What We Gain from Losing Our Clutter

My Latest Decluttering Report and Two Resources for You

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I'm Half-Way to My Goal of 100 Clutter-Zapping Hours! I logged 11 hours since my last check-in for a total of 50 hours in 4 months. I've done most of this in 30-minute segments and even some 15-minutes segments (when I'm feeling tired, overwhelmed, or under motivated). Using small blocks of time is key for my success. 50 hours is the equivalent of one work week of 10-hour days. I can confidently say I would not have had success with that format!

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Here's What I'm Gaining as I Lose My Clutter:

~More space to create.

~Visual calm.

~A feeling of being on top of things.

~Order.

~Space for new things to come into my life; room to grow as a person.

~Better organizing habits.

~An opportunity to be a better role model.

~Better energy...for my space and for me. (Four months ago, the bamboo plant on my desk was languishing, despite having adequate sunlight and water. Now it has three new sprouts of growth on it!)

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Check Out These Two Great Sources of Info and Inspiration!

~When Organizing Isn't Enough: SHED Your Stuff, Change Your Life, by Julie Morgenstern (hardcover or audiobook). This book is a valuable resource for folks in transition, whether the change is welcome or unwelcome.

~www.RealSimpleRealLife.com This site features inspiring before-and-after photos and practical tips.

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Please drop by the comments section and share your organizing success stories!

Thanks,

Susan

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P.S. This blog has an alter ego! It's my light and inspiring bimonthly snail-mail newsletter, "Susan, Unplugged....Your 'Slow-Tech' Source for Creative and Healthy Living Tips." It's complimentary within the US. To request it, contact me by email, snail-mail, or phone: scleaver@dejazzd.com, P.O. Box 586, Douglassville, PA 19518-0586, USA, or 610-385-3766.

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***All of Susan's creative4life posts are copyright of Susan Cleaver.***

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Design Your Environment to Boost Your Creativity

Greetings,

Create a supportive space where you and your creativity can thrive! Clutter clamors at us, draining our energy, fracturing our attention, and causing energy blocks that leave us feeling stuck. So out with the old to make room for the new! Nature will fill the vacuum with great ideas and inspiration.

See decluttering and establishing order in your workplace or home as a form of self-care. (See my last post for more about self-care.) When I see it as self-care, it seems like much less of a chore.

I also work on the clutter in short bursts to keep my resistance from coming up. Be compassionate with yourself. Focus on the solution rather than wasting energy beating yourself up about the mess. I teach what I need to learn, and I'm still working on these things myself. It's a very common issue; you're not alone if you have clutter or organizational issues!

Develop a system of organization that fits your personal style. Many books are available on this topic, including at least one for creative types and at least one for those with ADD.

The order you create will be soothing to the eyes and the soul. Color and harmony in your environment are very important, too. Ideally your environment should get lots of sun and have windows that open so you can air the space out often, Feng Shui experts tell us.

Sound is another thing to consider in your environment. Music affects the energy in a room and your own energy. If you're feeling droopy and down, start with a piece of music that closely matches your mood. Then gradually bring your mood up by playing successively more lively pieces of music.

Also consider how the space will cater to your kinesthetic sensibilities. Consider the ergonomics of the furnishings and the textures of the fabrics in your environment. If you're the sort of person who thinks better you have something to fiddle with, consider keeping some small puzzles or a squishy stress-relief ball handy.

On an old TV show called "Thirty-Something," two of the main characters worked at an ad agency, and they had to be creative at their jobs. They put a small basketball net right in their office and played a little one-on-one to loosen up their thinking. (See my last post for more on the value of play.)

Taking these steps to improve the energy of your environment will make you a worthy steward for more creative ideas to come to fruition under your care!

Please add any victories or blunders you have to report around this topic from which the rest of us can learn. If you're finding more blunder than victories, I'd love to coach you on this topic! Email me at scleaver@dejazzd.com to set up a complimentary trial phone session.

Cheers,
Susan

P.S. to Betsy: Thanks for the thought-provoking comment for my 2/20/07 post on reframing success. I agree; it's very grounding to stay in touch with our mission and values. I also love what you said about being more inner-directed in spite if all the advice that is coming from the outside. Just like a store full of shoes, the suggestions of others are not always going to fit!
Love,
Susan