Hi everyone,
Our rather fabulous website is up and running here: www.declutr.com.au
We've moved all of our old blog posts there and there are new ones as well. Please visit and let us know what you think.
Thanks,
Alison and Rob
Tuesday 22 May 2018
Thursday 1 March 2018
Let's get real
If you've ever put the words, "decluttering", "minimalism", or "tidying" into something like Google, Pinterest or Instagram then I feel for you. Other than using that search to find your way to our website or blog, the results can be rather confronting. Beautiful rooms, perfect cupboards, austere living areas and offices so impossibly organised that productivity must be at insanely high levels. The problem is that this is not reality and for most of us, Alison and I included, it's simply not realistic.
Let me give you another example; fitness. It's a huge industry and a lot of us would like to be fitter and healthier. But searching for those terms will have you viewing images of people who must spend their whole day in the gym, hair removal salon and kale juice bar. Again, it's just not something that we can achieve or should even aspire to.
Life is "warts and all" whether we like it or not. For every person that has mastered the art of tidying up to perfection there are thousands of us who have much more in our lives than amazingly folded towels or an anally retentive filing system for bills. We're the regular ones and none of us should feel guilty about it.
I like the idea of "living more with less". It's my catchphrase at the moment but I've realised the need for balance between living with just enough to get by and allowing myself to be happy.
Wardrobes tend to be a disaster zone for many of us. I looked at mine a while ago, groaned and just closed the door. I'd been looking at wardrobe hacks on a number of internet pages and it just depressed me. How could I go from the equivalent of Shrek's swamp to something that was Instagram worthy? The answer is that I can't. But what I have managed to do is make it functional. Over a little while I spent short amounts of time, no more than 15 minutes, looking through what was in there and taking action. There's still a mess in there but there is less mess. I can find what I'm looking for and some of my friends have benefited from unworn cycling gear that didn't fit me. It's not perfect in the "look at me" sense but the general declutter and rough organisation has made me a lot happier.
Before.....
And after!If you'd like to chat about living more with less then reach out to us here at declutr. We're not perfect, we don't judge, and we like to help.
-Rob
Sunday 11 February 2018
Garages, sheds, studios and hangouts...
This is Rob's first blog post. Check back regularly for more.
John Williamson wrote a very cool song all about sheds and their importance to Australian men. Check it out HERE if you are interested. The "Mens' Shed" movement also proves a point about people needing somewhere that they can commune and do something meaningful with their hands. And of course, sheds are not just for men.
I play the guitar in a band, I like to listen to loud music and I have quite a lot of CDs, records, cassettes and action figures. A portion of our garage is set aside for my studio. It's more like a miniature "Bat Cave" but without the secret entrance. The only downside is that I have to share with the cat.
The studio is the place where I have my daggy old rock and roll posters on the wall. Some of my action figures are on display and my guitars and amplifiers ready for action. I also have a desk and a comfy chair.
Recently I looked at my desk and the workbench I use and realised that they were covered in stuff. Stuff from the laundry, cycling gear, bits and pieces of sound equipment, CDs, a LEGO set, pens, books I might read and, somewhere under it all, my laptop. At the start my studio was fairly well organised but to tell the truth it had quite quickly got out of hand.
There are a couple of ways to deal with this. One is to plug in a guitar and play along, loudly, to some Midnight Oil, Angels and AC/DC tunes. I did this and I felt pretty good pretending I was onstage with thousands of screaming fans. But when I'd played the encore and said, "goodnight, thank you, we love you all!", there was still a rather large mess to look at and it made me feel grumpy. No-one likes "grumpy Rob, especially my family and Facebook friends. It usually leads to online rants about issues that may be important but gain nothing from my input. It just makes me grumpier.
When I made the connection between clutter and mess and my level of well being it made sense to try and do something about it. After all, the crowd wasn't calling out for more.
Alison had plenty of books and resources about decluttering and I'd heard some stories about her clients. It was time for me to give it a shot and so that's what I'm doing at the moment.
Step 1 was to crank up the stereo and spend a little time putting stuff away that already has a home. I wasn't worried about getting rid of things (except obvious rubbish and recycling) at this stage; just returning things to their homes. I won't lie, it took me both sides of a Pogues LP and one album by Def Leppard to do the job but it has made a difference. I can get to my desk and use my laptop without feeling surrounded.
The next step, and this now includes the whole garage, is working out what stays, what goes and what isn't mine to decide about. It's not always simple or easy but I seem to be getting there. There are a couple of things I've enjoyed so far. One has been taking a whole load of books, puzzles and DVDs to a charity that resells them. It felt good in that I knew someone else would be enjoying them before too long coupled with the fact that I'd made a start! The other thing I've enjoyed is that, even though the garage still has a lot of stuff to work through, the small amount I have done has made a visible difference in terms of the place looking a bit better.
Do you have a garage, shed, studio or cave that could do with a bit of help? Give me a yell, I'd love to help. I'll finish mine soon as well.
John Williamson wrote a very cool song all about sheds and their importance to Australian men. Check it out HERE if you are interested. The "Mens' Shed" movement also proves a point about people needing somewhere that they can commune and do something meaningful with their hands. And of course, sheds are not just for men.
I play the guitar in a band, I like to listen to loud music and I have quite a lot of CDs, records, cassettes and action figures. A portion of our garage is set aside for my studio. It's more like a miniature "Bat Cave" but without the secret entrance. The only downside is that I have to share with the cat.
The studio is the place where I have my daggy old rock and roll posters on the wall. Some of my action figures are on display and my guitars and amplifiers ready for action. I also have a desk and a comfy chair.
Recently I looked at my desk and the workbench I use and realised that they were covered in stuff. Stuff from the laundry, cycling gear, bits and pieces of sound equipment, CDs, a LEGO set, pens, books I might read and, somewhere under it all, my laptop. At the start my studio was fairly well organised but to tell the truth it had quite quickly got out of hand.
There are a couple of ways to deal with this. One is to plug in a guitar and play along, loudly, to some Midnight Oil, Angels and AC/DC tunes. I did this and I felt pretty good pretending I was onstage with thousands of screaming fans. But when I'd played the encore and said, "goodnight, thank you, we love you all!", there was still a rather large mess to look at and it made me feel grumpy. No-one likes "grumpy Rob, especially my family and Facebook friends. It usually leads to online rants about issues that may be important but gain nothing from my input. It just makes me grumpier.
When I made the connection between clutter and mess and my level of well being it made sense to try and do something about it. After all, the crowd wasn't calling out for more.
Alison had plenty of books and resources about decluttering and I'd heard some stories about her clients. It was time for me to give it a shot and so that's what I'm doing at the moment.
Step 1 was to crank up the stereo and spend a little time putting stuff away that already has a home. I wasn't worried about getting rid of things (except obvious rubbish and recycling) at this stage; just returning things to their homes. I won't lie, it took me both sides of a Pogues LP and one album by Def Leppard to do the job but it has made a difference. I can get to my desk and use my laptop without feeling surrounded.
The next step, and this now includes the whole garage, is working out what stays, what goes and what isn't mine to decide about. It's not always simple or easy but I seem to be getting there. There are a couple of things I've enjoyed so far. One has been taking a whole load of books, puzzles and DVDs to a charity that resells them. It felt good in that I knew someone else would be enjoying them before too long coupled with the fact that I'd made a start! The other thing I've enjoyed is that, even though the garage still has a lot of stuff to work through, the small amount I have done has made a visible difference in terms of the place looking a bit better.
Do you have a garage, shed, studio or cave that could do with a bit of help? Give me a yell, I'd love to help. I'll finish mine soon as well.
PS: here's a shot taken before the studio area was even created!
Thursday 25 January 2018
Setting up systems that work
I’ve been working a lot recently. I love the excitement of the new year. January is often the time when people decide to get their home or office in order. I enjoy setting people up for a great year by helping reclaim their space and supporting them to view their belongings and time differently.
But I also recognise how important it is to take time to rest and recharge. I end each of my sessions with a reminder about how tired my client will find themselves and that they shouldn’t be surprised by this. Decluttering is physically, emotionally and mentally tiring. Most clients report back that they experience a joyful, peaceful level of weariness. As if their body is telling them – job well done!
So, on Tuesday I took a day to do nothing, to read, to potter in my garden and kitchen, to walk my dog and spend a few hours on the couch with my cat enjoying that blissful place between sleep and wakefulness.
The obvious question seems to be – how could I while away a whole day if I’d been working flat out for the previous 20? The answer is simple. Systems.
Let’s face it much of our daily lives is about drudgery. I’m the first to admit that doing the daily jobs that make a household run smoothly don't thrill me. But having systems in place eases this impost and allows me to do the stuff that needs to be done so I can move onto other activities that make me happy.
So, what is it that makes a system work?
Simplicity. The simpler the system the more likely you are to stick to it. We have a bowl on our kitchen bench that holds our keys. We all drop them there as we enter the house. No more lost keys or tears when your daughter can’t find her keys and misses the school bus again.
Realism. If you cook simple food you’re never going to need all those exotic ingredients crowding your pantry. Get rid of them and enjoy being able to see and access the ingredients you do use.
Change your habits. Sometimes making a system work only requires a small shift in your habits. When you get back from walking the dog put his lead away instead of putting it down on the bench or the floor. Soon it will become second nature to unclip him and put his lead in the drawer.
Find what works for you. Do you want your home to be a shoe-free zone? Then create a space where people enter your house to store shoes. Make sure everyone in the household knows about this rule and get them to stick to it.
Implementing new systems takes time and buy in from everyone in your household. It’s no good setting up a new system and failing to tell everyone else about it. The other thing to remember is that some systems will fail. That brilliant idea you had might lack something essential in reality. Don’t be afraid to trial an idea and then shelve it if it’s just not working for you or your family. But don’t lose heart once your systems are place they'll become second nature to everyone, including the frequent visitors to your home (think hordes of teenagers all putting their bags in the cupboard instead of on the floor).
Soon you’ll be so busy enjoying life that the effort of implementing your systems will be a distant memory.
But I also recognise how important it is to take time to rest and recharge. I end each of my sessions with a reminder about how tired my client will find themselves and that they shouldn’t be surprised by this. Decluttering is physically, emotionally and mentally tiring. Most clients report back that they experience a joyful, peaceful level of weariness. As if their body is telling them – job well done!
So, on Tuesday I took a day to do nothing, to read, to potter in my garden and kitchen, to walk my dog and spend a few hours on the couch with my cat enjoying that blissful place between sleep and wakefulness.
The obvious question seems to be – how could I while away a whole day if I’d been working flat out for the previous 20? The answer is simple. Systems.
Let’s face it much of our daily lives is about drudgery. I’m the first to admit that doing the daily jobs that make a household run smoothly don't thrill me. But having systems in place eases this impost and allows me to do the stuff that needs to be done so I can move onto other activities that make me happy.
So, what is it that makes a system work?
Simplicity. The simpler the system the more likely you are to stick to it. We have a bowl on our kitchen bench that holds our keys. We all drop them there as we enter the house. No more lost keys or tears when your daughter can’t find her keys and misses the school bus again.
 |
| Our key bowl holds house keys, car keys and more. But only keys! |
Realism. If you cook simple food you’re never going to need all those exotic ingredients crowding your pantry. Get rid of them and enjoy being able to see and access the ingredients you do use.
Change your habits. Sometimes making a system work only requires a small shift in your habits. When you get back from walking the dog put his lead away instead of putting it down on the bench or the floor. Soon it will become second nature to unclip him and put his lead in the drawer.
 |
| Sparky's lead goes in this drawer. Even he knows where it lives! |
Find what works for you. Do you want your home to be a shoe-free zone? Then create a space where people enter your house to store shoes. Make sure everyone in the household knows about this rule and get them to stick to it.
Implementing new systems takes time and buy in from everyone in your household. It’s no good setting up a new system and failing to tell everyone else about it. The other thing to remember is that some systems will fail. That brilliant idea you had might lack something essential in reality. Don’t be afraid to trial an idea and then shelve it if it’s just not working for you or your family. But don’t lose heart once your systems are place they'll become second nature to everyone, including the frequent visitors to your home (think hordes of teenagers all putting their bags in the cupboard instead of on the floor).
Soon you’ll be so busy enjoying life that the effort of implementing your systems will be a distant memory.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)