Mailer 04

You Creating You
Helping you get your creative thing,

whatever it may be, out into the world.

A note from Shannon:

During February I was caught up in making some behind the scenes changes with my website. It's now set up so that it's much easier for me to blog and create resources for you. It now finally reflects the changes I've been talking about for awhile.

I hope you'll stop by shannonwilkinson.com, take a look around and let me know what you think. As always, I'd love to have you hang out on the blog, that quirky little place where I share and hopefully give you some helpful ideas in the process.

The other exciting thing is that I'm teaming up with professional organizer extraordinaire Janine Adams to teach a new teleclass. Make sure and read to the end of the newsletter for the details, especially since you, as a subscriber to this newsletter get a special, extra-early-bird discount.

And, if you know someone who'd love to discover, nurture or develop their special thing, please forward this newsletter.

Thanks for reading!

The Cost of Clutter

When you want to do your thing, or even just spend some time figuring it out, does other stuff get in the way? Sometimes it's "stuff" (picture big finger quotes) like a crammed schedule, tight finances or family responsibilities. Other times, it's actual stuff, as in physical clutter.

It can show up in different ways. Maybe you'd love to get started on an artsy-craftsy thing, but the spare bedroom, which would make a perfect studio, is full. Or you'd like to sit at your desk and write, but the stacks of papers threaten to fall in on you. Maybe you really want to experiment in the kitchen more, but finding the utensils you need is a nightmare.

Not only does clutter create these physical barriers, it can be physically draining. It can suck your energy until you don't have any extra left to fan that small spark of creativity you're protecting inside you.

CLUTTER IS SURPRISINGLY COMPLEX

Professional Organizer Janine Adams and I have been talking a lot about clutter lately. It seems like it shouldn't be a big deal. Pick up the stuff, put it away or get rid of it. But it's often not that easy. Janine works with people and their clutter every day and for most of the people she works with, there's a lot more going on. It's not unusual for there to be tears shed in her decluttering sessions. Why should decluttering make someone cry?

Janine explains it like this: The emotions behind the clutter are what that make things so complicated. For many chronically disorganized people, their stuff represents so much more than just stuff. Hanging on to things (or acquiring things) can have emotional roots. It might stem from what they were told when they were brought up. Or maybe they got in trouble as a child for throwing something valuable away. It might be a finely honed sense of responsibility that prevents them from discarding something. Or it might be what the items in question represent to them. There are many emotional sources of clutter.

PRACTICE

When you think about the stuff that is preventing you from embracing your thing, is clutter on the list? If it is, try these steps to help you understand clutter and gently ease it from your life.

Ask yourself, how does clutter block you from your thing.
What would you be able to do if you didn't have this clutter?
Choose a physical area where you'd like to focus your attention; it should be large/important enough that you'll see a difference, but not so big as to become overwhelming.
Start with one thing. Ask yourself if you want to keep it or discard it.If the answer's discard, move on to the next item. If it's keep, then continue with the questions.
If you want to keep it, does it have a home? If it does, put it away. If it doesn't, yep, that's right stick with the questions.
What's important to you about this particular thing, what does it represent?
Knowing that is it still important to keep it?
Remind yourself of #2 above as often as you need to.

I'd love it if you'd try this and come by the blog and let me know how it went, or share your favorite way to take care of clutter.

WANT MORE HELP WITH DECLUTTERING?

Because clutter can be complicated, Janine and I are teaming up to teach a four-part teleclass, called Declutter Happy Hour, that will help you clear both emotional and physical clutter. Janine is great at this. She has helped me with many projects, including a move to a space that was less than a third the size I was used to. Let me tell you, there was a lot of decluttering to do!

We are offering you, our readers and clients, super-early-bird savings on Declutter Happy Hour. The fee for the four-week (6+ hours!) teleclass is regularly $129. If you sign up by March 17 (which is my birthday!), we're offering it for just $89. After that the price goes up.

Go to the Declutter Happy Hour website to sign up via PayPal. There's also a premium version of the class that gets you an one-hour session with me and with Janine, for less than half the normal cost.

About Shannon

I know first-hand how important it is to spend some regular time doing that thing you love. And just how much fun it can be when you turn it into a business!

I've been coaching professionally since 2003 and have helped 100's of people figure out how to enjoy their lives more too.

If you're interested in knowing more about my background, read my longer bio check out my training and credentials or visit my blog.

Thanks for reading! If you know someone who could benefit from this, feel free to forward it to them!

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Until next time!