Less Clutter, not more storage!

Less clutter, not more storage.

We think that we need more storage, to store the stuff that we've bought that doesn't have a home. I disagree. What we need actually is less clutter. That means that we have more time to spend doing things we want to do and less time looking for things we've lost amidst the clutter.

 If we had less clutter chances are we would spend less money, because the things that  we do have will be suitable organized so you wouldn't need to go and get another *whatever* because you could actually find the one that you already had. You would be able to see at a glance what you need to buy, rather than replenishing things that are currently buried in the back of the cupboard, lost under a pile of clutter.Life would be far more efficient. You would have more energy, because you weren't mindlessly wasting it everyday looking for things, buying replacements for lost items, hunting around for matching socks. 

Get rid of obvious clutter. The broken things, the chipped mugs, the odd socks, the boxes that that electrical item came in, games that have lost bits, the chair with the torn seat, that kind of thing. Take away the clutter the same day, don't leave it lying around. Once you've got rid of the obvious clutter, go round again and be ruthless, do you really use it? Does it work? Do you like it? Does it annoy you? If it doesn't work, you don't like it or it annoys you, get rid of it. (N.B this does NOT apply to husbands, they're to keep! sorry.) 

Once you've got rid of the clutter, you can start to organise what you have left. Make sure that anything you use frequently you have close to hand. I completely disagree with the usual assumption that you should have your filing cabinet in alphabetical order. Put the things you use frequently at the front and those things you need to keep at the back out of the way. By all means have the things you use frequently in alphabetical order but certainly don't feel that it all has to be in alphabetical order throughout. 

Put seasonal items away in clearly labelled boxes. Gloves, hats, scarves can go away for the summer (well that's the theory at least) and in the winter, away go the sun hats, the water pistols, the shorts and bikinis and summer dresses. This leaves space in your wardrobe for the stuff that you actually use that season. 

If anything is tatty or torn at the end of the season, get rid of it. Look out for a new item that is at a vastly reduced price, if you have somewhere to store it. Certainly don't hang on to anything with the vague intention of replacing it some day.. GET RID!!

When buying anything new, adopt a policy of 'one in, one out' - throw away a tatty or unloved item when you buy a new one. 

If you have a short period of time spare, declutter a small area. Keep doing  a little clutter-weeding every day, and it soon will go. 

Deal with post as it arrives, and have a specific system in place to deal with it. File items that are for reference only, and when you've replied to any correspondence, file it away. Throw away envelopes, and any junk mail that comes with the post. Whatever you do, don't end up with piles and piles of mail lying about waiting for attention. It is too tempting to simply stuff them in a drawer out of the way, without filing. If you simply stuff them in a drawer, there will come a time when you have to tackle the drawer, thus wasting even more time. 





 

Why I like Autumn

Autumn is the time of year for new beginnings, a brand new page, new exercise books, new courses and classes. Its also an ideal time to do a bit of pruning, of friends, things and habits and also branches of trees. Its a good time for looking over the past 12 months and assessing what in life is still working efficiently, and what needs to be pruned. Any gardener will tell you that in order to get strong healthy plants a little pruning is needed and the same applies to life. If its not properly maintained, it is likely to become overgrown and unmanageable. 

You might have made purchases throughout the year, which once you've got them home, you realise that actually it doesn't fit, it doesn't match the décor, it's not what you expected and so every time you look at it, you realise it was a mistake. It reminds you of someone or something you'd rather forget. This gives you an energetic jolt every time you see the item and not in a good way. So get rid of it! If its in sale-worthy condition, sell it. Either at a car boot sale, in a private ad, on an auction site or to a friend. If its still in good order but not worth the trouble needed to sale it, donate it to a charity shop. Watch out for charity bags that come through the door, or take to a recycling centre. The trick is to get rid of it by whatever means possible. Do not leave bags hovering by the door. Get Rid!!  Anything too tatty for the charity shop should be sent to the tip, put out with the rubbish or recycled. By the time you have finished you should have nothing in your house that gives you a negative energetic jolt, and you should be surrounded by useful and beautiful things.

When it comes to friends, think about who makes you feel good, who's company you enjoy, who gives you a buzz, who encourages you and supports you and brings out your best self. Spend more time with these people. Spend less time with those who emotionally drain you. Those who aren't seen for dust the minute a problem appears. Its' ok to edit your friend list every now and then. People change and move on, it is good to acknowledge this. 

If you go to clubs and societies, attend meetings or play sport, it can be a good idea to double check if you still want to continue doing these things. Sometimes you keep on doing things simply out of habit, without realising that actually you have no interest in the subject or group any more. If so, resign. Thus freeing up time to do things you are currently interested in. 

Take a look at your current job situation and your home life, again, think what is working and what isn't, and see what you can do to make these areas more manageable. Sometimes a simple tweak can make all the difference.

The same goes for habits. Its easy to get into a routine of always doing the same things, some of which are outdated and no longer serve us. So again, have a quick check to see if you're habitually doing something that you really don't need to keep doing.

Once you've tidied up your life and done a little pruning, you should be able to spend a little of the time you've gained putting on the slow cooker (crock-pot) and making some cheap tasty meals to come home to after a hard day in the office. A little time spent in the morning can reap rewards when you come home after work. Doing things like peeling double the amount of potatoes you need one day, means that the next day, you don't need to peel potatoes. They keep well stored covered in a bowl of cold water. 

Making and freezing batches of homemade soup can be a wonderful way of having a cheap and easy lunch for autumn mornings. A pleasant weekend morning can be spent making homemade bread to go with the soup. 

Autumn is a very sensual month, the colours on the trees, the leaves scattered on the pavement ready for you to crunch underfoot. Picking spiky conkers, smelling the damp autumny smell, picking up wafts of open fires being lit, bonfires, eating jacket potatoes and nutritious and warming casseroles. Walks in the woods and on the beach, feeling the nip of a chill in the air. Having pots of tea in front of the fire. Drawing the curtains earlier in the evening and curling up with a good book. Wrapping up warm in toasty jumpers and thick socks. Having hot buttered toast on a Sunday afternoon. Hearty Sunday lunches with friends and family and having a snooze by the fire. I can't wait!!!

What comes first, the chicken or the egg?

What came first? The chicken or the egg?

There have been a couple of times recently when I had a feeling that something was going to happen, and lo and behold, it happens. Most recently I had a feeling that I needed to ensure that I had my breakdown cover card with me and during the journey my car broke down. How is this explained? Did I create the breakdown by thinking about it or did I psychically pick up that the car was going to break down that day?

Take another time, I thought to myself that I hadn't had toothache for a while and the very next day, my tooth started throbbing, and wouldn't be pacified even by strong painkillers. Did I create this, or did I simply sense it? Many years ago, I knew when my boyfriend had written a letter to me, and when I arrived home there was a letter from him. In this case, I must have picked up that it had happened, I couldn't 'create' a letter, by thinking about him writing it. 

There have been numerous times when I have been thinking of a specific friend, only to get an email or call from her a little while later. Did I create the call by putting out an energetic wave from thinking about her or did I pick up on the fact that she was about to call anyway? 

Those who believe in the law of Attraction certainly seem to believe that you get what you think about and that everything we experience is in some way created by us. But why would I want to create a car bill?!  or the inconvenience of being stuck for several days without a car? Why would I want the pain of toothache? It doesn't make sense.

 If it is the case that we pick up on things that are about to happen, does this mean then that we don't have any say in what happens, thus disproving the theory of the law of attraction?