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Why I Chose My Winners To Get Simplified!

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To say the least, Melissa and Tammy wooed me!

They made me feel something for them…

And for me, that translated into wanting to help them.

Check out what they had to say and you will see why it wasn’t difficult for me to select these Two Amazing Women as My Winners!

 

 

 

               Melissa’s Story

 

 

Hi Patricia,

The clutter and disorder in my life has become my biggest obstacle. I ran across your contest on the internet and it inspired me to do something about the heaviness that is preventing me from becoming all I can be.
So….. 3 Good Reasons Why I Want To Get Organized. 

(How will getting organized benefit my life?)

Reason #1: Getting organized will allow me the freedom to live my life, to focus and achieve my goals.

I am an over achiever with a dirty little secret. To the outside world I seem the confident, pulled together career woman, able to handle anything that is thrown at her.  At home I am exhausted and unable to relax, completely overwhelmed with stuff. Lots of stuff. Old stuff, new stuff….stuff that should have been thrown out years ago…stuff that makes no sense….stuff that is smothering me….stuff that is stopping me…holding me back….occupying my shelves, my life and my mind.  I am stuck…unable to move.

There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t think about it….how to manage it…where to pile it, put it, stack it, fold it, categorize it, store it….in case…I need it.

All this thinking about stuff just makes me feel heavy…and nothing ever gets done about it. Something is always more important… I am at a complete stall.

Every plan I have for myself begins with these thoughts….”As soon as I get organized..”, “When I finally have the time to organize….”, “If I could only GET ORGANIZED!”

I keep telling myself I need time to accomplish this…and it never happens.

I have tried to analyze why I do this…why I buy things I don’t need, that don’t fit….that I don’t even LIKE…and why I hold on to everything I buy and have bought…unwilling to part with it….in case I need it….in case it fits some day. In case it comes back in style….like clogs…..I mean..that proves my point…doesn’t it?

Is it because my parents lived through the great depression? “Save everything…it cost you hard earned money..don’t you dare throw money away like that….”

My father collected tools, nuts and bolts…tiny little things in piles…all over the garage…my mother collected paper, books, memorabilia….I still have all of her things…in a storage unit…because she will not part with them.

As I sit here on Thanksgiving night…drinking a chocolate martini…writing this contest entry…amidst piles of paper…bags, books, boxes,dishes in the sink…while my two cats run amok…I can’t for the life of me figure out where to start….

When I have a day off…I think…wow! Today is the day…I can begin! ….It never happens. Perhaps…I am afraid.

I want to break the pattern, I want to lighten the load…shake my wings free and soar! I want to start my own business and free my space, as well as my mind from clutter…so…I can focus. I want to make a difference.

Reason #2. Getting organized will allow me more time to dedicate to loved ones.

Aside from holding down a demanding career, I am a full time caregiver to an ailing parent. Along with managing my mother’s daily needs (diet restrictions, cooking, bathing, laundry etc) I am constantly shuffling around clutter.  Because I am constantly moving things around and rearranging things…I am unable to spend time with my mom that is worthwhile. At the end of a long day, when I finally sit down, it is either past midnight and she is asleep or I find myself exhausted and too short tempered to talk….not very good company to someone who has just spent the day alone with no one to talk to.

I have help with the house cleaning…although…the cleaning lady can’t really do much…because it is impossible to move around the stuff. My house is never dirty…it is just a cluttered disaster! I am embarrassed to have friends and family over. If I do host an event I spend days going on a painful hide and clean binge. It is like being bulimic….buy,pile, HIDE as opposed to eat and purge!  The first floor will be spotless and sparkling:) the upstairs bedrooms and basement will look like Beirut! I have even gone so far as hiding the cats…along with their kitty litter in my mother’s bedroom!

If I was able to simplify my life, I would have more time for my mother and a cleaner, safer environment for her. I could host a party and spend quality time with my guests without feeling like I fought a war!

Reason #3 Getting organized will allow me to sell our home and finally live with my husband!

My husband, is in the military and is currently serving in Afghanistan. He is away from home for many months…sometimes a year at a time. This leaves the business of running the household and managing our affairs to me. When he is home…he works and lives in Washington DC, we spend weekends together. We are unable to live together because our house in NJ needs to be renovated before we can sell it. I would like to complete the project before my husband returns home from his tour in the spring. I don’t want to disappoint him.

We live in a very old farm house (circa 1920)…I have undertaken several renovation projects and now have to tackle the upstairs rooms in our home. The accumulation of clutter (especially upstairs)makes this job ten times harder than it should be. I am embarrassed to take the contractors up to look at the job because of the mess. My husband wants me to get the house ready for sale so that we can finally live together in one place! I just can’t seem to step back and come up with a plan that works.

I would like to have a comfortable place for my husband to come home to. I don’t want to allow the clutter to stop us from living together as a family.

3 Good Reasons:  Why I Want To Work With Patricia

(How will the quality of my life improve by working with Patricia?)

Reason #1:
I need someone to help me find a path!
I can not do this alone! I am not a person who asks for help easily. As a matter of fact my typical mantra is…”I can do this! I don’t need help…I can make this happen on my own.”  Well…this time I can’t. By admitting this I am already improving my life. As much as I don’t want to say it…I need help. I am at my wits end! I need assistance, I need a strategy, I need some sort of a push to get out of this stall pattern and hit this thing hard. I am sick of living like this. I am tried of crying in the shower and feeling overwhelmed!

Reason #2:
I need to be able to get up in the morning and out of the door without feeling like I have put in a full days work.
I can never seem to find anything to wear…my bedroom looks like Filene’s Basement after an explosion. I don’t even know what I have. Although it can be fun to hang out in my room and dig through all of the cool, funky clothes (never, ever bought at full price!)…like the purple faux Persian lamb cape coat….evening gowns..every color ..some never worn with the tags still on them…red and white,candy striped, peep toe, spike heels with bows…(thought they would be cool while lounging by the cabana…WHAT cabana????), I cannot seem to find one single outfit that fits my body shape and size TODAY that is suitable for work. So….after preparing mom’s breakfast and taking it to her…. after packing her lunch….after feeding the cats….after doing the dishes…throwing in a load of laundry….making a cup of coffee….I enter my bedroom and begin the mad Dig and Dash.

I frantically begin the search through one of 6 areas that I store (or semi-store) my clothes in. The guest bedroom has become a place to pile clothes and throw shoes…there are also two closets in this room full of clothes and shoes….I have three closets in my bedroom…along with a rolling clothes rack and another closet in the bathroom…another rolling rack in my entry foyer, stuffed with clothes… and another closet on the first floor…supposedly for coats….although I am no longer really sure WHAT is in there. Most of my clothes are dry clean only…so there is a ton of plastic over the clothes making it difficult to see where anything is.

I begin by tearing off plastic…trying on things that don’t fit and piling them on to an ironing board. After about a half an hour of digging and trying on, and discarding and repeating…I look at the clock…panic, yell goodbye to my mother, trip over one of the cats and run out the door….late for work…again. Sometimes…unable to make a decision, I throw a second pair of shoes into a bag and bring them with me….in case I want to change them
before entering the office. I leave behind a pile of clean clothes…that will just grow bigger as the week progresses.

As much as the paragraph above might have made you laugh…the next will be sobering.

I am tired of living like this. There is no reason for this stupid excess. I should know better. My husband spends a lot of time in third world countries, where people have nothing but the clothes on their backs. I am ashamed of what I am doing and I want and need to stop. I need someone to set me straight and remind me of this.

Reason #3
Clutter and disorganization has stalled my (and our) life, and I want it back.
My husband and I wanted to adopt…we have dreamed of having a family. We talk about it , but there never seems to be a right time.  I have all of the paper work…we even began the home study before he left…but I have never been able to complete all of the documentation required. I am getting older and I fear that the opportunity may have passed. It is sad to think that the clutter in my life has prevented me and my husband from sharing our love with a child. I don’t want the clutter to stop us from doing what is important to us. I hate that I spend so much time with this disorder that I can’t enjoy my life with my husband.  Our marriage is strong…but I am not sure any marriage could withstand this burden over time. I fear that, without help, I will lose everything that is important to me and be left with only regret. I have not been able to make this happen on my own. I need someone that I trust in my corner to help me keep the gloves on. I need a coach.
I want to win this fight.

Sincerely,

Melissa Williams

 

 

 

    Tammy’s Story

 

 

Dear Patricia,

I’m so excited to join your contest!

I didn’t hesitate to list my three good reasons why I want to live an organized life.  I absolutely know why!!!

1)    I am ready, r e a d y, READY!!!!!  I’m beyond ready!  I’m mental, physically and spiritually ready to get it right.  (It’s the off season in my business right now so I am not only ready, but willing and able.)
Mentally I need this to help me cope, physically I’m going to be 50 soon and can’t just keep plowing through & spiritually I want the peace in my life to focus on the most important things. Let’s go!!!!

2)    I have no choice.  I HAVE to get a system because my life is sooooo full.  I can’t see my way clear to cultivating the right system on my own.  I’ve seen a lot, read some, listened to those who ARE organized.  I desire it….but I need HELP!  I want to put my efforts into something worthwhile.  I’m afraid to pick the wrong thing, because then, I may not pick something successful and will end up further behind with more wasted time and less of a chance to try again.  Like a failed diet!  No choice.  I HAVE to do this.

3)  My girls.  I have a 10 and 14 year old girls.  I don’t want to have them live in and perpetuate my chaos.  I want to teach them how to balance their lives properly.  I see some of my bad influence in them now and I see them struggle.  I wish I knew how to help them.  Please!  Help me so I can in turn help my own girls improve the quality of their lives too.  My husband, I and my girls all benefit.  It would improve the quality of the life in my family beyond words!

Three reasons why I need YOU!

1)  No fanny patting… I want the BEST!  If I’m going to give it 100% I want someone who is THEE authority on the subject; Someone whom I admire and can truly learn from;  Someone who calms me and helps me complete a thought!  That’s YOU, Patricia!  I’ve spoken with you and have longed to partner up together.  I know I could be a great student!

2)  I’ve wanted to have a session with you forever.  I think I’ve been trying for two years now and with a new business and paying for the girls to go to Christian school…I just have not been able to budget myself in, even though I know the value of it.

3)  My health.  I don’t know how to do this on my own.  If I could of, I would of by now.  NO ONE would be able to understand my life like you.  I’m working only 76 hours a week now (off season!), am an assistant leader in 4H and active in the Christian school as well as a mom and wife.  I keep myself pared down to only important things and keep downtime at home a priority.

I don’t want to run, run, run….so I don’t; but…and it’s a big BUT….I don’t know how to turn down the pressure in my own life.  My business is a convenience store, with gas pumps, liquor store, laudrymat and full pizzeria/deli.  I’m BUSY!!!!  I’ve done good.  People always tell me they don’t know how I do it….but I probably could do it with much less effect on my health and family if I had your help!

Thanks for your consideration!

Tammy Schack and Family

Unclutter Your Love

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February 3rd and 10th – 7 to 9 pm Cluttered Heart

Reveal how emotional clutter impacts your relationships in this ground breaking two night workshop!

Act Now for Early Registration Discount!
(expires Jan. 25th)

Register now for this exciting event and begin exposing the emotional aspects of clutter and how it impacts your relationships with loved ones. Topics to be covered will include:

  • Messy or neat….who wins?
  • How we may be expressing anger, sadness or disappointment through clutter
  • Exposing the real conflict
  • The strategy of compromise
  • How to set your boundaries without crossing the line
  • The secret to effective communication
  • Bridging the gap with humor
  • The powerful effect of happiness
  • Agreeing on a lifestyle that works for both of you
  • Asking yourself the tough questions

When: February 3rd & 10th – 7 to 9 pm

Where: Basking Ridge, NJ

Price: $199.99 EARLY REGISTRATION ONLY $99.99! (offer ends January 25th!)

Space is Limited: Limited to first 10 registrants

Click Here to Register Now!

From Treasure to Stranger: Deciding What to Keep and Eliminate

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Are the things you hold onto truly treasures or mere things?

Isn’t it interesting how we hold onto our belongings as if we are holding onto life itself?

The idea that something we consider to be so precious to our hearts, can actually be given away, or thrown away for that matter, can feel as if our very last breath has been knocked out of us.

How is it possible then that the things we cling to and find so endearing can actually create pain for us? At what point does our “stuff” no longer feel good to us?

When posed this question, I found that most of my clients had a difficult time distinguishing what’s worth holding onto verses what can be let go.

The operative words here are “letting go.”

In most situations, trying to identify the treasures among all treasures becomes confusing and actually overwhelming. Everything begins to look like one huge treasure chest.

First, I think the most important question to ask yourself is what do you consider your definition of a treasure to be? What constitutes your items being called treasures rather than just stuff?

The next step is to go to the source of the pain. The question now to ask is “where does it hurt?” What things do you have around your home or environment that is creating a sense of disharmony for you?

Thinking along these terms, it’s sometimes easier to identify these hurtful objects by over-personalizing them using the “friend, stranger, acquaintance” game. In “Conquering Chronic Disorganization,” Judith Kolberg writes that “over personalization is the process of exaggerating the feelings that people have for their feelings. The exaggeration of personal feelings acknowledges these feelings and makes it possible for a person to move beyond them.” Using this philosophy, ask yourself, what strangers are looming around your home? And, by the way, what do you consider to be a stranger, anyway? For me, a stranger is someone for whom I have no feelings and in some cases actually can pose harm. So in relation to this, any “things” I have hanging around would be easy for me to dispose of.

Now, getting back to your treasures – how do you see them in comparison to a friend? Are your treasures really friends? For me, friends are there through thick and thin. I want my friends in my life all the time, so they participate in my life. So ask yourself, the things you consider treasures, are you treating them like friends? Do you expose them and are they interacting if your life? If you answered no, maybe the things you consider treasures are really stuff you can reduce to an acquaintance or stranger.

What I love about the friend/stranger/acquaintance game is that you can use this analogy in all aspects of life. I think it can help us really put our “things” into perspective. To the strangers, we can say goodbye; whether this comes in the form of an item, a job, or a relationship that is no longer serving us.

Acquaintances actually can be moved around at times from friend to stranger when appropriate, and we can feel OK about our decision when it’s time to let go.

And our friends, I think we can learn to honor what falls into this category and what warrants this title. If your treasures are truly friends, then bring them out and have fun with them. Your friends deserve your respect to be truly called treasures.

Hot Off The Press…

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Park Place Magazine just posted the article they interviewed me for on their website. Here is a copy of the article:

Park Place Magazine Cover

Living Simply

De-clutter your life—and your head.

written by Susan Brierly

Are there days when you can’t find your keys? Do you own a closetful of clothes but never seem to have anything to wear? Do you spend sleepless nights wondering how you will ever plan the kids’ birthday parties, organize the basement, or balance your checkbook (since you haven’t reconciled it in six months)? If you constantly seem to be playing catch-up, you’re not alone.

“The first step is to establish a more organized lifestyle that suits your personality—it’s not about living in a sterile environment. It’s a conscious choice that’s conducive to how you interact with your family, and how you want to be perceived,” says Patricia Diesel, principal owner and president of Keep It Simple Now, a New Jersey-based professional organizing company. Diesel, a Basking Ridge resident, is a certified empowerment coach and national speaker who assists individuals, entrepreneurs, and corporations that need help with chronic disorganization and life balance.

“Functioning in an organized manner actually frees you to enjoy a simpler and more carefree life,” she says. Some of Diesel’s clients just need a little help managing the disparate elements of their lives. Others are chronically disorganized, and need to establish smart habits and structure to keep them on track. Still others are hardcore hoarders who need to take a serious look at their habits to understand the emotions (such as anger and fear) that often drive their behavior.

How do you know when you’ve crossed the line?

Here is Diesel’s reality check list:
✻ Is your personal or business life in jeopardy because of your disorganization?
✻ Are piles and piles of papers or magazines becoming part of your décor?
✻ Do you continually lose items such as car keys and important documents?
✻ Is it difficult to let go of things that you no longer need?
✻ Is procrastination becoming part of your routine?
✻ Is your chronic disorganization causing you or your business to lose time and money?

“Becoming organized is a gradual process. It can be intimidating, so I don’t pressure my clients,” Diesel says. “It’s okay to take baby steps by spending as little as fifteen minutes a day to begin to de-clutter one’s life.”

Diesel’s basic tips for a more organized life include:
✻ Purge first, then sort.
✻ Assign everything a  home.
✻ Organize similar items together.
✻ Dedicate 15-20 minutes each day to creating order.
✻ Break projects into manageable baby steps.
✻ Celebrate your victories to keep motivated.

To view this article on Park Place Magazine’s website, click here.

Calling All Men…

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What are your struggles with organization?

How does it impact your life? 

Single Dads, what are your struggles with domestication? 

What are your struggles in the workplace?

I’m curious. Let’s get some discussions going on the blog. Comment below and let me know your thoughts. I want to develop solutions targeting these struggles and I need your input. If you prefer to be confidential, email me directly at [email protected].

5 Most Common Organizational Starters

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Patricia Diesel

Patricia Diesel


We’re talking about organizational starters…

As the New Year approaches, we begin thinking about the things we would like to accomplish in the coming year. We don’t have to wait until spring to begin cleaning and getting organized, you can start with little projects right now to get yourself motivated.

Here are some suggestions on where and how to begin:

 1. Makeup Bag

Anything older than a year, such as lipsticks, foundations and concealers, toss it out. If mascara is older than four months or smells strange, discard it, as well as any other items that may be questionable.

2. Purse

Scale it down. There’s nothing appealing about lugging around a heavy handbag and not being able to find your wallet and keys. It can be extremely frustrating emptying your purse every time you need to find something.

3. Kitchen Drawer

Do you have too many spoons, not enough forks, and knives that don’t cut? Sales are always on the horizon, so why not think about purchasing some new silverware and get that drawer organized once and for all. What to do with the old set you ask? Why not donate them to a favorite charity, ask a college student if they may need them, or use them as a back-up for summer picnics.

4. Desk Drawer

I’m sure you will find everything here short of your kitchen sink, but let’s streamline things and keep the basic essentials to help you out in last-minute pinches.

  • Antiperspirants – for those stressful days
  • Breath mints – after your morning coffee
  • Eye drops – restore moisture after too many hours on the computer
  • Lint roller – remove lint and hair on clothing before those last-minute meetings
  • Antibacterial cloths – before and after meal cleanups and disinfect your phone
  • First-aid – bandages for paper cuts and blisters
  • Acetaminophen, ibuprofen, or aspirin – tension headaches, minor aches and pains
  • Plastic utensils – for the days you know you’re eating in.

5. Pantry

Take inventory of what you have. Look at expiration dates and circulate or toss out. If you have many opened boxes of the same food, consider combining all ingredients into one container to maximize your space. Remember to keep like with like.

What about your pots and pans? If you haven’t used some of your cookware in years, it may be time to let it go or replace with a more up-to-date product.

The five items listed above are some of the most commonly used areas in your daily life. Beginning here give you a taste of living an organized life. These 5 areas may inspire you to begin incorporating additional organization in your life. Remember, creating small wins is the first step toward changing behavior.

The Cure for Clutter

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A long corridor is filled with clutter: boxes, paperwork, unopened mail, clothes to be donated, you name it, and the hallway has it.

It’s been years since the passageway has been clear. Doing a semi-twist and turn to get from one end to the other is part of the daily routine. Actually, in truth, the external clutter seems to have faded into part of the décor and really goes unnoticed after all this time.

But that’s just the beginning. Just about every room in the apartment has stuff untouched or looked at in years. Opening bedroom doors and throwing things in, not caring where they land, has become a way of life.

Does this sound like true confessions? Yes, in part you can say it sounds that way. But for most, it is an opportunity to freely express and reveal their best kept secret. Given that it is estimated more than 3 million Americans never throw anything out, these untold stories have kept many people feeling an astonishing amount of guilt and shame.

Clutter in mass degrees creates a sense of disorder and chaos not only within the confines of our home, but in our mind as well. Although there is some speculation that after a while pack-rats and hoarders tend to dismiss this, I truly haven’t found that to be the case as of yet.

Because if this were true, there wouldn’t be an overwhelming amount of people who attend clutter support groups. It is here, that one feels safe to be “who they are” and to state what’s on their minds. It is also very liberating to be able to gather among like minded people and identify with their challenges without feeling judged.

The point is that people need support and want to find a means to end their clutter challenge. Whether or not the progress is fast paced or measurably slow, it has been my experience that clutter bugs need an outlet for their “cure for clutter.”

Despite that some look terrified, most look nervous, and a few look intrigued, by and large, I have to say, the popular consensus is most just want relief.

If you are feeling overwhelmed and stressed about your clutter, I urge you to find a way to connect with other people to talk about it. Consider joining a clutter support group – try several until you find the one you feel most comfortable with.

Did you know there are actually 50 cities in 17 states that have chapters of Clutters Anonymous, a 12-step recovery program? Some find programs such as these too over the top and prefer a less structured agenda. Others find support through on-line chat rooms or monthly groups that meet in different locations such as the support group I run through Barnes & Noble on a monthly basis. For more information on this support group, email me at [email protected].

Thanks for everything!

Patricia Diesel
Keep It Simple Now