Stay Organized While Traveling

I recently got back from a trip to Florida and Bonaire and I realized that one reason I am able to enjoy my vacations so much is that 1) I don't bring too much stuff and 2) I stay organized, even when I am traveling and living in another location other than my home.

Taking only one suitcase on any trip is going to simplify your life and make your traveling so much easier. Making that one suitcase just a carry-on will simplify it even more. I know, I know...how do I fit all I need in one carry-on?

Enter the plastic zip close space saver bag. I am able to fit about two weeks worth of clothing in two of these bags. The rest of my items (shoes, underwear, toiletries) also go into their own Ziploc bags. Keeping each item, or group of items separate is the best way to stay organized and have more fun on your trip.

TSA will be proud!

Dumped

The BBC America Channel is showing Dumped, a show about eleven people living for three weeks in a dump to highlight the mountain of trash thrown away needlessly in Britain. They are encouraged to find new ways to use trash and to recycle and make money from as much of it as possible. It is interesting to watch them become excited when a truckload of "new" items are dumped on their home. It just goes to show, that even when living in a trash heap, people still desire more.

If you don't want to throw it away, don't buy it in the first place.

The Comfort of Clutter

I have an old teddy bear (who is missing both his eyes and is full of holes with stuffing coming out) who has traveled with me around the world, AND I would never give him up for the world. No matter how beat up and battered he gets.

There are some items in our lives that contain great memories or feelings of comfort and losing these items could greatly affect our feelings. Hopefully this attachment is limited to just one or two items instead of twenty. Sometimes we feel more comfortable if we are surrounded by items of comfort, like a nest.

But what happens if a fire or other destructive force were to take these items away? The loss of that comfort could be drastic, depending on your dependence.

Comfort should be found in a well-lived life, good friends, loving family members and a respected career ... not things. Keeping the comfort items to a minimum eliminates the feeling of having to constantly watch after and care for these items that seem to protect us from the outside world.

When You are a Piler, Not a Filer

Many people like to have their information within their sight or grasp – hence the pile. Pilers are different from other clutter groups in that their information is organized in piles in accordance to their own technique. This can create havoc on any space and can begin to squeeze the piler out of their home.

Piling is not a bad thing, it is a habit of more visual learners and creative types. According to Lee Silber of Organizing from the Right Side of the Brain there are some creative ways to make piling an art form.

1. Focus on the Positive
Put the most positive item of each item on top of your pile, e.g. the cheapest bill on top of the stack of bills to pay.

2. Get a Spine
Wrap another piece of paper around one stack to create a spine. Label that paper to indicate what's in that pile.

3. Hot, Hot, Hot
Divide your desk into sections and the most active section should be piles that need immediate attention such as read, pay, act, write, etc.

4. Put Your Piles on a Diet
Go through your piles every day or at least every week and remove the items that are not pressing. These should be filed, the opposite of piling.

Lose the Clutter, Lose the Fat?

Peter Walsh of Oprah and Clean Sweep has a theory that people who have clutter are also overweight. The relationship between a dirty house and a dirty or unhealthy body are very close and I agree with him. Most people who have unruly clutter usually give up and just let things go, just like their bodies.

Walsh claims that those people who take the time and effort to keep a clean and organized home will also be more motivated to take care of themselves and lose weight. Hopefully this theory is starting to be tested right now.

Messy = Brilliant?

A very interesting concept. The people at CBS Sunday Morning do seem very intellectual...

The DeCluttered Workday

Thank you to zenhabits for a nice article on how to create a peaceful and productive workday. Remember, we spend over 2,000 hours a year at work. Make that time count.

The majority of the tips talk about decluttering...your desk, your timetable and your work life:

1. Do Less

2. Create a morning routine

3. Prepare the night before


...for more...