Tag Archive for: how to declutter

An Alternative to Marie Kondo’s “Spark Joy” Approach

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PRE-ORDER LISTFUL LIVING: If you’re inclined to buy a copy of my new journal book, Listful Living: A List-Making Journey to a Less Stressed You,” please do it now.

The book will be out in the fall of 2019 but pre-orders are a big deal for authors and it would help me out tremendously.

Pre-orders tell the publisher and the media that this book is going to be a big deal. And I’m offering some great pre-order bonuses that you’ll be eligible to receive. All you have to do is send a copy of your receipt to my assistant at Tabitha@paularizzo.com and when they are unveiled you’ll get them! Thank you!  

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Clutter – thanks to Marie Kondo is the in thing right now.

Everyone is trying to reduce their amount of stuff and live more minimally.

But living by her ‘spark joy’ principle doesn’t always work for everyone. So how do you finally clear clutter once and for all?

Tracy McCubbin has the answers for you and I interviewed her via video recently.  
Read more

Marie Kondo Sparks Joy on Netflix

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It was over three years ago that I first fell in love with Marie Kondo and her bestselling book,  “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up.”

After reading and listening to the audio version of her book,I went on a cleaning rampage.

I got rid of 7 bags of clothing and 2 boxes of books. There was so much more space in my cozy New York City apartment.

Since then I have not only met Marie Kondo, but I’ve also tried to spread the KonMari method to all my friends and family.

It wasn’t, however, until recently that Marie Kondo entered the mainstream. Netflix released a TV show centered around the premise of her book.

She goes into people’s homes and helps them declutter. The show has been a big hit and people have been going cleaning crazy, not unlike myself a few years ago.

Thrift stores have been seeing a huge influx recently thanks to Marie’s method.

The show follows a simple pattern with a family in over their heads in clutter. Marie comes in like a fairy godmother and teaches them her various methods for folding clothes and tidying up.

But most importantly she asks them what ‘sparks joy’ – this is to help people hold on to the important things in their life and cut the fat!

I’m so excited to see Marie fever sweeping the nation having been caught up in it myself!

Following her rules makes getting rid of items so much less overwhelming. Marie encourages you to show gratitude to your items daily, so I started leaving the closet door open so my clothes could get some fresh air and sunlight and my friend and colleague Terri massaged her sweaters.

I think Marie really resonates with people, not just because she’s so sweet, but also because her method is less of a chore and more of a ideology.

Give her method a try or at least watch the Netflix show to give yourself a little inspiration. When I watched the first episode it ended about 10:30pm and I was debating pulling all my clothes out of the closet and starting to tidy! But then I came to my senses and decided I’d pick another day to start.

You can tackle one category at a time – not by room. This is probably very different than you’ve ever done but it’s a very effective way of cleaning.

The one thing I didn’t love about the Netflix show is that it’s a bit repetitive. It’s the same formula over and over again but if you aren’t familiar with the method it’s good to see it done with multiple families.

Did the Netflix show spark you to start cleaning?

4 Ways to Organize Your Closet With Ease

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I am a huge Marie Kondo fan, I love how she know how to make decluttering look so simple. In reality though I sometimes find decluttering and ongoing and tiresome task. Besides what exactly do you do with your wardrobe once it’s decluttered? How do you make it work for you?

Monisha Kapur is a stylist and wardrobe consultant – so I figured why should I try to tell you how to organize your closet when I can just defer to her expertise. Plus she was a student of mine in my online course teaching experts how to get media attention.

In my latest video interview, Monisha reveals her favorite app for organizing your closet. You can watch it here!

Here are some of Monisha’s top tips: Read more

The Real Reason You Can’t Clear Clutter

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Why is it so difficult to just get rid of stuff? As a recovering pack rat – I totally get it. It seems easy enough but sometime there are items like those boots you never wore or that candlestick holder your friend gave you when she moved out of her apartment.

The important thing here is to know that you’re not alone in struggling to get rid of stuff. I recently attended a Running with Heels dinner in NYC. Running with Heels is a women’s networking group run by my friend Jenny Powers. She books all kinds of speakers and interesting experts.  The dinner I went to featured productivity expert Julie Morgenstern. Julie kindly wrote the foreword to my book Listful Thinking.

The topic of discussion was about clearing clutter and why it’s so difficult to get rid of our stuff! This included a heartbreaking story of how Julie often found her kitchen over stuffed with cookbooks she never used. When she thought about why she clung to these cookbooks so desperately, she realized it was because the represented the mother she wished she could be. A mom who was well known for her delicious home-cooked meals. Read more

Do Less to Get More Done

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The more I write about productivity the more I realize that good time management isn’t about rushing around trying to get everything done.

When it comes to productivity, less is more.

Disorganization is often a result of misguided attempts at efficiency.  Meaning, trying to cram as much into a day as possible instead of being strategic about what you can get done with the time and resources you have.

I value quality not quantity and for me the best approach is to do less and do it better. But how does that actually work? Read more