My clients are absolutely the most wonderful people you could ever meet. I have had 35+ years of this wonderful ride, and every client has been a joy. They are also funny, especially in how they think and how they organize their surroundings. I could tell you story after story about their personalities and what I have encountered. In this 5th post of Principles to live by and enjoy life more fully, you will probably be able to relate to the stories and examples.
When more is less
More becomes less when unused “stuff” scrunches, crowds and impedes our access to what we use daily or routinely. You know the drill – those inanimate objects seem to have a life of their own, getting in our way and firing up our frustration. We end up shuffling, moving, and sometimes shoving those irritating objects out of the way in order to easily reach what we really want to use.
In the home: So far, in about 98% of the kitchens that I have organized, I have found that every woman stores in her kitchen everything she owns! You know that roasting pan that she only uses every Thanksgiving–there it is, nestled right with her pans. And those Christmas dishes used only in December, you guessed it, right there in her main cabinets in her kitchen.
This means that you need to store seldom-used pans, casserole dishes, and special china in another closet in your home or downstairs or in the garage, not in your main kitchen area. Keep the main kitchen area for only those items you use on a regular basis. This strategy will free up much needed space. I guarantee you will love me for that idea. If you don’t have a basement or a garage or another room to store your seldom-used items, then rent closet space from your child. He will love the extra income.
Solution. Maybe you’ve seen the space-freeing and organizing posts about my great friend Brenda’s kitchen cabinets and pan organizers. What you haven’t seen are the two, four-shelf home organizers in her basement where she put 40% of what used to be in kitchen!
Less scrunching means enjoying more space!
In the office: Many times in our offices, we tend to pile loose papers on our desks thinking that “I’ll get to that later.” This results in piles, and before you know it a multitude of piles line our window sills, dot our floors and take up residence even on our desks. I say in my office seminars that your desk is not made for storage, it is made for working. You should only have on your desk what you are presently working on. It is not for storing all the projects that you have been working on.
If you have multiple piles on your desk, then they become an impediment to getting your work done. You have allowed what you are not using to scrunch up what you are now using.
Solution. Take a look at the before and after of a hospital administrator’s desk and work area. Decluttering and organizing removes obstacles and allows us to reach what we need when we need it without moving or looking through and around other similar items.
This wonderful principle about life can be thought of in two ways. More is less, or its reciprocal, less is more!
So, clear your desk, your closets, your shelves and your kitchen of the past, and use it only for what you need in the present. You will gain productivity like never before. And equally important, your peace quotient will rise and you will enjoy life more fully!