Simplify Your Space: Create Order and Reduce Stress - Softcover

Ramsland, Marcia

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0849915112 ISBN 13: 9780849915116

Verlag: Thomas Nelson, 2007

Inhaltsangabe

Practical tips for organizing the spaces in your home help meet the needs for order in life. Would you like to clear out some of the clutter in your home? Do you ever wonder where all this stuff has come from feeling like things have maybe gotten a bit out of control? Join Marcia Ramsland, the organizing pro, as she leads you in a room-by-room approach to simplifying your home and office. Simplifying your space is the process of organizing your belongings and letting go of the excess until your surroundings are peaceful and in order. Using the CALM approach; C=Create a Plan, A=Approach it by Sections, L=Lighten up and Let Go, and M=Manage it Simply; Marcia guides readers in creating a more stress-free life. Includes 52 space saving tips, checklists, helpful diagrams, and even decorating ideas!

Über diesen Titel

Über die Autorin bzw. den Autor

Marcia Ramsland, well known as The Organizing Pro for her practical skills and tips to manage busy lives, has been a professional organizer since 1985. She is a highly sought-after speaker and personal consultant, appears on TV and radio, and has tips in national magazines. The author of Simplify Your Lifeand Simplify Your Time, Marcia just recently reorganized the spaces in her home by relocating from San Diego to Dallas.

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simplify your space

create order & reduce stressBy MARCIA RAMSLAND

Thomas Nelson

Copyright © 2007 Marcia Ramsland
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-8499-1511-6

Contents

1. Simply Start Out Right.........................................1Simplify Your Visible Space2. Kitchen........................................................103. Family Room....................................................214. Daily Paperwork................................................30Simplify Your Personal Space5. Bedroom........................................................426. Bedroom Closet.................................................527. Bathroom.......................................................62Simplify Your Active Space8. Laundry Room...................................................749. Child's Room...................................................8310. Office........................................................92Simplify Your Formal Space11. Dining Room...................................................10612. Living Room...................................................11513. Guest Room....................................................124Simplify Your Storage Space14. Garage........................................................13615. Basement......................................................14616. Your Next Move................................................15717. Simply Maintain and Multiply Your Success.....................169Acknowledgments...................................................177Recommended Resources.............................................179About the Author..................................................181

Chapter One

Simply Start Out Right

With a good organizational plan, you can be sure to unclutter any area of your home. And if you maintain the neat, orderly space you've created, you'll always know what you've got-and exactly where to find it. -MERVYN KAUFMAN

I love the look of a clean home-and you probably do too. But wanting an orderly home and actually bringing it about are two different things. If you sometimes struggle to maintain your space, you're not alone. Most of us eventually have to admit, "I just have too much stuff!"

I, too, didn't realize the clutter I had collected until I opened my linen closet years ago and found twenty-six tablecloths. That's enough for a new one every two weeks for an entire year! That day I discovered what too much felt like. So I started to sort and create simple solutions to control clutter.

As we all know, cluttered closets (like my overstuffed linen closet), paper pileups, and overflowing countertops gradually fill our homes for a variety of reasons, ranging from a busy schedule to other people to pick up after. Then, adding to our piles of stuff, we receive gifts, find great bargains, and purchase new things to enjoy without getting rid of the old. Before long, the clutter grows in every room and we feel out of control!

If we don't simplify the things we own, our homes become full of gathered belongings and we become "museum" keepers. And the more things we acquire, the more time we have to spend taking care of them. Without an effective system to organize our belongings, we spend many frustrating hours searching for important things that are lost or misplaced.

Put quite simply, too much stuff complicates our lives.

Get Things Back Under Control

Perhaps things have gotten a bit cluttered in your life. If so, let me assure you that having too much stuff is not a character flaw! It can be the sign of a busy life, a sentimental attachment to things, indecisiveness, or reluctance to let things go. Whatever the reason, in this book you will learn practical tips to help you overcome your past and make a fresh start.

There are simple solutions to getting things back under control. You don't have to live in a complicated home. You can make changes ... at your own pace. The dream of a simplified space can become your reality.

The good news is that when you simplify your belongings, you will find not only clear space but also more time. You won't be taking care of so many things, and that will free you to focus on what really matters. Now is the time to let things go, for your benefit and for others'.

Motivated to Change

We all have personal reasons for wanting to simplify our space. Mine was embarrassment.

My well-organized twin aunts were visiting from out of town for a week. I loved my aunts and knew they were neat as a pin at home and work. Thinking I could use a little encouragement from them on how to get organized, I casually asked as we were setting the table for dinner, "Aunt Helen, how can I get these papers on my kitchen counter in order?"

She folded her arms, took a step back, and surveyed the situation. I knew right then I was in trouble. Sure enough, Aunt Helen began to assess my situation aloud.

"First of all, you need to get rid of these piles on the countertop. Then the piles sitting on the floor underneath the counter need to go. And then ..."

As she continued, I was mortified. I thought, Can't she see I'm a busy person? I'm raising a family with three kids! What does she expect?

I started to blame my family for my disorganized lifestyle, but it wasn't their fault. The fact remained: I had a cluttered kitchen, and I was responsible. What I had visually tuned out as a minor problem was a noticeable eyesore to everyone else. I decided to change.

Make a Plan and Take Some Action Every Day

You may not have an Aunt Helen in your life, but you may have heard comments from a spouse, neighbor, or friends (or feared getting some). This may be your moment to do some clearing out and cleaning up. If not for others, then do it for yourself. The peace of mind is well worth it.

Here's what I learned as I pursued organizing my paper-filled countertop:

1. Keeping things out is the slowest way to find anything. It all runs together and is difficult to find anything, from the credit card bill to the coupon for a favorite store. 2. Getting organized is only half the battle. I had to go a step further and prioritize things to keep and things to let go. 3. Living an organized lifestyle is much easier than living a disorganized one. No one told me it was way more fun and took much less time. Once I discovered this secret, I was hooked on keeping a simplified space, and you probably will be too.

Little did I know back then I would not only clean up my space, but I would encourage audiences and clients across the country with the hope that they too could make changes. Orderliness is not a gene you are born with; anyone can learn to sort, organize, and simplify successfully-starting today!

How Do You Simplify Your Space?

Simplifying your space is the process of organizing your belongings and letting go of the excess until your surroundings are orderly and peaceful. We're going to do it room by room so you can see your progress.

As you simplify your space, you might be doing one of several things. For instance, you might be clearing up a cluttered coffee table by separating paper from other items. Or you might be going through a closet and donating a good portion of the contents to charity. Or you might be making room in the garage by organizing sections...

Details zur Ausgabe

• Verlag: Thomas Nelson
• Erscheinungsdatum: 2007
• Sprache: Englisch
• ISBN 10: 0849915112
• ISBN 13: 9780849915116
• Einband: Taschenbuch
• Anzahl der Seiten: 192
• Kontakt zum Hersteller: Nicht verfügbar
• Verantwortliche Person: Nicht verfügbar