This newsletter is sent out to subscribers twice a month. Enjoy! Carol Riggles ======================== :: WORDS TO LIVE BY :: ======================== "I long to accomplish a great and noble task, but it is my chief duty to accomplish small tasks as if they were great and noble."                               Helen Keller ======================== :: FEATURE ARTICLE :: ======================== Eliminating Clutter and Increasing Positive Energy by Carol Riggles Clutter is a severe hinderance to the healthy flow of the life-energy force called Qi or chi. Clutter can cause low or stagnant energy levels, which can adversely affect your health and sense of well-being. Wanting to get rid of clutter is the first step, but in order to get rid of clutter, you need to be able to identify the different types of clutter accurately. There are many rating methods, but one of the best is also the easiest to understand. One of the main reasons for eliminating clutter is to eliminate stress, and if dealing with clutter creates stress, it is less likely that the job will get completed. The Number Rating Method To use this method, please make sure you are familiar with the characteristics in the descriptions of each number. Most people are familiar with this method, just not how it relates specifically to clutter! Scale - 1 is bad and 5 is good. Rate it a 1 if: You have ever thought, "I really hate this thing." Or, if you take a good look at it now and wonder why on earth you still have it. Rate it a 2 if: You are holding on to something that is not in good shape now but could become something worth keeping with some time and/or money. Anything broken but fixable fits this category - IF - you think you will get around to fixing it, cleaning it, repairing it, painting it, etc., within one year. If not, it should be a 1. Rate it a 3 if: The item is useful, but you don't really care about it. It carries no special memories or value beyond what it supplies in usefulness, and you need what it offers. Rate it a 4 if: You think it is something you enjoy looking at or using. It gives you pleasure. A stack of old magazines could be clutter to one person and give real pleasure to another. Rate it a 5 if: You can't imagine living without it. After you become familiar with the number ratings, try to assign a few items into each category right away to help create a value comparison to use for objects that may be a bit more difficult to rate. After everything is rated - take action! Actions to Take Eliminate all of the 1's immediately. These are the items that depress your spirit and hinder your energy levels. Hold a sale if you must, but only if you promise to give away or throw out anything that doesn't sell the very next day. Put all of the 2's in storage. The cost will help you to truly decide if it is a 2 or a 1. If you are not willing to pay to store it, you aren't ever going to put in the time or money to fix it. The main thing is to get these items out of your present living space where they create a daily visual reminder that you simply don't have enough time or money to get everything on your to-do list done. Make a schedule for repairs and put it on your calendar. Only store the 2's for one year at most. When the year is up, anything remaining in storage should be re-rated as a 1 and eliminated once and for all. The only need for action with a 3 is if it is a duplicate or you have too much. For example, sheets are useful, butif you are only using three sets and you have six, then you have too much. Keep what you need, not what you don't. Most of what you own should be a 4. Ideally everything you see or use will give you some sort of pleasure, comfort and contribute to your sense of well-being. The 5's are scarce, but true treasures. Try to place them throughout your living and work spaces to bring extra joy to your life, especially in areas where you are forced to do tasks you may not particularly enjoy. Why Numbers? This system is relatively simple and successful because we all have some experience rating things from 1-5. Numbers are wonderfully neutral and somewhat arbitrary, which allows your real feelings to count toward the rating system. Don't ask yourself, "Should I keep this thing?" This opens up too many ways for you to justify holding on to something that you shouldn't. Information such as who gave it to you, how much it cost, or how long you have had it, shouldn't be allowed to control the decision making process. Instead, ask yourself, "What number does it deserve?" After you have rated an item, simply follow the action plan for that rating. This simple, yet effective system eliminates the stress of the typical decision making process. Eliminating clutter releases old "stuck" energy making your space feel cleaner, happier, and more hospitable to others. About the author: Carol Riggles, owner of Carroll Creek Remedies, provides simple, practical, and effective solutions for better health and a more organized lifestyle. ======================== :: JUST FOR FUN :: ======================== Government in Action Once upon a time the government had a vast scrap yard in the middle of a desert. Congress said, 'Someone may steal from it at night.' So they created a night watchman position and hired a person for the job. Then Congress said, 'How does the watchman do his job without instruction?' So they created a planning department and hired two people, one person to write the instructions, and one person to do time studies. Then Congress said, 'How will we know the night watchman is doing the tasks correctly?' So they created a Quality Control department and hired two people. One to do the studies and one to write the reports. Then Congress said, 'How are these people going to get paid?' So they created the following positions, a time keeper, and a payroll officer, then hired two people. Then Congress said, 'Who will be accountable for all of these people?' So they created an administrative section and hired three people, an Administrative Officer, Assistant Administrative Officer, and a Legal Secretary. Then Congress said, 'We have had this command in operation for one year and we are $18,000 over budget, we must cutback overall cost.' So they laid off the night watchman. ======================== :: INTERESTING INFO :: ======================== Why Getting Organized Can Improve Your Love Life by Regina Leeds A new client wanted me to come to her home. Her husband, however, was up in arms. He had never met me and didn't understand why a strange woman would be coming to the house to "touch his things." I suggested his wife try something. She had read my book The Zen of Organizing and enjoyed it. I asked that she very quietly start to implement some of the things she had learned. Dirty dishes suddenly vanished from the kitchen sink. The daily drama of missing keys ended when a special hook was hung by the front door. Small things began to make a huge emotional difference in the home. Guess what? Her husband softened. As things began to change in his home, he got the idea that a visit from the Zen Organizer might just be a good thing! We are constantly bombarded in the media by ads suggesting that men will fall in love with us if we do any number of inane things. We see that brushing with the right toothpaste is a surefire way to capture a man's heart. Wearing sexy lingerie will turn a man into a lovesick puppy. And, heaven knows, handing over the remote will produce instant devotion. Pretty funny, huh? In my experience, couples that truly love each other work in concert with each other. I don't know a single happily married couple whose relationship is based on anything I see on television. Last year, after we launched the Get Organized Community Challenge, I took a driving trip with an old friend. I like to pick his brain about the differences between men and women. Lots of women had been asking me how to get their husbands to do more around the house. "Why do I have to nag him to clean?" was a common lament. "Doesn't he see the mess?" So, I asked my wise friend if men do indeed notice or care about their environment. I presumed he would say "no" and then we'd kick around some ways for women to seduce a man. What he told me, however, floored me. He said that a man did indeed notice the environment -- from the first date. "I felt really hurt when my wife let the house go after we had been married a few years. In retrospect, it was one of the first signs our marriage was over." I was shocked. So much so in fact that I decided to interview more men to see if my friend was the exception or the rule. Time after time all the men I spoke to repeated this theme. It became apparent that men want to be nurtured. One of the key ways the men felt a woman's love expresses itself is with the physical state of the home. Who could have guessed? Forget the lingerie! If the house is a pigsty, the lingerie won't help solidify the relationship. One young bachelor, heavy into the L.A. dating scene, told me: "If the woman's home looks like a bomb went off, I will probably forget the possibility of a long-term relationship. But, if all I want is sex, I won't care at all." Does this mean that we should forget the importance of looks, personality and brains and morph into mini Martha Stewarts? Hardly! I encourage women to create nurturing environments to soothe their own souls. I think a calm, peace-filled environment best allows us to understand and fulfill our purpose in life. If this state of affairs attracts a man -- we have earned a bonus. Remember, your home isn't just four walls holding your furniture and clothes. It's an extension of your very being. Whether you are a young woman participating in the dating scene or have been with your partner for years, why not take a few minutes to examine your home. Take a walk through and pretend that you are seeing it for the first time. How do you feel about the physical state of the house? Does it provide a calm, soothing environment? Do you find it easy to think clearly? Does the visual clutter jangle your nerves? After you take your initial walk through, try some journal exercises. Use these suggestions as a guide. Has my house always looked like a bomb went off or did something happen recently? Was a newborn introduced to the household, for example, or did a death occur in the family? Many things can throw us off our game. Has your partner ever participated in the care of the home? Sometimes women set up a new relationship in such a way that they are responsible for everything in the home. Later, when the initial crush of love has given way to the reality of life, we feel stuck with the results of choices we would no longer make. Getting organized is a skill that many of us never learned. Just like learning a musical instrument or taking up a sport, it is never too late to start making new priorities in your life! The important thing is to establish realistic goals and practice, practice, practice. If your house is in what you consider shambles, start by acknowledging that it took a while to evolve and it may take some time to change. Slow incremental steps lead to permanent change. And remember, give those who share your space a chance to catch up with you. That includes your husband. It has been my observation that it is the woman who sets the tone for the household. If she respects herself, so will everyone inhabiting the space. So whether the creation of a nurturing environment brings a man into your life (one who will be enamored by what you say and do and by the environment you have created for yourself) or if your longtime partner suddenly sees you in a new light, getting organized is a wonderful tool in your romantic arsenal. In fact, the men I spoke with confirmed this was a much more powerful aphrodisiac than sexy lingerie! About the author: Professional organizer and author of "The Zen of Organizing," Regina Leeds believes that being in control of our stuff helps us be more in control of our lives. You can buy a new or used copy of "The Zen of Organizing" by clicking on the link below:   Click here for more info about     The Zen of Organizing   ======================== :: TIME-SAVING IDEA :: ======================== Sometimes being too organized actually wastes time! For example, almost everyone sorts the forks, knives, and spoons of their tableware into separate compartments in the silverware drawer, but why? It is really easy to reach in the drawer and select the exact piece or pieces needed even when they are all placed in the drawer mixed together. Plus, it takes no time whatsoever to empty the dishwasher if the silverware does not need sorting. So, get rid of those ugly plastic tableware dividers and find a box that is just long enough and wide enough to hold all of your eating utensils. This box goes in the front of the drawer. Another box should be placed behind this box to hold all of the lesser used items like serving spoons, the pizza cutter, etc. Another separate drawer should hold all of your large cooking utensils except for your knives which should always be placed in a separate compartment or drawer for safety reasons. Steak knives should also be kept separated from the regular eating utensils. Try placing a narrow box (like the bottom of a Velvetta cheese box) next to the larger box in the back of the drawer. This arrangement should leave a nice space in the front of the drawer for small items like measuring spoons, corn cob holders, etc., that are normally very difficult to find. If you are having trouble visualizing this arrangement - click here to see a graphic representation. =========================== :: COPYRIGHT INFORMATION :: =========================== Copyright 2003 - CCR Enterprises - All rights reserved in all countries. Reproduction of this material is prohibited in any form without prior permission. 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