Posts tagged Montreal
Gift Giving Without Clutter

Are you preoccupied with finding the perfect gift for the special someone in your life? Do you have a budget in mind? Do you have an idea of what to get for each person on your list? In this post, I share some holiday gift ideas that won’t break the bank, won’t contribute to the recipient’s “stuff,” and will hopefully make someone very happy.

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Gretchen Rubin's Happiness Project

The Happiness Project

Imagine spending an entire year in the pursuit of happiness! I’m reading Gretchen Rubin’s book, The Happiness Project, and am finding it extremely interesting. This book was a New York Times’ best seller, so I’m not alone. Rubin spent a year trying to make herself into a happier person, studying the art of happiness as she went along. Her goal for January, the first month of her project was “Boost Energy.” This involved getting more sleep, exercising, and… decluttering.

As a Professional Organizer, I derived immense satisfaction from Rubin’s decision to begin the endeavour by tackling the clutter in her apartment.

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Step 1 to Decluttering and Organizing

I’ve enjoyed reading Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, and have gleaned some interesting ideas that I'd like to share in this and future blog posts. Today, I want to start by addressing Marie Kondo’s idea of beginning by visualizing the space you wish to organize and declutter to see it as you'd like it to be. Visualization—and examining your motivation—are important first steps in the organizing and decluttering process.

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The Power of Positive Thinking

“I feel like I never get anything finished,” said a recent client in Montreal, who had hired me as a professional organizer. In addition to optimizing the efficiency of her living space, I suggested that she create and use an affirmation. In order for an affirmation to really make a difference, you need to repeat it to yourself until it becomes part of your conscious thinking.

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I Love Being an Organizer

​​​​​​​When I was in university, I relished summer employment as a letter carrier, since I thrive off being outdoors, and walking. For twenty-six years, I had a career as a social worker, which was immensely fulfilling, given that I love helping people. Now, I enjoy professional organizing so much, it often doesn’t feel like work.

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Freecycle.org Rocks!

I've been an ardent environmentalist since my early teens. I cycle, recycle, and compost year- round. I have been a vegetarian for the last forty years, eschew plastic water bottles, love second hand shopping—you get the picture. Not only do I help clients remove clutter and organize, I aim to get rid of unwanted items ecologically, often via freecycle.org.

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Just Do It

Nike’s well-known ad campaign is as valid for life in general as it is for working out. I, for example, have a mending bag, usually holding a few items of clothing. Once I actually get to the repair job, it rarely takes more than a few minutes per item. What if—instead of placing the socks in the mending pile—I went to my sewing box, threaded a needle, and sewed up the small hole right then and there? Or, if I didn’t have time when I noticed the hole, what if I took care of it later that day, instead of allowing them to accumulate?

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