This newsletter is not about just ‘being prepared for disaster’ although it is good to be prepared for the major catastrophes as well as the little incidents.

So let’s talk about being prepared in the case of disasters first. One of my clients gave me a very useful booklet put out by Auckland Council and Civil Defence & Emergency Management called “Get Ready Auckland”. I have to say I only just read it today, and found it very informative, and a reminder that I really should have at least a kit of the basic supplies tucked away should the unthinkable happen. The booklet contains everything you need to know about being prepared in the case of emergencies and disasters, including very helpful lists of what to put in your Get Away Kit and what emergency supplies to keep in your home. I imagine you could get the booklet from Auckland Council or Civil Defence, check the Civil Defence website: www.aucklandcivildefence.org.nz

I think living in Auckland one can become perhaps a little complacent about disasters, although we really shouldn’t given what tragically happened in Christchurch, and more recently in Kaikoura and Wellington. And some areas in Auckland have experienced massive flooding in just the last few weeks. So I believe this preparation bears thinking about.

What I want to touch on now follows along the lines of what to organise in case of emergency, but it’s also about being able to put your hand on what you need in your home when you absolutely need an item immediately.

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This month I want to talk about the day to day little frustrations that we experience in our home, or workplace. I mean those areas where something needs to be fixed, or sorted, or thrown out because we actually know that it can’t be fixed but we haven’t got around to doing anything about it.

Here’s how some of those frustrations may look:

– Doors that stick so we have to slam them to close or pull hard to get them to open: I find a light spray on the hinges with a lubricant such as CRC works like magic.

– The same may apply to drawers in the kitchen or bedrooms, where they stick and are awkward to open and close: you simply rub candle wax along the edges of the drawer.

– Pictures often get propped behind a door or against the wall because we haven’t got around to buying the picture hooks and hanging them.

– Maybe there’s a clock on the wall that no longer works and maybe all it needs is a new battery. [Read more…]

Welcome to my first newsletter for 2017. I hope you had a wonderful relaxing break and that you’re looking forward to the year.

We have a bright new year with new possibilities in front of us and I always find that exciting. I think about what I can create this year in all parts of my life. For example, I want to put more focus on ‘creativity’ this year and to kick start it I went out today and bought one of those gorgeous adult colouring books and some bright coloured pencils. There are numerous other ideas that are coming to me that I want to play around with, and I’m looking forward to exploring those. None of this is about ‘shoulds’ or ‘musts’ as those are negative feelings that aren’t going to leave us feeling great.

What have you got planned for this year? You might like to jot down in a journal, or on a beautiful sheet of paper that you can stick on the fridge, a few things that you’d love to do and experience this year. I suggest it be more of a ‘bucket list’ rather than a list of ‘resolutions’. Resolutions can often end up in that ‘should have done’ or ‘didn’t stick to’ basket which can leave us feeling guilty or hopeless.

Have you thought about creating a theme for the year? Your theme becomes a focus for the year and it’s always interesting to see how this plays out, after all what you focus on expands. Ideas for themes may be around health, wealth creation, creativity, expanding your social life, new adventures. Obviously the list is endless.

If decluttering and re-organising your home is on your list, try thinking of it as a journey of exploration with a beautiful outcome. It may seem odd to think of decluttering as a positive and even fun experience but it really can be. Here are some suggestions on how you can get started, and how you can make it interesting rather than overwhelming.

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I had been thinking all week about possible topics for this last newsletter of the year, and not coming up with anything very much at all. I have been writing these newsletters every month since September 2009 so I’ve pretty much covered everything you can think of when it comes to clutter, organising, and related topics.

My inspiration for this newsletter came during a client lunch on Friday, when I had the privilege to listen to a young man who is one of the most inspirational speakers I’ve ever heard. And as we near the end of 2016 and look forward to a bright new year, I thought what better to talk about than aspirations, dreams and goals. I’m not talking about New Year’s resolutions as those too often become ‘shoulds’ rather than desirable goals and dreams. It’s more about the things we put on our ‘to do’ lists and either don’t get to, or somehow get stopped along the way by fear or procrastination.

Cam Calkoen had his audience of around 25 of us enthralled, inspired, and alternately moved to tears and then raucous laughter. He is such a delightful character you can’t help but love him, and admire his courage and extraordinary tenacity. His catch phrase is “Dream Big, Achieve More” and that’s certainly what he has done all his life and continues to do.

Here’s the brief introduction on his website which will give you an idea of who Cam is.

“My name is Cam Calkoen. I dream of a world where everyone is inspired to embrace opportunity, and our physical being is no barrier to succeeding in our dreams and aspirations. It is dreams that have brought the world to what we see today. And our aspirations will propel it into the future.

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With the holiday season fast approaching many of you may be going away, whether to the holiday batch, or a little further afield. Wherever you are going, and for how long, these clutter-free travel tips might be helpful.

Before I go any further kudos for this subject goes to one of my subscribers, Heather, who made this suggestion to me in an email from Italy as she travelled around and had to keep packing and repacking her suitcase. This is dedicated therefore to the “travel clutterbugs”, as Heather called them, who want help to keep the case organised and the hotel room uncluttered while moving from place to place.

Interestingly this isn’t as easy as it sounds because there are so many different scenarios that can come into play while travelling, such as the difference between travelling alone or with family, whether you’re moving from one hotel to another, the type of accommodation and whether there’s actually room to unpack, and the list goes on.

I’m going to try and give some general tips on what I’ve found helpful when travelling.

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