Aug 24th 10
Posted in Featured Writers, Get Your Life In Order, Kim Rocke - professional organizer
Disorganization can take on many forms. Sure we all know about messy closets and disorganized offices, but have you ever considered that your mind needs some tidying up as well?
Peter Walsh, THE Organizing Expert, writes on this subject in his book, “Enough Already!: Clearing the Mental Clutter to Become the Best You”.
Peter starts in his introduction with “Those massive piles of clutter are only the tip of the iceberg. While the clutter you see around you might seem bad, even overwhelming and paralyzing, the physical clutter that fills our homes is nothing compared to the invisible clutter that fills our heads.”
He continues with his take on the reason we all have so much stuff is that we buy it seeking the happiness it promises. Ooh, that’s big! Think about that for a moment. Could our over accumulation of stuff stem from our desire to be happy? Are we looking to external factors to feed our hunger for acceptance, love, and joy?
So I’d like to suggest you look around your home and notice all that’s filling your space. Are all these things making you happy? Are there things you are keeping because you feel obligated?
Now I ask you to look at the way you are keeping the stuff in your life. Is your stuff nicely organized or displayed? Or is it shoved in the far corners of your closet? Broken from being misplaced on the floor? Kept in a dust covered box “just-in-case”? I’d say all of those such items are linked to some negative thoughts or feelings inside your head.
In order to purge our lives of unwanted things we may need to start with clearing our heads of unwanted thoughts and negative self images. Mental clutter can cause a lot of stress too.
Here’s how you can start to clear the mental clutter today:
1. Stop the broken record of self bashing thoughts going on inside your head. Easier said than done, right? But being aware of that process will eventually bring you to a place of peace with yourself. It’s a process, so start today.
2. Don’t keep so much of your to-do list in your head. Writing down your list will open space in your head for the positive stuff. Plus the idea that you may forget something is very stressful. Try keeping your to-do list on your calendar as opposed on another list to keep you on track to accomplishing those things.
3. Change is good. Resist the urge to fear the unknown. If you can admit that what you are doing is not working: mind is cluttered, home is cluttered, office is cluttered, you are feeling stressed and uneasy or downright awful. Then it will be much easier to try something new.
4. Yoga is an excellent practice on clearing your mind and minimizing your stress.
Holding on to the old is keeping the door closed on new ideas, new opportunities, new friends, and new happiness from entering your life. Clear the clutter and open the door on a new life!! If you need assistance with the process of getting organized, contact me. You can do it and I’m here to help.
blogger bio
My passion for organization really took off in 2002 when I became a design consultant in the custom closet industry and then went on to designing entertainment centers and offices for a custom furniture company. I learned a great deal about offering solutions that worked for that individual client and their particular needs.
With that experience I created New Leaf – the art of organizing. I enjoy helping people create the homes, workspaces and lives they want through organization. I bring to your project skills in de-cluttering, space planning, storage solutions, and time management, as well as enthusiasm and a sense of humor. I can help you organize your file drawers to your digital files on your tech gadgets to your closets.
I’m also a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers and I’m the Director of Communications and Technology for the Los Angeles chapter.
Disorganization and clutter can compound the stress and frustration in our lives. Your home should energize you – not zap your energy. Allow me to show you how organization can improve your life.
Kim Rocke
efficiency expert
New Leaf – the art of organizing
www.newleaf4organizing.com
kim@newleaf4organizing.com
Leave a Reply
Kim,
What a wonderful blog… and so true. It is amazing how peaceful it is to let go both of the internal stuff and the external stuff that is tied to it. Aahhhh….
Resist the urge to fear the unknown…I love this!! How will you know what the future holds if we continue to live in fear?
Great article, Kim!