Tips and Tricks | July 2015

This month’s Quote

“No is a complete sentence.”

~ Anonymous

While we’re on the subject of no, I came up with these quotes:

  “No means never having to say you’re sorry.”

  “No begins at home.”

So what does this mean? Some people have a hard time saying ‘no’ to others….but consider that it may not be the saying “no” to others that’s the problem….it’s the inability to say ‘no’ to ourselves first. If we can take the time to pause and really weigh the consequences of accepting another thing to do or going off on a tangent, then we have a shot at maximizing our potential and getting priorities accomplished. When we say yes and then don’t come through, we feel badly, especially if it means letting other people down. Saying ‘no’ can sometimes save us major damage – to ourselves and to others. So the next time you’re thinking about taking on one more obligation…pause, weigh the pros and cons and proceed confidently because you took the time to evaluate before jumping in.

Welcome to our new subscribers – thanks for joining us. It’s really great to have you with us.

The Magic of Tidying Up?

Marie Kondo’s book, The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up, is ranked 1st on the

New York Times bestseller’s list. Even I couldn’t resist buying the book (although I did get the Kindle version for a little over $7). I needed to read what all the hype was about.

Marie Kondo captured my attention from the minute I opened the book. She says some outrageous things and she says a lot of things that I have said to clients over the years. She also contradicts some of what I say to my clients.

The book definitely stimulates good conversation. If you’re interested in joining a conversation about the book on a group conference call one night in August, please email me to hear more particulars. It’s FREE and it should be a lot of fun.

Hope to hear from you!

Confessions of a Professional Organizer

About a week or so ago, my home was starting to resemble a “before” picture. And I know why – the commitment to take time each week to stay home and take care of business had somehow fallen to the wayside. Last year I had a revelation about the importance of creating sacred “work at home” time. I allocated specific days and times each week to enable me to keep up on my weekly tasks. Just like an alcoholic who falls off the wagon or a food addict who dives into a vat of ice cream, those of us who over-commit or over-promise, can fall off the wagon, too. And what are the consequences, you may ask?

• More stress
• Things falling through the cracks
• Disappointment in self
• Less available to family and friends
• CLUTTER

If this sounds familiar to you, let’s reverse the tide before it’s too late. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

• Carve out “catch up time” on your calendar – yes – schedule it as an appointment with yourself
• Do a brain dump listing all the dangling ‘to do’s’ in your life
• Pick 1 ‘to do’ a day and take 1 action step to get you closer to completion.
• Acknowledge what you have accomplished each day
• Set deadlines and if you don’t make your deadlines, get outside support to get the important stuff done.

Join me on the road to recovery!

Green Tip of the Month

B.Y.O.Bag

Bring your own cloth or fabric bag when you shop.

Based upon the MANY, MANY, MANY fabric bags I see in EVERY home I visit, I think we can all do a better job of bringing our own bags to the store. I’m as guilty as the next guy on this… keeping the bags IN THE CAR is the best way to make sure they’re with you when you need them. Stuffing them in your pantry or hall closet is not so useful.

If you grocery shop once a week, in 5 years, you’ll have kept about 250 – 1,000 grocery bags out of our landfills. When one ton of plastic bags is reused or recycled, the energy equivalent of 11 barrels of oil is saved.

These statistics come from www.earthshare.org.

“Helping Baby Boomers and their Parents Lighten their Loads.”

If you are feeling overwhelmed by the amount of stuff in your home, contact me. Together, we can transform your home into a happy, tidy place where you can feel at peace. We can also get you ready for your next move more enjoyably, faster and easier!

Cindy Bernstein, Owner and Professional Organizer
cindy@aim4order.com
410-484-8328
www.aim4order.com