My husband and I were taking a Jeep ride through the country last weekend. I noticed a couple houses still had their wreaths up. I figured it is probably less about no time to take it down and more about not noticing the wreath is still up.

I have gotten in the habit of asking myself at the end of any to do, "What is the follow up or next step?"

So when the Christmas decorations go up, I also calendar when they come down.

If I write someone, I put in my calendar when I need to follow up with them.

If I have to stop in the middle of a project, I write down the next step for the next day I plan on doing the project.

When I put the clothes in the washer, I make sure I use the timers soclothes get all the way from washing to drying to folding to put away.

When I get off a call, I immediately write down the action steps in my to do list before they fall out of my brain.

It takes a few seconds to write down the next step or the followup, right after you do something. Much easier than fumbling with your memory trying to recall what you were going to do next. Or worse, never remember you were going to follow up until something gets way behind.

Life has too many moving parts for me to rely on my memory. Why don’t you try this out and see how it works for you?

***
Wreath photo by Ms.Tea

Welcome to this week’s issue of Weekly Simplicity Tips.

We took a spring hike today during Easter. And we actually saw some buds just peeking out.

Photo by Brea Dargis

Just a reminder that the Declutter Group starts tonight, a few spots open still.

1. Change up your exercise routine for the new season. I plan on going on more hikes.
2. Even if you aren’t in the Declutter Group, put some declutter time into your calendar.
3. Unless you love entertaining AND have time, make more minimal party and social plans.
4. This week make more decisions based on who you are and who you want to become.
5. Look at what a rich and wonderful life you currently have.
6. Don’t shop for clothes, shop for specific items of clothing that you need & that go with what you have.
7. Make a habit of doing 3 things each evening that will help you the next day ie shower, pack lunches, pick out clothes.

From the blog archives:

Anxiety in Decluttering
Coping with anxiety as you clear out
https://www.mysimplerlife.com/anxiety-in-decluttering

You’ve been asking me when the next Declutter Group is – and I can announce it is starting April 1. Join me as we create a great plan for decluttering your life and enjoy fun support! Wouldn’t it feel great to have your home with a lot less clutter by June?

I was talking with someone about what makes my courses different than other declutter/organizational courses. She said it’s because I deal with the emotional aspects and blocks on why we aren’t decluttering in the first place.

This course usually pays for itself as people sell off their clutter. (One member last time made $275 in one day selling off clutter.) There is a limited amount of room in the group.

Starts April 1, 2013

http://www.encouragingcoach.com/programs-decluttergroup.htm

A reader asks, “I have a spare room that keeps turning I to the infamous catch all. How do I keep it free from clutter?”

What a great question. I know many people have a junk room, thing room, office, craft room or guest room that becomes the spot for everything you don’t know what to do with. I have an office that turns to clutter very quickly.

Some ideas for you:

•  Put in your calendar to pick the room back up every weekend and deal with anything you brought in during the week. So all the paper, bags, stuff from pockets and purses, things that need to go elsewhere that are just laying on the piano bench (oops that one is mine). If you don’t have a place for it, then it needs to be decluttered or you have to think of a place for it.
• If it needs to be decluttered, pause some other projects like craft projects until the area is decluttered. Take 5, 15 or 30 min a day. Declutter one spot at a time.
• Have areas in the room for specific activities. I do work on my desk and finances. So if I see magazines, earrings and books I know they are in the right spot. My piano bench is for me to sit on to play the piano, not for piles to deal with at another time. My shoe area should not also have exercise equipment or large envelopes. You can have areas for specific crafts. Or a bed for guests to sleep on not for piles of boxes.
• Many of the things that are in a junk room are they because stuff didn’t get put into storage in the basement, attic or garage.
• Have a table that is for stuff to deal with later. Sometimes we don’t have time to deal with everything immediately. As long as it is taken care of during the weekend it shouldn’t be a problem.

***

Interested in dealing with your clutter with tons of support?

A reader will be downsizing and moving, but doesn’t have much time to do it. Unlike the smaller step approach like the Declutter Calendar, moving situations usually require quicker results. If you are also selling your home, you are going to want it to look as roomy and clear as possible. This is a chance to assess all your possessions to see if they still fit in your current lifestyle.

• Have a decluttering room/space for you to sort things – a guest bedroom or basement is good. Have your boxes or piles for sell, toss and donate. And finally a decide box for things you are unsure of.
• Set a timer a to help you move fast. If you get stuck throw the item in a decide later box. Stay in one spot until decluttered with piles for sell, toss and donate. Don’t hop around or you will never see progress. Go through one room and one space at a time.
• Keep reminding yourself that everything you don’t get rid of, you will have to move.
• Make quick decisions, the more you mull over something the slower your progress. Put things in the decide box if you don’t know what to do.
• You can declutter in more than one pass. You can go through each room super fast to get rid of what you know is clutter. Then be more deliberate is other passes.
• Declutter as you go. When you get ready in the morning, what things are in your way. What things do you continuously have to move to get to what you need. If your eyes pass over a piece of clothing because you don’t really like it, stick it in the donate box. Being aware as you go about your day will make things easier.
• Usually storage/basement/attic are the first places you can go for fast decluttering. If you are downsizing, these things would be the first to go as you aren’t regularly using them.
• Next look at the furniture. These are large items that can make a big difference when you are decluttering.
• Shred that old paperwork you don’t need to bring with you. Here’s how long you need to keep things in the U.S.
• Donate any media – DVDs, CDs, games that you haven’t used in the past year. New media comes in so it’s rare we re-watch things. And CDs can go to MP3 now.
• Take a look at the larger items in your home. What can you let go of?
• Go through clothes and let go of ones that don’t fit and store clothes that are out of season.
• See if you can cut your knick-knack collection by a third if you are moving to a smaller place.

The decluttering questions:

1. Do I want this?
2. Do I use this? (Or have I used it in the past year?)
3. Do I need this?
4. Do I love this?
5. Is it beautiful?
6. Is it meaningful?

Stage the home to sell

Once the clutter is gone, it’s time to stage the home to sell. HGTV has some good ideas

Basic staging rules

Moving Resources

Here is a moving checklist from Real Simple

And then as you move into the house, things to get ready

Do you have any moving tips for my reader?

One of my recent tips was. "Practice doing your chores with mindfullness and noticing. Feels more relaxing this way." Someone asked what I meant by this.

Usually we do chores with resentment or a feeling of obligation or tiredness. That’s how I used to deal with my home. Procrastinate. Complain. Fuss.

I noticed some people didn’t deal with their home in that way. They got a sense of accomplishment from creating order. They found home care relaxing.

This comes from doing chores with mindfulness.  It’s about using your senses and being present.

For instance feeling the bubbles when you wash dishes and seeing the birds at the feeder outside the window.

“To my mind, the idea that doing dishes is unpleasant can occur only when you aren’t doing them…I enjoy taking my time with each dish, being fully aware of the dish, the water, and each movement of my hands.  I know that if I hurry in order to eat dessert sooner, the time of washing dishes will be unpleasant and not worth living.  That would be a pity, for each minute, each second of life is a miracle.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

Feel the fabric as you fold clothes, enjoy making clean lines out of chaos, perhaps praying for your family members as you fold their clothes.

Spray your wood table with orange oil, smelling the orange, notice the difference of before and after the polish. Smile at the gleam from the table.

Listen to the broom bristles as you sweep.

Notice the colors of the vegetables as you chop. Smell the spices.

In most cases, doing the chores is not distasteful. It’s the thoughts that come. "It’s not fair I have to do it." "I don’t feel like it." "I’m too tired." "I hate doing dishes." "It’s just going to get dirty again." We get tired and want to procrastinate before we even start.

But, try turning off the judging thoughts and notice the sounds, smells, tastes, textures, and sights.

Why not turn mundane tasks into more relaxing rituals?

Welcome to this week’s issue of Weekly Simplicity Tips. It’s still snowing here in MIchigan, so it doesn’t feel quite like spring yet.

Did you know they made Little Women into a musical? I read that book at least 5 times in my childhood. I saw the musical at the high school with a friend and really enjoyed it.

1. Run off at the mouth much? Try pausing before you speak.
2. Notice any signs of the new season for you.
3. Where can you lighten up?
4. Have one place or inbox for incoming papers that need sorting.
5. If you lose an earring, the other one makes a good push pin in a bulletin board. And pretty too.
6. I’ve been using Google reader for years to read blogs and news. They are shutting it down and here are some great alternatives.
7. Don’t use a feed reader? Here’s why and how.

From the blog archives:

Too Much Information
How to stop information overload
https://www.mysimplerlife.com/too-much-information

You’ve been asking me when the next Declutter Group is – and I can announce it is starting April 1. Join me as we create a great plan for decluttering your life and enjoy fun support! Wouldn’t it feel great to have your home with a lot less clutter by June?

I was talking with someone about what makes my courses different than other declutter/organizational courses. She said it’s because I deal with the emotional aspects and blocks on why we aren’t decluttering in the first place.

This course usually pays for itself as people sell off their clutter. (One member last time made $275 in one day selling off clutter.) There is a limited amount of room in the group.

Starts April 1, 2013

http://www.encouragingcoach.com/programs-decluttergroup.htm

Guest post by Clarity coach Joanna Byrne

Have you ever stopped and really listened to what’s on repeat in your mind every day? I mean, really consciously listen to your thoughts, rather than our usually free flowing ramble that we allow unconsciously. Are you aware of the tape that’s on repeat in your mind, feeding your mind with thoughts… thoughts that lead to feelings. If thoughts lead to feelings, then we all want to feel good, right? To feel good, you must become conscious of your thoughts, and try to manage them.

Step One

Get it out of your head and onto a page. Bring everything in your mind that’s rambling about out, and just dump it onto a page. Any old way! Let it free flow, don’t monitor it too much, just take some time, a piece of paper (virtual paper if you like) and just reel off all the thoughts that come to you. It might take some time to really get to the nitty-gritty of what you are really allowing yourself to think. Just stick with it. You might be surprised at what comes out.

TIP: a good idea is to set a timer for say 15-20 minutes and just write, un-censored until the alarm sounds.

Step Two

Question it. Here you have an uncensored brain dump of all the thoughts rolling around in your head. Look at them. Some of them may be great, others possibly not so great. For each one, ask yourself, is this thought true? Is there any evidence to support that thought? If not, cross it off and let it go. Next time you hear yourself thinking that thought, discard it; it’s not true.

Now that you know how, try practicing managing your thoughts daily. Check in with yourself from time to time, and become aware of what you are thinking. Ask yourself, is it true? Decide whether to keep it or release it.

Remember, just because you think a thought doesn’t make it true.

Joanna is an experienced Business, Executive and Personal coach who helps people get clear, build confidence and take action towards creating a life and career that they desire. You can find her at http://joannabyrnecoaching.com

Do you have a coming home routine?

One of the main reasons it’s so difficult to get out the door on time, is because the coming home is haphazard with things getting thrown where ever.

But, if you practice a routine when you come home, it will be much easier to leave on time.

Mine is:

• Come home
• Put the keys on the key rack
• Take off shoes or boots at the door with the shoe cubby and boot tray
• Put my gloves, ear muffs, sunglasses away in the container for these
• Hang up my coat
• Take my phone out of my purse and put on desk
• Hang up my purse in my office
• Put away anything that I brought in with me

So when it’s time to go, I only have trouble when I don’t do one of the things above. Then it’s, "Have you seen my keys?" and "Where did I put my purse?"

(Can you tell which two I don’t do the most?)

You can also teach your kids a routine so getting to school on time is easier. (Even putting it in the back of the closet door or a similar reminder.)

If you are coming home to people at home, it’s fun to add hugs and kisses.

***

Photo by Love Maegan

I was asked if I wanted to review a book that wasn’t necessarily in my simplifying niche. But I know I have tons of creative type readers and people yearning for something more, so I thought I’d share this book with you.

The Power of Starting Something Stupid by Richie Norton

Like me, Richie lost a son, stirring an urgency about the shortness of life and the uncontrollable circumstances we live.

His premise is that we need to play with the stupid ideas to find success. If someone is calling your idea stupid, you may be a change agent, an innovator, a thought leader or an entrepreneur. Things like TVs, autos, radios, space travel were all thought to be stupid.

If we crush fear, end pride, overcome procrastination and serve we are on the right track.

Richie takes you from picking out which idea to start pursuing, to moving through the obstacles, to what to do to take your idea into action.

And all the way through are great stories of stupid ideas that turned into successes.

He asks, "When you are 80, what are you going to regret not doing?"

Life is not for standing still and playing it safe. If you have ideas that won’t let you go, this book urge you into action.

***

Amazon affiliate links used

Welcome to this week’s issue of Weekly Simplicity Tips. The ‘Change Your Relationship to Time‘ course starts Monday!

I got to see my niece & nephew and family this weekend. My 2 yr old niece, Maggie and I had a dance party.

1. Use a toothpick dispenser for Qtips.
2. Bobby pins can go on a magnetic strip in the side of a drawer or a cabinet door.
3. Great way to organize sunglasses:
   http://cupcakesandcashmere.com/sunglass-solution/
4. Figure out what bills need to be paid this month.
5. Have a money conversation with your spouse or housemate.
6. Practice being present and patient in line this week.
7. Re-read a favorite childhook book.

From the blog archives:

Save hundreds of dollars this month

Attention: Hurried, overwhelmed individuals with too much too do and not enough time to do it

Ask yourself: do you want to live your life in a constant state of hurry and worry?

We all want to feel more ease, spaciousness and less stress, but how do you do it?

"Thank you Beth, I never thought a class on time could be so enlightening and interesting. Lots to think about and re-think!" – a time class participant

Starts Monday March 4, 2013