I Quit Clutter

To honor the organizing profession around the globe, the International Federation of Professional Organizing Associations (IFPOA) designated May 20th, 2022 as the first World Organizing Day.

Together with my colleagues all over the world I celebrate the impact that organizing has on people's lives.

A few days after our organizing session last week, my client (diagnosed with ADHD ad Autism) told me that after 4 years he finally had the courage to invite a friend over to his place. That’s what I call a positive impact!

I read his message with tears in my eyes, because this was his goal from the start, and he worked so hard to achieve it. And I am proud to have been part of his success story.

At World Organizing Day we also express our appreciation of the professionals who work so hard on behalf of their clients. Thank you to to all those specialists out there (Professional Organizers, Therapists, GP’s, Coaches, Cleaners, and many others). Your work is life-changing.

Has reducing clutter changed your life? I love to hear your story!

Having more of the things you don’t need will not satisfy you.

Before buying MORE think about what you want LESS of.

Less stress?
Less frustrations?
Less overwhelm?
Less things to do?
Less relationship issues?
Less distractions?
Less negative self-talk?
Less painful feelings?

What is it that you are truly after that buying new items can’t give you?

The answer lies on the inside, the inside of you.

What is going on in your head, what are you thinking, how do you feel?
What do you need in your life right now?
What can you do for yourself today, that makes this day better?

Make yourself a cup of tea, reflect on these questions. There is so much you can learn if you make time to listen to yourself.

Kitchens are work spaces in which you need to have a clear flat surface to prepare your meals on.

Don’t let this before & after picture discourage you. If you have never had a clear bench top in your life, I recommend you set a more achievable goal of clearing a small area, just big enough to prepare your food.

Being organized is about functionality. If it works for you, the space is organized enough.

Right now I’m on a holiday break with my family, and I choose to read the book ‘Ichigo Ichie: the art of making the most of every moment, the Japanese Way.’

Ichigo Ichie means something like “What we are experiencing right now will never happen again.”

After several incredibly hectic weeks to finalise preparations for the Institute for Challenging Disorganization conference, I hope this book helps me slow down, return to the now, and live more in the moment.

What do you do to relax and unwind?

Just hosted the most amazing session by Ethan Smith, International OCD Foundation advocate. He truly showed our audience what OCD is really about.

Conference is almost coming to an end, I am enjoying an ICD® Phoenix Rise during the final presentations. No, I am not having cocktails for breakfast; it's past midnight in Tokyo.

I worked with hundreds of clients who all asked me to help them organize their belongings in order to get back a feeling of control and experience peace of mind. Their goal is always the same; feeling less stressed and more calm at home.

Some want their items hidden in drawers, closets and behind doors, most clients feel happier if they can display and see the things they love. Their “after” pictures all look very very different.

What does peaceful look like to you?

Where are you on your journey?

Is anything getting in the way of living a peaceful life?

What is something you can do today to make a positive change?

There is no right or wrong in how you want your things to be organized, as long as it works for you, and helps you live a peaceful life.

Tokyo is one of my favourite cities because it keeps on surprising me with beautiful things to see!

As Co-Chair for the Institute for Challenging Disorganization 2021 online conference I have to admit that the workload is big, especially in the final weeks before conference. But wow, what I get in return is better than I ever anticipated.

Last year, when I invited Dr. Russell Barkley, an internationally recognized authority on ADHD, to speak at our conference, I expected him to decline. But he didn't. And yesterday, I met with him to prepare for his presentation. I couldn't stop smiling. This experience shows that dreaming big is good; you never know how things turn out.

If you want to see us all live in action, sign up at the ICD® website because registration closes this weekend.

https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/2021-icd-conference

Today, I feel a bit nervous because I will be meeting online with Dr. Barkley for a presentation rehearsal.

Dr. Russell Barkley is an internationally recognized authority on attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADD/ADHD) in adults and children and he is presenting at the Institute for Challenging Disorganization Conference from October 13-17.

In my role as conference Co-Chair, I approached Dr. Barkley last year and invited him to present and he accepted! Now, I have the honorable task of being the host at his live presentation, making sure everything runs smoothly.

If you want to see us live in action, come to conference. You can still sign up until September 25th.

https://www.challengingdisorganization.org/2021-icd-conference