If Not For Yourself, Then Do It For Others

February 22nd, 2007

Getting rid of clutter for clutter’s sake is not very rewarding.  It brings you face-to-face with the accumulation of your life; memories, poor purchases that never delivered the feeling you sought in purchasing it, possessions you have long since outgrown or no longer need.  It can feel like trudging through a morass of mud and sludge.

Yet, when motivated by a higher purpose we often find it easier to part with things.  Following Hurricane Katrina millions of Americans purged their homes of items they thought would better serve the hurricane survivors; clothing, blankets, household items, furniture and more.

When assisting clients we often find the motivation of “repurposing” possessions a powerful motivator.  Things begin flying into boxes and bags to be transported to some worthwhile non-profit organization serving a population in need.  (see earlier blog, “One Man’s Trash Is Another Man’s Treasure”)

I want to share my latest find.  A wonderful non-profit with a higher calling that we can all help support while lightening our own loads.  “Open Books”  is a newly founded non-profit used bookstore supporting literacy in Chicago.  I recently learned of Open Books in DailyCandy Chicago when they highlighted the tremendous work of this dynamic duo, Stacy Ratner and Becca Keaty.  After successful careers in other non-profits and start-ups, these two formidable and energetic women made a conscious decision to combine their vocation and their avocation.  

Open Books will fund literacy programming through the sale of used books.  And this creates a wonderful WIN/WIN for all of us storing boxes of dusty …

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Is Your Desk a Candidate for Detox?

September 10th, 2006

Take a moment and look at your desktop. Is it edge-to-edge paperwork? Are your files in piles so high, people looking into your office would mistakenly think you’re not in? Do your co-workers roll their eyes when they hear you say, “I know it’s here someplace.”?
Or worse, are people in the habit of making a copy of the documents they give you, knowing you may not be able to locate your copy when it’s time to act upon it?

With the increasing demands of our work lives, even the most organized person can easily spin out of control, become buried beneath piles of “To Do’s” and filing.

For years I have listened to clients’ exclamations of knowing what’s in every pile. Of being able to put their hands on any document needed. In reality, I have yet to meet the person who can back that claim.

The paper shuffle has become so endemic that a new term has been coined for it, “infonoia.” “Infonoia” is the fear of being caught without an important document at the time it’s needed. It is, in short, paranoia of lack of information.

Especially today, with the reach and depth of computers, most any document can be recreated on the rare occasion that you can’t produce it when needed. More realistically speaking, the only real value of information is measured in your ability to put your hands on it when it’s called for. In other words, stacks and reams of paper are worthless – aka have no value – …

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Posted by Cynthia