The Posh Blog

In the last few weeks I have said this phrase over and over again to my clients “if it’s too difficult, you won’t do it”.  This phrase can be true about so many things in life.  But I have found that when I’m working with client’s I often ask them to tell me about what they have tried before to help them get organized.  Or I will say “explain to me how you currently do things?”  After they show me, often times I can tell that they are putting too many steps into their process. 

For example, if you have files set up for some of your vital records (like your family’s social security cards, birth certificates, etc.) you might just have a file called “vital documents”.  Easy enough, right?  Okay, maybe you could take it one step further and have two internal folders, one for social security cards and one of birth certificates.  But sometimes people will go even further and make a folder for each member of the family.  That’s great, but sometimes adding more steps can make us less inclined to actually do something.  In this case, it can make us less likely to file the birth certificate after we have used it.  Typically you are not going to need to reference your vital documents frequently so if you do not have them separated into sub categories, it’s going to be okay.  The main thing is that when it’s time to put the paper back and re-file it, that it is easy to do so you actually do it. 

The same can be true with pots and pans, clothes, or anything for that matter.  If you have too many steps and you are overcomplicating things, the chances are that you won’t have success.  Keep it simple.  You are more likely to do something if it is easy. 

Is there something in your life that you are making too difficult?  Where can you simplify? 

Angela

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

Are you a collector?  Do you get a high off of getting every character from the Star Wars line?  Or an entire set of characters from the latest Disney re-release?  I was blown away the other day when I purchased my daughter’s some new water/juice bottles that had a tag on them that said “Is Your Set Complete?” (see photo to the left).  I thought “are you kidding me?  Now marketers are trying to persuade us that a $1.99 water bottle is a collectable”.  Really?!  As a Professional Organizer, it was like a direct hit into the chest.  Ugh!  This is not what people need.  Many people have a difficult enough time getting rid of things but when you add the label “Collect Them All” that makes it even more difficult for people. 

So here is my questions for you?  Do you care if your collection is complete or not?  Are you more likely to purchase something because it would complete your collection?  If you find yourself answering “yes” to these questions, then you’re a collector. 

If you find that you are a collector I ask you this; why?  Why are you collecting what you are collecting?  What’s the purpose of your collection?  Does it make you happy?  Do you use the items you are collecting, such as plates or tea sets?  Or are you just doing it because you always have collected these things?  Was the collection passed down to you?  Determining why you are collecting something can help you decide if it is something that is worth your time, energy, and space. 

The next big question is: how do you treat your collection?  What happens when you have completed the collection?  Do you cherish it or cast it aside?  What happens to your collection when you die?  If your collection is not well taken care of, used, or beautifully displayed then you should really consider whether or not you need to keep the collection.

Last but not least, let’s talk about prevention.  This is the simple rule of “one in, one out”.  If you decide to start a new collection you must get rid of an old collection.  The same holds true for adding new pieces to an existing collection.  If you find that sippy cups or ceramic figurines are taking over your cupboards or shelves and overflowing onto the floor then it’s time to cut the collection in half.  Yes, I said it.  Cut the collection in half.  Then start practicing the rule of when you bring a new one in you must get rid of an old one.  This will prevent the build up from happening again.

I know this may not be easy, but it is one small step in your journey to clearing out the excess clutter. 

Enjoy collection reduction!

Angela

Copyright (C) 2010 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

I was shopping at the grocery store the other day with my two daughters and they saw these fruit juice containers that they just had to have.  They begged, they pleaded, they put on a happy face.  Now, I consider myself to have extraordinary abilities to not fall for the begging and pleading and continue walking past the object in question while changing the subject in order to not cause a huge seen at the grocery store.  But this time it was different, this time I was considering purchasing the decorative juice bottles. So what caused me to pause and consider the addition of clutter to my house?  Well, that’s the thing; it was actually something we needed. 

We recently moved and somewhere in the transition my 5 year old daughter’s one and only decorative water bottle ended up missing in action.  It’s actually been missing for four months now and my husband just asked me about it the other day.  I had to remind him that it was lost on the day we moved into our temporary house and we’ve never found it since.  I kept thinking once we moved into our new house that it would turn up but it never did.  The key here is that we did use the bottle when we had it and I had been looking for a replacement.  So this presented the perfect opportunity to get my thirsty daughter a drink and a water bottle that we actually needed.  So I got it. 

How would you react in a similar situation?  Would you have purchase the “water”/juice bottle for your child even if you had an entire cupboard full of them?  Or would you have stood your ground? 

Is kid’s clutter even a problem for you?  If so who is the primary culprit?  You or your child? 

Here’s to stopping the clutter at the door!

Angela

I don’t normally recommend for my client’s to buy more magazines, but this one I can’t resist!  If you haven’t already picked up the latest copy of The Oprah Magazine, pictured left, I highly recommend it!  It is the March issue, so if you want it you should act quickly before they remove them from shelves and replace them with the April edition. 

This issue is packed full of great articles on decluttering your life and your mind.  One article follows Oprah through a closet clearing session, who knew Oprah had clutter?  If you feel like you have a difficult time letting go of clutter reading the article of Oprah getting rid of some of her closet clutter may help you to feel like you are not alone.  We all hold on to things for emotional reasons, even Oprah.  There are also several other articles including tips on what to keep and toss, how to recycle some unique items, letting go after the loss of a loved one and more. 

If you can’t get your hands on the magazine in time you can stop by your local library and take a peek.  They often hold back issues of magazines for several months.

Good luck finding the magazine and I hope it inspires you!

Angela

I am so excited because I just started using Send Out Cards and it is SO cool!  I signed up so I could quickly and easily keep in touch with clients by sending cards.  I completely blew away my expectations. The first reason I love it because you can go online and choose any kind of card you want at any time day or night.  You don’t have to make a special trip to the card shop.  This is a great time saver. Second, the cards cost less then what they cost at a card shop.  Third, I can schedule the card to go out immediately or in several months, which means no more missing birthdays! Finally, Send Out Cards mails the card for you, so you don’t have to worry about whether or not you have the correct postage on a card or not.  You don’t even have to put the card in the mail box! 

I love this service!  This is such a time saver!!!  If you would like to try out Send Out Cards and send a card for free click here to set up your gift account on me!  There are so many other cool things you can do I would be happy to tell you about.  Give me a call at 512-252-2866 or send me an e-mail at info@theposhspace.com.

If you’re busy but you want to keep in touch with friends, family, or clients this is a fantastic tool!

Simplify your life and don’t worry about buying stamps anymore!

Enjoy effortless card sending!
Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.

Did you know the first week of August is Simplify Your Life Week?  By making your life simpler you can save time for the things you really want to do. What can you do to simplify your life? 

 
1. Stop mail clutter.  Are you getting so much paper and mail you don’t know what to do?  Limit your number of magazine and newspaper subscriptions. Sign up for Opt Out Prescreen to help eliminate pre-approved credit card offers.
2. Stop e-mail clutter.  E-mail guru Lauren Halagarda recommends that if you find that you are always deleting e-mails from certain companies that you should simply unsubscribe to that newsletter. Many newsletters have an option to unsubscribe at the bottom of the e-mail.

3. Keep an ongoing grocery shopping list.  If you are in a busy household it’s hard to keep up with what everyone needs.  Keep a shopping list in the same place and add to it as you run out of things.  If someone says “we need more (fill in the blank)” you simply reply add it to the list, or you can do it yourself.  Having a centralized shopping list will save you time when it’s shopping day.

 
4. Stop putting up with time consuming things.  Are you putting up with doing something that is a big time waster?  Maybe you have been doing something the same way for years.  Have you ever wondered if there was a way to automate or just do something differently?  Sometimes making a few minor adjustments can make a huge difference.

 
5. Eliminate things you do not like to do. Is there anything you are doing that you don’t like to do?  Would it make a difference if you stopped doing it?  Sometimes we do things because we think they need to be done, but in reality it really wouldn’t make a difference if we stopped doing it.

What else can you do to help simplify your life? 

Enjoy a simple week!
Angela

Copyright (C) 2009 Angela Ploetz, POSH Space  www.theposhspace.com.