| I devised this exercise after I was
| |
| | piece. Is it something you use often? If
|
| incapacitated by a pulmonary embolism
| |
| | it's a book, do you refer to it, will you
|
| following a fall. I hadn't realised it
| |
| | read it again? A tape or CD? When did you
|
| was that easy to die and I was in shock
| |
| | last play it? An item of clothing? Does
|
| for some time afterwards, unable to do
| |
| | it fit? Do you wear it? Are you hanging
|
| anything useful except write.The thing
| |
| | onto it in the hope that one day you'll
|
| uppermost in my mind was the thought
| |
| | drop a couple of dress sizes -- might it
|
| that, had I indeed breathed my last, it
| |
| | not be out of fashion by then?If it's a
|
| would have been up to my sons to sort
| |
| | piece of kitchen equipment when did you
|
| through everything I'd left behind -- and
| |
| | last use it? Are you keeping it because
|
| that wasn't a comfortable feeling. How
| |
| | you all might get together one day for a
|
| could I do that to anyone, leave them to
| |
| | huge family christening, even though the
|
| deal with a large house full of stuff
| |
| | children are barely out of nappies? If
|
| that might have been vitally important to
| |
| | it's an old bill or a guarantee are you
|
| me but to them would have been just a
| |
| | confident you won't need it again? With
|
| vast pile of stuff to sort and bin or
| |
| | each item ask yourself 'is it relevant to
|
| recycle.You're going to need a large
| |
| | my life now, does it support who I am and
|
| sheet of paper -- preferably flip chart
| |
| | who I want to be?'Now do you see why you
|
| sized, if you have it -- a pencil or pen
| |
| | have to do this in bite-sized pieces?
|
| and some blu-tac. But, in the interests
| |
| | Some decisions will be really easy, as in
|
| of having as much fun as possible, why
| |
| | 'Why on earth did I hang onto a book that
|
| not get yourself a lovely set of
| |
| | I never read in the first place because
|
| colourful pens and get in touch with your
| |
| | it was so boring?' But others are going
|
| creativity?You're also going to need at
| |
| | to be hard. You're going to have to be
|
| least 30 uninterrupted minutes to begin
| |
| | really courageous and occasionally you
|
| with -- it's up to you how you work
| |
| | may put something back because, though in
|
| through this planning stage, whether in
| |
| | your heart of hearts you know you should
|
| one blast or broken down into bite-sized
| |
| | part with it, you simply can't bear to.
|
| pieces. Done conscientiously, this
| |
| | That's fine. This isn't meant to be
|
| exercise is going to change your life,
| |
| | torture. Put it back until the next time
|
| forever, so you're going to need to pace
| |
| | and move on.A word of warning: DON'T go
|
| yourself to deal not only with the
| |
| | through your home like a tornado,
|
| practicalities but also with the
| |
| | throwing stuff out here, there and
|
| emotional stuff that it brings up. If
| |
| | everywhere -- only to bitterly regret
|
| you've been living in chaos for any
| |
| | what you've done once it's all gone. (And
|
| length of time you're going to have to do
| |
| | of course it goes without saying that
|
| some hard work to turn things around. But
| |
| | it's not okay to get rid of anyone else's
|
| it's going to be hard work that's hugely
| |
| | stuff without their say so.) This
|
| rewarding, I promise you.Stage 1
| |
| | exercise takes time and thought and
|
| Sit down somewhere comfortable and start
| |
| | patience. It may take a year to complete
|
| to picture in your mind each room in your
| |
| | and that's fine -- the results are going
|
| home. Start with the easy ones --
| |
| | to benefit you for the rest of your
|
| bedrooms, living room, kitchen -- but
| |
| | life.Years ago when I left my marriage I
|
| don't miss out those areas that don't
| |
| | carted loads of stuff around the
|
| quite fit anywhere else -- porch, under
| |
| | countryside with me for three house moves
|
| the stairs -- and don't forget the attic,
| |
| | before I finally let go of it all. In the
|
| cellar, garage and garden shed.Now take
| |
| | end I realised it was more to do with
|
| your piece of paper and draw a shape for
| |
| | some vague sense of security than
|
| each separate area, roughly in proportion
| |
| | anything to do with the things
|
| to the contents, leaving the minimum
| |
| | themselves. Gradually, as my confidence
|
| possible space between each so you're
| |
| | grew, I realised I didn't need that stuff
|
| utilising the whole page.Be creative --
| |
| | any more.These days, having devised the
|
| don't just draw boring boxes. How about a
| |
| | exercise and actually practised it
|
| fluffy cloud for each? Or a flower? A
| |
| | myself, I find it really easy not to
|
| different colour for every room? You can
| |
| | accumulate things in the first place and
|
| start with a rough draft if you like
| |
| | I welcome the charity bags put through my
|
| until you're satisfied with the lay-out.
| |
| | letter box because there's always a few
|
| This master plan is going to live with
| |
| | things on their way out. But I wasn't
|
| you for a while to come so make it as
| |
| | always like that. I simply discovered how
|
| beautiful as you can.When you're
| |
| | liberating it is to be free of all that
|
| satisfied you've put down every
| |
| | extraneous stuff that just needs to be
|
| individual area and named it give
| |
| | dusted, or insured or moved when you
|
| yourself a pat on the back. If you want
| |
| | decorate or someone comes to stay. And to
|
| you can stop for now and come back to it
| |
| | be free of the anxiety of who would be
|
| later, safe in the knowledge that you've
| |
| | left to deal with it.So, now you've
|
| started the process. In the meantime take
| |
| | finished with that first shelf or drawer
|
| your embryonic plan and stick it up
| |
| | you can go to your plan, take a fat
|
| somewhere where you can see it -- on a
| |
| | coloured pen and cross it off the list or
|
| wall, a door, anywhere where it won't get
| |
| | put a big tick beside it. It's done and
|
| forgotten, where you'll pass it several
| |
| | when you feel ready you can move on to
|
| times a day so your subconscious mind
| |
| | the next task, until gradually the whole
|
| will be starting to work for you on the
| |
| | plan will be a mass of ticks or crossings
|
| process of de-cluttering your life. And
| |
| | out -- and won't you feel fantastic
|
| put a note in your diary or on your
| |
| | then?So what are you going to do with the
|
| calendar for when you're going to resume
| |
| | stuff you're going to get rid of? These
|
| work on your project.Stage 2
| |
| | days there are so many opportunities.
|
| Sit down somewhere comfortable again and
| |
| | There's the aforementioned charity bags
|
| picture in your mind's eye, one by one,
| |
| | -- though we can't feel as smug about
|
| each room you've drafted out on your
| |
| | recycling clothes as we might once have
|
| sheet. Let's start with a bedroom. What
| |
| | done, now it emerges that the clothing
|
| furniture is in it? A wardrobe? A chest
| |
| | trade in developing countries is being
|
| of drawers? Write them down as headings.
| |
| | badly damaged by the West dumping our
|
| Now break down each of these in effect
| |
| | waste on them. So I guess worn clothes
|
| into their constituent parts so, for
| |
| | have to go in the bin, or be turned into
|
| example, with the wardrobe you might note
| |
| | dusters, but good, saleable ones can be
|
| down 'hanging area', 'top shelf', 'bottom
| |
| | offered to clothing agencies or charity
|
| shelf' (or space), or you might choose to
| |
| | shops or sold on e-Bay, as can a whole
|
| write 'shelf 1, 2, 3' etc.You may have a
| |
| | host of other items. Freecycle, if
|
| bedside cabinet with two shelves -- note
| |
| | there's a group near you, is another
|
| them down. A chair piled high with
| |
| | opportunity that's gathering momentum
|
| clothes? The aim is to itemise shelves
| |
| | where you can give away useable items you
|
| and drawers that hold 'stuff' rather than
| |
| | no longer want. In my home town of
|
| pieces of furniture but how about you
| |
| | Lancaster we have Furniture Matters, a
|
| start to change your ways right now and
| |
| | local authority sponsored charity that
|
| put the clothes you've worn into the wash
| |
| | recycles suitable furniture and white
|
| basket and the clean ones where they
| |
| | goods and, in addition, trains young
|
| belong -- and you could even devise a
| |
| | people in furniture renovation and
|
| mantra for yourself, an affirmation such
| |
| | refurbishing skills. Recycling is
|
| as 'I am a tidy and organised person.'
| |
| | seriously in vogue now so there's never
|
| Repeat it as often as you can -- at least
| |
| | been a better time to be really creative
|
| 20 times a day -- and once more your
| |
| | about getting rid of your unwanted
|
| subconscious mind will go to work and
| |
| | stuff.Stage 4
|
| that will have a big impact on the
| |
| | You've sorted your home from top to
|
| process.Once you've noted down every
| |
| | bottom and become positively minimalist
|
| individual area containing 'stuff' -- and
| |
| | in the process. Now how are you going to
|
| don't forget surfaces like 'dressing
| |
| | guard against ever slipping back to how
|
| table top' -- you might want physically
| |
| | things were?The best way is to have a
|
| to go to the relevant room and check you
| |
| | regular review. It could be annual or it
|
| haven't missed anything.Planning is
| |
| | could be more frequent. Decide what works
|
| crucial to bringing about change and once
| |
| | best for you and put it in your diary or
|
| you've completed your plan you're well on
| |
| | on your calendar. That way you don't have
|
| the way -- in fact I would recommend at
| |
| | to bother remembering -- it'll be there,
|
| this stage that you give yourself a
| |
| | factored into your life. I used to have
|
| treat, to reward yourself for your hard
| |
| | an annual review of how my life was going
|
| work. And it is hard work. By now you
| |
| | though I've now amended that to a
|
| have completed something much greater
| |
| | quarterly one, timetabled into my diary.
|
| than simply devising your plan, something
| |
| | But in fact this exercise has actually
|
| absolutely vital -- you have confronted
| |
| | become a way of life for me. These days I
|
| the reality of what you're trying to
| |
| | sort and chuck with hardly a thought --
|
| achieve and that can be hugely
| |
| | and I'm confident that, should that
|
| challenging. But take heart. The rewards
| |
| | double-decker bus catch up with me any
|
| are enormous.Stage 3
| |
| | day soon, there'll be a lot less clutter
|
| Now you're ready for the next stage --
| |
| | to be dealt with afterwards.This exercise
|
| actually sorting through things. Again,
| |
| | isn't an instant cure-all, a swift
|
| try to do this in a way that works for
| |
| | one-off -- it's more along the lines of
|
| you. You can start logically from the top
| |
| | painting the Forth Bridge, an on-going
|
| left hand corner of your plan or you can
| |
| | process to incorporate into your life so
|
| select something at random, as the spirit
| |
| | it becomes second nature, a way of
|
| moves you. But to start with select one
| |
| | ensuring you never again feel overwhelmed
|
| small shelf or drawer.Take everything off
| |
| | by your clutter.
|
| it or out of it and examine it piece by
| |
| |
|
