Now before its too late

This job of purging, eliminating and sorting can be emotional and taxing on any individual without having a tremendous loss attached to it.  

Photo Credit : blog.iqmatrix.com/de-clutter-your-life

Life swoops in and devours our time. Before you know it we are faced with loss of a loved one. Our society has been engulfed with consumerism. Buying spending and more buying and spending.

What happens to all this stuff when we are gone? 

In our profession as professional organizers we are often called in to help with a move. Sometimes it is not just any old move. It can be the move of a childhood home where you grew up and your last surviving parent has passed away. 

You are left with this home full of stuff. Its not just any old stuff. It is memories, years of living, years of stories. There is a pretty good chance that this home is filled will not only with your parents "stuff' precious memories, belongings and day to day living things, but it will have things from your childhood stuffed in closets, boxes tucked in corners of bedroom closets or in the attic. 

Your probably going through so much having just lost the loved one and now your now faced with the job of sorting, purging and eliminating stuff. 

This job of purging, eliminating and sorting can be emotional and taxing on any individual without having a tremendous loss attached to it. 

Now is the perfect time to look at your parents space, your own space and seriously clean up, clean out and de-clutter.  I can't stress it enough. It is time to do this chore while you are healthy and your loved ones are alive.

My own parents are thankfully still alive, but are aging. They are at a point where they are still fairly active but I can see a day that will sneak up on us where they will not be so active. A day when the very home I grew up in will need to be sorted, purged and stuff removed from the home.  

Although a professional organizer, I too dread this task. Cleaning out the home I grew up in. Lots of memories, things and a life time of stuff.  Everyone has stuff. Even homes with a minimalistic approach. Eventually every home will need a clean out, a clearing a de-clutter.

If your dealing with a parents home and they have passed away and now you need help there are a few steps you need to take.

1. Spend some time in the home with your siblings and family members. Look and see what there is in the home that you really want to take to your own home. If the home effects have little monetary value other than memories it's time to be very clear on what are your treasures. 
2. Hire a Professional Organizer or move coordinator to help you. Excellent organizers will ask you about your life, your treasures, they will get a sense of what you value and what are things, events, moments you treasure the most. This will help them help you identify your items you wish to keep.
3. If you have a moving company or organizing team come in to help pack, ensure that you speak to the leader of the team. Make sure you provide clear direction.
4. Let them know exactly what kinds of things you want saved. Trophies, pictures, inscribed books, baby clothes, old uniforms? What ever your treasures key thing is clear direction and communication to the entire packing team. 
5. Clearly mark any items that you want kept.
6. Taking these steps will definitely help with your moving, de-cluttering process.  Best advice of all, do it while your not grieving the loss.
7. Do it sooner than later.

Are you addicted to Busy?

Are you too busy being busy?

Running around so busy that you really dont have time for anything? You run into your neighbour and your so busy talking about how busy you are that you really forget to have a REAL conversation? 

Someone said to me the other day.. I feel like it is the new buzz. The new one up. The new step ahead of your rival. 

Thinking about running into people recently I realized she was probably right. Everyone is busy and everyone is talking about being too busy. 

People do not have time for getting organized, smelling the roses and calling an old friend. WHY? Because were all so busy. I've never thought as myself as trying to one up someone over being busy.

If anything I search for ways and ideas, systems to make my life simpler and less busy. 

Think about the concept if you said to your neighbour,  I've been enjoying my favourite book, sitting in the garden or creating these great fall decorations for my home. It has energized me and been so much fun!  I could almost guarantee it that inside your neighbour would be green with envy

wishing they had only made that time to do those things that really nourish the soul.

They may actually come back to you with their long list of busy-isms. I'm just way to busy with this and that to have time to read a book they may say.

Unfortunately this has often been a norm of society. Some of the biggest offenders can be parents of children. I have to ask, what ever happened to the kid who was involved in one or two activities? Now I see children and parents involved in multiple activities that encompass their entire week.  When do you ever get a break! That is just it., they don't.

Mental and physical clutter are intertwined together, Too busy to take the time to clear your mind, relax and enjoy... smell the roses.. read a book, visit with friends.  Your home becomes riddled with clutter, paper piles, dish filled sinks. One area of your life often manifests someway into another area of your life. Clutter in your mind, becomes clutter in your home, and clutter in your home manifests into anxiety, restlessness and irritability.

Disorganization costs you on so many levels.

The key is to realize that these busy-isms cost you. And cost you dearly. One of the most important things you can do for you is to take time to take care of yourself. Every age, gender, race ,nationality .. every person on the planet needs time to regroup and recharge our batteries.  It is true that some need more time than others, however we all need time.

Schedule in some honest uninterrupted you time this week.  If it means hiring someone to get your groceries, have someone watch your kids for a day, take your laundry to the cleaners,  arrange a car pool for your kids. Give yourself a break.

Taking time for you helps to restore balance and gives you peace of mind.

Time can not be recaptured.

Dont be addicted to busyness and dread what you may  find in it's absence. You may actually be pleasantly surprised.  

Remember this if you remember nothing at all.. at the end of the day you will not be sitting back saying I wish I worked more, I wish I was busier. You will be sitting back saying I wish I had more time for lunches with my mom, More time for a martini with the gals, More time for quiet family times, More time for days with my dad. More time for the good hard laughs with your best buds.. the list goes on.. We can't get time back, but we can definitely find ways to simplify our life, and make time for what really matters.