How to GYST....

How to Get Your Sh*t Together.... 

1. Put it BACK. I have heard the "one touch" rule... when u come in and take off a jacket, do not lay it down bc that requires touching it again... Hang it up ... bc you will have to eventually. Just go ahead and do it. It takes less than one minute.

2. Find your flow... Keep it simple and make the system flow easily. For example: if you have all your cleaning stuff in the kitchen, and you want to clean the bathroom... then that takes extra steps. I buy a set of Comet and Mr. Clean for the KITCHEN AND the BATH. I have 2 sets bc that's where I use them the most. I also have my purse in the entry hall hutch. NOT my bedroom... bc that's where I always go in and OUT the door. Only makes sense. 

3. Extiguish the HOT SPOTS. A hot spot is a place that clutter gravitates to. This used to be several places in my house and I am starting to eliminate them. One place is my bedroom dresser. I just cleaned it off. The only things that live there now are my daily organizer. I look at it SEVERAL times thru out the day and check off the things completed. I don't want this to live in the kitchen ... it seems too personal... and I have 3 angels on the dresser and a simple flower arrangement. The 3 angels are there bc I do my daily prayers at my dresser. First in the morning and then at night. I like my angels there... to remind me that all prayers are heard and carried to God. Angels attend me thruout the day as well. I love the reminder and right there by my journal/ organizer. I do nothing without the help of God. So, that is no longer a HOT SPOT. 

4. Put a trashcan where clutter develops. I have one right beside my paper shredder. I have them "hidden" behind my bedside now. I do not like "seeing" them but I want very easy access to them. Always when I get the mail I sort it desk / trash / shredder. And the 2 are together. The desk things are very few really... bc all things are paid online now. I also put a trash beside my hubby's computer and I made him a small desk to file his things in. It was becoming a HOT SPOT..... very quickly. I also can open the desk and put his things in there. .. and I gave him a small trash can that has a lid bc our doxies love to dig in the trash. So I got him one with a lid. Be sure there is one in your CAR. 

5. Do not leave a room empty handed... look around and grab what needs to go somewhere else.

6. Baskets.... baskets... baskets... keep things contained. I finally bought baskets that MATCH for my office. They were not expensive and it did take quite a few... but the LOOK of it is BEAUTIFUL. I also bought 3 larger material baskets for my sewing that coodinate and they hold my iron, sewing peddle, and some material for the sewing. I do my teaching and sewing from the same desk. I aso use a basket to put the hairdryer, brushes, and hand mirror in on the bathroom counter. I love baskets. i like the look of them for organizing. I like baskets on shelves and inside drawers and on countertops. I bought a galvanized basket for the LR table to put the remote controls for the tv in. I like that they have a place to "live" now. ... and no longer just scattered somewhere in the LR. Baskets provide boundaries and can make it look neat and orderly... even if what is inside of it is not. 

7. Make a HOME for everything. Even my dogs know where they "LIVE".. they have their designated beds and when I start getting ready for bed, i put their night time beds out and they go get in them. Things that do not have a home... quickly find one for them. It is habit that keeps it returning to its home. Have it "live" where it is most used. 

8. Clutter is just delayed decisions.... Hmmm never heard it put that way before.... 

Use a timer... Most errands are just less than 5 minutes... like unloading the dishwasher... Things are so dreaded and really they are not that long of a process... Just set a time for ten minutes and DO IT... do this often and things do not pile up

9. Guard the cleared off cleared spaces with your life... LoL... 

10. DECLUTTER... get rid of crap that u are not using or do not like. The less you have , the less you have to clean and mess with. GET rid of it... it is negative and causing you a cluttered mind. 

TEN THINGS TO DECLUTTER NOW... youtube how to GYST

1. Steps can be slow but steady. TRASH... get rid of it. 

2. Expired food. Did this... I was amazed at how much I had that was expired and OLD... just needed to go. We actually got some 

3. Things that are broken or torn or not salvageable... old underwear... old bras... old socks.... And if it can be fixed then GET IT FIXED. DO it Yourself or hire it done. DO not let it sit there any longer... I have a dead tree in my backyard that I've wanted cut down for 13 years now. My hubby has never even noticed that it is dead. OMG... it is so depressing to look at that dead tree and I'm ready to hire it to be cut down. It is TIME.

4. Have a place for loose change. We have jars... actually several. Some for pennies and some for silver coins. 

5. Clean out your purse!!! Have a purse w/ pockets ... I actually have several small zippy bags in my purse. One has Stevia in it bc it is usually not at restaurants. Etc. 

6. Toiletries and Make up that u are not using. Get rid of it. Get rid of old make up. ... Women's shelters are a good place to donate these things.... Hmmm never thought of that before. 

7. Toys... I don't have this.. but I do have some of my daughter's barbies... LoL... she is 30. I even downsized the toys for my dog. I cut it more than in half... LoL.. She still has her favorites and the ones that still squeak.

8. Tackle paper clutter... receipts / cards / manuals / blahblahblah. I just cleaned out my filing cabinet and tossed and shredded tons of paper stuff. Deal w/ mail asap when it comes in the house. 

9. Unwanted gifts. Get rid of them. Or regift them. Repurpose it.... just let them go bc they have served their purpose. 

10. Things that don't spark joy in your life... get rid of it... clothes, books, blankets, ... etc. Give them to charity. Our homes should be filled with things that we LOVE... everything... furniture, clothes, and items... not stuff we dread seeing each day.

DECLUTTERING MISTAKES / How to GYST

1. "what if"... I need it, what if I let go of it and decide I really needed it, what if someone gets their feelings hurt? what if I pick that hobby up again? .... the list goes on but it reflects living in the future... so let it go.... you can get back to it later if you want. You can go back to the store later... 

2. Taking on too much at one time... set a steady pace but one that I can manage... it is not going to get done or STAY done all in one day. It is going to be a journey.... Once u go to the dentist and get a good bill of health, you do not go home and stop brushing your teeth... it takes daily care. 

3. Keep it simple. Start with the simpliest solutions as you go thru the declutter process. 

4. Don't buy a bunch of organizing products / boxes and stuff before you know how you are going to organize your stuff. 

5. do not declutter someone else's stuff without their permission. Leave other ppl's things alone. This might be hard.. but I do not want someone else to mess with my stuff. 

6. do not declutter when you are feeling ruthless... I have done this.. and that's okay...do not declutter when you are feeling nostalgic. 

do not try to get rid of all of it at the same time. You can go thru it several times before it is all decluttered.  be balanced. 

7. finish the job. do not start it and stop right in the middle of it... that's why it takes small steps and takes time. 

Okay.. that was a lot of watching youtube. BUT I really did like this lady. I even watched a vid on HOW TO FOLD CLOTHES> I have never even thought about how to fold clothing so that it looks filed.. but at the same time I have drawers that are a mess.... 

And tomorrow I will continue. Time to go to bed. 

Ginger