Birthing the New

There’s something new being born in my life.  I know this because I’ve felt the desire to go through my house and office looking for things that need a new home – the items that represent the past that need to go.

• You know when something new is trying to come into your life when:
• You feel ready to release the energetic weight of stuff sitting on your shoulders.
• You know, on some level, that your life today has outgrown your life of yesterday.
• You feel overwhelmed by the sight of things you no longer love or need.
• You intentionally avoid or ignore the areas in your home or office that feel cluttered, disorganized, or messy.
• You can’t seem to find the time or energy to invest in new ideas or directions.

I’ve known for a year that I needed to handle some things – the books that no longer fit in our library, the stuff left in our garage from the move five years ago, and a room in our basement filled with unused construction material.  With my busy travel schedule, I’ve had the perfect excuse to put these projects on hold.  But eventually the energetic burden takes it toll.  I know I can’t move forward without going back and letting go.

So, what makes it easier to make physical and energetic space?  Here’s what I learned this time…

• Understanding that physical stuff holds old energy that prevents evolution.  If you don’t release the things you no longer love or use, you can’t fully grow into your next stage.
• Remembering how free and exciting it feels to see an empty room, clean closets, or spacious, organized shelves.
• Recognizing that clearing out the old is a fundamental step in our personal growth therefore time for cleaning and clearing needs to be scheduled so these projects receive the attention they deserve.
• Energetic, loving, and motivated friends who are willing to help makes the process fun, easy, and infinitely more enjoyable.
• Having the perfect place to donate the things you no longer use, need, or love inspires you to let go of more than you think you can.
• Giving your treasured items to treasured people.

Finally, one of the benefits of getting older is the recognition that time is precious. While in the past it might have been easy to go through a stack of books and think, “someday I may want to read these,” you realize that someday is a limited time frame.  It’s how you spend “right now” that really matters.

A few minutes ago I returned from delivering a truckload of items to our local thrift store – a nonprofit organization that shares revenue with food pantries and homeless shelters.  I love giving to these people – they’re excited, grateful and anxious to help in any way they can.

I know I’m preparing to give birth and the de-cluttering process is a necessary step in that direction.  Care to join me?

Life Makeover for the Year 2012(sm) is written and produced by Cheryl Richardson.© Copyright 1999-2012 Cheryl Richardson,P.O. Box 13,Newburyport, MA01950,  www.cherylrichardson.com. All rights reserved. Used with permission.

Follow these guidelines to help you activate your wealth-producing potential by introducing water to your home and landscape.

Water activation guidelines for the outside of your home

• Use yang water which is water that moves. If water is still, such as in a pool, it represents accumulated water, but not stimulated water, which activates income streams.
• Make water flow toward the house or appear to flow toward the house.
• If possible, adding lighting to your water to give it increased wealth potential and activate the water.
• Create a waterfall, install a pool, place a fountain outdoors, or create a pond. Water features can almost instantly change your financial circumstances!
• Keep your water clean. As long as the water is kept clean, it imparts auspicious wealth energy. When it is dirty, it becomes yin and drains wealth energy.

Water activation guidelines for the inside of your home

• Place your water close to lighting as this will help to energise the water.
• Keep your water clean as it imparts auspicious wealth energy. When it is dirty, it becomes yin and drains wealth energy.
• Keep the fountain size relative to the room. If you have a small room, then a small fountain is a good wealth activator.

As much as water can help, it can also hurt. Make sure you follow these water taboos:

• No water to the right of the door as you look out (can draw predatory females)
• No water in the bedroom (can cause money and health loss)
• Avoid water fountains that flow away from the home (can cause money loss)
• No water under stairways (can cause severe money loss and harm to children)
• Avoid water placed directly at the rear of the house (can create overwhelming financial loss, bankruptcy)

Would you like your kitchen to be a calm cooking and command centre?

The perfect pantry:
Get rid of expired items or food you will never eat. Make it a kid’s game and let them search for the expiration dates.
Group items such as packets and condiments together and keep stock items like rice and past in clear, airtight containers. They will keep longer, be pest proof (against those pesky weavils) and you will also see when you are running low.
Consider storage options such as portable shelves to make the most of high/deep shelves.
Empty the fridge and give it a thorough clean. Group “like foods” together to create sections for fruits, vegetables, dairy, condiments etc.
Haven’t used the bread machine or George Foreman grill in years? Give them away or sell (charities no longer take electrical goods). Don’t hang onto saucepans or utensils you never use (even if they are part of a set).
Create a message centre. Use a pin board to hold to-do lists and cards, have a small magazine rack for bills or school paperwork, put up a hook for keys, have a shelf near the power point for charging phones and iPods.
Turn your kitchen into zones.
Consumables (canned and dry goods, fresh foods found in pantry and fridge); Non-consumables (dishes, glasses, cutlery etc), Cleaning (garbage, cleaning products, cloths), Preparation (utensils, knives, chopping board, mixing bowls, small appliances) Cooking (pots, pans, cooking utensils, baking trays, microwave) Ensure that the space assigned for each item is in the correct proximity to the activity it is related to e.g. cooking utensils should be stored by the cooker, cleaning materials should be stored near the sink.
Put everything back in its place when finished with (most important tip).
Make the most of your under-sink area by installing pull out baskets for cleaning products, a swing out bin, plastic bag recycler and paper towel holder.
It might not always be possible to store everything away off your kitchen counter top, so when choosing items and appliances that will be in view on a permanent basis, go for something that will look good, act as a focal point in the kitchen.

It is a common occurrence that we accumulate items over the years and the longer you are in one home the worse it is. We have cupboards and drawers full of stuff; furniture we don’t really need but keep “just in case”; and items that we’ve had for years and may be difficult to part with due to a sentimental attachment.

Take a walk through your house and evaluate everything you come across. Ask yourself if you’ve used it in the past year and, if so, how often? Be honest now!

For stuff that you really have a hard time getting rid of, make this agreement with yourself: Put the items in storage. If you don’t need or use them within 6 months, give, sell or throw them away.

2. Will everything fit?

Always measure your furniture as you will need to know if it will (or won’t) fit into your new space – particularly large items such as your sofa and your bed – so measure everything.

You will also need to get the room measurements of your new space. Ask if you can take measurements or if there is a floor plan available to you. Don’t forget about the location of doors and windows as this will be a factor in furniture placement.

Once you have these measurements, make a floor plan using your furniture’s measurements. This will give you a much better idea on what you can keep and what will have to go.

3. Assess Your New Storage Areas

How many times have you moved into a new place only to realise that you have overestimated the amount of storage space? While you’re getting room measurements, make sure to properly assess the storage space you’ll be inheriting. Will you have fewer kitchen cupboards? How many closets will you have?

Assessing exactly how much of the new space is dedicated to storage will give you an idea of the volume of items you need to dispose of before moving in. Don’t forget hidden storage areas you currently use in your old place. If you place a lot of items above the kitchen cabinets in your current home, for example, find out if the cupboards in the new place have storage in that area as well.

Go through your storage areas first – you will be surprised to find out what you’ve put away instead of gotten rid of. If you’re like most of us, you will find boxes of items that haven’t seen the light of day for years and there’s a reason for this: you don’t need them.

Don’t forget to go through your bathroom cabinets, kitchen and “junk” drawers. We have a tendency to accumulate unnecessary items in these places.

5. Sell Your Stuff

Have a garage sale (or a better idea, organise one with neighbours or friends). If you need help organising or promoting a garage sale, contact Greg or Heidi at "What Garage Sale" www.whatgaragesale.com.au.

The Weekend Shopper in the Courier Mail or The Trading Post is a good avenue for selling larger items such as furniture, appliances and home decor items to people living in your area. eBay is a good venue for selling items but make sure to take good quality photos and offer good descriptions.

6. Get Organised

Before you move into your new place, it’s a good time to work out some storage solutions for your stored items. You can do this as you pack. Place your storage items in decorative storage boxes that can be moved and placed in the new storage areas without much effort. Plastic bins are great for moving and storing, come in many sizes, are stackable, and the see-through ones make finding what you need a snap. But don’t forget to label everything by room.

7. Move Large Items First

Move your furniture into your new home first. You will have the most energy for this task at the beginning of the move and it will also give you a better indication of where the smaller things will go.

Do not merely fill a room with furniture with the idea of sorting it all out later. There is nothing worse than trying to navigate through small rooms littered with boxes and stacks of furniture after a day of moving.

Place furniture in the rooms as you go, according to the plan you made earlier. If you have done your homework correctly, your big items should fit in nicely and already give you a sense of home.   8. Organise Boxed Items

Your labelled boxes can now be put into their respective rooms and the unpacking can begin. Begin with the bathroom, as that is the room most likely to be needed immediately. If you have only kept the basics, unpacking this room will be a breeze.  

9. Organise Your Space As You Unpack

Utilise wardrobe and cupboard storage solutions as you unpack. This way, more can be stored in these tight spaces and you will be setting a precedent for how your new, smaller space will be used. Don’t fall back into lazy habits or your downsized place will get you down.

10. Relax And Enjoy!

You no longer have to worry about the financial burden or time draining tasks of maintaining a home too big for your needs and you have simplified your life by surrounding yourself with only those things that are most important to you. Celebrate!

My dilemma is how to organise my linen closet, which is very small and only has 3 shelves. There are so many sheets and towels and a couple of quilt covers that I rotate through the seasons. In summer, electric blankets and doonas need to be stored until winter comes around. Every time I open the linen closet a doona springs out at me and it’s difficult to actually get to things that are right at the back or up high. Unfortunately my bed goes right to the floor and there is no room underneath to store anything there and my wardrobe is neatly organised but at capacity. Much appreciate your advice.
Solution

Thanks for your decluttering dilemma Susan. The linen cupboard is a thorn in the side of many homes – especially now that we have doonas and bulky items replacing easy to stack blankets and throws.
Purge & Sort: When was the last time you went through what was in there? Theoretically you only need 2 sets of sheets/pillowcases per bed: one on the bed and one in the wash. Same with bath towels, 2 per family member, one being used, one in wash and a couple for guests. Beach towel – one per person. It is amazing how we collect so many sheets and towels and never use them.

Store: A great storage idea is vacuum sealed bags – but not the old style that sucked it into a misshaped block that you couldn’t store easily. These days they have a square or rectangular case around the outside so when you are sucking it into shape, it turns into a cube or flat rectangle for easy storage. They are easy to grab with handles for when they are stored at the back of the cupboard too. Howard Storage World has a huge range of these in all shapes and sizes and I regularly recommend them to my clients for their linen.

Is there anywhere at all besides the linen cupboard that you can store the out of season items? Don’t be afraid to think outside the box. One client ended up storing linen in her kitchen as she had a spare cupboard! My husband put a railing up in the garage and I have all my winter coats hanging out there in sealed covers (Susan has since informed me she found room in boxes on top of her kitchen cupboards).

The same goes with your clothing wardrobe – when was the last time you had a purge? Remember the 80/20 rule: we only wear 20% of our clothing 80% of the time. Grab a trusted friend, put on some fun music and do a fashion show (like the girls did in Sex and the City). Feel good about donating clothes to charity; a great one for business type clothing is www.dressforsuccess.org/brisbane in Fortitude Valley but they have them around Australia.

With these ideas, I hope your linen cupboard no longer gives you any nasty surprises when you open the door Susan!

So in no particular order, here are my top four reasons why decluttering will improve your life – and the lives of those around you!

1. Improving your mental state

How many times have you heard this gem: A cluttered home is the sign of a cluttered mind! Well it’s true. Decluttering your home helps to free your mind, to think clearer, and to be less stressed. An organised house supports organised thinking and a more positive attitude.

2. Improving your finances

Ask yourself these questions:

*How many times have you bought the same thing twice because you couldn’t find it the first time?

*How many times have you bought “bargains” only to find you don’t need them and they then clutter up the house?

*How many times have you misplaced bills so you had to pay late fees? Or lost Lotto tickets that could be big winners? Or cheques that haven’t been cashed?

*How much money have you found under that pile of papers on your desk?

3. Improving yours and your family’s health

*You have more energy. As the draining energy of clutter diminishes the positive energy of becoming clutter free increases so you feel better.

*There is less “stuff” around the home collecting dust or being a trip hazard.

*The house is much easier to clean – and easier to keep it that way.

*Fresh air can circulate helping you to breathe.

*You will feel less inclined to scream at your children when they can’t find things!

4. Improving your social life

Imagine this perfect scenario:

*You can find your kitchen bench tops again so you can cook.

*Your dining room table is clear so you can sit down to dinner with family.

*You are no longer embarrassed to have visitors around for a BBQ.

*Guests can stay overnight or for a week in your spare room (if you want them to!)

Most importantly, being clutter-free and organised gives you more time for things you want to do: cooking, exercising, reading, family time, hobbies, taking a bath – YOU time!

These are just four areas of improving your life when you take the courage to declutter your home – there are literally thousands more. So…what are you waiting for?

Are you stressed out about Christmas?

Do you have 1001 things to buy, cook, clean, organise before the big day?

Here are five top tips to help get you organised:

1. Lower your standards
Make peace with imperfection. You are not Martha Stewart in the kitchen or Clark W Griswold from the movie “Christmas Vacation” when it comes to putting up the Christmas lights. Give yourself permission to buy a Christmas cake rather than making one. Trying to do every task perfectly is the easiest way to get bogged down and super stressed.

2. Make a list like Santa (& do a bit each day)
Rather than wait until Christmas Eve or when we have a “spare minute” have a schedule in place each day leading up to Christmas tackling tasks that need doing, and make sure you assign tasks to all members of the family – not just you! Kids are very good at cleaning silverware, putting up Christmas decorations (it doesn’t matter if they aren’t perfect – refer to point 1) or helping to make/write the Christmas cards.

3. Walk away from “bargains” at Christmas
Just because you can buy a new pair of jeans for $20 or 50 rolls of toilet paper for the price of ten doesn’t mean you should. Ask yourself “Where am I going to store it?” before making a purchase.

4. Ask for help.
The organised person is willing to expose herself to short-term embarrassment and call for backup. Instead of that elaborate four course Christmas lunch, change it to “everyone please bring a dish to share.”

5. Declutter unnecessary items before buying new gifts
Help the kids to go through their toy boxes and wardrobes and let go of items that they have outgrown or no longer play with. Tell them about other children whose parents can’t afford presents or those who have been through hardships like the floods in January.

And this tips isn’t just for the kids – it applies to adults too! It is healthy to be attached to certain items: a vase you picked up in Paris, or your grandmother’s pearls. However are you still holding on to that holey concert t-shirt or scuffed shoes you wore to your first job interview? It’s time to let them go. This opens up space for more meaningful gifts to enter your life. New shoes anyone?

10 days is all it takes to a new you!

DAY 1 Purse: go through your purse and clean it out. File all old receipts, dispose of all expired / unused cards. Does your purse reflect who you are now…perhaps it’s time to consider a new purse which is functional and fabulous! Your attitude toward money and abundance is reflected in your choice of purse.

DAY 2 Keys: symbolically unlock your hidden potential and open the doors to new opportunities. Ensure all of your keys are facing the same direction and are on the key ring from largest to smallest. Remove any unused keys from your key ring and add a positive symbol which can enhance the energy of your keys.

DAY 3 Car: wash your car, clean and vacuum the interior. Ensure that your car is safe and is in good mechanical order. Your car is an extension of yourself and represents your direction in life. Same applies for other modes of transport – bicycles, motorbikes and most importantly your feet! These are your primary mode of transport so ook after them!

DAY 4 Wardrobe: it’s time to go through your clothing and shoes and let go of all that does not represent who you are today. Items which have painful memories or associations must go. Give them away, donate them, or sell them. Items which no longer fit must go. Letting go of the old allows new energy to enter your life. It is now time to create a new image of who you are today.

DAY 5 Windows: clean the windows and glass doors of your home to provide clarity. The windows are like the eyes of your home and clean windows will heighten your insight and clarity.

DAY 6 Pictures: move them around the home. Moving the pictures and paintings around on your walls will create a shift and change in the energy of your home…try it and see what happens!

DAY 7 Letterbox: numbers must be clearly visible. Your letterbox represents your identity. To invite new energy into your life the energy must be able to find you!

DAY 8 Pamper: do something just for yourself today. This is your day to do what you love.

DAY 9 Create: do something creative; try a new recipe, paint, sculpt, draw, anything that inspires you. Awaken your inner child and do something fun!

DAY 10 Celebrate! You have made some wonderful changes and shifted a lot of energy. Organise to spend some time with a friend or group of friends today to celebrate the new you!

Thank you to Sonia Jenkins for allowing me to reproduce this article.

Sonia Jenkins
Transference Healing® Practitioner
Crystal Therapist / Reiki Master / Artist
m: 0419 66 4711
e: sonia.starflower@gmail.com
w: www.starflowerscrystalwisdom.com.au