I am really a very organized person. I know where to find what I need. I could say, “A place for everything, and everything in its place,” only that is not quite exactly true.

While I am organized and I know where everything is, I can become someone who is consumed by stacks of this and that. Yes, I know what is in the stacks, but all those stacks are robbing energy from me.

When the space is clearer, so is my mind. When my mind is clear, I will work better.

I know this to be true. I also know that once I start working in a clear, clean, clutter-free environment, new opportunities show up for creativity and for business.

Why would I — or you — not want this to happen?

I am really a very organized person. I know where to find what I need. I could say, “A place for everything, and everything in its place,” only that is not quite exactly true.

While I am organized and I know where everything is, I can become someone who is consumed by stacks of this and that. Yes, I know what is in the stacks, but all those stacks are robbing energy from me.

When the space is clearer, so is my mind. When my mind is clear, I will work better. I know this to be true. I also know that once I start working in a clear, clean, cutter-free environment, new opportunities show up for creativity and for business. Why would I not want this to happen?

Last month I decided I really needed to get back in control of my space, back in control of my energy, and I launched a clutter reducing plan. (I think the visit to the used book store where I couldn’t find my way was part of the incentive. I am making it fun for myself. I have got three days a week that will have clutter-reducing activities. They are Toss-Out Tuesday, Weed-Out Wednesday and Throw-Out Thursday. I really only have to schedule a little time each day to reduce what I am saving.

And, I have planned my rewards. In addition to a treat at the end of the de-clutter session, I purchased an orchid to keep on the quasi-desk I have behind my computer. It looks nice in its new space!

It is nice to have the files in a drawer, and fewer files in the drawer. I managed to get rid of quite a lot. I have boxes of books in the garage waiting for a friend to pick them up and deliver them to the Virginia Quilt Museum where they will be sold to support the museum. Old quilt magazines are set aside for another pickup. And, the recycle bin has been quite heavy on its weekly trip to the street. Why was I holding onto this? In some cases, I thought I might need the material in the future. (Wonder if I would remember where it was?) Some I felt guilty about having purchased and not used. Some were pretty projects that I wanted to make. Of course, I have not yet, so I tossed 90% of those, too. Not to mention my tastes have changed over the years.

Will you join me? As you pick a time to sort through what you have, ask yourself some questions. Why are you holding onto this? What happens if you toss it? Will you really even miss it?

Will you join me and make space for good energy in your business and life?

photo credit: Vanessa Penagos via photopin cc

Join us in the PQ Café on Thursday, May 21, for our class Create Your Perfect Quilting Space with Lois Hallock, author of Creating Your Perfect Quilting Space (Martingale Publications). During our class Lois will cover ideas to make over your sewing room regardless of space and budget, how to use a graph paper plan to organize your and ideas for maximizing efficiency.

The teleclass is scheduled for Thursday, May 21 at 8 pm, Eastern Standard Time. Registration includes both the teleclass and the MP3 downloadable recording, so if you can’t come to the class, you’ll get the recording to listen to at a time that works for you. Here are details.