The “O” in FOCUS stands for:

Opt out of a few things

As you go through your week be on the look out for things that crowd your life but do not bring value.

My mentor, Barbara Hemphill, always said  that a productive environment is “an intentional setting in which  everything around you supports your goals and who you want to be”.  Sit with that for a minute. ….   Now look around your desk, your home, your emails and what do you find there that does not support your goals and who you want to be?  Here are a few examples of things I have found that don’t bring value to my life:

1. Subscribing to a blog feed that I never read
2. Getting an weekly email that had quotes that I never found useful
3. Magazines that I never read
4. The weekend newspaper
5. A networking group that met in the evening

This short list is an example of how, over a period of time, we fail to see the things that are not useful.  While we do not “see” them, they do add to the mental clutter of our minds.  Seeing the weekend paper, for example, stack up on the entry table makes me feel guilty for not taking the time to read it.  I also feel the neglected newspaper is a waste of natural resources if I am not using it; after all, trees were cutdown to make that newspaper.

In order to focus, we must opt out of a few things.  These things may be in the “background” of our day to day life and we may not pay much attention to them.  However, they are still in our peripheral. If we want better focus and more time in our day, we need to get rid of the unproductive things to make room for life.

So, I’m curous. What can you opt out of this week?  Post a comment here.

I have worked with many clients who actually know about storage, organizing by task, grouping by type, and even those who recognize the importance of labels and filing. These same people still seek me out with organizing questions and projects. Why? Because they have an overabundance of things!!!

It used to be that the children of the depression era, as grown adults, would keep large amounts of food on hand and over collect things that they liked or missed during their childhood. The rationale behind this was based on the fact that they grew up with so little, suffered in poverty, and never knew where their next meal would come from, so having abundance on hand was a type of peace of mind. I can appreciate the psyche from which this developed but it has carried forward into the future generations.

Now the grandchildren and the great grandchildren of the depression era generation suffer with an overabundance of things. This is because they had clutter and overabundance filling their homes during childhood. Clutter and hoarding was present their whole life. This has been further compounded by media advertising mentality of “more is better”, “you’ve got to try this” and “sale, sale, sale”. These are the battlecries of our generation. The result is rooms, houses, garages, and costly storage units stuffed with things that can’t possibly be consumed or used for their originally intended purpose. And now our children are experiencing this!

Children in America have plastic totes, toy boxes, closets and playrooms packed with so many toys and clothes that the children don’t even know all that they have! They can’t possibly need 4 jean jackets and all those stuffed animals!

We have got to let it go! Releasing the clutter and seeking help for our hoarding tendencies, if not for ourselves, then for our children.

Picture this: You are 86 years old and your family has to move you to an assisted care facility because of health problems. After you are moved into your new place and all your family has doted on you and helped to make your transition smooth, you settle down and begin to enjoy the scenery. In the meantime, your family has to deal with “the stuff” in your home, the things that could not go with you to your new home. There is a garage that hasn’t had a car in it for 20 years because there wasn’t room for even a spare tire. Your filing cabinets are bursting and paper can be found in boxes and dressers. All of your collections would take 3 months just to post on eBay! And even though you were the only one in the house for the last ten years, your clothes exceed the closet capacity of all the bedrooms, and there are more clothes in the garage. Family pictures are found throughout the house, some in albums, some in boxes, and some in bags. Am I painting a familiar picture?

This scenario will become more complicated, worrisome and difficult to face when you die and your family has to struggle with their grief and your stuff! Realize that this is the legacy that you will leave your family if you continue to hang onto the clutter!

Letting go of items may seem difficult, I know. But consider the fact that many of these things piled in storage units, under beds, closets and plastic totes are not being viewed, touched, or loved anyway. Some things may have served a purpose earlier in your life but now your life has changed. Since change is good, consider taking a photo of the items and writing about them in a scrapbook or journal so that your memory can be preserved. Share your old treasures with the less fortunate or those who are just starting out. Let them be useful instead of hidden and dusty. Make it a goal to clear out one area at a time. I recommend keeping a list of the donated items; you can often use them as tax deductions. As you go through life, give away some prized possessions (early) to those friends and relatives who have admired them. Then you will be able to see them enjoy your gift instead of hoping they like it after you are gone from this earth. If you are hesitant about letting go of something, try this: Put the item in a box in the garage or other storage area. Seal it shut and write the date on it then mark your calendar for six months later. Then on the six month date, ask yourself: Have I missed the item or can I get by without it? If you forgot about it and life went on a usual, then it is time to let it go.

I know many of you can organize, but can you let go? I hope so for the sake of your family members and your sanity. Visit my web log next week and I’ll address what to do with kid clutter.