Ain't Nobody Got Time for That, Part one

     The New Year is a time for resolutions and new beginnings. We all have at one time made a vow to do this or not do that. All of which goes out the window by February. One thing I don't need to make a resolution about is being organized, because I am. Now I'm not bragging, I am an organized person. But the main reason I'm organized is because I'm lazy. Now you might wonder how these two things can go together. It's simple, being organized saves time and energy. If I can find an easier way to do something you can bet I'll do it.

     I can hear the moaning now, I just don't have time to get organized. I have too much stuff. Ok that's the first step in becoming organized, get rid of stuff. Don't even try to organize until you've done this step. If you say you need more containers, more cupboards, more house, then I say nooo, you need less stuff. What is clutter? It is anything you don't use, need or want.  There is plenty of information on the internet about decluttering. Two good sites that address minimalism are: Becoming Minimalist, The Minimalists. Everyone's needs are of course different. If you have children, what you need is going to be different then someone without kids. How far you want to go with minimalism is up to you. But if you do nothing else, at least become a more aware consumer. Think before you buy. 

    The first step to decluttering is to start.  Just begin with one room at a time and one drawer or closet at a time. It's amazing what you can accomplish in   15 -20 minutes. If you run across something and say "oh, I forgot I had this", it needs to go, because obviously you didn't miss or need it. Don't get caught up in the "one day" or "what if". If you haven't used something in several years what makes you think you're going to start using it now?

   Do you feel like your life is chaotic, that you never seem to get everything done? This is what clutter can do to you. Even if most of your stuff is out of sight in closets and drawers. It's still there and your subconscious knows it's there. You own your stuff, it shouldn't own you. We each must decide what is important in our life. When you're bogged down by too many things that require your care, you loose time from the things that you really want to do. Yes, it's going to take some time to declutter and organize, but in the long run you will save time, energy and frustration.

     Are you still whining that you don't have time to go through everything you own? Let me ask you this, if someone in your family asks where something is, can you put your hands on it right now? If you're spending time looking for something that you know is "around here somewhere", then you're wasting time. Even 10 - 15 minutes a day spent looking for things can add up to over an hour a week. An hour that you could have spent doing something more enjoyable. 

     Your things should have a purpose whether functional or aesthetic. I'm not saying your home should be a bare box. But if you're not using and/or enjoying your possessions then they are owning you, they are controlling your life.  By having less stuff it means less time spent deciding what to do with that stuff. Here is a blog post that can get you started: Jumpstart Decluttering. 

     If you really want your life to be less chaotic then you'll make time to declutter, otherwise you'll just continue to make excuses. Hopefully I've convinced you to start a house cleanse. Stop by for part two, I will go over a few things I do to keep organized. 

A thought to ponder: "Clutter isn't just the stuff in your closet it's anything that gets between you and the life that you want to be living"    Peter Walsh

Participating: No Rules Weekend, Weekend Blog Hop

Foot In Mouth Disease

     There seems to be an epidemic going around. My fear is that there is no cure. It seems like every other day you hear of someone apologizing for something they said or wrote. There seems to be this need to chime in on everything that happens even things that aren't really that important. Now don't get me wrong everyone is entitled to their opinion/belief. We all have them and we all believe ours is the right way to think. A good discussion is always worth while. But why do people have to be so nasty and snarky about what they say?

     The internet certainly has made it easier to express our opinions. With Facebook and Twitter you can comment instantly on anything that happens. The problem is that a lot of people forget to put their brain in gear before putting their mouth in motion, or in this case their fingers. You find people blurting out the first thing that comes to mind. They don't seem to take the time to think about the affect their words will have. Or perhaps they don't care, which I think is worse. Every time I hear of someone who is apologizing for something they said, I shake my head and think, "Well why did you say it in the first place?"

     I guess I'm old fashioned in that I still believe if you can't say something nice, don't say anything. Certainly you should have an opinion and certainly you have the right to express it. "Any fool can criticize, condemn and complain, and most do." To me this is where the problem is, people think this is ok. They might say they're just being truthful. NO, you're being hurtful.

     Here's my opinion, if you're going to criticize and complain about something then you'd better have some solutions. Otherwise, keep your mouth or keyboard shut. If you're going to condemn someone, you'd better be perfect. There are such things as tact and constructive criticism. Winston Churchill said, "Tact is the ability to tell someone to go to hell in such a way that they look forward to the trip."

     Constructive criticism is just that, constructive. It is helpful not hurtful. When I paint a picture it's of no help to me if someone says, "that sucks". Sure that's their opinion and maybe the painting does suck. But that doesn't help me make it better. Rather pointing out ways I could improve the painting would be of more benefit.

     Maybe not having to talk face to face with someone makes it easier to say unkind things. Ask yourself would you really say that to a person's face? Maybe the fact that you don't know the person makes it alright. And of course there are the people who make anonymous comments. These are the cowards of the internet. They don't even have the courage of their convictions or opinions to put their name on them.

     In the end when you make cutting remarks it really is a reflection of who you are as a person. You might think you're being clever and truthful but "a sharp tongue sometimes cuts it's own throat." If you read or hear something and have the need to respond, think first. You don't have to agree but come up with some thoughtful reasons why you disagree. Because if you can't do that then your opinion/belief is on very shaky ground.

     There will always be people who feel the need to condemn and criticize. We can only feel sorry for these people for they are very unhappy indeed. Let's work to end "foot in mouth disease". Maybe we can't wipe it out entirely but we can at least reduce it from an epidemic to just a random case here and there.

Maybe we need to wash some mouths out with soap, like we do for hands, to reduce the spread of disease.

A thought to ponder: The biggest communication problem is we do not listen to understand. We listen to reply.

Participating:No Rules Weekend