What’s in Stor(age) for You This Year?

January 18, 2021/in De-Clutter/by Eric Riddle STUFFologist

Storage bins are a great way to keep our treasured items from being damaged over time but often sit in a closet or garage or basement forgotten and eventually may turn into hidden clutter.

Since our life needs evolve with time, so too does our need to keep certain items in storage. STUFF you have stored away for later use should be reviewed periodically.

Consider a few examples from my own life so far this year.

My oldest daughter has been saving baby clothes, baby toys, and other baby items as her daughter grows out of them. Some she gives away to friends, others she keeps for future use. As you can imagine, such things accumulate rapidly.

The clothes have been stored in boxes, bags, and bins and have become quite disorganized. She recently started to reorganize them and purchased new storage bins for that task. Unfortunately, the bins she purchased are too small for what she had in mind. Pro tip, double check the measurements of storage items you buy online to be sure they suit your needs. She will likely return that purchase in exchange for larger bins.

I have toys packed away neatly in clear plastic bins that I am not quite ready to give up. For me, I do not yet consider them clutter because I rotate some of them to display in the house. Others I am saving to give to the grandchildren when they are older.

We have a sizable collection of board games that are now in the realm of clutter for me. I have kept them in boxes I obtained years ago which are slowly falling apart. I purchased new flip top plastic storage bins to declutter the boxes and better protect the games.

This tends to be a family project and brings back fond memories of where a given game came from and usually inspires us to play several of the games as we process through them. Reviewing your stored STUFF can be fun!

If something is stored away neatly in a storage bin is it clutter? Ask yourself that question today and you might be surprised at what is in stor(age).

What have you bin waiting for?

Paperwork—POOP or Valuable Lessons Learned

December 28, 2020/in De-Clutter/by Brenda Avadian STUFFologist

The two most time-consuming and mentally draining areas to declutter are books and paperwork. Two weeks ago, we let go of books. This week, we look at three areas of paperwork.

One thing we can do right now to get a grip on this highly unusual year is to control our clutter.

POOP on the Table, in the Corner, and in Boxes

It has been said, paperwork is the accumulation of decisions postponed. That’s one explanation of Piles of Overwhelming Paperwork (POOP). Some of us hold onto paperwork to revisit it later. My plan was to revisit my paperwork after I retire. However, if we heed the call of our ever-changing lives, we may not need to wait until we retire.

We must face the POOP we’ve accumulated. POOP that we’ve long forgotten in boxes. POOP that distracts us from productive work in our offices. POOP that takes room in the closet.

Old Paperwork that Changes People’s Lives

Years ago, my speech communication students challenged me. “How can we learn to speak as well as you? You are a gifted speaker?” They were mostly professionals returning to school. “Thank you,” I replied feeling blissfully complimented. “I was not always as gifted as you give me credit for.” They didn’t believe me. I recall how poor a speaker I was as a student at the university. I saved my professors’ grades and remarks. Cs and Ds at the top. Comments throughout including—monotone, reads too much, no eye contact.

I brought these papers to class and arranged them on a 4 by 8-foot table in front of the lecture hall. I invited students to look at them before the break and take what they wanted. They took everything.

They were surprised. The proof was there. They were inspired. It was possible to become accomplished speakers in their fields.

Illusions of Grandeur

As a nine-book author with two best sellers, I saved my old notes thinking that one day people will be interested in how Brenda writes books. My old notes would be auctioned off to raise money for a worthy cause.

Over the years, I held tight to this illusion. As the years passed, I came to the humble realization that I was not famous enough. Only a few friends and colleagues were interested in my book-writing process.

While I reviewed my long and arduous journey—overnight successes usually take years—I reflected on how much work it really takes to be successful book author.

Be Careful When You Look in the Rearview Mirror

The road of life quickly unfolds before us. If we take too long to see what’s behind us, we may run into an obstacle. I tend to visit my past in bits and pieces. I always learn something. While these lessons can be gut-wrenchingly painful; especially, when I do something stupid, I rarely feel regret. After all, I am learning and applying lessons as I go along in life.

As this unpredictable year comes to a close, you too can feel accomplished by decluttering and freeing space while you reflect on your piles of paperwork.

Treasured Books to Declutter

December 14, 2020/in De-Clutter/by Brenda Avadian STUFFologist

Years ago, I wanted to reduce my library of books by 75%. I wanted to keep only those books that would guide me along my life’s journey. (I read mainly nonfiction.) Some treasured books I’ve kept in a separate bookcase with glass doors to protect them.

Times are different, today. The way we relate is different. I am different.

Today, we are exposed to an overwhelming amount of information. Fifty years ago, if we wanted to know something, we’d find it in an encyclopedia or wait for the library to open to ask the librarian. According to some sources, NINETY percent (90%) of the world’s information across all time has been produced in the last two years. That’s a LOT of information!

I decided I would read my books once more and then give most of them away. They no longer carry the instructive weight they once did. I feel anxious while reading some with dated expressions and examples. Others carry eye-opening tidbits that I relish or missed earlier. Sometimes, we’re not yet ready to absorb something that time helps us better understand. Some of these can nurture pivotal moments in our lives.

With that much information readily available, and my desire to reduce possessions even more, I am letting them go. The authors have expressed their ideas. Times keep changing. I will capture the nuggets that matter most by taking notes. I will then return these resources to the stream of life for others to catch.

What about you?

Clutter–It’s All in Your Head

November 30, 2020/in De-Clutter/by Brenda Avadian STUFFologist

That’s a rather bold statement! Yet, when you think about it, our relationship with clutter—physical, mental, and more begins in our mind. It’s up to us to choose what we want to believe and do.

The holidays are about food. For Thanksgiving, we’re focused on turkeys and other bountiful dishes that show our creative talents in the kitchen. Okay, maybe that’s pushing it a bit too far for some. Last year, I wanted to introduce my friends to a traditional Thanksgiving with homemade stuffed turkey, cranberry sauce, potatoes, and more. Eric’s family joined us and we made sure to have traditional American Thanksgiving fare. This year, I learned that one my friends really doesn’t care for turkey. It’s a good thing I didn’t find a turducken. Turducken, according to some, is a Creole creation of chicKEN, stuffed inside a DUCk, stuffed inside a TURkey.

We created our own Thanksgiving meal with a delectable chicken dish prepared in a special sauce made with blended sour cream, milk, and poblano chilis with garlic and onions fried in butter dotted with diced poblano chilis; roasted ribeye with garlic cloves painstakingly inserted in the meat; confetti-mashed potatoes—my creation of steamed buttery potatoes mashed with minced garlic, green onions, rosemary, salt, and a bit of broth with dots of sweet potato mixed in); and steamed broccoli. We thought about making a ham, too. Why overdo it? We had more than enough.

CLUTTER Is in My Mind

Through last year, I’d start each holiday or other special-event meal wanting to try everything. Like a kid, I didn’t want to miss anything and even went back for second helpings. This seemed to work in my younger days. The older I get the less I choose to eat. How fortunate we are to have enough food that we worry about gaining weight. It’s embarrassing when we consider how many people go hungry.

This year, I’ve been more aware of my habits. With non-judgmental cooking partners, who didn’t chastise me for nibbling—If you eat all that now, you won’t have room for dinner! —I was able to sample bits of dinner before we actually sat down to eat our Thanksgiving meal.

I prefer to nibble instead of sitting down to a big meal. When it was time for dinner, I grabbed a small salad bowl and savored the food I chose. I did not return for a second helping. but did set aside some leftovers.

I took a two-mile walk afterward.

I had a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. One, to have good food to eat in a manner that is best for me. Two, to share with people who give me space to be. Three, to be healthy enough despite an injury, to be able to walk outdoors.

Clutter – Comforting or Hostage-Taking?

January 17, 2019/1 Comment/in De-Clutter/by Brenda Avadian STUFFologist

How do you define your possessions?

How we describe what we own – from our physical clutter to our thoughts, determines if we’re comforted or taken hostage.

Some love being surrounded by their life’s accumulations. Each item offers a memory. Each thought gives them comfort. Others need to let go. Their ever-changing lives demand it and they shed possessions Kondo-style. (If holding it doesn’t make them happy, it’s gone.)

I am letting go at this time in my life.

I use the principles in STUFFology 101: Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter – each of us must define the clutter in our lives. We accumulate things and thoughts over time and we must realize they will take time to let go.

I am NOT accumulating any more possessions, unless…

Research shows that when we bring something into our home or office, it’s harder to let go than saying, “No.” Once we take possession of it, we ascribe a higher value to it.

Also, as I often say, “Free is not really free.”

Where do I put it?
It’s accumulating dust. I must clean it.
What if someone takes it?

For this reason, unless I really need it – it serves an immediate purpose – I’d rather not accept it. Sure, I have bought things that I’d never use, but the immediate need is a gift for someone else.

Elders Held Hostage

For over two decades, I’ve worked with elders and families living with dementia. Too often, family members can’t persuade Mom or Dad to move and get the care they need because they’re trapped by their possessions.

“What will become of all my stuff?”

The older we get the more traumatizing it is to let go of our accumulated possessions. We grow attached to the things in our home. For this reason and more, I am letting go, now.

My parents were unable to reduce their possessions. They died leaving a home filled with too many “yesses.” They said, “Yes,” to anyone’s offer of something, instead of saying, “No.” I ended up donating most of their “stuff” after facing the Herculean task during several cross-country trips.

Disaster Strikes

After the 2009 Station Fire swept close enough for us get three evacuation notices, I came away wanting to be a minimalist. It was too stressful deciding what to keep.

Since then, my vision has gotten rather extreme. I imagine being able to pick up at a moment’s notice and go… anywhere! I vision being able to put everything I own in a backpack… well, except for the grand piano.

What do we do with our possessions?

Letting go of clutter is an ongoing process. It’s no different than losing weight. You must keep at it. Only with consistent action will you build your decision-muscles to make the right choices. What will you eat? How much will you eat? What other things will you do, such as exercise and seeing your doctor, to keep in good health?

Managing our accumulated thoughts and physical matter requires vigilance to ensure we’re being comforted instead of being held hostage.

Click on Title to read the New York Times article, below.

The Unbearable Heaviness of Clutter

A cluttered home can be a stressful home, researchers are learning.

Credit Getty Images

Thank you, Ann Vanino for sharing this article.

How to be clutter free

June 18, 2015/1 Comment/in De-Clutter/by Eric Riddle STUFFologist

The dog days of summer are nearly upon us; Graduations, Father’s Day, vacations, and maybe a project or two. What is on your to do list? May I suggest picking a spot to de-clutter?

In STUFFology 101: Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter we said, “The stuff we think we’ll need some day often gets in the way – and this is what we call clutter.” It is the physical clutter that I want you to think about for your de-cluttering project.

Since you define your own clutter, pick an area that would make you feel better if it was clutter free. Many items are available to you to clean and organize that area in a method that suits you personally. A quick trip to Home Depot illustrates the many options to choose from.

I favor plastic storage bins because they resist water and critters better than cardboard, and come in many shapes and sizes. They can also be stacked neatly in a closet or used in conjunction with utility shelving in the garage.

Decide which will work best for your situation before purchasing something just because it is on sale or looks good at the store. Once you have what you need for your project, put some serious thought in what you want to keep, toss, or donate. Putting everything in bins on shelving in the garage is not necessarily de-cluttering your living space.

Out of sight and out of mind in the house is just moving clutter to the garage in plastic bins. Do not do this! Rather, keep what is important to you in the bins, and donate what is not. Be as ruthless as you can be with yourself. You may be surprised at how easy it is once you get started.

Finish a specific area of clutter before moving on to the next. This process should make you feel lighter as you complete each, momentum is a good thing. A quick review of S.T.U.F.F. may help.

I suggest working in 30-90 minute increments so you can complete a given area versus trying to do the whole house in one day. De-cluttering is a process, not an event. If you don’t feel like you are making meaningful progress it will not get done. Who wants that kind of frustration?

Take before and after photos to record your success; maybe even send us a note and picture to SUCCESS@STUFFology101.com to share with others. Sometimes seeing how other folks do things can inspire us to take action with our own clutter.

Summertime presents us with the opportunity to consider the physical clutter in our living space. Use the storage solutions available at your local retailer to de-clutter just one area TODAY.

Is it Time for Spring Cleaning?

April 7, 2015/2 Comments/in De-Clutter/by Brenda Avadian STUFFologist

Spring is a season of renewal. We plant the seeds we’ll sow in fall.

It’s time to take a serious look around and do some spring-cleaning in the areas we define as clutter. Clear out the weeds so the fruits of summer can grow to their full potential.

What are some of the cluttergories in your life?

Physical – accumulated possessions that take up space.
Mental – mind clutter, such as worries and even too many thoughts.
Digital – excessive files to wade through in order to get to the good stuff on our computers, tablets, smartphones, and portable media.
Temporal – resulting in “I-was-busy-all-day, but-what-did-I-get-done?” syndrome.
Sensual – overloading our senses until sounds, smells, tastes, and more not pleasurable, any longer.

Remember, one of the key tenets of STUFFology 101 is that YOU define the clutter in your life.

Lately, my husband, David, and I have been spending about two to three hours each Sunday, reducing our tax files from 2006 to 1986. We got a bit behind in clearing our clutter.

Because I have a need to reflect, we’ve spent more time decluttering. David would simply toss the old files. Instead, I persuaded him to join me in reflecting on our past as we review our income and expense files of our various endeavors during a twenty-year period of our thirty-seven plus years, together.

Given that I work with family and professional caregivers for people with dementia, I am acutely aware and feel fortunate that we can recall what we did some twenty years ago when we retrieve a receipt from 1995.

More importantly, I am gaining a greater sense of urgency in not putting things off–whether it is as small as keeping up with the filing or as big as prioritizing my dreams instead of investing so much time and energy helping others build theirs. Besides, I’m older. If I don’t follow my dreams now, there might not be enough time left to dream! 🙂

No one would notice our progress, yet we feel better about getting rid of these records. Besides, we learned firsthand during the 2009 Station Fire of what really matters.

The ripples of clearing the clutter have moved to my desktop and worktable as well. Plus, we’re even making time to clear the excess brush on our property in preparation for fire season.

Again, it’s important to remember; only YOU can decide what is the clutter in your life. I’m not talking about hoarding, which is a different issue.

Part IV of STUFFology 101 Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter offers clear guidelines to help you clear the cluttergories in your life.

After you have taken the steps to clear your clutter, be available to help others clear areas they define as the clutter, too. You wouldn’t want someone else defining what’s clutter in your life, would you? We’ve made it easy with the Bonus STUFFologist’s Guide included in your copy of STUFFology 101.

Just Say NO!

March 4, 2015/1 Comment/in De-Clutter/by Eric Riddle STUFFologist

Do you feel overwhelmed? Are you experiencing that feeling of too much to do and not enough time to do it in? If you are just too busy, consider a catchphrase from the 1980’s, just say NO!

Say no to things and people that are keeping you from fulfilling your goals. Decide what is important to you each day, and act accordingly inasmuch as you are able to do so. That is, declutter the time wasters from your day.

Granted, we all have family, work, and other obligations that we must attend to each day. But think about items in your day that you might be able to delegate, or not do at all. Often we get so caught up in our daily activities that we are living on autopilot, and not really questioning the need for doing a given task.

Consider the various euphemisms for how we use time:

Work expands to fill the time allowed.
Time flies when you are having fun.
There are only 24 hours in a day.
Time marches on.

These imply that we cannot control our time. While it is true that all of us have the same 168 hours each week, we can control how at least some of that time is utilized.

How can you avoid temporal clutter?

In STUFFology 101: Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter we talk about temporal clutter this way, “When you feel your time is limited, look at your daily activities. Sometimes we fill our lives with activities and feel overwhelmed by how busy we are.”

Just say NO to some of those activities.

The key is to work on those things that are the most important to you, while eliminating those that are not. This may sound simplistic. But it is the simple and obvious that often must be re-learned when we are in the autopilot mode of daily living. Stop and ask yourself, “Do I really need to do this?” The answer may surprise you.

Time is a precious resource. Think hard about how you can declutter time wasters from your day. Make it a daily practice to just say NO to things and people that are keeping you from fulfilling your goals.

Are Pets Messier Than Kids?

January 27, 2015/1 Comment/in De-Clutter/by Eric Riddle STUFFologist

Pets are like kids in many ways. We love and take care of them. We buy clothes and toys for them. They make a mess and do not clean up after themselves!

Thanks to their owners (us), our pets tend to accumulate too much stuff. Toys, clothes, beds, and blankets are scattered about the house.

Eventually, our beloved pet passes on. What do you do when you no longer have that pet?

Take a hard look at each item and decide to keep it, toss it, or donate it. Your choice might depend on what kind of pet you have. For example, we have cats and dogs.

For dogs, items to donate might include a leash, harness, bed, toy, or kennel. Even food or treats might be appropriate. When our large outdoor dog Little Bear passed away a few years ago, we gave her food and biscuits to our neighbor, who also had a large dog.

For cats, items to donate might include a litter box, cat litter, scratching post, or cat tower.

Think about how much your local animal rescue or shelter can benefit from you donation. You can make a positive difference!

In (Click on) STUFFology 101: Get Your Mind Out of the Clutter, we talk about donations:

“When donating things in a meaningful way, two people benefit. By helping others with a donation or a gift, you affect someone else’s life. Sometimes the unexpected gift you receive is learning just how much the thing you don’t use any more means to someone else.”

I am not sure if pets are messier than kids. I am sure their gently used items can make a difference to someone else who has a pet.

We need to declutter and archive statements more often.

January 21, 2015/2 Comments/in De-Clutter/by Brenda Avadian STUFFologist

The truth is my husband and I archive our records once every three years. Thirty-six months of accumulated paperwork is all our file cabinets can handle.

By this time, our files have grown so full that even the hanging folders lose their grip and collapse from the weight of being overstuffed.

It’s also about this time that my husband and I hate filing papers. It becomes a chore to try to stuff one more balanced credit union statement, one more receipt, one more paid utility bill, one more… In years past, we’d start a pile in front of the file cabinet. But we learned painful lessons over the years when having to file all that accumulated paperwork.

Late last year, my husband, David, removed all the pre-2014 paperwork and stacked all those sheets of paper into a neat pile on a shelf.

Time to Archive

It was exactly three years and one month this past weekend, when we pulled out the banker’s boxes and plastic storage bins in order to archive this paperwork among our older records.

Eeeeewwwwww. There was even a dated note on one of the bins: 12/18/2011 This bin is full.

We need to let go of our older records.

As a STUFFologist, the thought of buying a new bin did not occur to me. Instead, using Nature’s process as noted in “Input Throughput Output,” Chapter 21 in Part Four of (click on) STUFFology 101, we needed to let go of some stuff.

It took the better part of a quarter hour to decide what we would let go and then the better part of three hours to get the job done.

We keep records of the last seven years. Anything prior to that, we reviewed and reduced to make room for the newer records.

It’s a slow process at best because it’s not simply a matter of tossing records from 2006 and earlier. You may recall I have a need to look through my paperwork one more time before letting go. So, the process will take a bit longer.

For one thing, I purchased a few stocks over a decade ago that I still own. I need to look through my paperwork to see if I still have those records. It would be much harder to get them from the brokerage as I’ve changed brokers over the years, too. I’ll need this information to calculate the long-term capital gain when I’m ready to sell.

This is the process of dealing with (click on) S.T.U.F.F.—we need to Start, Trust the process, Understand that it will take time, and Focus, in order to Finish.

David and I decided that we need to archive and de-clutter statements more often.

In one and a half weeks, we’ve set aside time to return to this process of removing our older records. This time, it should be easier since we’re not waiting three years to review and be reacquainted with our filing system. Over time, I have faith that the process will move faster as we feel strengthened by saving only what we need.

How about you? What area do you define as clutter and how can you get started with decluttering your STUFF?