Making Room for What Matters Most

Now that I have added "part-time student" to my list of activities, I have had to cut down on some of the other things I have been doing.  I have to make room for required readings, writing papers, and studying.

I have been a subscriber to many blogs, Google alerts, websites, news feeds (like Huffington Post), etc. and I have fully enjoyed reading all the things that have been coming my way.  It's amazing how these things can pile up.  It's much like acquiring "things".  Before you know it, you look around and say, "Holy Cow!  Look at all this stuff!".

Unfortunately, I was finding the number of emails I was getting to be overwhelming.  I heard my professor say last week, "The best way to reach me is by email.  I hardly ever check my voice mail anymore.  But sometimes there are too many emails and they don't all get read, either".

I want to make sure the emails I am getting I have time for.  I want to make sure that I receive only the most important emails.  I want to be able to read and respond to them in a timely manner.

Most, if not all, of the subscriptions and feeds I belong to have an option at the very bottom of the message that says - "Unsubscribe".  It's usually a very simple process.  I click on the "Unsubscribe" link, and it may take one or two more steps, and it's done. I have been unsubscribing a lot in the last couple of days.  Sometimes the message says, "Sorry to see you go".  Or they ask, "Why are you unsubscribing?" and I feel a bit guilty.  I know I can always "subscribe" again in the future or if I feel I just can't live without that "Get it Dunn" newsletter.  Or I am curious about what "Weighty Matters" is all about for that day (and I may miss that Friday Funny video more than I know).

Bottom line is, sometimes in life priorities change.  Making room for more important things takes change and letting go.  It's not to say I'll never go back to subscribing to those blogs, alerts and news feeds.  I am just making a slight change in the way I spend my time.  Family, friends, studies and work.  That's what matters most now.

Cheers,
Angela Gentile

 

How to Clean Out Your Closet

I cleaned out my closet the other day. Sometimes, especially when there's a change in the season, or we have a change in our weight (or when both things happen at the same time) we need to go through and sort out what is in our closet. Here are step-by-step instructions on how to do it:

1. Set aside a couple of hours where you can focus on the task at hand.
2. Get some good music that is upbeat and makes you feel good. It also helps you keep up the pace.
3. Start with any shelves you have, and remove all the clothes and put them on your bed.
4. Go through each item. The way to figure out what to do with that item is to determine a) If you've worn it in the last month, and you still like it, keep it. b) If you have not worn it in the last month, try it on. Do you still like the way it looks? Does it fit? Is it in good shape? If so, keep it. If it is not appropriate for the season (ex: white coloured capris in fall) put it away for now. Anything that doesn't fit the criteria of fitting well, or looking good in it donate it or give it away.
5. When you have put away your "keepers", move to the rack(s). Start at the left hand side. Repeat step 4 until all the clothes have been touched.
6. Get your bag/s of clothes to donate and feel good about decluttering and realize that you've accomplished a task that was most likely long-overdue.


IDEAS:
-- As you are going through your items, you can try on things together. You can mix and match and discover new ideas for outfits that you most likely wouldn't have thought of.
-- Make a list of things that you need to purchase/replace as you go.
-- You can organize your clothes by colour, type, and style (casual vs. dressy).  You'll be able to find things faster.
-- If you are in the process of losing weight, try on clothes that you have been saving for that ideal weight. It's encouraging when you find out that some of the clothes fit, or you are at the point where you could start wearing them (but still snug). This is very encouraging!
-- To help keep the closet neat, after you purchase something new, take something out of your closet to give away/donate. When you get something new, get rid of something old.  (This works for books, too!)
-- Hang your clothes with the hangers reversed.  As you use each item, put the clothes back and turn the hanger around.  After a month or two, check to see what clothes haven't been worn, and make a decision to keep or toss them.

Good luck with cleaning out your closet!

~ Angela Gentile

Find the Time and Organize Your Life

One of my interests is "organizing".  I pride myself in being able to sort, file, label, store, pack and pile my things.  I have found that if I have a clutter-free, organized home, car, or work-space, I feel more at peace.  If you can learn the skill of organizing, you will potentially have some more time on your hands to do other things that interest you and that are important to you.  I recently borrowed a book from the library, called "Organize Your Life: free yourself from clutter and find more personal time" (2007) by Ronnie Eisenberg with Kate Kelly.  This book was a fun, fast read, and I came away with two new ideas that have made me think differently with how I keep my life organized. 

The first idea that I have adopted and I love - is that on my cell phone (Blackberry), I have an application called, "Tasks".  What I do now, is anything that I know is coming up or anything that I don't want to forget about, I put on my "tasks list".  For example, I have to buy some birthday and anniversary cards, so I have put this on my task list.  I also have bigger projects on this list, for example, "sell my son's bedroom furniture".  I love having all these "to do" items in one spot, and the authors state that it's good to have either a written list on paper or in a notebook, or a list on your personal electronic device. 

The second idea that I have come away with has to do with bigger jobs.  I have a couple of rooms in my house where "things" are piling up, and I have been putting off sorting through because I know it's going to be a big, time-consuming job.  The authors point out that most people put these things off because they usually don't have a big block of time to do it, so it doesn't get done.  Their solution, which is a good one, is they say to break the job down into smaller parts, then do a little at a time.  They even suggest making a list of all the small steps, so that you have step-by-step instructions of how you will manage this bigger job.  I have started sorting some of those things already, and I am confident that in time, I will have it all done.

"Organize your life" is a good book that goes through the various areas in our lives - especially with regards to home and work.  Paper management is a biggie.  I would recommend this book for anyone that is feeling overwhelmed with all the clutter and time-robbing time-wasters in their life. 

Now, if you're the type who feels that clutter, disorderliness and messiness are your thing, there is a book written for you, too.  "A Perfect Mess: The Hidden Benefits of Disorder - How Crammed Closets, Cluttered Offices, and on-the-Fly Planning Make the World a Better Place" by Eric Abrahamson and David H. Freedman (2007).  Check out this book if organizing is not your thing.

Have a great day!

~Angela