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Results with Less Clutter 
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Volume 2 | February 2005 |300 subscribers For more information and to view this newsletter online go to our website now !
In this issue:
"Make it a point to be around those with positive energy - people who want
what's best for you, people who understand your goals and priorities."
- Rebecca Lobo Welcome to the many readers who have joined us recently as subscribers. It is a delight for me to have you with us each month. Last month I had a number of questions for you about the vision you have for your life or 2005. Have you started to think about or answer any of those questions for yourself? Have you started to create a plan, which supports that vision? Do you know what’s cluttering the road to you living that vision? Who’s on your team? This one has everything to do with our quote from this month about surrounding ourselves with people who support us. Once again, more questions. I just completed another individual retreat at Forbidden Garden Retreat that was for my client and me an outstanding time together, not to mention the treat of the one-of-a-kind exquisite cheesecake from Cathe, the FGR owner. We spent a good portion on day one identifying the clutter personally and professionally. I am always amazed at how we continue to peel the onion in these retreats resulting in such clarity for my clients. It is an honor for me to witness this each and every time. I am finding over and over again how individual and personal this clutter business is for people and that having these retreats gives participants such a huge jump-start in creating new space in their lives and work. I am also working with someone new; a young woman named Kathryn who has a passion and an incredible flair for organization. She is a gift to the world of clutter and to me. I have asked her to contribute a de-cluttering tip each month so you will see her inaugural article in today’s newsletter. Thanks Kathryn for donating your time and talent to me and for your generosity in sharing your expertise with our readers. Kathryn and I are planning bigger things for her as a duo so expect an update on that in next month’s newsletter. I am doing another daylong seminar in Victoria, BC on Feb. 19 so any of you local folks who would like more information can send me an email. This is a result of my posing the offer: you organize it and I’ll be there to do it. We never know what will come our way until we ask. Thanks to Kathe Faraci for organizing this one. Lastly, our wonderful contributor, Dot, is taking this month off from writing and tells me she has already begun to plan her next article, which has everything to do with staying focused. She has my curiosity piqued. Stay tuned for that at the beginning of March. - Linda 168 Feng Shui Ways to Declutter Your Home Lillian Too writes this very useful book about Feng Shui and the impact of clutter in our lives and in our work. She talks about developing energy awareness around us relating to physical, mental and emotional clutter. This is a very practical, easy to read, easy to implement book accompanied by her personal stories. Lillian was the first woman in Asia to head a bank and she has experienced and writes as well about the energy of the corporate world and corporate spaces and its impact in our businesses and our offices. She is a sought after expert in the area of clutter and in creating a perfect blend of yin and yang energy or chi in our homes and businesses. This is another reference book that is a must have because of its simplicity in writing and quick reference table of contents. To avoid feeling overwhelmed by clutter in your home or office keep a running list of the cluttered areas in your physical life and update it often. Put a star next to the smaller and easier areas on the list such as the kitchen junk drawer, your bathroom vanity, the hall closet or your desk drawers. Start with one of these small jobs to get the ball rolling. You will see immediate results. Leave bigger jobs until you have a couple of victories under your belt. Schedule yourself some time for organizing. Make it a priority. Turn off the ringer on the phone and attack. It is very easy to get scattered and overwhelmed so it is important to stay focused. Here are some questions to keep in mind as you wade through your clutter:
Be ruthless. If you haven’t used something since this season last year then it needs to go. If you have multiples keep the
one that works best. Check expiry dates on everything. Most of us bring things into our home daily and yet remove things rarely. I recommend having a bin next to the garbage and recycling for outgoing clutter. It can be tough getting rid of things that you’ve spent money on without receiving any return and it is pointless to keep things in your home that others could use and enjoy. Donating your clutter to charity is rewarding. As you begin to see your first bin for charity fill to overflowing make the decision to be more respectful of your
Kathryn - katchung@canada.com
Question: I'm just in the process of going through an amicable divorce and am wondering about some steps that would be helpful to clear the emotional clutter, not to mention the physical. Answer: Congratulations that this is an amicable divorce as so few are. I would say there must have been some clutter clearing between the two of you as well as a good dose of respect to get to this place. I have a few thoughts on clearing the emotional clutter as you move through this. I will put them in bullet form, as it may be easier to read.
These are just a few ideas I have to help you along your way. I am sure we have readers who have been in this position. If you would like to contribute you can email me at
oprica@ascentcoaching.com and I will post your contribution in the next newsletter. It of course will be posted anonymously if you wish.
I am taking baby steps in the healing process from the death of my friend Annemarie. When I least expect it some little reminder jumps in front of me, which at times brings a smile, and at other times tears. I continue to miss her in a very profound way and I await the lessons she will teach me. I can’t quite figure out why our "earth time" was so short. It actually has been a very full month; good thing January is a longer one. I have been catching up in my office and doing some work with Kathryn, organizer/de-clutterer extraordinaire. She and I are testing out a duo project with a client of mine that I think is rolling out quite beautifully. We will be reporting out on that next month as I mentioned earlier. This has been a good thing for both of us. For Kathryn , she gets to test-drive and volunteer her skills in a structured, purposeful environment while putting together a business plan for future work. Maybe something for others to think about if you are thinking about a new career or business. Volunteering is a great way to check out options and ideas. I have been busy in the last few months putting together content for an e-book on More Results with Less Clutter. It too is a longer process than anticipated as time flies by and other things step in the way like schedules, writing or just plain life. Speaking of other things, my mom has arrived this month to live with David and I. We have all had some adjusting to do with living under the same roof together. It has been a pretty good transition overall. My mom has been a huge help with keeping the house clean and tidy and baking delicious pies that David & I are thoroughly enjoying. Our dog Misty has been enjoying having the company of her “grandma” around as well. Lots of change in my world. It is becoming a theme and it will be an interesting year moving forward. Speaking of change; we have more change on the home-building front. Read on . . . Cumberland Chronicles – Well, remember how I thought I’d have some “ground-breaking” news? Well, no ground breaking as of yet. That lovely slope of ours is challenging everyone to think bigger and deeper (pun intended). We now have a structural engineer involved and will soon have another engineer (#3) of some kind as part of the team in order to get this all just right. David and I are meeting with Don, the builder, this Thursday to go over what seems to be the final structural changes and he will be describing to us in layman’s terms what this all means. We will also be going over the latest costs for all the areas. Then it is on to applying for a building permit. Oh yes, and then there was the appointment with the Notary to have a covenant drawn up to be placed on the land title for something related to the slope which involved the geo-technical engineer (#2). My advice to you is to buy a flat piece of land and put a pre-fab home on it. :~) No, I am just teasing. The design process and the choosing of things is fun. If any of you are building a home I would say choose early the fixtures, flooring, plumbing, windows, doors, kitchen, etc. as it can make the process go much smoother and is less costly because you are not making reactive decisions. Interesting, that we have never changed from the basic design that David sketched at the beginning of this process. I can actually “feel” what it will be like to be in that house looking out to the forests, sitting on the deck, walking to my office and cooking in the kitchen. I can “see” the colors and the fixtures. In my vision that I wrote out a year ago I was in a house that looked almost identical to the one we are planning to build. At that time we did not have the land or the intention of moving or building. Oh, the power of the mind to manifest. So for next month I fully intend that the excavation crew will have been busily clearing the lot and digging the foundation. Maybe all this foundation stuff is a sign of sorts to remind me of my personal foundation. Just a thought that came to me. -Linda For
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the author are attached. The author is: Linda Oprica and she may be
contacted at oprica@ascentcoaching.com |
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space and to consciously evaluate needs versus wants when shopping. Deciding to keep the clutter out is important to avoid unconsciously replacing it. Starting with a simple organizing task is important to keep you motivated. Small Victories are the best ones!
