The Art of Decluttering

Welcome to the first episode of our newest series - Decluttering and Organising 101 where over 8 weeks we'll go through each area of your home and I'll share my top organising and decluttering tips for that area.You are invited to join the free course for this series where each Monday you'll receive access to a new podcast episode, decluttering checklist and organising cheat sheet (as well as some surprise bonuses), all so you can declutter and organise like a pro!This week we kick off with KITCHEN - the heart of the home.Make sure to join to download your Kitchen Check List & Cheat SheetYou may also like to listen to these episodes:Location Location LocationLunch BoxesDrink BottlesJars, Bottles and ContainersShopping BagsGlasswareCutlery & CrockeryKitchen AppliancesBakingUtensilsTupperwareMeal PlanningJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Join me as I unpack the newest and greatest decluttering show on TV... The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning!! If you're in Australia you can watch it via SBS On Demand, you simply must - it's AWESOME.My big take aways from the show (which is based on the book) are around the fun and honesty the hosts bring to each declutter session and interaction with their clients. They're not trying to make everyone vanilla, creating homes that could be in a magazine. Instead they embrace the character and life of each person, celebrating who they are in life and in death.There is a hysterical honesty that is woven throughout each episode. Nothing is held back, honesty is spoken and humour is used to defuse and encourage people in their progress.You may also like to listen to these episodes:Deathbed ReflectionsObject PermanenceLetting Go with Peter WalshJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

When you're decluttering and you come across something you decide to keep... sometimes it can be hard to know if you're keeping it because you do use, love or need it... or if you're working hard to convince yourself on a reason to keep it.Try answering this out loud to yourself, "I'm keeping this Because..." Answering yourself out loud can help you articulate something that maybe is otherwise a vibe/ feeling or fear. Next answer this question, "Really?" Out loud, be honest, is your answer true? Are you being honest with yourself?And finally answer the question, "And... what would happen if you didn't have it?" The aim of these questions isn't to convince you to declutter everything, but rather to help you investigate why you're keeping things and the simple act of saying things out loud to yourself may surprise you with it's effectiveness.I invite you to come and join my Free Wardrobe Challenge, declutter and organise your wardrobe over 5 days with video coaching. Did I mention it's FREE?You may also like to listen to these episodes:ObligationWomen's ClutterJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

* Alright... just putting it at the top that I may use Opportunity Cost and Cost Benefit Analysis interchangeably or in the wrong context a bit today... but I know that you'll be able to follow along and see exactly what I mean when it comes to decluttering and organising *When you're making decisions about what to bring into your home, or what to declutter from your home, it's helpful to acknowledge there is a cost to every decision. There is a cost of time, energy, decisions to be made, possible storage solutions, conferring with people you live with, rubbish removal, processing donations. There is also the opportunity cost of the space you take up and the money you spend. And then there are clear benefits to decluttering in time, productivity, mental health, finances and general enjoyment. Mentioned in the episode is our Paperwork Course - check it out and if you need a paperwork system that will work for you without being hard to keep up with or difficult to set up - this is for you!Paperwork CourseYou may also like to listen to these episodes:Item or SpaceLetting Go with Peter WalshJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Memories. Does the Maroon 5 song come to mind? Memories play a more significant role in decluttering and organising than we often recognise. Creating Memories: ultimately the reason and motivation behind decluttering and organising is to create life memories. Whether it's the memory of a peaceful and relaxed home or space to leave the house and create memories of travel, adventure, creativity and experiences, it's important to live a life of treasured memories. Storing Memories: how you store your memories (aside from in your mind!) will help you keep both a home that is organised and not overrun with items relating to the memories of your life. It's also important to curate what you keep and the incentive for the curation is so that you can tell stories and recall memories. Recalling Memories: there is no point storing your memories in tubs, hidden away forever forgotten, never remembered and shared. Instead being intentional about how you pick and choose what to display, what to use to recall memories and creating tools for storytelling and long term generational memory.You may also like to listen to these episodes:Comparison and Happiness with Peter WalshLetting Go with Peter WalshJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

 Do you feel like your home has accumulated WAY TOO MUCH over the last few weeks?This week on the podcast, explore the difference between replacing and accumulating.When something new comes into your home, is it to replace an existing item, or is as an accumulation? There will be occasion for both, but if you accumulate more than you replace you will inevitably end up overwhelmed by clutter.Do new items you accumulate add value? Make life easier? Or bring you joy? If none of these, why is it coming into your home?Consider if items are entering your home by choice, obligation or mindlessly.You may also like to listen to these episodes:Tackling Christmas ExtravaganceRejecting BusyJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

🎄Merry Christmas!!🎄Today whether you're running from one event to the next or you're having a quiet day at home alone, I want to take a moment to wish you a very Merry Christmas.Today I've dropped a quick episode called Keeping Company. Many people have reached out over the years to say that podcasts are sometimes the only human interaction they have on Christmas day and so I wanted to say I see you and I'm here to keep you company today.Others of you will be escaping the chaos for a walk/ blocking out the sound of children in a long car drive and to you, I hope I'm also able to keep you company.And finally I talk briefly about how you can be good company on a day as big as today and how you can care for yourself and your loved ones.https://www.theartofdecluttering.com.au/podcast/Praying you all have a Peace-Filled Christmas xxYou may also like to listen to these episodes:Tackling Christmas ExtravaganceRejecting BusyJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today is a BONUS episode with my Christmas hacks!Discover my tried and true hacks for food, transport, gifts, rubbish, hungry and tired kids and so much more!You may also like to listen to these episodes:Tackling Christmas ExtravaganceJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Does the idea of running out of something cause you untold anxiety? Could you learn to use the moment of running out to embrace making do? Or learn to live with less?I've found the most natural way to declutter is to use what I already have in my home. Use things up before buying a replacement. Think about how we so often shop - it's retailers and companies that often dictate when we purchase, how many items we purchase and how much money we spend. We are unknowing slaves to their marketing agendas.Be challenged on the concept of 'running out'. How does it feel to you to run out of something? Does it make you stressed? Or does it actually create more space in your home, less to keep track of?Often if you have more of an item than you need, it's actually harder to keep track of it (think the more pairs of glasses you have the harder it is to find a pair).It's also easier to keep track of things, you're not constantly trying to work out if that's the 'good one' or one that only has a few wears/ uses left in it. Make sure you listen today as this hack has the potential to change the way you store and use items in your home.You may also like to listen to these episodes:Tackling Christmas ExtravaganceMaking DoLimiting ChoiceJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How do you firmly and sensitively impose limits on others in regards to Christmas gifts.Todays episode is in response to a listen question: "My children are 3 and 5 and the only grandchildren for my and my husband’s parents. The number of gifts we receive at Christmas is overwhelming and quite stressful. I’ve had a frank conversation with my parents about sticking to a limited number of presents. This has worked pretty well.My mother-in-law is a bit harder. I don’t feel the freedom to be as frank with her. She loves giving gifts, and has taken offense in the past to the suggestion of experience gifts.Please help! For many reasons I don’t want to continue having an outlandish Christmas celebration at her house that results in a packed car and a very stressed out mama.In this episode I share my response to this email with my top tips and tricks to enjoying a less stressful/ less extravagant Christmas.You may also like to listen to these episodes:Christmas BlenderChristmas FunctionsChristmas Gifts and WrapChristmas DecorationsChristmas ScheduleChristmas HolidaysJoin our communityBecome a Patron – your monthly donation makes a huge difference to me being able to produce this podcast. Donations can be as little as $1 a month!Follow me on InstagramFollow me on FacebookJoin my Facebook groupLeave a review on Apple PodcastThank you to my sound engineer, Jarred from Four4ty Studio Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.