Life coaching
I had the pleasure of being a guest on the “How to Talk to Men” podcast with Tripp Kramer to talk about my favorite subject, minimalism and organization!
During our conversation, we delve into a sneak peek of my EXACT daily routine (and why you need one!) and the importance of having a solid note taking system. And, of course, a few random topics, such as tongue scraping and the reason I refuse to make my bed. (Thank you, Google!)
Click the button below to check it out!
This is one of the MOST FREQUENTLY asked questions that I get about organization! Watch to learn the solution to dealing with a disorganized spouse (in lieu of divorce! LOL)
I moved to Florida seventeen years ago.
At the time, I hired a moving company in lieu of renting a truck and driving my worldly possessions from Chicago.
The company charged by the amount of boxes or stuff I wanted to transport.
So, the more stuff I moved, the more I would pay.
This was an excellent motivation to purge anything that I didn’t love or use.
With each item, I asked myself, “Am I willing to pay to move this?” Both monetarily as well as in physical space it would take up in my new home.
That move mindset has stuck with me to this day.
I constantly strive to keep my home “move ready.”
If I moved tomorrow, everything in my home would be stuff I would be willing to PAY to take with me.
This mindset completely changes how I view my possessions.
Most of the time, we look at our home as storage space for our things. Our stuff technically fits, so why not keep it?
Because you don’t use it or love it. That’s why.
Just because you CAN store it, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
This distinction is everything. It guides me daily on what I keep in my home.
Try this paradigm shift and see the difference a “Move Mindset” makes.
A weird thing happens when I introduce myself as a minimalism and organization coach.
People instantly rat themselves out.
Typically, I hear one of two variations: “Oh, that’s awesome! I’m super organized!” or “I need you! I’m a mess!”
The people who identify themselves as organized are proud. Like a peacock, you can almost see them fan out their feathers and start strutting around. The ones who identify themselves as disorganized appear to cower in shame as if there is something wrong with them that they can’t get it together.
I just want to scream from the rooftops: IF YOU ARE DISORGANIZED, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU!
Being organized is not a permanent personality trait like hair color or height. (Ok, so maybe hair color is not that permanent.)
It is a learned skill that is not taught in school.
Sure, some people have a natural affinity for it, but anyone can do it!
So, if you are one of those people who identify themselves as disorganized, it doesn’t mean you are destined to a life of lost keys and late arrivals. It means that you haven’t learned the skill of organizing yet. That’s it.
With any new skill, you first acquire the knowledge, then you practice it, and finally you master it.
Organizing is no different. It is a six-step process that is easily learned and easily repeatable.
Stop telling yourself that you will always be this way because you’ve always been this way.
Create a new identity. You can be a peacock.
You can become an organized person tomorrow if that is what you decide and commit to. Having your shit together is not a birth right, it’s a CHOICE.
That is where coaching comes in. I will teach you the skills you never learned.
I have worked with hundreds of people who transform before my eyes. As their physical space transforms, their mental space transforms. They become confident, motivated, their self-esteem skyrockets. They stop feeling so overwhelmed and start feeling like they can take on life. They fan their feathers and strut around because it just feels so good.
If you want to learn, I can help.
I have learned to recognize that crazy, desperate look in the faces of my clients when they are completely overwhelmed with the thought of tackling their organizing project.
They know they need to get organized, but they are paralyzed by the enormity of the task.
So they do nothing.
Spring turns to summer. Summer turns to fall. Their kids grow up and move away. And it nags at them the whole damn time.
While I’m a big fan of setting aside a dedicated chunk of time to roll up your sleeves and dig into an organizing project, I understand that sometimes it just isn’t realistic.
I prefer a different approach.
When you are overwhelmed with the thought of organizing, do this.
Start small.
Do just one itty bitty thing.
Pick a drawer. Just one.
Dump that sucker out, purge what you no longer use. (Don’t fool yourself! You are not hiding that Swiss army knife and 1,000-count pack of rubber bands from anyone but yourself!). Organize what remains.
What happens then is similar to a good first date:
You won’t stop thinking about that drawer. Every time you think of that drawer, you will smile. You’ll want to see more of that drawer. Heck, at the end of the project, you might even kiss the drawer! (I would understand, but please don’t tell anyone else!)
What you’ve done is planted a seed……the rest of your home can be like that drawer!
Next, you date one cabinet. Then, one closet. And, before you know it, you’re dating the whole house!
Now you are unstoppable.
That is the power of momentum. It catches like wildfire and then there is no turning back!
It all starts with one small thing.
Take Action: What is one itty bitty teeny weeny organizing project that you can tackle in ten minutes or less? Next time you are tempted to peruse social media, use that as a cue to spend ten minutes on an organizing project instead. The trade off will be well worth it. Happy dating!