Are you tired of hearing about making New Year’s Resolutions? Frankly, I am. But Mo Rocca on the Sunday Morning News show had the best idea that I just have to share. He suggested making New Year’s Resolutions for other people. I think that is such a funny idea, and how fun for us to help others with their resolutions. So here are some I have made for you…
Since we are talking about reducing clutter this week, here are resolutions about clutter:

1. Go ahead and enjoy your clutter—it means you have stuff that you can clutter.
2. Don’t organize monday through sunday.
3. Buy more stuff because you will have more stuff to stress about to organize.
4. Procrastinate as long as you can to avoid clearing your clutter.
5. Resolve not to find your bedroom floor this year.

Wow, do you love me or what? Have you made your own organizing resolutions? Will you share them with us? We can help you come up with organizing ideas on how to accomplish them.

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).

Making New Year’s resolutions is easy — following through on them is something else entirely.  Sometimes it’s because we don’t really believe we can achieve what we set out to do.  Sometimes it’s because we are fearful of what we might have to do, or give up, or risk.  Sometimes it’s because we realize that whatever it is will be a lot of hard work — and that success probably won’t happen overnight.

Thought for the Day:

Focus more on your desire than your doubt and the dream will take care of itself.  You may be surprised at how easily this happens.  Your doubts are not as powerful as your desires unless you make them so.  Marica Wieder

Today’s Action Challenge:

One way to keeping moving forward is to keep your goals in front of you every single day.  Many, many success gurus (Napoleon Hill, Brain Tracy, Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, Jack Canfield — you name it) talk about writing down your major goal and either carrying it with you.

• Where could you place your goal so that it is front and center in your every day life.  Perhaps on a little card in your purse or wallet?  Maybe you could make it into a screen saver (or maybe find a particular image that represents it for)  Perhaps you could put it on Post-It Notes around your house (on the bathroom mirror, the refrigerator door), at work at your desk and on your dashboard. 
• Most experts suggest writing it as a concise sentence or two, phrased in the present test as if it already exists and having a specific deadline…”It is December 31st 2009 and because I was committed to eating a healthy diet and exercising for 30 minutes every day, I am now a size ____” Again, write it down as if it has already happened.
• Another time proven method is to spend at least 5 minutes or so once or twice a day having a vivid daydream about your goal.  The idea is to put yourself in a mental movie where you see yourself experiencing  your goal fully — as if it were actually happening.  Where are you?  What are you doing?  Who’s with you?  What are you saying?  What did they say?  What are the sights, sounds, smells, textures…make it very real.  The subconscious mind doesn’t know the difference between the real world and the world that is vividly imagined.   So don’t hold back — go for it!!

Geralyn Coopersmith, MA, CSCS is an exercise physiologist, certified personal trainer and the creator of The Best Me Ever, a comprehensive weight loss and wellness system just for women.  Lose weight and look great — 90 Day Money Back Guarantee!!

Is one of your resolutions for the new year to remove clutter from your home in 2009? Here are two organizing tips on how to reduce clutter:

1. Use a planner. The benefits are you don’t have to keep everything in your mind. You will get more done as you will know what needs to be done and you can check it off. This removes mind clutter.
2. Get your name off junk mail lists. I use proquo.com This has cut my junk mail by 90%. (You are probably tired of hearing me say this—I get nothing from them, I just like their system).

Here are a couple of examples on how I cleared clutter from my office after the holidays: I had two cards I had saved from friends that had information I needed. I wrote down the email addresses and phone numbers in my planner and recycled the cards. I made a note to email them on a certain date.

I had quickly unloaded my fanny pack from skiing and had thrown some receipts on my desk. I took 10 seconds and looked at them and then shredded them. I usually ( I would have said always) put my receipts in a file labeled “receipts” in my file drawer. This really helps keep my desk uncluttered. This organizing tip alone saves me a lot of time as I don’t ever have to look for receipts I may need.

Removing clutter in our homes and in our lives frees us up to do other things we would rather be doing; it gives us freedom and peace of mind. In the New Year I will share organizing tips and organizing ideas on how to reduce clutter in our lives, homes and in our minds.

We would love to hear your clutter clearing ideas and tips. What is your favorite one?

Marilyn Bohn is an energetic, lively, compassionate, hard working and creative organizer. She was born to organize! Before becoming a professional organizer she worked professionally in diverse environments. She is involved in her community, providing her clients with a broad base of experience and knowledge.  She is a member of the National Association of Professional Organizers (NAPO).