“Our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go.   But no matter, the road is life.”    ~ Jack Kerouac

With a week to go before  take off for my long anticipated trip to Italy and Macedonia, I confided in Joanna, “I’d be looking forward to this trip if I could only figure out what to pack!” I was embarrassed.  It seems to me that a professional organizer shouldn’t be cowed by the simple task of packing for a vacation; but I didn’t have a clue where to start!

Packing quickly becomes convoluted with multiple layers of “What if’s?”  What if it pours the whole time? What if we have to get really dressed up? What if there are no laundry facilities? What if … what if … what if????

I asked Joanna how she keeps clear and simple about what to bring when she travels. And … out came THE LIST: Back and front of a 4 by 6 index card, hand written, clear and simple. Joanna’s delightful mother-in-law gave her  this list a long while back when Joanna was similarly flummoxed. And now, we offer this list to you, our dear readers. If it’s not on THE LIST, think twice abaout bringing it; though there may be some things on the list that you clearly don’t need. I’ll report back when I’m home and let you know if WHAT I packed supported HOW I want to travel.

THE LIST

Clothing:  Pants - tops – dresses – skirts – sweats – sweater;  Undies: bras – slip – panties – pads – swimsuit;  Feet:  socks – shoes – hose – boots;  Jewelry:  scarves – earrings – rings – bracelets – necklaces – watch; PJ’s: robe – slippers

Medications: Vitamins – first aid items – Tylenol – band-aids

Teeth: Paste – brush – floss

Hair:  Comb – brush – clips – rollers – dryer – shampoo – shower cap – hairspray

Cosmetics:  Lotions – makeup – sunscreen – deodorant – insect repellant – nail clippers – file – scissors – razor

Outerwear:  Coat – jacket  – gloves – hat – scarf – sunshade – rain jacket – umbrella

Purse or tote or backpack

OTHER STUFF

Car:  Snacks – water – gum – paper towels – tissue – GPS – tapes/CD’s for listening – blanket – pillow

Books:  Magazines – datebook – notebook/journal – pens – pencils – needlework – photos to share

Camera:  Film/batteries – binocs – video camera

List of names:  Addresses – phone #’s – phonecard – money – moneybelt – passport – credit cards – copies of important papers in case they get lost

Laundry:  Bag, small portable clothesline

Flashlight:  travel clock – suitcase lock and key

Gifts

Try out THE LIST to curb your packing frustrations or let us know if there’s another method that’s helped keep you clear and simple!

Ciao!  Sue (and Joanna)

P.S.  Joanna will be happy to help you while I’m away.  Just give her a call at:

802-258-4800    Cell phone  802-380-0301

“Sometimes one likes foolish people for their folly, better than wise people for their wisdom.”                                                      Elizabeth Gaskell, novelist and short story writer

When I think of April Fool’s Day, I’m reminded of the pranks my siblings and I played on our parents:  Salt in the sugar bowl, the plastic snake hidden in the Captain Crunch … Knowing a tip would be going out on April 1st, my curiosity kicked in.  I decided to do a little research to see how this odd celebration got started.

Prior to 1582, the New Year was celebrated for 8 days, beginning March 25^th and culminating April 1^st.   The Gregorian calendar was introduced during the reign of Charles IX in 1582.  But, times being what they were (internet access was atrocious!), word spread slowly.  Years later, folks were still celebrating the New Year on April 1st.  These, understandably backward folk became the targets of pranks – “April Fools.”

Three months ago, on what we now celebrate as New Year’s Day, many of us made pledges for 2010:  We would exercise more, pay bills on time, clean out the garage.  How are you doing?  If you’re like the majority of resolution-makers, you’ve abandoned your well-laid plans long ago.  I know I have!  But now we have a second chance – New Year’s Day on April First!

Here are three suggestions that will increase your chances of success:

First, define the next actionable step for each of your goals.  What is one concrete action that will move you closer to your goal?  If your goal is to clean out the garage, you might need to buy some heavy-duty garbage bags.  The step doesn’t need to be difficult or time consuming:  It simply gets you going.

Second, schedule an appointment with yourself to complete that next actionable step.  Put it in your calendar even if the step can be completed in 15 minutes.  And then keep your rendezvous with the same determination that you’d keep an appointment with a hard-to-reach professional.

Third, declare your commitment! Tell a friend – or better yet, tell several friends.  Ask them to check in with you about your progress, and “coach” them in how tough you want them to be.  Accountability is often the key to unlocking resolution-success.

So, here’s our April Fool’s Day tip: Pretend you’re a fool from 1582 and make your New Year’s resolution today!  But on this New Year’s Day, don’t make your resolution an April Fool’s Joke!

For more about these concepts, see David Allen’s Getting Things Done – a fantastic resource!

“I’ve been getting rid of some clutter – anything that doesn’t serve a positive purpose in my life – and making room for things that feel happy to me.  Because I get to make my life whatever I want it to be.  I get to make the room feel however I want it to feel.  I get to make the closet as full or as spacious as I want it.  And, if I have more clutter to get rid of after Christmas, I’m not going to wait a year, or two or three to do it.”
~ Jan Denise, American Author, Columnist and Speaker

At the end of this tip, I’ve reprinted a wonderful letter from May, my virtual friend, colleague and client, who lives in Scotland (visit her at: www.delicioushealing.com).  We did all our work over the internet, using photos and SKYPE.  It was an exciting adventure for us both.  [To find out more about "virtual consultations," check our website.]  In her letter, May mentions tips that have really WORKED for her and then issues us a huge challenge!

First off, BRAVO May! It is great hearing about your successes! It’s your challenge that I want to address here: Getting Stuff OUT after you’ve sorted it!

I’m impressed by your stalwart resolve to not hide the stuff away, even when company arrives.  But, I need to clarify: The MOST important piece in organizing is to not cause yourself undue stress.  If you haven’t disposed of the sorted stuff after a week’s time (or by the time company is due to arrive) I strongly suggest that you SCOOP IT: Put it in a box, note the date and contents on the outside and put it in the garage.  I can almost hear readers quake, “OH NO!  It will just sit there!”  Yes, it will just sit there until you move it out; but your living space will be clear and happy.  Your living space is part of your prime real estate – where you and your family spend most of your time. As such, it needs to stay clear (or as clear as possible) of miscellaneous clutter.

Other options: Have a friend take away the boxes.  Both Sue and I are adamant recyclers.  BUT, exactly HOW to dispose of stuff can really tie people up in knots.  YOUR time and energy are vital resources – So sometimes the wisest choice, if you really don’t care about the stuff and it isn’t valuable, is to let a friend get rid of it for you without getting caught up in HOW.

I don’t know if it’s allowed in Scotland, but it works well in the States to put things out on the curb with a big sign that says, “FREE.”  I will always remember a bulky computer desk which a client and I dragged out to the side of the road.  Before we even brought the drawers out, a driver had stopped and asked us to please save it for him – he was going to get a truck.  One person’s junk is another person’s treasure!

Regarding a TAKE OUT pile, I suggest having just ONE box that is always ready to deliver to Goodwill or similar place.  This works for your ongoing de-cluttering.  But when you have a MAJOR DE-CLUTTERING MARATHON you need to plan ahead to move the many boxes you’ll generate OUT, or else the job won’t truly feel complete.

One final suggestion: If your “exit strategy” is truly STUCK, call a friend and commit to a plan. Tell him or her HOW MANY boxes you are exiting from the house, WHERE they are going and WHEN you are taking them there.  And, write it in your calendar as well.  I also suggest you REWARD yourself in some way, especially if you’ve been really stuck (the stuff has been there over a month).

By now you may have moved it all but do let us know.  Sue and I often do the delivery for our clients, leaving their place with our cars stuffed to the gills. If they want a donation receipt we’re happy to get one filled out and mail it to them.

Hope this helps a bit.  Thanks VERY much for writing!

Joanna (and Sue)

802-258-4800

Dear Joanna,

Thought I’d share my latest, inadvertent, de-clutter – where I used some of your tips,and still have some challenges.

Our student son was short of cash, so I said I’d pay him to paint our living room. Being the most public – and least cluttered – room in the house, I thought this would be easy, and the decorating went smoothly. Having removed all the ornaments etc to the dining room, I remembered your ‘treasure cupboard’ idea, emptied two drawers, and put away most of the ornaments with the idea that each week, one of the four of us could put things away, and put out their chosen pieces for the week. With fewer ornaments dusting is abreeze.

I really like the energy in this room now – and have found myself taking my laptop through to work there!  What an unexpected bonus.  I would never have thought of starting with the least cluttered room.  There was also stuff we didn’t want to keep, so I followed another of your tips – and placed it on and under a small table in the hall.  I even resisted the temptation to hide it away in when visitors/clients came.  Now, two weeks on, it’s all still there.  So, I’m wondering if you have a tip on moving stuff on.  There’s a globe, some craft stuff, a coffee table, and something to enlarge drawings.

I guess it could all go the the charity chop, or to Freecycle, yet I’m just not shifting it.  Also, a pile of audio tapes, video tapes and some other bits and pieces whose future is still to be decided in the dining room.

This experience has motivated me to tackle our bedroom and also my office again – where things have built up.

So many thanks for your tips, and I’m hoping you have one for me on getting stuff out of the house!

Love,  May

We must care for each other more and tax each other less. ~ Bill Archer

So here we are, nearing the end of February; April 15th is still a misty apparition on the horizon.  And when you’re busy managing the
rest of your life, it’s easy to forget that taxes are due in only 8 weeks.

What would it be like not to make a mad dash to the 4/15 finish line?  Can you imagine yourself mailing that envelope on April 1st – and NOT as an April Fool’s joke.

At Breathing Space we care most about making space for what really matters to you.  At the same time there are some mundane basics that have to be in place. For most people that includes TAXES.

If you plan to use a tax preparer, schedule NOW! Some preparers charge higher fees the closer it is to April 15th, or are simply
unavailable.  And making that appointment gives you the
motivation for your next step … Scheduling time with yourself to
gather receipts, go through paperwork and gather needed information
- Something you’ll need to do whether you are using a tax preparer
or not.  And don’t wait until April or the day before your scheduled
appointment with your tax preparer:  Allow time for unexpected
glitches, because they always crop up.

Use your first appointment with yourself to create a home for your tax documents.If you don’t already have one, set up an all-year-round tax filing system.  It might seem like closing the
barn door after the horse has run away, but trust me, this is worth
the time and effort.  You’ll thank me next year when you tackle
2010 taxes.

A file cabinet, box or accordion file work great for your taxes’
new home.  Choose a bright color for your files (mine are yellow)
to distinguish them from your other files.  Clearly label each file
folder.  Basic categories may include:  Medical, childcare,
mortgage, work, investments, donations, student loans, credit card
and bank statements.

You’ll also need a checklist of required tax documents, such as
W-2’s, 1099’s and interest statements.  You can get this list from
your tax preparer, by referring to last year’s taxes or by looking
online.  Check out:  www.hrblock.com and search for tax tips.  They
have an individualized checklist that’s great.  Don’t forget
statements from your childcare provider (including Federal ID number) and house of worship, if you made donations in 2009.  Also, you can sign up on your health insurance provider’s websites to access payments.

Remember to divide and conquer: Work in small chunks of time, or
tackle it room by room or drawer by drawer.  Don’t be afraid to ask
for help.  One client related how she showed her 10 year old
daughter what to look for (her receipts were crammed in the junk
drawer along with gum wrappers, pencil stubs and twisted
paperclips) and then gave her a nickel for every receipt she found.
Happy daughter, happy mom!

Put on some lively music as you dissect your wallet and rout
through your glove compartment – It’ll make time fly.  As you
uncover receipts and paperwork, ask yourself, “What is it?  Do I
need to keep it?  In what category does it belong?”  Make sure you
create an, “I don’t know” file for items that need further
research.  Then, FILE IT in its own, brightly colored file folder
and CHECK IT OFF on your list!

With your receipts in order, ready to grab and process when you
need them, you’re halfway home to completing your taxes.  And the
most onerous part of the job (more most folks) is behind you.

When it comes to preparing our taxes, we need to learn from the
turtle:  Slow and steady crosses the finish line with shell intact.
But slow and steady only works if you start early.  So, pull out
your calendar and make that first tax-preparation date!

Share your favorite  tax strategies  on our blog and

Happy Turtling!

I am more and more convinced that our happiness or our unhappiness depends far more on the way we meet the events of life than on the nature of those events themselves.
~ Karl Wilhelm von Humboldt

I have always loved Valentine’s Day, but not for its Hallmark glitz or heart-shaped candy boxes.  Valentine’s Day gives us the opportunity to stop and express our love and gratitude.

In anticipation of the 14th and in gratitude for my mother, who taught me to love, I offer you these words.

My mother has mid-stage Alzheimer’s.  Her memory is slowly drifting away.  The memories of her lifetime and our family before she was born are no longer accessible.  I can no longer ask her to name
those people that look a bit like me in the black and white photos
stored in the cedar chest.  I’ll never know the stories behind the
quirky candlesticks or the (obviously) cheap tin candy dish.   Why
did she keep what she kept?  I meant to ask her years ago.  I meant
to make an album of remembrances and capture those precious times
before they slipped away.  But I was busy doing other things.  And
now it’s too late.

I have plenty of time to ponder these things during my 1 1/2 hr
drive to Amherst to visit my folks.  I know that what is most
important is my mother’s presence, and I strive to cherish the time
I have with her.   But her declining health is a reality check:  A
reminder that I don’t have all the time in the world.  All I have -
all any one of us have – is the present:  The RIGHT NOW.  And so,
in the present, I take out those photos and share them with her.
Sometimes they spark a memory or bring forward a face or a time or
a story, and sometimes they are just blurred faces in black and
white.

I can’t change the past.  What I CAN change is how I handle the
stuff of memories in my own attic and cedar chest: The memories
that I don’t want lost.

Sorting through lifetimes’ of stuff and recording important
memories has been a Breathing Space theme for years.  Joanna urges
clients and workshop participants to – PLEASE SORT YOUR STUFF NOW!
Do it while you can still get up and down the ladder to the attic.
Sort it while you can still recall the name of your first love or
the beach where you found your first intact starfish.   Without the
stories, the meaning the item had for you is lost.  If something is
a treasure,  put a tiny note with it – Under the base of the
candlesticks or in the little box with the rings:  Whose were they
and what was the occasion?

Obviously your kids and their kids can enjoy things just knowing
that they belonged to you, or their grand parents or ancestors.
But if the thing is a treasure, something that matters to you, then
give your loved ones the treasure along with the thing and thus,
pass along a treasured piece of yourself.  With this mindset,
decluttering become a treasure hunt.  As you create more space ,
cherish the items that truly touch your heart.  And take that extra
moment to write down why.  Those memories could be the best
Valentine’s Day gift you ever give!

If you are anything like me,  you may already have felt that the summer is going to disappear before you know it.  Today however  I tried something that  really surprised me and thus I am sending it onward to you ~

Take the TEN minute challenge. YES- 10 minutes!  It’s pretty huge.

After your next task is done – take T E N WHOLE MINUTES to do NOTHING. Only after that,  start on your next action. This may seem completely impossible as you look at it now. That was my reaction. If  so—try it for the next 4 hours only. I believe you will discover time that you didn’t imagine could exist.

One task done.  STOP for TEN WHOLE MINUTES. Then on to the next task. It’s pretty radical!  I discovered a very different world and still  got a bunch done – maybe more and definitely more sanely. Give it a try and let me know how it goes.

_

This will feel familiar to many readers- I’m sure!

“OK, Joanna, here’s my big challenge – how to keep the house
organized and tidy when I live with three very untidy people. I
know the philosophy  ‘as I declutter and tidy, they will follow
suit.’   Well it hasn’t worked! Any other suggestions??

Disorganized space works for them, but it doesn’t for me. Hmm, so you’re probably going to suggest we all talk about it….my needs,theirs…tricky when I’m in the minority! You’ll sense I’m feeling rather defeated with this one! Over to you…”

First- thank you for your honesty! By now you may well have
resolved the issue. If you have- DO let me know how!

Also- sorry it’s taken me a long time to respond. It’s partly
because I’ve been questioning my own thinking on this one.

Just the other day in my “DECLUTTER” workshop I heard myself giving
my standard advice … ” 1)Each person should have one area that is
totally theirs – to keep as messy or tidy as they wish- with no
comment or interference allowed from ANYONE! 2) The degree of order
vs. disorder in shared space needs to be agreed upon in a way that
the tidiest person can live with it.”

Hmmmmmmmmm.  I’ve been realizing that that is how I’ve managed the
issue over the years and it’s worked pretty well for me. But I
haven’t had a three to one ratio. And recently I’ve begun to question
my theory.

I would still start by asking if you have claimed any space that is
TOTALLY yours to enjoy- which you can maintain at exactly your level
of order?  A refuge? And do each of them have a space clearly
allocated as THEIRS – which they can keep at their level of clutter
with NO complaints from you.” THAT remains the first step in my books.

But then- there’s the shared space! One of the problems is wanting
more than one thing at the same time — loving your family and wanting
to share time and space with them WHILE feeling drowned in their
clutter and wanting them to CHANGE!!!  This is where I think my
answer is shifting …scary! I’m not sure any more that the tidiest
person should rule. RADICAL

Yes– I WOULD talk with them again(especially since you have 2
nearly grown kids) but this time, try discussing the matter without
the thought that your way is definitely the right one. MAYBE since
there are FOUR competent people in the house – each person in the
house gets one week out of 4 being IN CHARGE and during that time is
the BOSS of the space and RULES what the shared space looks like.

This is just an idea. But since what you have been trying is only
discouraging – maybe try this. See what happens. At least you will
have 12 weeks plus a few days in the year when you can be absolute
boss and have your home as you want it. Those are the weeks
when you would have guests over. The rest of the time would be more
or less what it is now .. OR maybe not. Who knows?

How about trying this for Valentine’s Day. Start this Sunday!  Give someone else dictator status for the first week. You could probably survive the experiment for one month – all of you would know more by mid -March.

Try it?

In Feng Shui however, they say that the basement is like your unconscious… bothers you even when you aren’t aware of it. And I definitely had a sense of being plagued – at least each time I went down with the wash.

But life is real and there’s TONS else that’s more important to do. No question about that! Whenever I thought about dealing with the basement it was a no-go. No matter how many times I put it on my TO DO list -it just sat there. YUCK!

Finally last week, despite the holidays just around the corner – I’d HAD IT with the basement.  I phoned my friend Suzette, who used to be my assistant, to ask if she could possibly come over and help ME.

Well, it took us FOUR hours last Friday working together! No way would I have done it on my own ! At one point, Suzette asked me what was in the old work bench with drawers. NOTHING!  It’s been sitting there with a bit of gardening stuff on it since we moved in. Well she said, ““What about THAT for paint brushes, rollers, scrapers, clean rags etc etc.”  So we put the stuff in the drawers and labeled the drawers. Not rocket science but feels BRILLIANT!

You wouldn’t believe how much better I feel. I have a yummy sense of the order and calm that are down there below me!  And there was clearly NO WAY I was going to get it done by myself .

I am SOOOOOOOOOOO glad I asked for help and can start the New Year with an UN-annoying basement. I think most of us have more than enough good intentions! And then bang our heads into whatever it is that makes it hard to DO what we intend! Thus my advice to myself and you is:  if you are STUCK in any way ASK FOR HELP! That, in fact, is going to be my ONLY New Year’s Resolution! Want to join me?

Wishing you an incredible 2009!

Remember the ads “For the man who has everything!…” and then there’s some expensive gadget you’re supposed to buy to show that you love him and have been thinking of him.

WAIT! STOP! HALT! Consider the purpose of a gift! It seems to me that the main purpose is exactly what the ads suggest- to let the receiver know that you love them and have them in your radar. I think that most of all we want that sense of caring both from giving and receiving…a sense of kindness in the air. But can that happen without STUFF? I think so.

Here are some possibilities:

A. Think about the person- their favorite dreams and activities -and find a related non-profit group and donate to it. Then put  together information and a card saying that a donation was given in that person’s honor. (This may take a leap of faith at first but I know families where this has become the major present each year.)

B. Give some “warm fuzzy time” … coupons for time together! A promise for a shared activity that might not happen otherwise. Coupons -good for three long walks together or whatever it is that you know the person especially loves to do with YOU.  Or give a service instead of stuff – something you or someone else can do – snow shoveling, a massage … *

C. Agree to only re-gift this year! Who says that NEW is better? Is there a book you really LOVED reading that your friend would enjoy? Is there something wonderful in your space that you really don’t notice anymore- that would be very welcome in someone else’s life?

I bet you will have more ideas. Some may involve money; some may not. Some people like to ask for wish lists; other’s find that annoying. To me the bottom line is – does the gift express your warmth toward
the person? Put on your thinking cap for gifts that don’t add to an already overstuffed life or landfill.

Wishing you warm sharing and happy celebrations!
Blessings,  Joanna

____________________________________________________________________
* I suppose this is the time to remind you that Breathing Space Gift Certificates are available and can be a perfect gift!

3705 Quinaby Rd NE, Salem, OR 97303, USA