clutter support group Archives

Jan 22

Setting Realistic Benchmarks For Change

By Jonda Beattie How to Declutter: Use Simple Strategies

We’re about a month into the new year and most of us set the intention to make some changes. We set some lofty goals for ourselves. Maybe we see ourselves as 20 pounds lighter or our home cleared of all the holiday clutter and finally the place that we can return to and relax. These are not realistic benchmarks for change. Instead of setting lofty goals that are overwhelming, start with small, modest, and realistic benchmarks for change that you can accomplish and build upon in years to come. Mark Twain stated, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started….

Jan 07

Get Organized To Be Organized

By Diane Quintana What is Your Reason to Get Organized?

Ask just about anyone what their New Year’s Resolution is and a large percentage of them will tell you something about getting organized. Some want to organize their garage, their attic, their basement, kitchen, closets, and the list goes on. It may not even be a specific project; they just say they want to get organized this year. Here’s the problem. Organized is not a destination. When someone says they want to get organized I want to ask what happens when you get there? Something has to change because anyone can get organized. The trick is learning how to be…

Oct 09

How To Create A New Habit With 5 Simple Steps

By Diane Quintana How to Declutter: Use Simple Strategies, Uncategorized

Do you want to create a new habit? It can be truly challenging to first decide what habit you want to create and then to make the habit stick. The author, James Clear, advises readers of his book, Atomic Habits to use the technique of habit stacking when creating a new habit. Do you know about habit stacking? It is when you link two habits together. This sounds simple, right? Well, it is and it isn’t. How to create a new habit There are several steps to take when undertaking this task. Step #1: Identify the habit you want to…

Aug 07

Organizing in 10-Minute Blocks: Household Toolbox

By Jonda Beattie How Long Will it Take to Organize X

Somewhere in most homes there is a place where you store your household tools. These are usually the tools you keep handy for those easy jobs like tightening a screw or hanging a picture. I keep mine in a household toolbox. If you are someone who does a lot of repairs or enjoys woodworking you will probably have a serious stash of tools somewhere else as well. This would most likely not be in your main living area. I store my toolbox on a shelf in my laundry room. Once a year when I deep clean and reorganize my laundry room…

Jul 17

5 Things to Do Before Summer Ends

By Diane Quintana It's All About You: A Personalized Approach to Achieving Your Organizing Goals

School starts in just 3 weeks for many children here in Georgia. Can you believe it? Did you make your children some promises when school let out for the summer that have not been fulfilled? Even if school starts after Labor Day where you live, now’s the time to schedule these things to do before summer ends. Here are 5 Things to Do Before Summer Ends Go Local Be a tourist in your hometown. What are the local attractions, historical sights, museums, recreation centers in your hometown? Have you visited all of them? In these last few weeks of summer…

Jun 18

3 Ways to Use Our Organizing Deck of Cards

By Diane Quintana How to Declutter: Use Simple Strategies

I can’t believe it’s already been two years since Jonda Beattie and I started talking about creating an organizing deck of cards to help people create more order in their homes. We know that one of the best organizing strategies is to break the task down into very small components. So, that’s where we started. Jonda asked the question, “what can you do in 10 minutes?” Everyone has 10-minutes to work on one task, right? That is, if the task is small enough. That’s how we came up with the title: Organize Your Home 10 Minutes at a Time. Then…

May 01

5 Ways to Weed Clutter from Your Home

By Diane Quintana Ask the Organizer How to Organize

As someone who truly loves to be outside and playing in the dirt, I want to share with you some of the similarities between gardening and organizing. Did you know that weeding is similar to organizing? No? I want to share with you 5 ways to weed clutter from your home. This will simplify your routine which, in turn, lets you spend more time on things you love. Remove what you don’t want When you weed the garden, you remove what you don’t want from that patch of the ground. I have found that one of the best ways to…

Mar 20

The Best Reason to Use the Zone Plan to Organize Your Home

By Diane Quintana How to Declutter: Use Simple Strategies

You are probably familiar with the expression “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”? Benjamin Franklin said this way back when. Of course, I don’t know what he was referring to at the time but there are so many applications. Think about a door knob. If it becomes loose, it’s a good idea to tighten the screws before the whole thing falls off. You don’t want to wait too long to attend to this task or you may have an even bigger problem to fix, right? Preventive maintenance is one of the best ways to keep little…

Aug 15

simplify your morning so you can relax into the day

Want to Simplify Your Morning? Do These 5 Things!

By Diane Quintana How to Declutter: Use Simple Strategies

Do you dream of having a quiet and peaceful morning? Maybe you dream that you are sitting at the table enjoying the first steaming hot cup of coffee while reading the headlines waiting for the day to unfold. You can simplify your morning when you retire or maybe sooner than that by tweaking your routine slightly. The morning rush The reality is that we rush around in the morning. There is nothing peaceful about it. We gather the things we need for the day, get breakfast, and make sure that everyone else in the family is also prepared. Then we…

Apr 27

Something is Better Than Nothing

By Jonda Beattie How to Declutter: Use Simple Strategies

Have you ever been told that doing something is better than nothing? This expression applies to almost every circumstance you may come across. Below is a scenario that occurs frequently in my house. I wonder if it has happened to you? A Dinner Party You just prepared a fantastic dinner for a couple with whom you enjoy spending time. The food was fantastic. The company was great and the bottle of wine they brought was simply perfect. They leave about 9:30. You are feeling happy and replete. Then you go into your kitchen and see the natural disaster that has…

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