Life Upgrade
a five minute motivational newsletter

Life Upgrade
a five minute motivational newsletter

Issue 33
By Master Coach Ginger Cockerham

Quote
Would You Like to Get Rid of Clutter?
Life Upgrade Coaching Tip
~o^o~ Resources

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"Don't agonize. Organize."

~ Florence Kennedy

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Would You Like to Get Rid of Clutter?

Six years ago, I had stacks of paper all over my office and books and magazines piled everywhere. When I complained to a good friend who is a psychologist, he asked me when I would like to get rid of my clutter? My first thought was, “That is completely impossible.” But I answered,“NOW!”

He came to my office and checked it out. Then he asked how long it would take me to eliminate the stacks. I went straight to overwhelm! I told him,"Forever."

He looked amazed as he mumbled 'forever'. I jumped in with, "Maybe not forever, but it would take a really long time." He asked if I could do it in a month. I thought, "If I worked on it all-day every day it surely wouldn't take a month."

Again he insisted on a time frame. Well, I answered it would probably take three days if I worked morning until night. He told me to set aside three days immediately. (He also told me not to keep anything I could replicate quickly.)

I took a Friday and a weekend and tossed, filed, and scanned documents and articles. It was wonderful!!! It was marvelous!! I could see the tops of everything. I polished and shined my beautiful desk and my oak table. I couldn't wait to tell my friend how great it was.

When I called him, he asked me how much time it was worth to keep it that way! I said that I knew it was worth a lot of my time, but I was so busy I didn't know if I had the time to keep it so spiffy. He asked if it would it be worth twenty minutes a day. Only twenty minutes a day!! - Really!

He said if you do it every day, twenty minutes is probably stretching it. He thought I could do it in fifteen minutes. So I had an epiphany that day- and a new standard for my office.

The standard is to leave my office at the end of the day- straight and with NO stacks. The payoff- I smile every morning when I walk in my office. I keep fresh flowers in my office now that broaden my smile. Beautiful flowers never felt congruent with a stacked up office.

I learned that a little bit of time every day could eliminate my office clutter forever.

Do you know what? It has. Thanks Ross.

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Life Upgrade Coaching Tip

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