here’s what The Zenplicity Coach can do to help you:

Virtually and physically help you eliminate clutter and unnecessary stuff from your home – and more importantly, from your life.

Help you understand the benefits of minimizing your physical belongings and what it can do for you in the long term.

Teach you how to make decisions about what to keep & what to get rid of … using simple steps.

Help determine problem areas in your home and teach you how to fix them … forever.

Help you create new, fresh spaces for the stuff you do keep.

Help you clean up areas that are stagnant (under kitchen sinks, utility room cupboards … any place that hasn’t seen the light of day in years.)

Help you create clean lines and openness within your living space.

Teach you how to make use of what you already have and to organize the leftover things that are important to you.

Teach you how to use tiny steps to get where you want to be.  Sessions are not long, hard and tedious.  They will be short and fun over a longer duration of time.

Teach you ways of how to preserve things you love and learn how to create something new (e.g. quilt, framed art) to save space.

Teach you creative & unconventional ways to simplify and maintain that lifestyle.

Teach you what you can do on your own, between phone/chat sessions & emails, so you can continue to progress.

Have fun realizing what you really use, love or need, and most importantly, what you don’t.

Learn how to make a difference in someone else’s life by giving items that no longer serve you.

Sell items on eBay or via another source, donate items to charity or call a junk-hauling service.

Learn to minimize materialism. Become more about “you” and less about what you own.  Feel what it feels like to just “be”.

Be able to breathe deeply again.  You will shine from the inside-out when this is finished.

types of help:

in-home / hands-on coaching & motivation

phone coaching & motivation

email coaching & motivation

instant messaging coaching & motivation (chatting)

on-going support  via phone or online (email or instant messaging)

… or simply enjoy reading & utilizing The Zenplicity Coach website / blog as you see fit

here’s what you should know about the way this works:

Confronting your shtuff is not always easy.  Be prepared to let go of things.  This is a final resort type of service, not just a professional organizing “make-my-stuff- look-pretty” service.

I will tell you the truth about what I think.  No beating around the bush.  But I am nice about it. 

I may ask you to take digital pictures of the rooms in your home and send them to me if you have chosen to take advantage of virtual-only coaching.

No need to ever feel embarrassment, be in denial, be defensive or make excuses – I truly “get it” and will never make you feel bad about your situation.  It can be fixed, and you will learn how to be empowered instead of defeated.  Some feel better doing this virtually for this very reason, but it’s not necessary, really.  Again, whatever works best for you.

We will talk about what got you to this point.  I will want to know what makes the chaos comforting to you. 

Everything we do and say is 100% confidential.

I will not judge you.  Your need for help in this area is why I do what I do.  I love it, and although you may never love it like I do, you will understand how to tame things soon.

We will do this in simple, tiny steps.  A session of 2-3 hours is typically the longest we’ll ever go at one time (unless there is a specific project that you want to do all at once).  We will chat or work together either once a day, once a week or once a month.  Whatever works best for your individual needs is what we will do. 

You hold the power, and you know how much help you need.

I would prefer if you don’t straighten up before our appointment or before taking your digital photos, especially for the 1st visit – I want to see your organizational issues in all their glory … that will help us know where to start and how to proceed.

doesn’t this sound fun?  I don’t use words like “create systems”, “processes” and “clutter management” … it just doesn’t sound like fun to me, and I would like to show you that it can actually be very fun and refreshing to learn how to get your home to a place that makes you happy.  It’s that simple.  No stuffy processes required.  Just you, me, some music, a full belly and perhaps a glass of sparkling water to toast your new way of simple living.

Life coaching is not really a new concept — people know that coaches are out there to help others realize their dreams, start and build businesses, lose weight, or whatever it may be.  Most coaches work via the telephone or even in person (sort of like a therapist).  But how does an online coaching relationship work?  And, how can an online life coach help you find purpose in your life?  Life purpose is a big deal, and it seems rather elusive, sort of like “finding happiness” … so how is that accomplished?  And — how can you find purpose in life simply by simplifying and minimizing your current lifestyle?  It is possible.  Very possible indeed.

First and foremost, living amongst too much stuff is a pervasive problem that so many people have that most people don’t even realize it’s a problem.  They do not realize it is affecting their energy levels, emotions and daily life.  Having too much stuff that you don’t care for, need or use just takes up physical and mental space until you use the “block out” technique to try and forget that it exists; but instead, there’s always that “nagging” feeling in the back of your mind reminding you that you are not taking care of it as it grows bigger and bigger until things are literally busting out of your closets.

Stuff is huge.  It affects everything else in our lives, including things like:  weight, job or career motivation, energy levels, finances, major decisions, mental health (depression, anxiety, etc.), school … and even your dreams and aspirations.  The good news is:  IT DOESN’T HAVE TO!  My coaching philosophy is that we must get back down to the basics of who we are and what we have in order to move forward and develop into the great person we are meant to be.  There’s an old belief that says you will not be successful or happy until you’ve lost everything at least once.  And although you never have to get to that extreme to be happy and successful, learning to let go of what no longer suits you is HUGE in terms of finding your bliss.

So where does an online life coach come in?  And how can corresponding with someone over email or instant messaging help fix these issues?  What are the BENEFITS of hiring an online coach as opposed to a traditional phone or in-person coach?

Benefit #1.) The answer to that is easy.  So many of the answers come from YOU … the CLIENT.  The beauty of email coaching is that you develop a stream of communication between you and your coach, save the emails and then go back and re-read things over and over until they really sink in. When you are talking on the phone to someone, or even in person, it’s so easy to get off the subject, ramble and forget about more than half of the things you discussed. 

Benefit #2.)  With email coaching, you also get a chance to write out your emotions.  With my clients, I ask specific open-ended questions and assign “homework” each day (or every few days) to allow you to think, write, reflect and write some more, and then send me your responses.  After you have had a chance to really get your guts out on paper (well, on computer screen), you can re-read your own answers and learn so much about yourself.  After I respond to your emails, you will get even more insight and a fresh perspective on things you once thought had no other way to be viewed.  Writing down your ideas, thoughts & feelings is therapeutic in itself.

Benefit #3.)  With email coaching, you have 100% complete confidentiality and anonymity.  The only thing I ever have to see with my clients is their email address and at least their first name so we can correspond in a friendly manner.  Most times, it is so much easier to open up to someone when you are writing in an almost anonymous manner.  The very nature of me and my business is non-judgemental, open-minded and friendly … the necessary ingredients needed to pull out the most pertinent information from the bottom your soul — all in order to guide you in the direction of your bliss … a life with less mind-boggling information, commitments & stuff and a life with more time, peace, happiness and motivation.

Benefit #4.)  With online coaching, you can go for as little or as long as you need.  Unlike therapy (which coaching is not), coaching is completely directed by the client and is designed to be “used” however you see fit.  You take what you need and discard the rest.  You go for as long as you need.  I offer my clients weekly or monthly packages at very reasonable rates.  Signing up is so simple, and renewing is just as easy.  I believe that investing in yourself and your long term goals & happiness are worth the price of your daily Starbucks!

Benefit #5.)  Getting good email is fun!  The feeling of getting too much email is overwhelming to say the least.  Your email inbox is probably bombarded DAILY with junk, junk and more junk.  It is so refreshing to see a “goodie” in your email inbox — something with substance that is ALL ABOUT YOU.  It’s so much fun to write about none other than YOU … and not having to feel guilty that you don’t have to ask how your coach is doing or try to solve her problems.  Does it get any better than having your own personal coach in your corner cheering you on, listening to your issues and helping you iron them out little by little?  Constant and consistent motivation and “pep talks” await you every day when you sign on with an online coach … a good online coach that is!

So — through self-exploration, a simplify-your-life approach, confidentiality, anonymity and fun — an online coach can help you achieve your goals while helping you pare down your over-abundant lifestyle.  Give up the rat race.  Do something that jives your soul.  Pick up a pen (or a computer keyboard) and start hammering out your thoughts and feelings.  Start to think about what hiring an online coach can do for your life and those dreams that you thought you gave up on so long ago.  You may just surprise yourself.

How old school is it to clean your house once a week or once every two weeks?  Of course, if you live in a home with 800 square feet or less, this may be less of an issue, but even so … small home or large … a “deep clean” every week or two can be tiring and de-motivating, and who are we kidding — boring!  Well, I have some news for you.  If you are ready for some new-age cleaning advice, you’re going to get it.  Consider your last deep clean — uh, well — your last deep clean.

1.  Pick up daily.  The best way to maintain a “neat” looking home is to pick up the random stuff lying around and causing eye sores (a.k.a. clutter).  If you make it a routine or ritual each morning, right after you wake up (feed the baby, feed the dogs, whatever), you will no longer have stuff monsters everywhere you turn.  Simply pick stuff up.  Put things where they belong.  Everything you own should have its own home, and if it doesn’t, that will be discussed in previous or later blog entried.  Or see, services for more information in this area.

2.  Make a weekly list of tasks.  Create a list with all the days of the week.  Feel free to give yourself a “day off” from doing anything.  On the days you are “on”, however, write down one of the cleaning tasks that you would do on a “deep cleaning” day.  For example, if you vacuum all the rooms during “deep cleaning” day, make that a weekly task on, say, Monday.  Perhaps you have two big labs that shed constantly and you prefer to vacuum 2-3 times per week.  That’s cool too; just remember to write it down on the days you will plan to do it from this day forward.  Go through all your “deep cleaning” tasks and assign a day to each one.  Some days might have 2 or 3, but they should be easy-peasy tasks, not involved tasks that take up too much time.  (For example, you might quick-vacuum all rooms and dust your bedroom on one day.)

3.  Empty all garbage cans.  Sometimes the simplest things can make a huge difference.  If you are feeling zealous each morning while you perform your Daily Pickup, empty all the little garbage cans around your home into the big “master” trash either in your kitchen or garage.  This will make your home look fresh & inviting and will also make garbage day a cinch.

4.  Perform a quick purge.  You might want to perform this task before you start your maintenance fun.  The definition of a quick purge is just that.  Do a quick purge.  By quick, I mean set a timer for about 15 minutes and briskly walk around your home with a big, black garbage bag.  Throw away anything that doesn’t mean anything to you.  Just toss it and never look back.  If you find things that are good items but you no longer want them, those are items worth donating.  Find a box to put these items in, and then put that box in the back seat of your car right away (or put them on eBay as soon as humanly possible if you can’t find it in your heart to give them away).  Performing a quick purge about once a week will soon clear your home in ways you never imagined.

5.  Forget being perfect.  This is so important.  So important, in fact, that I’ve written another blog posting just about this: Perfection Exits the Building.  One of the biggest traps of spending too much time cleaning is trying to get every nook and cranny clean.  Let’s face it, we are human.  We like a clean environment, sure, but if there’s a dust bunny under the couch that won’t budge (but you swear it’s there), you really don’t have to move the entire couch to get to it.  Yes, really.  No one will know but you.  And that’s ok!  If you want to deep clean that badly, set a monthly task for yourself to focus on one large deep cleaning project (e.g. sweeping under the couch for dust bunnies).  Perhaps that’ll put your dust bunny fears to sleep once and for all.

So you see, maintaining a clean home can be as easy as doing 1 or 2 small tasks a day.  Never again will you have to slave away for hours at a time inhaling Clorox bleach and ammonia vapors at the same time.  Whew — doesn’t that feel better?

Do you have an old bookcase in your house?  Perhaps it’s stuffed with books, papers & magazines.  Perhaps it’s empty, or maybe it’s so full of “shtuff” that you’ve forgotten that it’s even a bookcase! 

A bookcase can be a handy and creative piece of furniture … if you let it.  Sure, you can fill it up with books and magazines, but how about a few of these ideas to get your bookcase glowing with creativity:

1. Use a few of the arm-level shelves as a place to put your keys & wallet/purse when you first come in the front door.  Then, on the shelves just above that, put some framed pictures that make you feel good when you look at them.
2. “Things” in your home that DON’T have a home — can they be beautifully displayed?  How about on your new “display-shelf?”  A bookcase serves as a great place to show off things that would otherwise not have a place to “live”.  Although having too much shtuff is never a good idea, displaying a few meaningful items on an otherwise bland bookcase can turn your room into a much warmer place.
3. Baskets!  Baskets!  Baskets!  Do you have some “ugly” but useful things that clutter up your living room, office or wherever?  Get some cool-looking baskets that fit nicely into your bookshelf and fill them up with things like blankets, remote controls, toys, workout equipment, loose papers and more.  Use your imagination, and you can pretty much think of anything ugly that needs hidden!  One of my favorite things to do is to get baskets that contrast in color to the bookshelf (e.g.  black baskets in a white bookshelf).
4. Mix it up!  Use each of the shelves for something different for an eclectic look.  Try a treasure chest on the bottom, a few books stacked neatly in the middle on the second shelf, some black & white framed photos on the third and some baskets holding “ugly” (or pretty) stuff on the fourth, and so on.  You get the picture.  The key here is that really NOTHING is off limits.  Anything can be made to look great if you get those creative juices flowing.

Bookcases are a great way to store or show off your cherished shtuff.  So here’s to taking advantage of that beautiful piece of furniture today!  I’d also love to hear your comments about the unique ways you’ve used your bookcase.

A lot of what I write about is how to streamline your life so it’s easier, minimized & more organized (like, you actually know where stuff is … whoa!), but it’s important that I also make the point that perfection is just as bad as chronic disorganization and excessive materialism.  I have fallen victim to it so many times when doing a purging or organizing project … I’ll start something, and then I won’t quit for HOURS, knowing I need a food & water break or just a mental rest.  That determination is an aspect of perfectionism, and the “need” to get it all done now.  Perfectionism often leads to burnout because you ask yourself, “How could I possibly do that again anytime in the near future — it was exhausting!”  And then you let the project, half-finished, fall to the wayside for days, weeks, months, or you just leave it unfinished.  Where does perfection get you in cases like this?  You got it — nowhere.

So you see … the point of simplifying your life and letting go of materialism little by little is very key to getting to where you want to be (without wanting to jump off the Bay Bridge at night when no one’s looking).  If you tell yourself you’re going to do a huge project all in one weekend, it sets you up for failure.  And you don’t deserve that!  Set yourself up for success every single time by making small promises.  And write those promises down on your calendar or on a list or journal you have designated specifically for your personal journey toward a simpler life.  Everyone has his or her own style on how to keep track of “life” — use what works best for you because that is the only way you’ll make it a life-habit.  Mmmm … how zen-ful does that sound!

Isn’t this exciting!?

So, if you will join me in this fight against perfection, against this compulsion to do everything right now and perfectly, that would just thrill me to pieces!  Tell me your stories about your battles with perfectionism (whether it has to do with simplifying & organizing or not), and if and how you learned to “let go”, even if it’s just a little.  Go ahead and clear off a shelf without dusting (until tomorrow) … if you don’t reach all the corners of your kitchen floor while mopping, SO WHAT!  Baby steps … you’ll get to it at a later date (seriously!)  It’s on your calendar, remember?

PERFECTION HAS EXITED THE BUILDING!  Who needs it?  Not us.  We can get rid of the shtuff-monsters without it!

(Aren’t those Shtuff-Monsters ugly?)

Just do it!  That’s what people have told you in the past … just start small, and just start somewhere!  But perhaps your stuff & junk have become such an epidemic in your household that you are completely overwhelmed.  Oh brother, then where do you start?  Well, there are a variety of ways to get started on your own (and get that family helping too!) 

1. Just Do It.  There is some truth to “Just do it!”  Tasks are rarely as monumental as we make them.  Once you commit to something, whether it’s a small bookcase or the area under the sink, just do it, and see what happens.  Most of the time, you will finish it, and you will be energized enough to find something else to work on.  If not, that’s ok too!  You can always tackle that new area in an hour or two.  The key is, when you feel overwhelmed, take a break and go back to it later.
2. Multitask.  Think of a project that has “waiting time”.  For example, maybe you want to transfer your CD songs into MP3 files to save space.  If you have 10 CD’s, get started.  While everything’s transferring, you can work on something else such as going through each piece of paper on your desk (or inbox, if you have one) and filing.    Listen to some music while you do this to make it more fun.
3. Start Small.  Don’t worry about tackling the entire basement in one day.  That rarely works unless you have the help of a professional (and a team) along with your family & friends.  Tackle one small part of a place that bothers you, such as the basement.  Perhaps it’s the “landing ground” for all shtuff that doesn’t have a home.  Maybe you throw boxes down the steps, knowing you’ll use them later for ebay sales, or something or other.  So, tackle those “boxes”.  Break them down and stack them up against a wall out of eyesight.  There, a small project completed that improves the look of a room by 100%.  The next day, or a couple hours later if you’re REALLY motivated, dust off the treadmill (or remove the clothes that you hung out to dry on it).
4. Quick Purge.  Set the timer for 15 or 20 minutes and just run around your house or apartment throwing things into a medium-sized box (one you can carry from room to room).  These “things” can be garbage or donation-worthy.  Don’t think, though, just put it in the box if you do not Love, Need or Use the Item.  If it’s too big, just start making a pile somewhere that you will go back to at the end of your Quick Purge.  Set a goal for yourself, either spend 15-20 minutes, or find 25 items to throw away or donate, whichever comes first, and then STOP.  At the end, go through the box and separate garbage from donations.  Throw out the garb, and put the donation box in your car so the next time you’re out, you can swing by your favorite charity and drop off the items.
5. Make It Fun.  Invite a friend over, or you and your significant other can set aside an hour or so to do a project (any of the above) together.  Sometimes working with another person is motivation in itself.  Have a light lunch, toast a glass of water and dig in together!  If you still want to do it alone, try putting on some upbeat music to keep you inspired.

I hope these tips will help you get started on any simplification or organizing project you tackle in your home.  The main idea is to just get started, no matter how big or small your project may be.  Getting started is the most important step towards getting any project finished.  For if you don’t start, how can you finish?  Here’s to you tackling your shtuff-monsters!

Have you ever taken a look at someone’s keychain and wondered, “How does she find her keys?”  Or perhaps you are one of them … you have so many mini store discount cards & charms on your key ring that your keys are like fleas partying beneath the fur of an Alaskan Malamute.  Where have all the keys gone?

The Keychain Method is a good little experiment to do.  It may indicate a lot about your simplification personality and where you’re starting point will be.  Do you keep charms or keychains on your ring until they are worn and ragged and no longer distinguishable (is that a piece of leather or a dirty sock?), or perhaps you have discount cards from a grocery store that doesn’t even exist anymore.  Whatever it may be, take it off if it:

1. Stinks.
2. Resembles a sock of any kind.
3. Doesn’t serve a purpose (this would really be all keychains other than the one holding your keys … and if you believe that these keychains define your personality … well, come on, think about it — you are FAR more than what your keychain says about you … right?  RIGHT!?)  Besides, how refreshing to go on vacation and enter a gift shop KNOWING you don’t need a key chain … narrows down a lot of stuff, doesn’t it?  And saves you more time for the beach. 
4. Has bulk and/or weight and adds pounds to your already too-heavy purse.
5. Isn’t a key. 

Have fun purging your old keychain items.  Say goodbye to stinky, old things that serve no purpose other than to annoy you every time you search for the key you need.  This is such a small step, but it is an important one and can give you a pleasant sigh so many times a day when you get ready to leave/come home/enter your office, etc.  Now, don’t you deserve that much?

Have a beautiful Sunday.

PEACE.

Good morning!  Did you get some restful sleep last night going to bed earlier?  How did it feel having extra time this morning?  If you think you might have some trouble with changing your sleep schedule, read Steve Pavlina’s article about how to become an early riser.  He’s got some great tips on how to make it work for you.

For today, though, we are going to talk about clothes … dirty clothes!  How many piles do you have in your closet, bedroom & laundry room right now?  Go ahead, I’ll wait while you count … 1, 2, 3 …

Dum, dee, dum, dee, dum … 

OK, so what is it about laundry that makes us wait until it’s so out of control that we dread the act of starting it?  Besides the fact that it just feels like work, I think I might have an answer — laundry is easy to hide in baskets, so we temporarily forget that it is building and building and building.  It’s easy to forget about things when we can’t see them, plain & simple.  Not only that, normally we don’t separate anything until the very end, so that takes even more time on top of doing the actual washing of the clothes.  So, if laundry becomes a morning habit, just like anything else, you won’t forget.  And, how do we do that, you ask?  Here are some simple tips to get you started:

• #1) Separate clothes as you go from this point forward.  It doesn’t matter if you have 3-4 piles in your closet with nothing separating them but space (for now) or if you go buy a laundry separater (I made up a word) specifically for this purpose … just work on keeping your colors, darks, lights & whites separated whenever you throw something into the “pile”.  Also, you will want to designate specific areas for dirty clothes … either everyone throws their clothes into the separated piles in the laundry room, or everyone has their own separating system in their bedrooms, and all of that comes together each time laundry has to be done.  Perhaps every morning, everyone can put their basket of colors, darks, lights (whatever that day is) on the outside of their door.
• #2.) No more “laundry day”.  Who likes to spend all day dreading the sound of the dryer buzzer in the middle of lunch and dinner?  Yuck, we don’t need that!  If Monday is your Quick Clean Hour, starting on Tuesday you can begin your 1 load of laundry per day (do 1 load every day until it’s all done for the week).  What this means is, pick a category (dark, whites, lights, etc.) and do just that one load on Tuesday morning.  Throw it in the washer right when you get up, before you do anything else.  Just “do it” as they say.  By the time it’s done, you will have eaten breakfast, checked your calendar and done all your other morning stuff.  Throwing the clothes into the dryer won’t seem like a big deal because you won’t have another dreaded load coming shortly thereafter.  Then, when it’s done drying, you can fold and put away!  Make sure you do this as soon as possible to just “get it over with”.  If you go to work and can’t do this, you can do it right when you get home.  But, with your extra hour in the morning, it should be possible.  Doing one load a day keeps the all-day laundry monsters at bay, and you can enjoy your everyday life (and your weekends) so much more.
• #3.) Keep a separate dry-cleaning & hand-washing pile (although dry-cleaning is not good for the environment, I’m sure there are some people who cannot let this luxury go quite yet).  You can do these once a week so the pile does not build and build and build.  If you have a lot of hand-washables & dry-cleaning, you may want to consider updating your wardrobe to clothing items that do not require this.  It saves time, energy and is better for the earth.

That’s it as far as laundry goes.  Simple. Simple. Simple.  I told you it would be easy!

Other Daily Stuff that you may designate for a Tuesday:

• Run your errands today!  Have everything waiting for you at the door (library books, returns, etc.), so when you leave, everything is right there ready to go.
• Make your weekly grocery shopping list.
• Enjoy your day!

If you are reading this blog, you are are probably seeking information about how to simplify your life.  Wow, I’m a genius, aren’t I?  Very intuitive, I know.  Before we get started on the simplification process, though, it’s important to know the reasons why it’s beneficial to simplify.  Why even bother to simplify?  After all, you’ve worked so hard to obtain so much stuff and surround yourself with the illusion of “success”.  Materialism has swallowed many of us, at one time or another, in it’s pitch black vacuum with its empty promises of happiness and fulfillment.  Right?  The endless cycle of “more, more, more”, and “I’ll be happy if I can just have this, or if I can just get this car, or that house, or these clothes” … you get the point.  After all, if you are here, you are a smart cookie looking for a way out of the chaos.  Congratulations, you just may be ready to be free from your stuff.

So, here are 8 good reasons why simplifying your life is one of the best things you can do for yourself:

1. No more excuses.  You will have no more excuses to hold you back from the things you want to accomplish (for example, you can’t find anything, you have “too much to do” before you can sit down and write that novel, etc.)
2. Ban mental clutter.  Physical clutter creates mental clutter; if you ”free up” the physical, you will “free up” the mental.  It works.
3. Get creative again. Your creative channels will open up, and you will begin to be able to follow your trails of thought better.  When you are not comfortable in your physical environment, it slows the creative process because of all the subconscious distractions.
4. The need to hoard will fade. The compulsion to keep obtaining more & more will eventually slow down.  I know that’s hard to believe, but it’s true.  Learning to let go of things will allow you to focus on your inner growth and less on outer attainment of stuff.
5. Less to clean.  This is simple, but true:  You will have less to clean.  When you have less stuff to clean and maintain, you have more time to work on things that are important to you, and you will also have more time to play and enjoy yourself (& your family).
6. Perfectionism fades. You will not have to be crazy or compulsive about your stuff being in the right place.  You will have minimized to the point of everything having a “natural” place, and you will not have to have extensive or complex organizing methods to maintain control of your stuff. 
7. It buys you more time.  Again, simplifying frees up more mental space and more time, which is something that can never be bought back.
8. Free from guilt & other bad feelings. If you do not keep everything from your childhood and teenage years, you will not have to look back on things and either 1.) regret things you did or did not do and 2.) have extreme nostalgic moments and think that the best years of your life are behind you.  You memory is the best thing you have to pass on to your children.  Other methods include preserving your memories through writing about your childhood and photos.  These methods take up less space, but they are the best ways of passing memories on to future generations … a lot better than your old Barbie dolls or toy soldiers.  Words, computer files and photos can be kept and copied forever whereas physical items eventually deteriorate and don’t even have that much of a “story” behind them.

Click here for ideas on preserving your photos in 10 days or less.

If these reasons are not enough to begin your path to simplifying your life, perhaps you are not ready, and that’s perfectly ok!  Everyone has their point of no return in which he or she cannot deal with the stuff-monsters any longer.

Will you begin your path toward life simplification today?  All you have to do is make that internal decision, and the rest will take care of itself.

DEFINITION OF “SHTUFF”: 

“shtuff” [shtuhf] – noun – Definition:  The large group of things that accumulate around the house (many of them unspecified or worthless objects, even in our own minds) that take on a life of their own.  And, by the way, we call it “shtuff” because it’s just more fun to say. 

So, that is shtuff in a nutshell.  I hope you enjoy using this word.  And I hope you enjoy joining us to ban your Shtuff-Monsters!