How the sock drawer changed my life
Albert Einstein once said:
“If a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what then, is an empty desk a sign?”
Had I lived in Einstein’s time, I’d have agreed.
But this is NOW!
Statistics show we’re now bombarded with more information in a day than people of Einstein’s time read in a year! Online newspapers, ads, 24 hour infomercials, mobile phones & tablets – it never stops.
So, in our time, an empty desk can be incredibly calming for the mind.
Clear thoughts flow far more.
How to tackle any messy cluttered space.
A good clear-out is not only a wonderfully cathartic experience, but you can help others, too.
- Donate your unused things (they will be very welcome).
- Make some cash by selling them online (it’s much easier than you think).
- Finally decide to bin things past their use-by date!
This time last year, full of ‘resolution’ and fuelled with tips from the Queen of Decluttering, Marie Kondo (she is seriously amazing, just google her!), I had a major clear out.
By some miracle, I still have super organised drawers, a wardrobe which makes getting dressed a breeze, and a streamlined kitchen with actual space in the cupboards!
Here are four of Iona’s Top Tips:
- Do it all at once
Instead of the ‘hamster wheel’ of constant tidying, take those filled donation boxes to the Hospice Shop, Salvation Army or your favourite charity store straightaway, don’t store them ‘for later’. - Discard items first.
You can sort and tidy later – it’s far too easy to become side-tracked. - Start with the easy stuff.
– First your wardrobe.
– Then books, papers, miscellaneous (e.g. kitchen equipment).
– Lastly, items of sentimental value, because these take more time. - An Oldie but a Goodie,
If you haven’t used in the last year, you’re unlikely to use it again!
What started with the sock drawer lead on to me pursuing a new career, a new country and a new life!
So perhaps a more fitting quote for our time could be:
“Create the life you want. The first step is to get rid of the things you don’t need”.
Iona Eadie-Askew
Evolve Life Coaching | Weight Loss and Wardrobe
Iona, trained in London, now lives in Auckland and has many more tips to share.
www.evolvelifecoaching.co.nz
Clearing spaces around us makes it much easier to focus on the task in hand. It reduces the distractions and means that our short-term memory doesn’t have to keep too many things top-of-mind. Thank you for these excellent tips.
Morning to you all. De-cluttering is my new years resolution! and I have started! I am a hoarder, always out and about and discovering my drawers and cupboards are full of junk, so yes, I am sorting to sort. thanks for the reminder and welcome back Iona.
Great message received from a reader:
Hi Gillian. Thankyou. De clutter ! A box in the cupboard revealed a lovely gift for a friend. I remember buying it in an antique shop about 25 years ago. Blue, not my decorating colour, so must have put it away; my ‘blue’ friend loved it! In the same box found beautiful carved apples, three of them – remember again purchasing them at a craft fair about the same period. They will be on show come Autumn! Loving your e mail, will continue working on it. Have a great day.