|
Blog: Organize This!
 What is CRAP and why do we have so much of it?
Hello Organizing Fans, I'm Vali Heist and I started this blog in line with my radio program called 'Organize This!' on BoomerGenerationRadio.com. My blog will be a script from those programs for those who like to read rather than listen. My program is about providing practical tips and ruminations about your crap! Now, what is crap? I use that term affectionately and it's an acronym I made up a long time ago: CRAP is Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure. That's right, if it's not useful or beautiful or brings you joy, it's CRAP. As a professional organizer, I am a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers. You can reach them at www.napo.net if you want to find an organizer in your area. There are over 4000 members of this rapidly growing profession who are making a living by organizing their client's stuff. We help homeowners organize their homes and take control of their lives (HGTV? ...that's us). We also employers keep their employees more focused, organized and productive.
The Major goals of my blog will be to first, share some practical tips on how you, your family, your children, your parents, can keep your crap organized or at bay if you will. Second, I'll ruminate and philosophize about stuff, about belongings, why we have so much stuff, and maybe change the way you think about it. Lastly, I'll write about how we can save the planet, yes, save the planet and be "green" about disposing our stuff or our crap when we decide we no longer need it. And this is the underlying bigger issue: how materialism has affected our lives, our planet, and our relationships with others.
Now, just a little bit about me. My former career of 24 years was in higher education administration at a local college. I received my Masters of Education in Higher Education. I also used to teach freshmen how to stay organized and succeed in college. To date that was my biggest career challenge. I started my business part-time after reading an article in Redbook about a woman who started a business in Washington D.C. Even though I've been organizing for family and friends all my life, turning it into a career as a professional has been incredibly satisfying. I also write a monthly column for the local paper in my area, The Reading Eagle called "Ask the Organizer". It is published the first Sunday of the month and you can read my past columns at www.thecluttercrew.com.
Who are the clients of professional organizers? They range from ages 25 to 85 and the biggest range is the Boomer Generation range. These are folks who were born between 1946 and 1964 or age 44 to 63. Being a boomer myself, I think boomers are my clients for three reasons. First, our lives are chaotic and trying to deal with our lives and our stuff can be overwhelming. Just the amount of unsolicited mail we receive is huge. Second, we are also dealing with our children's stuff and trying to keep it organized and trying to teach them how to be better consumers. Sometimes they even leave and don't take their stuff with them!! Finally, we are also dealing with our parents as they downsize, move out of the family home, or pass away and leave a lot of stuff behind.
When you think about it, your stuff demands and commands a lot of attention from you. For people who have too much clutter, their stuff is taking over their lives and maybe some of you feel like this.
Every purchase that comes through the front door has strings attached and demands attention. It takes time to maintain it, organize it, clean it, wash it, dust it, fix it, repair it, refill it, buy batteries for it, find it, then keep track of it, find a home for it, polish it, freeze it, water it, store it, fold it, file it, and then retrieve it later, find a use for it, & then use it, iron it, dry clean it, and, well, you get the idea.
What constitutes as clutter or crap? Well, everyone's definition may be different, but some examples include:
Things that:
* are not used and haven't been for 2 years.
* were given to you that you don't like or you don't need.
* are waiting a long time to be finished or repaired.
* belong to projects that no longer interest you.
* are from people/events that have no value or meaning now or are from a person who caused you pain.
* have negative connotations or remind you of unpleasant events or times.
* make you feel bad about yourself or drain your energy.
* cannot be fixed (they may be broken, torn, stained, or cracked).
* you collected, but are packed away and not displayed.
* were poor buying decisions (e.g. clothing, furniture, etc.)
So what happens when you spend so much time taking care of your clutter? You don't have time to take care of yourself! It is very difficult to take time for what you really want out of life or make time for others in our lives when we are taking care of our crap!
So let's close with a quote from Peter Walsh, celebrity organizer, TV show host and author: "The stuff we own has power - power for good or power for ill. It's up to us to decide how we use the stuff we own." You decide, does your stuff have power over you or do you have power over it?
Goodbye for now from 'Organize This!' Have a great day! Vali
posted on: 6/17/2010 10:39:01 AM by Vali Heist
category: General Organizing Tips
Organize This!: < Previous Post - Next Post >
Blog Central: < Previous Post - Next Post >
 Discuss This Post
There are no comments.
|
|
Organize This!
by Vali Heist
View This Blog
 Subscribe To This Blog
About Vali:
Vali Heist is a Certified Professional Organizer, the owner of The Clutter Crew for homeowners, and a Certified GO System Trainer for businesses. She is the author of "Organize This! Practical Tips, Green Ideas, and Ruminations about your CRAP. CRAP stands for Clutter that Robs Anyone of Pleasure! She writes a monthly column for the Reading Eagle called "Organize This!". Vali's bachelor's degree is in Business Administration from Shippensburg University and her Master's Degree is in Higher Education from Kutztown University. Vali has an extensive background of 24 years in Higher Education including training, administration, project management, writing, and editorial production. Her passion has always been organization and how it relates to the simplification of work and personal life in order to enjoy both to the fullest. Her ultimate goal is to continue finding simple, easy to implement ideas that work in the real world and pass them on to her clients.
Vali's Website:
www.thecluttercrew.com
|
www.OnlineOrganizing.com is a service mark of Bradford, LLC.
