by CS Team
How to get along when we attract our opposite! Organization can help or hinder.
Why is it that “Mr. Organized” partners with “Ms. Chaos”? The universe is funny that way, always trying to balance things out. Think about how often you are at odds with someone in your life because of organization issues:
- Not being able to find what your boss is looking for.
- Arguing with your child about the way their room looks.
- Being accused of throwing important things away.
- Always being asked where something is.
As professional organizers we constantly witness the stress in our clients relationships over organization styles and decisions. Sometimes our work feels more like therapy, especially when it comes to couples. Too often those with the ability to organize do not understand when others cannot maintain their environment. Those that are organized need to keep in mind that our research shows only 10 – 15% of the population is naturally organized. Hence, the need to be able to communicate and get help when lack of organization gets in the way.
This barrier between those who naturally know how to organize and the other 90% who don’t is why our main focus is teaching people how. The foundation for any organizing project or communication is three simple steps outlined below.
SEE IT – take a look at where you’ve been
Begin by taking a realistic look at where a lack of organization is impacting your life and relationships. Choose just one area or issue. What’s working, what’s not and why? Keep it simple. Then look at it from both sides and try to see what is at the heart of the conflict. Often our relationships serve as mirrors to look at ourselves. Once you have clarity, why not share your truth with this person and ask them to share.
MAP IT – make a plan for where you want to go
Now that you have each shared your truth, each person can create a simple vision for what needs to change. Try asking – what is the single most important change that needs to happen? What is one action you can take? Let this be enough. It is imperative to the relationship that each person has a chance to share their vision and what is important to them.
DO IT – take the actions to make it happen
How you choose to implement your changes or DO IT will be very specific to the relationship. Some may come up with a way to do it together, while others might call in outside help, and still others will compromise on different levels.
Some examples of this are:
- A family sets up a system for incoming mail and an active paper system together.
- A mother and child call it fun time, put on music, and make a game of putting everything away.
- A couple decides to hire a professional organizer because they would rather enjoy their time together hiking or taking dance lessons.
- A boss and assistant set up a weekly 1 hour focused time to go through all the lists and questions.
- Two friends or buddies get excited about helping each other one weekend a month with the clutter areas – We all have them you know.
We hope we have given you inspiration and guidance to bring more peace and joy into your relationships.
We would love to hear back from you – what happened? Please share your stories!!
Marla, Kate & Team
by CS Team
Let’s take a look at your Bedroom. Is it time for a change?
Is your bedroom a sanctuary or a dumping ground? As professional organizers we are often asked, “where should I start organizing in my home? There is clutter and chaos everywhere.” Your bedroom is the place to start!
The bedroom often becomes the landing zone for homeless items, or the make shift home office, the TV room, or even a place where a person can’t sleep anymore because there is so much clutter. This breaks my heart.
Your bedroom is meant to be a place of rest, relaxation, intimacy and healing. You spend more time here than anywhere else. It can be a favorite room in the early morning and late evening. One of the best gifts you can give yourself, especially in the cold months of winter, is creating a bedroom that is a sanctuary.
So here is a true story from Marla’s past – I asked my talented friend, Jeanine Mallory of Fresh Space Organizing, to help with a client’s bedroom. The woman had moved in months before, but her bedroom was boring and plain. She is a talented artist, loves color, fabric and unusual things. So we needed a makeover. By following the steps below and working together we transformed her bedroom in a day. We went shopping at Ikea! We hung purple curtains on the wall behind her bed along with sparkly lights. We brought in bright colors and candles. We used things she already had and found perfect homes for them. She now loves being in her bedroom. She is reading, journaling and sleeping so much better. How about you? Is it time for a makeover of your bedroom?
SEE IT – take a look at where you’ve been and where you are
Be brave. We invite you to take a look in your bedroom today and pretend you are a stranger. Just notice what is there and how it feels. Are there items that don’t belong in your room and that drain you when you look at them? What patterns do you notice? What do you notice that you love? Take it all in.
MAP IT – make a plan for where you want to go
How do you want your bedroom to look, feel and function? Do you want color or neutral shades or a combination? Do you want busy or simple? Do you want to add something like a reading or meditation chair? What you do want to take out or change? Take 5-10 minutes and write down what you want.
DO IT – take the actions to get what you want
Choose an hour or a day to transform your space. Give yourself this gift. Here is a super simple solution:
Set the timer for an hour and remove the following things from your bedroom:
1 – Anything that doesn’t belong in this space.
2 – Anything that is now past time or no longer relevant, like old clothes or broken furniture.
3 – Anything that doesn’t support your vision of how you want your bedroom to be.
Then set the timer for one more hour and ask what you can add or move or change so that the room feels fabulous to you!
Please let us know what you do!
Marla, Kate & Team
SEE IT. MAP IT. DO IT. © Copyright of Clear & SIMPLE, LLC. All rights reserved
by CS Team
Reclaim your space, your day and your life!
Do you have clutter and chaos in your life? Download our TOP TEN Tips for the Year. Marla will be taking a deeper look at them at the home show and will be speaking each day, so mark your calendars and come! If you can’t join us stay tuned throughout the month as we share the tips with you. We want to support you in reclaiming your space, your day and your life.
Extra TIP& GIFT: Have a one-page master map for your year that inspires, empowers and supports you. Here is the form that we use with our clients. It’s our gift to you! If you would like a personal session with Marla to expand on this, click here.
Marla Dee is speaking again at the Salt Lake Home Show.
Friday January 8th @ 4 p.m.
Saturday January 9th @ 11 a.m.
Sunday January 10th @ 12 p.m.
Visit our table next to the Design Stage to enter our drawing and receive special offers!
You can save $2 per person by purchasing tickets online.
Show Information: Friday, Jan. 8th @ 2:00 p.m. through Sunday, Jan. 10th @ 6:00 p.m.
South Towne Expo Center
9575 S. State Street
Sandy, Utah 84070
Go here for additional information and directions.
by CS Team
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, having one place to dump everything that we need to remember, and knowing can access it everywhere we go.
You can have lists for…
- Places to visit
- Personal To Do’s
- Work To Do’s
- Personal Projects
- Work Projects
- Books to read
- Groceries – with sub categories for each store she shops at.
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 you’re 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!
by CS Team
Join us in tackling closet clutter!
We’ve all been there…it’s time to get dressed for the day and we dread going to our closet. Perhaps it is stuffed full of clothes most of which don’t fit any more. Maybe it fits, but just doesn’t feel good. Maybe you have just had it for too long. It’s true that we only wear 20% of our clothes. The other 80% are just creating clutter and chaos in the day.
So our question is – how long has it been since you gave your closet a serious clean-out? We know it can feel overwhelming to tackle all those clothes. Would you like it to be simpler? Would you like the clothes that remain to be the ones you LOVE to wear so you love how you feel?
We want to share two EXPERTS & SYSTEMS that can help you transform your closet. We know you will find guidance to create what you have longing for in your space and with yourself.
Project 333 was created by Courtney Carver and is based on dressing with just 33 items or less for 3 months at a time. Wow! Even if you don’t make it to her level, she will inspire you to really clear out and she makes it FUN!
And check out her amazing micro course that will step you through the process. It even has a playlist to bring in the FUN!! Get it here.
“I did this and LOVED it! It changed my life! – Marla
Dressing Your Truth designed by Carol Tuttle is based on Four Types of Beauty and helps men & women find their type. Carol’s system goes deep, way beyond the surface of what you wear. Once determined there is a set of guidelines for each type that insure you will look and feel truly likely yourself.
By the way – Marla is a TYPE 4 and KATE is a TYPE 2!
“Dressing Your Truth is right on! I absolutely loved reading about the different types and finally finding support that feels in alignment with who I really am!” – Kate
Get the book or check out the online course.
Please comment and let us know what you choose to do!
Marla, Kate & Team
