Try them out and let us know what you think!
Marla sharing her personal “bag lady” story and more…
- The perfect suitcase is the key.
- Size, weight, color, material, design
- Each person needs and deserves their own suitcase
- Have an ID tag that is current (no address)
- Simplify the clothing
- Choose a capsule wardrobe so you can mix and match easily
- Choose to roll your clothes or use the pack-it systems
- Apps and online resources that help: clearsimple.com/travelapps/
- Use Wunderlist – have a standard list for your different types of trips and then easily adjust for current trip. Yes a list makes a difference. You can even print the list so you can check the items off.
- Use Last Pass for all your key & private information
- Tripit stores all the trip details
- Get AAA or similar service for travel troubles
- Uber and Airbnb are some of our favorites
- Get your TSA Precheck to save time every plan trip
- Check out Costco Travel – especially for car rentals
- Get an extra set of all electrical cords and chargers. Keep these packed and ready to go.
- Have your body care items already on hand – refill after each trip. Use smart containers for your body care items.
- Find the perfect tote or carry-on bag that can hold all you need and feel easy to carry.
- Carry-on Essentials Kit ready to go in the perfect carry-on.
- Medicines (get the small plastic medicine pouches)
- Soft light sweater or jacket and socks
- Toothbrush, wipes, body care & eye mask
- Book to read or game to play
- Easy water bottle like the collapsible water bottle
- Gum and food snacks, including protein
- Ear buds or head phones that you love
- Safe holder for passport, id and credit cards (make a copy that stays home with an assigned person who can help). Use Last Pass to hold all the vital information.
- Check out The Container Store for some of our favorite bags and tools.
- The Power of One. Try taking one book, one notebook, one technology device, etc. Then decide one purpose (most important) for your trip. clearsimple.com/travelstuff/
