Organizing Past Decision Blockers

By |2015-09-02T06:56:46-04:00September 1st, 2015|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page, Time Management|Tags: , , |

It’s very easy to beat oneself up for not finishing tasks like decluttering, but there are usually pretty good reasons for it. Sure, laziness or lack of motivation can play into it, but what makes tasks difficult is not the actions, but the decisions involved. In fact, my favorite definition of “clutter” is Barbara Hemphill’s “postponed decisions.”

Why I Hate Clutter

By |2023-09-04T10:49:02-04:00February 9th, 2015|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page|Tags: |

I hate clutter because it feels like death. (Can’t accuse me of burying the lead.) Don’t get me wrong. I’m not talking about your purposeful collections, piles of laundry, or ongoing project, sprawled across you table. I’m talking about that excess stuff, with no plan for movement.

Don’t Bring a Trash Bag to a Clutter Fight

By |2014-04-29T17:43:19-04:00April 29th, 2014|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page|Tags: |

In the movie, The Untouchables, there is a scene where an assassin comes to kill the Sean Connery character, who (after a derogatory remark) notes that he has brought “a knife to a gun fight.” He then shoots the assassin. I am reminded of this scene, every time a client tells me “You wouldn’t believe how much I have already thrown out.” In the war on clutter, the trash bag is not the right weapon.

A New Theory on Tossing Old Clutter

By |2014-03-31T19:08:33-04:00March 31st, 2014|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page|Tags: , , , |

There are a lot of reasons for why it is hard to toss our excess stuff, that I have discussed in this blog. For example, there’s clutter from the past that holds sentimental value and there’s clutter for the future that we might need “someday.” Today, however, I want to share a new theory on why we keep clutter, that I don’t believe has ever been addressed before. I call it the check register theory. Here it is.

The Best Answer for the Worst Clutter

By |2023-09-04T10:28:22-04:00July 29th, 2013|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page|Tags: , |

This past weekend an article came out in Minnesota’s Star Tribune that featured an interview with organizing guru, Peter Walsh. In it, Walsh states "Clutter isn’t really about stuff at all. Rather, it’s about our relationship to stuff. Clutter becomes a problem when people look for meaning, support and affirmation from their belongings, instead of from other people." I couldn’t agree more. I’d like to describe an approach I take, to illustrate this point.

Are Vampires Lurking in Your Closet?

By |2020-07-27T17:10:00-04:00June 10th, 2013|Categories: Closet, Clutter Control, Home Page|Tags: , |

Last week a woman was giving me a tour of all the organizing challenges in her home and when we came to a closet upstairs, I asked her, “can I see what’s in here?” She said “Oh, I don’t want to show you that. It’s a DISASTER!” After explaining to her that I was in the disaster business, she let me have a look.

Quantity Dictates Systems

By |2023-12-14T19:11:52-05:00June 3rd, 2013|Categories: Clutter Control, Home Page, Systems|Tags: , , |

One of the questions I get asked most frequently, before starting an organizing project is “What should I buy?” I have a very simple answer: nothing. This is especially true for the big projects we tend to get this time of year, like garages, basements, attics. The reason comes down to this very simple organizing rule: "quantity dictates systems."

Go to Top