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Have you ever looked at your clutter and thought (or yelled): "I feel so overwhelmed!" "I don't know where to start!" "This is too hard! I can't do this!" I hear at least one of these from nearly everyone who comes to me for help with decluttering and organizing help. I have a confession: when I first look at a room (or whole house) full of clutter, I get overwhelmed...and I've been a professional organizer for years! But it only lasts for a moment - it really is true when I

Let's all uninvite shame from the party of our lives, shall we? I have two of the neatest, cleanest people I know coming to my house today. I told myself I wasn't going to care, but this morning I found myself running around cleaning, tidying, tucking things away... And yesterday I went to a neighbor's house to talk about watching their pets and they kept apologizing for the mess, which I honestly did not see, promising to have it clean before I came to pet sit. Why would I c

How to use the word should as fuel instead of as a boxing glove to our brain. As an organizing coach I regularly hear people shoulding on themselves: "I should do that, I shouldn't do that, I should've done that years ago..." Here's what I think: This is my favorite quote - I keep it next to my desk in clear view Do. Or Do Not. There is no Should. Should is a word to hide behind, to procrastinate with, to show we see the problem but aren't willing to do anything about it. Sho

Is there a voice in your mind keeping you from being happy? Around the time I began working with life coaches and practicing meditation, a cruel voice jumped out from the noise in my mind. When I paid attention, I realized it was a nearly constant nattering, like a mosquito in my ear. Even when I thought I was doing my best, she'd say, "It's not good enough!" Even when I was giving it my all, she'd tell me "You can give more!" She'd tell me I don't do enough, have enough or l

Does your brain say, "This is too hard"? Here's a way to break through... Every day I coach people who at one time thought, "This is too hard!" and I see their homes (and thoughts) being transformed. And I coach myself on "this is too hard" allll the time... What actually is too hard is to do it ALL at once. When we look at our messes like a big puzzle, then pick ONE section to focus on, it's not so hard. Our brains have likely been figuring out the puzzle all along, we just