One Thing at a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day
209One Thing at a Time: 100 Simple Ways to Live Clutter-Free Every Day
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Overview
Simple, effective ways to put things in their place
Those piles of papers, clothes, and other things you thought you'd successfully de-cluttered have returned, and this time they brought friends. What's the use of trying to fight the clutter? Is there a better way?
This powerful and useful guide delivers solutions that work, no matter how overwhelmed you feel. The answer isn't an elaborate new system, or a solemn vow to start tomorrow. Instead, psychotherapist and organizer Cindy Glovinsky shares 100 simple strategies for tackling the problem the way it grows--one thing at a time. Here's a sampling of the tips explained in the book:
*Declare a fix-it day
*Purge deep storage areas first
*Label it so you can read it
*Get a great letter opener
*Practice toy population planning
*Leave it neater than you found it
Written in short takes and with a supportive tone, this is an essential, refreshing book that helps turn a hopeless struggle into a manageable part of life, one thing at a time.
Product Details
ISBN-13: | 9781429967464 |
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Publisher: | St. Martin's Publishing Group |
Publication date: | 05/01/2024 |
Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
Format: | eBook |
Pages: | 209 |
Sales rank: | 152,493 |
File size: | 490 KB |
About the Author
Cindy Glovinsky, M.S.W., A.C.S.W., is the author of Making Peace with the Things in Your Life. She is a licensed psychotherapist and professional organizer. A frequent lecturer and expert in the fields of chronic disorganization and attention deficit disorders, she is based in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
Read an Excerpt
One Thing At a Time
1. ONE THING AT A TIME.Do you have one of those brains that goes naturally in twenty-seven directions at once? If so, you may be great at multitasking but susceptible to getting overwhelmed in response to a mess. Instead of focusing on the vase you're about to put back on the shelf, you glance vacantly around at the scummy goldfish bowl, the papers piled on the desk, the kitty litter on the carpet, everywhere and anywhere except at the object in your hands. Because your brain does this, even a small amount of clutter can make you feel as helpless as the princess contemplating the enormous pile of straw that Rumpelstiltskin demanded she spin into gold. The result is paralysis.This can go on for hours--unless a perceptive person walks over and touches your arm, directs your attention to the vase in your hands, and murmurs a single sentence: One Thing at a time. When this happens, your thoughts stop crisscrossing, your body shifts back into action, and progress resumes. The vase goes onto the mantelpiece, your hands reach for the next item, and soon the clutter has disappeared. These five magic little words have the power to release you from even the most profound state of lethargy, overwhelm, or confusion and get you moving again.Are you too exhausted after a long day's work to deal with the mountain of mail on your counter? Is your basement crammed with items left behind by someone you horribly miss? Do you have absolutely no idea what to do with the stacks of magazines you never have time to read? Does the sight of your dirty dishes make you nauseous? Do you shuffle through papers three or four at a time but never seem to get anywhere with them? The solution to each of these problems is the same: One Thing at a time.As a professional organizer, I've used these words to help clientsagain and again. Janine was feeling hopeless. She spent much of our first hour talking about how she would never be able to deal with the enormous piles of wrinkled clothes in her bedroom, the sight of which caused her to feel even more depressed. With my encouragement, she finally set to work, but every now and then she would stop and commiserate. Each time she did this, I would repeat the same phrase: "One Thing at a time," and she would get moving again. Eventually her bedroom became clutter-free, which inspired her to go on to other projects.Hal had problems staying focused. An entrepreneur whose brain was swimming with brilliant new ideas, he attempted to de-clutter his office by rushing around from one pile to another, shuffling through papers and throwing them back down without deciding what to do with any of them. As we continued to work together, Hal began to understand how fruitless this was. As a remedy, he gave me permission to say, "One Thing at a time" each time he started to go off track before completing a project. Eventually he began to say these words to himself. Although Janine and Hal had different problems, the solution for both of them was the same: One Thing at a time.This solution is deceptively simple. The technique of repeating a certain, well-chosen phrase to calm the nerves and focus the mind has worked for millions of people throughout history. Practitioners of most of the world's great religions have used this "mantra" technique for centuries, and people in twelve-step groups find strength in the motto "One day at a time." Whatever clutter-reducing task you're attempting, One Thing at a time will help you to stay on track until the job is done.Write the words on a Post-It or placard and display it wherever you need the reminder. More than any other words in this book, they merit this special status. Make One Thing at a time your motto on your journey toward clutter-free living and you'll be amply rewarded.ONE THING AT A TIME. Copyright © 2004 by Cindy Glovinsky. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews. For information, address St. Martin's Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments | xiii | |
Introduction | 1 | |
1. | One Thing at a Time | 7 |
2. | Things Don't Move Themselves | 9 |
3. | Breathe, Don't Run | 11 |
4. | De-Clutter Your Body | 13 |
5. | Carry a Clipboard | 15 |
6. | Post Checklists of Routine Tasks | 17 |
7. | Roll Back Your Sleep Schedule by Half an Hour | 20 |
8. | Stop Perfecting, Start Bettering | 22 |
9. | Make Your Bed Every Day | 24 |
10. | Open the Windows | 26 |
11. | Make a List of Minitasks | 27 |
12. | Stem the Paper Inflow | 30 |
13. | Alphabetize | 32 |
14. | Speed Up Your Heart | 34 |
15. | Designate an Errand Day | 36 |
16. | That Was Then, This is Now | 38 |
17. | Get a Rolodex | 40 |
18. | Keep the Clothes Moving On | 42 |
19. | Throw Away Coupons | 44 |
20. | Make a Home for Instructions and Warranties | 46 |
21. | Look What I Just Did | 47 |
22. | Declare a Fix-It Day | 49 |
23. | Write It Down | 52 |
24. | Sweep and Vacuum at Least Once a Week | 55 |
25. | Choose While You're Still in the Store | 57 |
26. | Let the Phone Ring | 59 |
27. | Practice the Art of Systematic Scanning | 61 |
28. | Put Up Pictures Now | 63 |
29. | Do a Loose-Paper Hunt | 64 |
30. | Rate Your Memorabilia | 65 |
31. | Keep a Phone Log | 67 |
32. | Find a Clutter Mate | 69 |
33. | How Does It Feel to be Active? | 71 |
34. | Divide and Subdivide | 73 |
35. | Purge Deep Storage Areas First | 74 |
36. | Use Pleasures as Rewards, Not as Escapes | 76 |
37. | Make Use of the Snowball Effect | 78 |
38. | Is It Worth It? | 80 |
39. | Break the Clipping Habit | 82 |
40. | Get a Great Letter Opener | 84 |
41. | Move from Quantity to Quality | 85 |
42. | Keep the Dishes Moving on | 87 |
43. | Do a Trash Scan | 89 |
44. | Look Inside | 91 |
45. | Make a "To Sort" Basket | 93 |
46. | One Type of Thing, One Home | 94 |
47. | Assess Your Information Needs | 96 |
48. | Post Reminders | 99 |
49. | Plan Your Wardrobe | 101 |
50. | Break the Tactile Connection | 104 |
51. | Say Anything But "Yes" | 105 |
52. | Label It So You Can Read It | 107 |
53. | Tuck It In | 109 |
54. | Make a Share List | 110 |
55. | It's Just a Problem | 112 |
56. | Make a Container Stash | 113 |
57. | On Task or off Task? | 115 |
58. | Use Binders and Plastic Sleeves | 116 |
59. | Keep the Papers Moving on | 118 |
60. | Put Up a Pegboard | 120 |
61. | Put Things Back Even When you're Rushed | 121 |
62. | Clean-Up Time! | 122 |
63. | Plan a Dinner Party Three Months from Now | 124 |
64. | Store It where you use It | 126 |
65. | What Do I Really Need? | 128 |
66. | Do It the Easy Way | 129 |
67. | Keep the Books Moving on | 131 |
68. | Make a Home for Office Supplies | 134 |
69. | Use Bright Colors | 135 |
70. | Look Up | 137 |
71. | Keep the Magazines and Catalogs Moving on | 138 |
72. | Put a Trash Container in Every Room | 140 |
73. | Make A Pet-Care Place | 142 |
74. | Purge your Toiletries | 143 |
75. | Don't Pile, Containerize | 145 |
76. | Catch People Being Good | 147 |
77. | Square the Corners | 149 |
78. | Schedule a Regular Reading Time | 150 |
79. | Purge and Organize your Pharmaceuticals | 152 |
80. | Rethink your Photo Habits | 154 |
81. | Set Numerical Limits | 156 |
82. | Say what you want--the very Best way | 158 |
83. | Set a Timer | 161 |
84. | It's Just A Glitch | 163 |
85. | Everything has Its Price | 165 |
86. | When will I Start Again? | 166 |
87. | Practice Toy-Population Planning | 167 |
88. | Put Inactive Files in Storage | 169 |
89. | Take a Walk Around the Outside of your House | 171 |
90. | Do a Ready-to-go Scan | 172 |
91. | Piggyback your Habits | 173 |
92. | I Deserve the Best | 174 |
93. | Gather Supplies Ahead of Time | 175 |
94. | Leave It Neater than you Found It | 177 |
95. | Shed some Light on the Subject | 178 |
96. | Set Up Recycle Stations | 179 |
97. | Lay Things out the Night before | 181 |
98. | Am I Comfortable? | 182 |
99. | How much Noise do I Need? | 184 |
100. | Chart Your Progress at Living Clutter-Free | 186 |
Resources for Help with Organizing | 189 | |
Bibliography | 191 |