Some BEFORE & AFTER pictures of DeAnna's latest project....
 This is the smallest of the 3 bedrooms & in the back (wealth) corner of the house. No closet door, LOTS of clutter, window covered, old dirty blue carpet & very dark blue paint. UGH! |  This is 1 of the AFTER shots of the same bedroom. Room was primed/painted w/STARRY NIGHT paint by SW, better bed placement, new laminate floors & lighter, layered window treatments to let light in. A comfortable guest room! |  The bad lighting of this before picture of the breakfast nook actually helps. An old, not-installed-correctly patio door to a concrete patio & window w/no window treatments bounce light off of a polished brass, not-installed correctly lighting fixture. A light, tan vinyl floor completes the out-of-date neglected space. |  A new, wrought iron chandelier (w/dimmer!), light window treatments (& new, properly installed patio door which leads to new, wood deck) let in a lot of light to this cozy space. KESTREL paint, white trim & new laminate flooring create a great space to share a meal. |
***Clutter is the physical manifestations of our emotional baggage***
-DeAnna Radaj, from The Clutter Counselor
I've discussed in previous articles about the importance of dealing "with your stuff" around your home...but what about your work space? Think of all the paper clutter, email clutter and over-flowing office supply cabinets stuffed with items that we "may need" (30 boxes of binder clips as in the case of one of my client's rooms even though they no longer used them in presentations!) or that were sent by mistake on an order & you just never "sent them back". Remember, clutter tends to congregate in areas that we are either "working on" in Feng Shui terms (i.e. the 9 Life Areas) or are "stuck in." I guarantee this.
***The 9 Life Areas are: Career/Life Journey, Knowledge, Family, Wealth/Abundance, Success/Fame, Relationship (personal, business, romance), Creativity, Helpful People and Health).***
If you missed "the BIG clean" of Oosooji on December 28th and you're still recovering a bit from the holidays, remember to start small. You will NOT be able to go through your entire office/store-front in a day or over the weekend! Each item must be picked up and/or tried on. If the item doesn't serve a purpose or state who you are NOW, it must go. There are 3 questions you need to ask yourself: Do I use it? Do I need it? Do I love it? If you answered "NO" to any of these questions, the item needs to go. As you are going through your items, you have 3 piles to choose from: Keep, Sell/Dontate and Toss. Once an item is in a pile, it stays in that pile!! And, due to our current economic climate, there are numerous non-profits, schools, libraries and even animal shelters that would be very happy to receive donations of office supplies!
But DeAnna, you say, I don't have a problem with physical clutter...I have "paper clutter" or "too much on my calendar clutter" (or relationship clutter)...what do I do about that? In a nutshell, in regards to "people" clutter-if you find yourself screening phone calls and emails and avoiding any and all contact with these people, see if you can stop it. Not to be rude or mean, but start to disengage from the relationship and focus on relationships and events that serve a positive purpose in your life. In relationships that can't be "gotten rid of", try to be focused in the encounters, only see them when necessary (a family member you may only have to see 1x a year, or a co-worker who walks past your desk for coffee) and have as little contact with that person as you can.
***To take control of your schedule, you must logically evaluate these business relationships (vendors, clients, sales reps) and analyze what value they add to your business & your success...OR do you only take calls from the sales rep who takes you out for great lunches? Be honest & schedule accordingly.***
Paper clutter is a menace everyone faces. The goal with mail clutter is to only touch the mail once. Sit down and figure out your mail routine and see what/how you can cut down on how many times you touch the paper. (In the case of a staff member handling the mail, sit down with them & go through what THEIR process is & design a system around that NOT on how YOU think it should be handled!). Have a shredder and paper recycle bin nearby. Shred and recycle asap! File bills asap (or pay immediately on-line, or write out the check), put magazines/newspapers where you/staff will sit down and read them. If you aren't reading them in a timely manner, cancel the subscription and get news updates on-line. Contact your accountant or the IRS website to see how long you need to retain various expense documents, tax returns, mortgage papers...Shred what you no longer need to keep.
It is vital when going through your files & other paper items that you don't just "stuff items into a drawer". You must be able to easily access files, know where they are filed (are all of your deleted organization files in 1 spot? are all your contracts of active clients in 1 spot?) and have room for NEW client paperwork. (you do want new clients, right?).
Remember, if you don't love, need it, use it OR have it out to appreaciate it...it's CLUTTER and is serving no purpose other than a dust collector. Get rid of it. Make room for new items (growth, opportunity) to come into your life. Keep these tips in mind...declutter...and let that fabulous NEW energy flow into your office!
-DeAnna Radaj, from The Clutter Counselor
I've discussed in previous articles about the importance of dealing "with your stuff" around your home...but what about your work space? Think of all the paper clutter, email clutter and over-flowing office supply cabinets stuffed with items that we "may need" (30 boxes of binder clips as in the case of one of my client's rooms even though they no longer used them in presentations!) or that were sent by mistake on an order & you just never "sent them back". Remember, clutter tends to congregate in areas that we are either "working on" in Feng Shui terms (i.e. the 9 Life Areas) or are "stuck in." I guarantee this.
***The 9 Life Areas are: Career/Life Journey, Knowledge, Family, Wealth/Abundance, Success/Fame, Relationship (personal, business, romance), Creativity, Helpful People and Health).***
If you missed "the BIG clean" of Oosooji on December 28th and you're still recovering a bit from the holidays, remember to start small. You will NOT be able to go through your entire office/store-front in a day or over the weekend! Each item must be picked up and/or tried on. If the item doesn't serve a purpose or state who you are NOW, it must go. There are 3 questions you need to ask yourself: Do I use it? Do I need it? Do I love it? If you answered "NO" to any of these questions, the item needs to go. As you are going through your items, you have 3 piles to choose from: Keep, Sell/Dontate and Toss. Once an item is in a pile, it stays in that pile!! And, due to our current economic climate, there are numerous non-profits, schools, libraries and even animal shelters that would be very happy to receive donations of office supplies!
But DeAnna, you say, I don't have a problem with physical clutter...I have "paper clutter" or "too much on my calendar clutter" (or relationship clutter)...what do I do about that? In a nutshell, in regards to "people" clutter-if you find yourself screening phone calls and emails and avoiding any and all contact with these people, see if you can stop it. Not to be rude or mean, but start to disengage from the relationship and focus on relationships and events that serve a positive purpose in your life. In relationships that can't be "gotten rid of", try to be focused in the encounters, only see them when necessary (a family member you may only have to see 1x a year, or a co-worker who walks past your desk for coffee) and have as little contact with that person as you can.
***To take control of your schedule, you must logically evaluate these business relationships (vendors, clients, sales reps) and analyze what value they add to your business & your success...OR do you only take calls from the sales rep who takes you out for great lunches? Be honest & schedule accordingly.***
Paper clutter is a menace everyone faces. The goal with mail clutter is to only touch the mail once. Sit down and figure out your mail routine and see what/how you can cut down on how many times you touch the paper. (In the case of a staff member handling the mail, sit down with them & go through what THEIR process is & design a system around that NOT on how YOU think it should be handled!). Have a shredder and paper recycle bin nearby. Shred and recycle asap! File bills asap (or pay immediately on-line, or write out the check), put magazines/newspapers where you/staff will sit down and read them. If you aren't reading them in a timely manner, cancel the subscription and get news updates on-line. Contact your accountant or the IRS website to see how long you need to retain various expense documents, tax returns, mortgage papers...Shred what you no longer need to keep.
It is vital when going through your files & other paper items that you don't just "stuff items into a drawer". You must be able to easily access files, know where they are filed (are all of your deleted organization files in 1 spot? are all your contracts of active clients in 1 spot?) and have room for NEW client paperwork. (you do want new clients, right?).
Remember, if you don't love, need it, use it OR have it out to appreaciate it...it's CLUTTER and is serving no purpose other than a dust collector. Get rid of it. Make room for new items (growth, opportunity) to come into your life. Keep these tips in mind...declutter...and let that fabulous NEW energy flow into your office!
 A teen boy's room BEFORE |  Same space AFTER a Clutter-Busting |
DeAnna in the media....
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