Archives for September 2010

Ask Unclutterer: Why do people struggle with clutter?

Reader Juliette submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I know why I fight clutter: After a long day at work the last thing I want to do is housework. But is this the same reason as everyone else? Are we all working too hard and too many hours to take care of our stuff?

After years of doing what I do, I’ve found that most people who struggle with clutter fall into one of the eight following categories:

  1. Overwhelmed by the task, don’t know where to begin. Feeling overwhelmed can be paralyzing. When you are plagued with anxiety, it can be tempting to ignore the problem and just hope it goes away.
  2. Fear of being forgotten, their stuff is the only proof they have lived. As humans, we know we’re mortal but wish we weren’t. Since the beginning of human history we have been looking for ways to be remembered. People who fear their mortality often have issues with this, especially sentimental clutter.
  3. Fear of change or of the future. The past may have been a glorious time, and since the future is uncertain, it can be tempting to hold onto everything from the past. Even if the past wasn’t so glorious, it’s at least a known quantity. This also ties in with people who look at objects and think, “I might be able to use this some day.” It stems from a fear that one might not be able to acquire needed items in the future.
  4. Experienced a major life change, such as death of a family member, a marriage, or a new baby. Major life changes can be difficult because they often come with a lot of stuff — a death means you might have to process someone else’s stuff, a marriage could mean you have to merge two households, and a new baby is a combination of exhaustion and new stuff. Usually these influxes of clutter are short term, but they’re still stressful (even if a good stress).
  5. Poor decision-making and/or time-management skills, simply don’t know how. Decision-making and time-management skills are learned, not engrained. They need to be practiced just like a toddler practices walking and a guitarist practices his craft. Michael Phelps didn’t wake up one morning with a new ability to be an Olympic gold medal winner — he spent years practicing. If a person hasn’t practiced and trained to have strong decision-making and time-management skills, she isn’t going to know how to handle everything that comes her way. She’ll often keep something out of guilt or habit.
  6. Lack of energy. Many people call this “being lazy,” but I think it’s really a lack of energy. If you don’t get the right amount of sleep your body needs, eat foods that best fuel the mind and body, and move around a lot during the day, you’re going to have less energy than you need to get things accomplished. And this isn’t a weight issue, either. There are people of all shapes and sizes who don’t eat or sleep well who struggle with insufficient energy.
  7. Side effect of a physical disability or mental disorder. If you’re not of sound body and/or mind, it’s understandably a challenge to get through the day. These people benefit greatly from the help of professionals to assist them.
  8. Don’t want to, don’t see any reason to change. I wouldn’t say that these people actually “struggle” with clutter, though people who come into contact with them probably do. The truth is that being an unclutterer is not the only way to a remarkable life. For some people, clutter isn’t an obstacle. And, as long as the person with the stuff isn’t a danger to himself or others (just messy, not a hoarder), I don’t see this as a problem. People need to do what is the best path for them to achieve the life they desire.

Based on the information in your question, you might have issues with clutter because of insufficient time-management skills. This is just a guess, though, I’m basing on your use of the phrase, “working too hard and too many hours.” You might read through the list and see another category (or two) that suits you better. I was a clutterer because of many of the reasons listed, but mostly because I had awful sleeping and eating habits, poor time-management skills, and didn’t realize clutter was keeping me from living a remarkable life. Throw in my physical disability and a mild fear of being forgotten and I think that sums up all of my reasons for living so many years as a clutterbug.

We all have our reasons for struggling with clutter — and there are certainly a few reasons people fight clutter that don’t conveniently fit into one of these eight categories — so be sure to read the comments to learn about why different readers are here. Additionally, there are hundreds of posts in our archives that address how to handle each of these categories of clutter. Thank you, Juliette, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column. Good luck in your pursuit of a remarkable life.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Sep 17, 2010 | 35 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Computer desk makeover

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Apostrophe Lover’s transformed desk into a baby changing and storage station:

Apostrophe Lover explained the redesign in the comments to the photographs:

It’s actually a repurposed computer desk. I’m a working, first-time parent (as is my spouse), and I wanted to have everything organized and accessible for those bleary-eyed baby changings. The trash can (the step function is essential) sits where the computer once did.

When closed, the baby station just looks like an armoire. The baby’s laundry basket is just to the right (soiled items can be tossed in even when the station is open).

On the inside of the right door is a hanging organizer “For those extra things that don’t get used every day, but that need to be nearby: nasal aspirator, cotton swabs, corn starch, Desitin, and nail clippers.”

Check the Flickr pool for more photos and even the cutie baby boy who “works” here. Thanks to Apostrophe Lover for this great office transformation.

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Sep 17, 2010 | 10 Comments | Tweet This

Assorted links for September 16, 2010

A handful of interesting links related to uncluttering, organizing, and simple living from this week’s news:

Posted by Erin on Sep 16, 2010 | 3 Comments | Tweet This

Use one-sentence purpose statements to be more productive in your communications

Before you pick up the phone, schedule a meeting, or construct an e-mail, you should be able to express the reason for the communication with a one-sentence purpose statement. Similar to a thesis statement in a report or memo, you need to know exactly where you’re going before you begin writing or talking so you can get to your point as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Here are some examples of hideously bad purpose statements:

At the end of this phone call, I will have convinced my co-worker to cover for me on Friday while I’m on vacation.

At the end of this meeting, attendees will have discussed what is on the agenda.

At the end of this e-mail, I will have expressed my anger about this project.

These purpose statements are vague, lack tangible actions, and don’t include much direction for getting you where you want to go with your communication. You’re also not likely to get the response you desire with purpose statements like these because the recipient of the communication could easily be confused by what you’re intending.

A well-constructed purpose statement is concrete and specific, and it also identifies why the specific communication is best achieved through the phone call, meeting, or e-mail.

To develop your purpose statement, complete the following sentence: “At the end of the [communication], [person/people] will …”

Here are some examples of significantly better purpose statements:

At the end of the phone call, Susan will have agreed to change her shift on September 29 with my shift on September 17.

At the end of the meeting, attendees will have drafted a one-page annual strategy statement that will guide our team over the next year.

At the end of this e-mail, Claudia will know I believe purposefully missing the deadline for the project without notifying the client could possibly lead to us losing this client, not being paid in full for our work, or not covering the salaries of those working on the project.

When you know what you want for the final result of your communication, you’re more likely to achieve it and save time for everyone involved in the conversation. Quickly draft these one-sentence statements on your computer or pen them on a notepad before every out-going communication and look at them during your conversations to keep you on track. Say them aloud or print them at the top of your meeting agendas so everyone in the meeting knows why they have been gathered. Know where you’re going, so you’ll be sure to get there.

Posted by Erin on Sep 16, 2010 | 17 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: 1 lb Fat Model Replica

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

After injuring my foot this past winter, my doctor prohibited me from running and walking for more than a mile a day until my foot completely healed. About a month ago, I finally got the green light to return to running, and I was thrilled to be able to exercise again.

However, not running for five months had some consequences on my body. I am extremely slow now, can only run 1/4 mile before having to walk for awhile, I have to carry a change of socks with me because if my socks get sweaty I instantly get blisters, and I weigh 20 pounds more than I did at the time of my injury.

That’s right, I gained 20 pounds in five months. I had no idea what that looked like — simply looking in the mirror was ineffective — so I jumped online and ordered 20 Fat Replicas, 1 lb each:

Now that I have my 20 Fat Replicas, I know how much weight I gained! If it weren’t for the 1 lb Fat Model Replicas, I’d be oblivious to what it felt like to carry an extra 20 pounds of fat. I bet you’re thinking, “But Erin, can’t you tell since it’s YOUR body?” Well, that is just silly! It is 100 percent impossible to know what weight feels like without the Fat Replicas.

As I shed the fat and start to regain muscle, I’m going to have to order some of the 1 lb Body Muscle Replicas so I’ll know what muscle feels like, too!

Thanks to reader Dominic for bringing this unitasker to our attention.

Posted by Erin on Sep 15, 2010 | 45 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2009

  • Banishing the No Momentum Monster
    We want to again welcome guest author Alex Fayle, the writer and professional organizer behind the helpful anti-procrastination website Someday Syndrome. This is his second post of three in a series on fighting procrastination.
  • Prioritizing uncluttering and organizing projects
    Reader Jane wrote in and asked us how she should decide where to begin uncluttering and organizing in her home. I got the feeling from her e-mail that she feels overwhelmed by the tasks ahead of her and doesn’t know where to start. I always suggest starting in one of three ways
  • Flattening the Never Finishing Monster
    When we don’t finish projects we leave the door open to chaos. We let the Never Finishing Monster into our lives and everything around the place needs just a few adjustments to finish, but nothing’s totally completed.
  • Hoarders: Geralin Thomas discusses her experience on the show
    Professional organizer Geralin Thomas, who appeared on the first and second episode of the show, details her experiences in a post on her blog.

Posted by PJ on Sep 15, 2010 | Comments Off | Tweet This

The dimensions of stuff

In Peter Walsh’s It’s All Too Much Workbook (the companion piece to his popular It’s All Too Much) he discusses the physical limitations of storage and how to use math to determine how much you can keep and have your home be clutter free.

From page 63:

While you are figuring out what fits where, there is a concrete way to measure your space for what it can contain. I’ve said it before: You can’t fit four cubic feet of stuff into two cubic feet of space and not have clutter. So get out your tape measure and see what will work in the space you have.

First, measure your shelving space or bookshelves or hanging space and use the table below to work out how many of a particular item will fit.

Peter provides the following “cheat sheet” to identify how many of one item will fit into a linear foot of space:

VHS tapes — 11
DVD cases — 20
CDs in jewel cases — 29
Magazine box with 10 magazines — 3 (30 magazines total)
Books — 12 (on average)
Jeans/pants — 12
Shirts/blouses — 15
Heavy jackets/suits — 6
Shoes — Estimate about 8 inches per pair

To put his numbers to work, let’s look at his estimation that books average about an inch a piece. To properly store 100 books, you should have 100 inches of bookshelf space. The popular Expedit bookcase from Ikea has shelves that are 13 inches, so you would need 7 shelves of an Expedit bookcase to hold 100 books. Since there are 16 shelves on an Expedit bookcase, you could store approximately 208 books total on the shelves.

Knowing exactly how much storage space you have and exactly how many items you can store in that space can make it easier to decide what to keep and what to purge. Let the math do the work.

Posted by Erin on Sep 15, 2010 | 5 Comments | Tweet This

Are you productively or destructively wasting time?

I’m a proponent of wasting time when it feeds a greater purpose, such as when it recharges your body and mind, strengthens a relationship, or introduces you to a new way of looking at things. A former colleague of mine had a jelly bean dispenser in her office, and while on mid-afternoon strolls by her desk we sometimes solved work-related problems just by casually talking them over with each other.

What isn’t productive, however, is wasting time as a procrastination technique, to avoid responsibilities, or to take advantage of someone else.

If you don’t know the difference between productive and destructive time wasting, here is a simple way to tell:

Imagine your boss or a well-respected colleague were to walk by your desk and have immediate and full access to what you were doing and thinking. Would you change your behavior?

If the answer is “no,” you’re very likely in the productive time wasting category and you should feel comfortable with what you’re doing. Remember that even bosses and respected colleagues take breaks from time-to-time, so be realistic when you’re constructing your answer.

If the answer is a strong “yes,” however, you’re in the destructive time wasting category and it’s time for you to get back to work.

Posted by Erin on Sep 14, 2010 | 20 Comments | Tweet This

Getting your child out the door in the morning, on time

If you have school-age children, you’re well aware that some mornings can be difficult. Even highly organized children have a few mornings each month where there is a melt down and things fall apart.

Here are a few tips to help get your children (and you) out the door on time:

Is your child getting enough sleep? When children go through growth spurts, they often need more sleep than at other times. If their courses are more difficult this year than in the past, they might need more sleep to mentally process all that they’re learning. Talk with your child’s pediatrician to determine what is the best amount of sleep for your child.

Are parents ready before children? It’s easier to help your child in the morning if you’re already up and prepared for your day. The younger the child, the more important this is.

Have you planned for 15 extra minutes? No matter the day, you should always plan an extra 15 minutes into your morning schedule. Don’t have a super tight schedule, because if things go wrong your child will be late for school. When an emergency arises, it’s wonderful to have the additional time.

Are materials set the night before? Clothes, packed backpack, extra curricular sports or dance bag, lunch (in the refrigerator, but ready to go), and whatever materials your child needs for the next day should be prepared before your child goes to bed.

Do you have an “out-the-door” checklist? All children (and even adults) can benefit from a checklist for what to remember in the mornings. I recommend typing up the checklist and laminating it. Then, let your child use a dry erase marker or a wax pencil to check items off the list before heading out the door. You can also add special items to the list (Don’t forget your signed grade card!) when there are daily items your child needs to remember. Older children might not need to physically check items off the list, but they should stop and review it mentally.

Do you scream or sing in the morning? The Happiness Project author Gretchen Rubin recommends in “Tips for being a more light-hearted parent” to “Sing in the morning. It’s hard both to sing and to maintain a grouchy mood, and it sets a happy tone for everyone—particularly in my case, because I’m tone deaf and my audience finds my singing a source of great hilarity.” Keeping a light-hearted mood can help inspire your kids to also have positive outlooks — which can help set the morning tone.

Is everything okay at school? If you’ve tried every piece of advice for getting your child out the door on time and still can’t do it, you might want to talk to your child’s teacher or a trusted person at your child’s school. There might be a bigger issue you need to investigate (abuse, bullying, isolation, etc.).

Check out Unclutterer’s “Don’t forget your materials” and the comments to the post for additional tips and tricks. Good luck!

Posted by Erin on Sep 13, 2010 | 29 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2009

  • Stuff versus relationships
    People often choose the comfort of stuff over relationships because relationships can be scary. People can reject you. People are sometimes critical and judgmental. People can be mean, insensitive, and heartless. People can leave you, abandon you, and disappoint you. But your stuff never will. That is, until your stuff chokes the life out of you.
  • Unitasker Wednesday: Itzbeen
    It’s called the Itzbeen because it is a timer that tracks how long “it has been” since you last fed, changed, or put your child down for a nap. You know, in case your screaming live human infant isn’t a clue that you are neglecting him, or if it isn’t extremely obvious that the breathing lump of flesh next to you is your napping child.
  • The state of self-storage in the U.S.
    The New York Times ran an incredibly well-researched and informative article this weekend on the current state of the self-storage industry. The article gives insight into how the downturn in the economy is affecting storage units in terms of capacity and purpose of use. Additionally, the article confirms that the majority of units remain full of clutter, but it paints a vivid picture of people who are using the spaces for other, non-clutter reasons.
  • Vanquishing the Getting Started Monster
    There’s only one thing to get yourself started uncluttering, and that is to get rid of the Getting Started Monster.

Posted by PJ on Sep 12, 2010 | Comments Off | Tweet This

Ask Unclutterer: Should my family have more than one computer?

Reader Angela submitted the following to Ask Unclutterer:

I work from home with one laptop (a MacBook), which is all I need — until my two children (10 and 15) come home! Then, it’s a fight over who needs the computer. I am usually finished with work, but I may want to surf and check my email. The kids claim to have homework, but I seriously doubt their teachers are assigning videos from YouTube! Anyway, my question for you and the Unclutterer readers is, “How many computers do you think are normal for a family of three?” I am trying to buy less and save more, but I really want another Mac!

To answer your stated question about how many computers are normal for a family of three, the answer is one computer. The Kaiser Family Foundation (using data from the US Department of Commerce) reports that although 90 percent of children in 2009 have access to a computer at home, only 36 percent of children ages 8-18 have their own computers in their bedrooms. So, most children are using a shared family computer in their homes.

However, these facts are meaningless if you are interested in getting a second computer. Evaluate your situation, save the $1,500 for a new Mac, and then buy one if you decide it is what is best for you and your family. Remember, if an object has utility for you and your family, it’s not clutter.

Before buying a second computer, though, I’d like to recommend an experiment for you to conduct. Tell your children that you realize you all can’t use the computer at the same time when you’re at home and you’ve decided to alleviate this problem. Then, the next day after school, drive them to the public library. Synchronize your watches and tell your children they have 45 minutes to jump on the computers and complete their digital-necessary homework. After a week of spending 45 minutes each evening at the library, you’ll have a good idea as to if your children are using the computers for school work (or socializing) and if you really could benefit from a second home computer.

My guess is that your kids will either complain and whine and tell you that you’re a horrible mom, or they’ll actually appreciate their daily time at the library and enjoy having time on the computers to do their homework without having to share a machine. After years of teaching high school, I can say with absolute certainty that your children are not going to have a vague response — you will know if they need a second computer for school work.

Thank you, Angela, for submitting your question for our Ask Unclutterer column.

Do you have a question relating to organizing, cleaning, home and office projects, productivity, or any problems you think the Unclutterer team could help you solve? To submit your questions to Ask Unclutterer, go to our contact page and type your question in the content field. Please list the subject of your e-mail as “Ask Unclutterer.” If you feel comfortable sharing images of the spaces that trouble you, let us know about them. The more information we have about your specific issue, the better.

Posted by Erin on Sep 10, 2010 | 83 Comments | Tweet This

Workspace of the Week: Organized office closet

This week’s Workspace of the Week is Bettnet’s better basecamp –

Before:

After:

I love a good closet organizing project, and Bettnet certainly doesn’t disappoint with his office closet makeover. I like what he wrote about the “after” photograph:

Now everything is neat and organized. Sure, I still have some uncluttering to do: I really don’t need 20-year-old cables for obsolete technologies anymore nor software that runs on computers I got rid of 5 years ago. Plus those 500-count boxes of window envelopes from a business I folded that half-decade ago? Yeah, they need to go too. But I’m getting there.

I agree that a little bit of purging wouldn’t hurt, but I think this closet is really amazing even in its current state. Things looked as if they were on the verge of collapse in that “before” photograph, and now the space looks safe and extremely useful. Congratulations, Bettnet, on a job well done!

Want to have your own workspace featured in Workspace of the Week? Submit a picture to the Unclutterer flickr pool. Check it out because we have a nice little community brewing there. Also, don’t forget that workspaces aren’t just desks. If you’re a cook, it’s a kitchen; if you’re a carpenter, it’s your workbench.

Posted by Erin on Sep 10, 2010 | 11 Comments | Tweet This

Collections: Trash or treasure?

While uncluttering, you may come across a few collections you decide no longer interest you or are worth the space in your home you’ve been dedicating to them. Last year, for instance, I gave my yarn collection away to friends, and now have two shelves in a closet that hold my son’s toys.

Maybe you’re ready to part with your baseball cards, vintage Barbie dolls, or a few pieces of antique furniture? When was the last time you looked at your comic books or dusted the snow globes?

Unfortunately, not all collections will sell for amounts anywhere close to what you paid for them (but that doesn’t mean you still shouldn’t get rid of the collection, especially if it no longer interests you and is just cluttering up your home). The website ManOfTheHouse.com ran an informative article in August that discussed ways to learn if your collections will be considered trash or treasures when you decide to sell. From “Sorting Collectibles from Junk” by Amy Carson:

So how do you find out if your “junk” is valuable? Start by looking online. Search eBay to see if any similar items are for sale, and how much they sell for. On Google, search for online collectors’ clubs. You can also ask a dealer for an appraisal or look up collectible prices at your local library.

It’s no guarantee, but before you give away your old stuff it’s worth checking what it’s worth. After all, you never know how much money might be lurking in your closet, garage, or attic.

A few items Amy says are trending right now — African-American family archives, unusual and less-popular board games that are no longer manufactured, letters and diaries relating to historical figures, Bakelite jewelry, old postcards of locales, Sears’ Craftsman tools made before 1950.

Do you have a collection that you’re ready to let go? This weekend might be a perfect time to gather it up, research its value, and decide if you want to sell it (or simply give it away).

Posted by Erin on Sep 9, 2010 | 23 Comments | Tweet This

Passing inspection

Without giving the process much thought, car owners in many states have their cars inspected annually to ensure their cars meet a minimum set of government standards. This is also a process that you can easily apply to your home, with you making the rules.

Your kitchen, garage, and closet are three areas that easily lend themselves to annual inspections. You might decide to do an inspection once a year, every other year, or possibly twice a year — whatever works best for you.

Your home inspection list might look something like:

Items will not pass inspection if they are …

  • broken, worn out, chipped, cracked, snagged, gnarled, stained, or damaged.
  • unused, not worn, or not referenced since the last inspection.
  • out of style, the wrong size, or not the right tool for the job.
  • hated, associated with a negative memory or situation, or kept only out of a sense of guilt.
  • an unneeded duplicate.

What in your home doesn’t pass inspection? Are you ready to have an uncluttered home?

Posted by Erin on Sep 9, 2010 | 13 Comments | Tweet This

Unitasker Wednesday: Sunpentown SD-1501 Warm-Air Dish Dryer

All Unitasker Wednesday posts are jokes — we don’t want you to buy these items, we want you to laugh at their ridiculousness. Enjoy!

Cotton, staple fiber, dies at home

Cotton, one of the world’s most natural and soft fibers, has passed after a long battle with technology. No longer able to keep up with advancements like the Sunpentown SD-1501 Warm-Air Dish Dryer, cotton went into hiding and refused to be made into dish towels, clothing, and other extremely useful and multitasking items.

Cotton’s representatives notified the media of his passing in a press release on Wednesday. Foul play is not suspected.

Cotton is mourned by his natural fiber cousins wool, cashmere, flax, and angora.

At 13 pounds and wearing an oddly specific $101.22 price tag, the Sunpentown SD-1501 Warm-Air Dish Dryer is available to do exactly what a clean dish towel or regular air can do.

Thanks go to reader Luci for introducing us to this fabulous unitasker.

Posted by Erin on Sep 8, 2010 | 48 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2009

  • Organizing for convenience
    When putting items away in cupboards, closets, drawers, or cabinets, it’s best to put those things that you use the most often in the easiest places to reach.
  • The other pile
    The other pile might be things you wish to sell, give away to someone, return to the people who loaned them to you, or have repaired. These are the things that require follow-up actions of some kind, and often the stuff just sits around instead of being dealt with right away.

2007

  • 100 reasons to get rid of it
    Martha Stewart Living’s e-mail newsletter offers up 100 reasons to get rid of extraneous stuff in your home.
  • Wireless speakers for rear surround
    These speakers aren’t going to match the sound quality of a traditional pair of speakers, but if you live in an apartment and you don’t have the option of wiring your den for sound this is definitely an option.

Posted by PJ on Sep 8, 2010 | 2 Comments | Tweet This

Assorted links for September 8, 2010

Interesting links related to uncluttering and remarkable living:

  • The US Drug Enforcement Administration is sponsoring a national take-back initiative to accept unused or expired prescription drugs for safe disposal on Saturday, September 25. “Collection activities will take place from 10:00 a.m. through 2:00 p.m. at sites established throughout the country.” Check the DEA site for locations in your community.
  • Along similar lines, but with clothing instead of medications, the Men’s Wearhouse is accepting lightly used men’s suits, sports coats, slacks, dress shirts and shoes, business casual clothing, coats, ties, cuff links, and other accessories during the month of September. The Men’s Wearhouse National Suit Drive gives the suits to local non-profit organizations. Donations can be made at any Men’s Wearhouse.
  • I stumbled upon an ezinearticle about the Top Five Regrets of the Dying. It’s an incredibly humbling article, and helpful for anyone wrestling with their vision for a remarkable life.
  • DumbLittleMan has a wonderfully inspiring article “7 Must Read Success Lessons from Ralph Waldo Emerson.” If you’re looking for motivation to make a change and become an unclutterer, Emerson is a great place to start.
  • Fellow runners will be glad to know that Nike+ tracking no longer requires a proprietary chip (*cough* unitasker *cough*) to be worn in your shoe. Lifehacker reports on the Nike+ GPS app for iPhone and iPod Touch.

Posted by Erin on Sep 8, 2010 | 4 Comments | Tweet This

The link between personal responsibility and an uncluttered life

All while I was reading Chris Guillebeau’s book, a quote from Orison Swett Marden kept running through my mind:

The golden opportunity you are seeking is in yourself. It is not in your environment, it is not in luck or chance, or the help of others; it is in yourself alone.

Or, more directly: “If you want to make a change, you are the only one who can make that change happen.”

At the heart of uncluttering, organizing, productivity, and all the issues we discuss here on Unclutterer is personal responsibility. If you don’t change your behavior, if you don’t take responsibility for your actions, you will continue on the same path you’re dreading. As long as you are of sound mind and body, only YOU can change your life.

  • You can get to work on the project and meet the deadline.
  • You can put your clothes in the hamper at night.
  • You can sort through the clothes in your closet and keep only the items that fit, look good on you, and represent the person you want to be.
  • You can create a meal plan and stick to it.
  • You can organize your linen closet.
  • You can return e-mails within a timely manner.
  • You can sort through your mail immediately when you walk in your house.
  • You can use a calendar and plan your day.
  • You can take a risk.
  • You can be happy right now.
  • You can follow your dreams.

In The Art of Non-Conformity, Chris makes a similar point:

You must take responsibility for what happens in your future, good or bad. Our past may be somewhat responsible for defining who we are at present, but it does not need to define our future. If you had a terrible childhood or someone deeply hurt you at some point in the past, here is your chance to prove them wrong. If you had a nurturing childhood and have never known deep hurt or social disadvantage, you’re better off that the rest of us. Where much is given, much is required, so it’s time to step it up.

Regardless of where you fall in that spectrum, from here on out, win or lose, you must be willing to take responsibility for yourself.

Good luck, and remember that I believe YOU can do it.

Posted by Erin on Sep 7, 2010 | 24 Comments | Tweet This

Book review: The Art of Non-Conformity

When I learned Chris Guillebeau had written a book, I begged him for an advance copy. In person, Chris is charismatic with extra doses of magnetism, practicality, and kindness thrown into the mix. I imagined his book would be similar (it is) and I would want to carry it with me even after I read it, like a trusted companion (I already do).

The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World is hitting bookstores today and is a handbook for anyone who wants to break free of an unfulfilled life. As Chris explains, “It’s your own life, so why not set your own rules. You can do good things for yourself while helping other people at the same time.” It helps you plan a course for a remarkable life, get over the fears and obstacles that are currently in your way, and get started living the life you imagine. It is detailed, plausible, and full of concrete examples.

Chris is obsessed with traveling the world — he’s on a quest to visit every country by April 7, 2013, and has made it to 149 of 192 already — and he explains how he transformed his circumstances to make achieving his non-traditional life possible. The book is full of advice for how to achieve similar ambitions — whatever type of life your heart desires — even if it doesn’t include traveling. In addition to Chris’ first-hand experiences, there are interviews and biographies of more than a dozen others who have bucked the system and lived life on their terms.

At the end of most of the chapters is a “Remember This” section that highlights the major themes in that block of text. At the end of the chapter “Setting the Terms of Your Unconventional Life,” are the following notes that spoke to the unclutterer in me:

REMEMBER THIS

  • The pathway to world domination, or whatever it is you want to do, begins with clearly understanding what you want to get out of life.
  • Once you begin taking your ambitions seriously, you can usually accomplish most things in less time than you initially expected.
  • In the end, it’s not all about you. Most of us want a life that leaves a positive impact on others.
  • When you start doing what you really want, not everyone will understand. This is okay.

The reason I pursue an uncluttered life is so I have the time, energy, and resources to live remarkably. I don’t want to be weighed down by my stuff; I want to have as much freedom as possible to focus on what matters most to me. Chris’ philosophy is similar, and his book even includes tips for creating a “stop doing” list and suggestions for how to live with 100 things. A key component for living his remarkable life is keeping clutter out of it, and he provides strategies for doing this.

A word of note: If you are not interested in setting your own rules and changing the world (even just a little part of it), this book is not for you. This book speaks directly to people who already have the desire to live in unconventional ways. No pages are used to persuade or convince someone to pursue a non-traditional lifestyle. Either you’re on board from the beginning, or you’re not. In my opinion, this makes the book stronger because it doesn’t waste time preaching to the choir.

If you are interested in living a remarkable life, I highly recommend Chris Guillebeau’s The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World.

Book details:

Posted by Erin on Sep 7, 2010 | 11 Comments | Tweet This

A year ago on Unclutterer

2009

Posted by PJ on Sep 5, 2010 | 2 Comments | Tweet This