Want prosperity in 2011? Then dress (your home) for success!

You've probably heard that you should "dress for the job you want", but did you know you should also dress your home for the life that you want?  

• Want to be a successful business person?  Is your office the room of a successful entrepreneur or the cave of a messy middleman?
• Want to be a healthy, energetic person?  Is your kitchen a room that invites cooking healthy meals or is it set up for grab-and-go eating?
• Want to be a generous, giving person?  Is your home neat and clutter-free, or are you hoarding lots of stuff that someone else could really use and would love to have?

It's the new year, a great time to determine where you are in your life and where you want to be.  Take a moment to decide who you want to be at the end of this wonderful year, and then make sure that your home supports those goals.  Let go of the past and leap into your future, and remember:

"You can't write the next part of your story if you keep rereading the last chapter in your life!"

If you're still not sure you deserve to create a welcoming, nurturing, beautiful home, consider these questions for Sandra Felton in her book "Messie No More":


Why not have a lovely home that encourages all who enter?  
Why not be among those who are thrilled to invite people over on the spur of the moment?  
Why not be the person to whom people say, "Your house is so lovely!"  
Why not have people over for meals without working yourself to death to get ready?  
Why not have a house that raises your self-esteem rather than tears it down?  
Why not have a house filled with your favorite colors and accents?  
Why not have a house that reflects peace so that others love to come over? 


The question is not why should we have a nice house.  The real question is why not?

You're not disorganized... you just have too much stuff.

Before you rush out to buy color-coded bins to organize your stuff and attack your New Year's Resolutions, first try this:

Place a cereal bowl on the counter.  Now pour a gallon of milk into the bowl.  What do you get?  A big mess!  Does that make you a messy person?  No.  You just tried to pour too much milk into too small a bowl.

Now look at your home.  Is the garage overflowing?  Your office creeping into the dining room?  Your kids' toys everywhere?  Your problem may not be a lack of organization, but rather a problem of too much stuff. 


You could move to a bigger house, but I suggest the cheaper, easier, and more ecological idea of getting rid of some of that stuff.  Here's how:

1. Make time.  Set a timer for two to four hours.  Turn off the phone and tv, turn on some great music.  Limit distraction so you get more done.
2. Define the goal.  Keep focussed: choose one closet, one room, one bookshelf at a time.  Otherwise you just end up with a bigger mess.  Make a pile for things to keep, things to toss, and things that need a little more thought (maybe you have to ask another family member about it).
3. Question everything.  As you pick up each item ask:
1. Have we used this in the last 3 months (or, if seasonal, in the last 2 years)?
2. Could someone else use this better or enjoy this more than I am?
3. Does owning this make my happy, or do I not really care about having it?  Or worse, am I only keeping it out of guilt?
4. Does this fit?  (This might be a dress size, or it might be a question of age-appropriateness).
4. Reconsider.  Go back to the "keep" pile and take out at least three more things to give away.
5. Take action.
1. Put the "to think about" pile in a box and seal it up.  Mark a date on the calendar 1-2 months away.  If you haven't needed anything from the box, take it to Goodwill on that date without opening it up!
2. Take the "get rid of" pile to Goodwill immediately.  If you could immediately shed 10 lbs the moment you decided to go on a diet, wouldn't you do so?  With your house, you can, so take that extra weight and get rid of it!!

Once you get rid of all the stuff you are not using you'll be amazed at how much room you have and how everything can find a home so easily.  Good luck, and happy organizing!

Someone's going to love your stuff!

“How many things are there which I do not want.” Socrates 

After my divorce a good friend gave me some wonderful advice when I was trying to decide what to do with my wedding ring. She said that I needed to get it out of my home in order to make room for all the good things that were waiting for me to make space for them.

That really hit home because without realizing it, by holding on to that token of my past I was keeping myself from opening to new love.

Now I work with clients trying to make fresh starts in their own lives, and I always share that wisdom with them. Every time we start I hear the list of excuses why they CAN’T get rid of Aunt Ann’s chair, the second set of dishes, the broken mirror, the dusty records in the attic, etc... At this point, after reminding them that they are trying to move FORWARD in their lives, I gently remind them that instead of hoarding the stuff out of fear and guilt, they can let someone else use and enjoy it! Not only will the stuff have a new life, but there will be room in their home and heart for things that will bring them joy to look at and use.

If you are ready to tackle your home and lighten its load, here are five helpful tips to focus the project:

1. 1.Contain the project. Choose one half of a closet, one quarter of a garage, or one box of papers. Make it an area that you can finish in an hour or two.
2. 2.Get comfortable and prepared. Have a chair or pillow to sit on, have water on hand, and have boxes ready for the things you are keeping, the things you are letting go, and the things that need further consideration.
3. 3.Set a timer for one hour. During that one hour do not answer the phone, wander to the fridge, or otherwise get distracted. When the timer dings, take the box for Goodwill to the donation station immediately. Move the Craigslist items to a corner and post them within 24 hours. Action is the key!
4. 4.If you are going to sell your items through Craigslist, decide how you want to use the money you make. Write down that goal or post of picture of it in the workspace you are organizing. By posting a picture nearby of what you DO want then as you hold each item you can ask yourself if it supports the life you WANT or the life you have.
5. 5.Unless you are focussing on paperwork for the hour, NEVER read, sort or file the papers you find while decluttering. You’ll NEVER finish because either you’ll drown in nostalgia or get overwhelmed. Instead, have a small box on hand, toss the papers you find into it, and make that a separate organizing project.

Once you finish an section, celebrate. Imagine how much closer you are to having the life and home you want, and smile!