By choice or happenstance you have become disorganized. Life seems to be spinning out of control, and until you make choice to take some action things will only remain same and probably get worse.

Do organizing challenges and hurdles stand between you and life, office, or home you would like to have?

With every drawer, cabinet, closet, desk, office, and room you attempt to organize you might be faced with hurdles:

>>What to keep >>What to toss >>Where to store items >>What to let go of >>How to let go of your stuff >>Where or who might need or benefit from stuff that's STILL USABLE.

However, each HURDLE you overcome and each area you clear will make you stronger AND get you closer to having a less chaotic life.

Maybe you've tried on your own to declutter but couldn't get over feelings of discomfort, or pain you might have had to face. Maybe your obstacles are deeper inside you; emotional baggage one of my clients calls it.

While dealing with all your stuff your feelings or thoughts might be upsetting to you as you sort, toss, and organize. You might feel anxious or stressed out, or unable to make decisions. You might not LIKE to face all your clutter.

Sir George Bernard Shaw said, "Never mind likes and dislikes; they are of no consequences. Just do what must be done. This may not be happiness, but it is greatness."

What feelings or thoughts start bubbling to surface when you attempt to organize? Write them down, or email me.

Would you agree that choosing to be and being organized would bring a POSITIVE change in your life?

Why not make a choice today towards positive change, and start taking control of your life? Positive change can be difficult; sticking to a schedule or routine can be demanding, and you might find you'll have to "give up something" to obtain your organizing goals.

Go ahead, challenge yourself and make a new choice today, I dare you. You must apply and make a special effort to your challenges.

Can you make a special effort to give up for an hour or a day of watching television, reading, or surfing Internet to work on getting control of your life?

What can you give up? Write it down and ask someone to hold you accountable.

What can you give up for a week or a weekend? Write it down and ask someone to hold you accountable.

Someone recently wrote to share how her husband and his siblings banded together to *clean out* her father-in-law's home, which she likened to an indoor junkyard. After they had filled dumpster, her sister-in-law pointed at contents and said to her father, *This is what you were loving while we were growing up. These were children you were spending time with and we grew up with them and hated them and were jealous of them.*

He never knew they felt this way. And he certainly wouldn't have chosen to lighten his load this way. Yet it's sometimes a hard fact that treasures and *stuff* we accumulate during our lifetime have a profound impact on our families, on ourselves and on our ability to have a prosperous life.

Luckily, there are a few simple steps you can take to free yourself from clutter of past and mend fences in your family. Start by asking yourself a few simple questions about things you are hanging on to:

~~ Why are you afraid to get rid of these things?

~~ What do they represent to you?

~~ How long are you going to carry this stuff around with you?

~~ How have your treasures and *stuff* affected your family?

~~ Are you hanging on to some stuff *just in case?*

~~ Who said you have to hang on to these things?

Take action now to lighten your load before someone else decides to lighten it for you. Here are seven tips to get you started.

1: Invite your children and grandchildren over to come get things that were theirs during their childhood. Donate, auction off or simply throw away anything that's left. Brenda, a client in her sixties, was holding on to her daughter's childhood dolls, thinking she would one day want them. When Brenda asked, she discovered her daughter didn't want them after all. She was free to sell them, which brought her some extra income and freed up valuable space.

2: Make a list of treasures you're ready to part with now. Then write down names of friends and family members who have admired these items. Write down or record a story for each item, then throw a dinner party for these friends and family members. Share stories with them as you pass along gifts. Or give them as holiday or birthday presents.

3: Tap into flow of giving and receiving by passing along treasures you want people to inherit, so you can see joy in giving and in receiving while you're still around. Be sure to write down and relate a story about item.