professional organizing
articles
to help you get organized!
Maybe You Are a Victim of Clutter
By: Janet L. Hall If you've ever watched Oprah or heard someone speak
about her show - then you've probably heard of Dr. Phil
McGraw. For awhile on Oprah, every Tuesday, Dr. Phil was
conducting, along with 42 volunteers, The Get Real
Challenge. It was interesting to watch - when I could - the
volunteers challenge everything in their life. The goal was to
wake people up and have them start looking at their lives
through a different lens. They were asked to be honest and
specific while dealing with their INTERNAL feelings, or
internal clutter as I refer to it.
In one of the many exercises, Dr. Phil talks about the "tapes"
playing in our heads: " Think of a big tape player in your head
playing a continuous loop. The message that is repeated over and over
becomes so well learned that it becomes an automatic belief. It's time to
go into slow motion for a few minutes and get in touch with what you've
been telling yourself. It's time to talk about your tapes."
Dr. Phil then asks, "What are your tapes playing?"
So I want to ask you:
- What tapes are running through your head regarding your
clutter, possessions, and stuff?
- What tapes are running through your head regarding your
hoarding or packrat of things?
- What tapes are playing in your head that cause you to
continue to bring unnecessary items into your life?
- What tapes are running through your head when you
continue to buy, buy, buy?
- What tapes are playing in your head when you continue to
add more to-do's to your list?
Maybe….
…You grew up during The Great Depression Era where a
piece of twine was as valuable as a piece of fresh fruit.
…You were told to never throw anything away that still had
"life" in it, "just in case," or it's still good for something.
…You were told to NEVER part with a gift given to you - that
you must always keep that gift out where the giver will
always see it.
…You feel you're not good enough for anybody or anything
and your possessions temporarily fill your emptiness.
…You are buried in pain and sadness from the past.
…You feel shame, failure, or embarrassment from all your
clutter and hoarding.
…You feel unimportant or undesired.
OR MAYBE you were told you would NEVER have anything!
Then you're A VICTIM
Dr. Phil goes on to say that we need to name our pain,
reveal the pain so we can move forward. We have all been a
victim of something. Some wrong doing to our bodies. Some
wrong talk of our being. Some injustice to our way of thinking
or dealing with stuff.
Discovering who or what victimized you can be a powerful
release for you, but how do you find it?
Try answering the questions below honestly and to the best
of your ability. Write your answers out. Let the pain and
sadness pour out on the paper. Cry, scream, let it out, and
let it go!
- Who might have hurt you or what deep sadness have you
been carrying around?
- What are you keeping locked up deep down inside you?
- What secrets are you carrying around with you and
possibly using your "stuff" to hide behind?
- When are you going to open up to yourself? Will today be
the day?
- When were you a victim?
- What was done or not done to you?
- What was given or not given to you?
- What was said or told to you over and over again?
- Where is all the anger, fear, and pain coming from? Is it
something you've never dealt with?
- Why won't you talk to yourself or someone about it?
- How are you going to deal with it?
To gain control of your life, your stuff, and the tapes running
through your head you MUST STOP playing the victim! You
will have to get emotionally closer to your sadness and pain
before it can be released or dealt with. You must give your
sadness and pain a voice. One day you must make a turn in
your life and deal with it. Why not today?
Don't let your tapes eat away at you silently - deal with it
today and stop hiding behind your stuff. Allow yourself to go
forward with your life and become clutter free.
Dr. Phil told the volunteers of The Challenge that they
needed some new tapes to start running, and that if they
couldn't do it alone to please get some help! He also told
them they can't change what happened but they can change
what will happen. You choose!
Isn't time to stop feeling or acting the victim because of what
might have happened to you in your past? As long as you
live in the past and have an "oh poor me" attitude you will
NEVER be able to move forward. You are in CONTROL of
your life NOW! You get to decide and take responsibility for
your actions. Not the people that might have done you an
injustice. Not the people that couldn't give you what you
wanted or needed. Not the people that might have given you
too much or too little. Not the people that have hurt you in
some way. If you feel you are lacking something in your life
then just visit any shelter, without judgement, and just see
what lack really is. What do you have that you can give to
others?
Release, unwind, and let go of the tapes that tell you you are
not worthy, you have to keep every gift, you must hold on to
items that are still useful, that you must keep just in case, or
that you must buy, buy, buy.
You need to:
- Address your clutter problems to find the solutions.
- Stop believing what you've been telling yourself; "one day
I'll get organized," or "I'll keep this just in case," or "It's too
good to throw away," or "My best friend gave this to me."
- Declare this a new day with new thoughts.
You NEED to get some new tapes in your head!
Today I'll start to get organized.
Today I'll start to sort through the clutter.
Today I will DECIDE for myself what I should keep.
Today I'm willing to let go of items that no longer serve me,
make me unhappy, have bad memories, or are no longer
wanted.
Once you start releasing (giving) the things that might be
causing your pain, anxiety, or sorrow then get ready to start
receiving (getting) the things you really need, want, or have
been dreaming or wishing for.
The Universe is very powerful and will quickly replace the
things in your life that you've let go of freely with those of
your true needs or desires.
Victim of something - probably.
Freedom to change and make choices - ABSOLUTELY!
"Never be bullied into silence. Never allow yourself to be made
a victim. Accept no one's definition of your life; define
yourself."
--Harvey Fierstein
==========================
(c) 2002-2005 Janet, The Person/Place Energy Mover,
can help you regain control of your life, your time, your
stuff, and your environment. FREE newsletter, OverHall IT! at
http://www.overhall.com/newsletter.htm
Organizing Challenges
and Hurdles
By: Janet L. Hall
By choice or
happenstance you have become disorganized. Life seems to be spinning out
of control, and until you make the choice to take some action things
will only remain the same and probably get worse.
Do organizing challenges
and hurdles stand between you and the life, office, or home you would
like to have?
With every drawer,
cabinet, closet, desk, office, and room you attempt to organize you
might be faced with hurdles:
However, each HURDLE you
overcome and each area you clear will make you stronger AND get you
closer to having a less chaotic life.
Maybe you've tried on
your own to de-clutter but couldn't get over the feelings of discomfort,
or pain you might have had to face. Maybe your obstacles are deeper
inside you; emotional baggage one of my clients calls it.
While dealing with all
your stuff your feelings or thoughts might be upsetting to you as you
sort, toss, and organize.
You might feel anxious
or stressed out, or unable to make decisions. You might not LIKE to face
all your clutter.
Sir George Bernard Shaw
said, "Never mind likes and dislikes; they are of no consequences. Just
do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness."
What feelings or
thoughts start bubbling to the surface when you attempt to organize?
Write them down, or email me.
Would you agree that
choosing to be and being organized would bring a POSITIVE change in your
life?
Why not make a choice
today towards positive change, and start taking control of your life?
Positive change can be difficult; sticking to a schedule or routine can
be demanding, and you might find you'll have to "give up something" to
obtain your organizing goals.
Go ahead, challenge
yourself and make a new choice today, I dare you. You must apply and
make a special effort to your challenges.
Can you make a special
effort to give up for an hour or a day of watching television, reading,
or surfing the Internet to work on getting control of your life?
What can you give up?
Write it down and ask
someone to hold you accountable.
What can you give up for
a week or a weekend?
Write it down and ask
someone to hold you accountable.
What are YOU willing to
do to make a positive change in your life and your future?
Oh, I can hear you now!
I see you’re getting ready to zip me off an email with all your reasons
and excuses. Please don’t, I’ve heard them all. BUT what I want you to
do is write out the excuses you are telling YOURSELF for your
disorganization and then read the following:
In the January, 2001
issue of Oprah, Dr. Phil McGraw answered a person's question about
losing weight in which I would like to quote here for you to think
about. When Dr. Phil is speaking of weight or food you should
substitute clutter or stuff you continue to bring into your life (or any
other challenge you might be having):
You aren't helpless, you aren't lost,
and you don't have the right to give up on yourself.
Your first and greatest challenge is not
the struggle to lose 175 pounds, it's to overcome the self-defeating
internal dialogue that has paralyzed you. You're telling yourself that
you are incompetent, that you are unable to create change. You're
stalled because you are responding to this kind of self-inflicted
criticism, not to the actual challenge of losing weight. Having
convinced yourself of your ineptitude, you might even be consoling
yourself with food, the very substance that has contributed to your
problem.
Are you
consoling yourself with buying more stuff or bringing more stuff into
your life that you don't really need nor have room for?
So what
are you going to do about your challenges and hurdles?
You can
study, learn, and gather as much information as you want, but it won't
make a tiny difference in your life unless you put it to work. I've
discovered a little book that helped me to make quantum leaps in
implementing good ideas. My friend Rick Butts has just published The Big
Butts of Life - Get Off Your Excuses and Do Big Things!
Rick
has excerpted some powerful ideas from this fun and easy read, and is
offering them to you FREE as subscribers to OverHall IT!. Just send an
email to
mailto:kicking@rickbutts.com?subject=janethall for Rick's excellent
three day mini-course, and start kicking those Big Butts (excuses,) out
of the door and start doing the things you really want!
Good
Luck and let me know how you are doing.
==========================
(c) 2002-2005 Janet is an OMI-Certified Organizer,
Certified Pyramid Feng Shui Practitioner, Speaker, and Author
and can help you regain control of your life, your time, your
stuff, and your environment. FREE newsletter, OverHall IT! at
http://www.overhall.com/newsletter.htm
Picture Your
Clutter Gone!
By: Janet L. Hall
In Catherine Ponders
book, The Prosperity Secrets of the Ages, she says, "Psychologists tell
us that the picturing power of the mind is one of man's strongest powers
for success. They say that any picture firmly held in mind is bound to
come forth as a result."
She goes on to tell us
"…that you should picture what you WANT instead of what you do NOT want
because what you constantly picture you will get!" Imagine that! You
could be making your life or clutter worse because you are "seeing
it" as chaotic and cluttered.
Do you believe that? I
SURE DO!
Mental pictures,
picture power, creative visualization, imaging - whatever you refer to
as the practice of "…vividly picturing, in your conscious mind, a
desired goal or objective, and holding that image until it sinks into
your unconscious mind, where it releases great, untapped energies"
(Norman Vincent Peale) is VERY powerful. I know VERY successful people,
including myself that have practiced imaging to get the life we wanted.
Why don't you give it
a try right now? Take two minutes and picture yourself taking control
over your clutter and life.
Close your eyes, get
quiet, take some deep belly breaths, and…
Picture yourself
becoming more active and taking action against your clutter, going
through the piles, the stacks, the boxes, closets, drawers, cabinets,
and anywhere you see clutter!
Become calm and quiet,
and see yourself rising up from your seat or bed.
See yourself starting
to sort through "Fill In the Blank."
Feel the items in your
hands. Examine each item you touch with your eyes, brain, and heart.
Feel the feelings that
are whelming up inside you. Let them in. Is it a sigh of relief that you
are finally starting to get organized? Is it scary? Is it overwhelming?
Is it Tiring? Is it frustrating? That's okay; stand up to your feelings.
Ride with those bad or good feelings - like you're floating on your back
in a rocking ocean. Ride the small and large waves up and down. Lie
there and float with the rhythm - your rhythm- soon it will calm and
you'll be okay - just go with the feelings until you are calm once
again.
Now see the clutter
sorted, put away, and gone. See that you were successful. (If you saw
someone assisting you, in which you needed to pay, picture the right and
perfect person coming to you, and the money needed coming to you also.
Hold this picture in your mind and see how you feel now.
Are you: relieved,
happy, proud, or exhausted? Feel it and enjoy the feelings.
Sit for another
minute. Take another DEEP belly breath. Slowly open your eyes and REALLY
start to take the actions you just pictured.
Now I know many of you
might be thinking this is crazy or off the wall. I also know many have
excuses for their clutter - why things are the way they are - or their
fear of letting go. I know many get attached to not just their "things"
but also their attitudes and their picture of the world, as they see it.
I know many don't take any action, nor never will, as they sit and watch
stuff pile up around them.
I know many don't have
the know how to get organized. Many just don't have any organizing
skills; just don't have a clue as to what to keep or not. Some need
permission, to be held accountable by a friend or mentor, or take a
class or get some coaching. Some need motivated or a good friend.
There is certainly
nothing wrong with not having or wanting and needing any of the above;
however if you don't make the choice to take some kind of action against
your clutter I guarantee you you will have bigger problems and more
severe clutter problems in the coming years. And it's never too late if
you start right now.
Continue to practice
your imaging throughout the days and weeks ahead. It takes little
effort, but you must work on your picturing power everyday until your
action kicks in.
Make a commitment to
yourself TODAY. Start TODAY!
Stand up and chose to
take whatever action you need.
Dr. Peale, author of
Positive Imaging: The Powerful Way to Change Your Life, tells us that
whatever our minds can conceive and believe, and your heart desires, you
can achieve.
For those of you that
read the Bible, you can even read in Mark 11:24 that Jesus says, "What
things so ever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and
ye shall have them."
So what not try,
practice, and work at picturing your clutter gone - what have you got to
lose except some clutter?
==========================
(c) 2002-2005 Janet is an OMI-Certified
Organizer,
Certified Pyramid Feng Shui Practitioner, Speaker, and Author
and can help you regain control of your life, your time, your
stuff, and your environment. FREE newsletter, OverHall IT! at
http://www.overhall.com/newsletter.htm
|
