Please leave a 5-star review and email me at [email protected] if you would like to be entered into the "Giveaway Drawing" which will happen monthly as I choose a random 5-star reviewer.  Type the words "Organize Your Closet" in the subject line! If you win, I will reach out to you for your best mailing address and send you a copy of "The Home Edit" by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin!!!

Moving towards a minimal life can actually be daunting for many people. Try incorporating "Tid Bits", much like Tiny Habits so that you can move towards minimalism at your own pace, but make sure you also challenge yourself when needed! Here are Five Tid Bits that you can practice right away:

1. Step Back - Use the "Wheel of Life" as a tool to gauge where you are in your life and how you rate yourself in each of the following categories: Career, Money, Health, Friends and Family, Significant Other/Romance, Personal Growth and Learning, Fun, leisure and recreation and Physical Environment (your home/office). I love this example of the "Wheel" which asks great questions to help you rate yourself effectively. You may need to highlight the entire link and then click on "go to https:......." : https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54bda4bee4b0a3e130efc4ca/t/5d16e12c3f4bcb0001647b55/1561780526296/Personal-Assessment-Wheel.pdf
2. Show Emotions - Allow your feelings to come to the surface. Be self-aware and with great self-love allow the emotions to surface. If you feel sad, cry, it's actually good for you!
3. Simple Systems - As a homeowner, you really shouldn't need more than 15 - 25 file folders with the most important categories. Please note that on my visit to clients' homes, we usually get rid of 80-85% of all the paper clutter they have been holding on to! Here are some of my favorites that most everyone might need. Set up straight line filing in alphabetical order for simplicity and ease: 
   • Bank statements
   • Cable bill
   • Car insurance
   • Car payments
   • Cell phone bill
   • Credit card statements
   • Dental records
   • Electric bill
   • Employment records
   • Health insurance
   • Heating (gas/oil) bill
   • Home insurance
   • Internet bill
   • Life insurance
   • Loans (student loans, personal loans, etc.)
   • Medical records
   • Mortgage payments
   • Rental payments
   • Retirement accounts (401Ks, IRAs, Roth IRAs, SIMPLE, etc.)
   • Separation records from past employers
   • Specialized medical records
   • Telephone (landline) bill
   • Vision records
   • Water bill
   • Yearly taxes (one folder for each tax year – you may want to create separate folders for federal and state taxes)
4. Proving What? - All I can say for this is "Be true to YOU," you are the superstar in your own life - only you can live your life. Who honestly cares what other people think or what other peoples expectations are of you? When you are living your life for someone else you cannot be living your best life for YOU!
5. Media Down and Out - This is something that we should all do regularly. Find a day to do a digital detox. Start with 1/2 day without your phone and then graduate to a full day then the whole weekend, or whichever days work for you! Not having the "crutch" of your phone and constantly crooking your neck to look at it will make you feel better overall in body, mind and spirit! It allows you freedom to think for yourself and be creative again. Scrolling incessantly can be truly numbing, if you know what I mean. After hours of scrolling one may feel a sense of loss since many hours become wasted in "watching" rather than "doing." Don't get me wrong since I do believe "vegging out" can be good for you as well. Just finding balance in all of it is truly the key to life!

Adapted from "52 Ways to Simplify Your Life", by Lynn Gordon

Please leave a 5-star review and email me at [email protected] if you would like to be entered into the "Giveaway Drawing" which will happen monthly as I choose a random 5-star reviewer.  Type the words "Organize Your Closet" in the subject line! If you win, I will reach out to you for your best mailing address and send you a copy of "The Home Edit" by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin!!!

Moving towards a minimal life can actually be daunting for many people. Try incorporating "Tid Bits", much like Tiny Habits so that you can move towards minimalism at your own pace, but make sure you also challenge yourself when needed! Here are Five Tid Bits that you can practice right away:

1. A Little R&R - Learn how to rest and relax and do it more! Embody the term "La Dolce Far Niente." Translated this means pleasant relaxation in carefree idleness, or,  the essence of doing nothing and enjoying it! You want to change your mindset to "work to live", NOT, "live to work" and again like our French and Italian brothers and sisters, let's embrace "La Dolce Far Niente!"
2. Express Passion - There are so many ways to express your passion! Are you an activist, a home cook, an artist, a runner, a martial artist, a gardener, a storyteller, lover of board games, do you love to teach others, are you an animal lover? The list is endless!!! Volunteerism is a great way to express your passion while helping others (i.e. other humans, animals or the environment to name a few.) Chip away at the stone facade that was imprinted and carved upon you by society. Unleash your spirit, unleash your desires and eliminate the excess! Go on a journey to find your self! I'm sure it will be the best and maybe even the hardest trip of your life. I can guarantee, it will  also be the most amazing and fulfilling journey you will ever take!
3. Prioritize - What are your main priorities this month. Write them out and remember, focus on the 20% that  will impact 80% of your life. These priorities are most important to improving your life overall. Let the rest go for now and move them along to the next month.
4. Anxious and Afraid - Does the free time you are creating have you worried. Learn to quietly sit in the beauty of having nothing to do or feeling "bored." What a luxury! Try some breathing exercises, just BE, revel in the warmth of the sun or the icy cold of the wind on your cheeks, or the wagging of your dog or cat's tail, smell your food, smell your beverage and allow the aromas to get into your nostrils, watch your plants grow, watch a sunset you get the picture. Have you ever been in a garden and expierienced watching the plants grow? I"ve actually experienced that in the heat of summer.  It was 90 degrees Farenheit and I swear I could feel my rose bushes growing taller as I saw the waves of warmth waft up into the atmosphere - it was a "one with nature" experience I will never forget!
5. Clean Out - This is something that we should all do regularly once we have gotten our space the exact way we like it. Regular clean outs are necessary as new things creep into our homes (or garages - that's my prcrastination station.....uggggh.....I have it beautiful and then it becomes a dumping ground again.....then I make it beautiful.......back to a dumping ground......it's a painful process lol lol....I'm still learning and my standard for a garage space is pretty darn high as well. I mean, it should be for me right? I must practice what I preach!

Adapted from "52 Ways to Simplify Your Life", by Lynn Gordon

A special thank you to SmartSound FX HUMAN CROWD Applause Medium Audience applauding and cheering!!! 

Moving towards a minimal life can actually be daunting for many people. Try incorporating "Tid Bits", much like Tiny Habits so that you can move towards minimalism at your own pace, but make sure you also challenge yourself when needed! Here are Five Tid Bits that you can practice right away:

1. Simple Rhythms - Follow your circadian rhythm so you may honor your spirit and body
2. Simply Eat Simply - Nourish yourself because we all know that food is medicine. Again, 80/20 - try to eat healthy 80% of the time
3. Be Present - Acknowledge the things and people around you - live in the now!
4. Unplan Time - Practice a digital detox day - your brain will love you for it!
5. Free Time - Sit and breathe for 5 minutes in the morning and 5 minutes in the evening - your brain will double love you!

Adapted from "52 Ways to Simplify Your Life", by Lynn Gordon

A special thank you to SmartSound FX HUMAN CROWD Applause Medium Audience applauding and cheering!!! 

Oscar Wilde Quote:

"To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance."

On being your own best friend:

When you have a friend as your inner voice rather than an enemy imagine the powerful partnership that you can forge with yourself. You simply can’t change the state you are in now until you accept who you are right now. Once acceptance has occurred you will be ready to move forward.

Use Mindfulness which is simply just being aware of your feelings and just accepting them, being aware of who you really are and then just accepting that. I mean honestly, what else can you do? The easiest path is just love and acceptance. Everything else is too complicated.

There are so many benefits in practicing self-love. It reduces stress and allows you to go through life in a more positive way that is healthier for your mind and body.  Your creativity soars when you are treating yourself with self-love, because the inner critic is locked away and your fear of failure subsides, allowing you the ability to take chances in life, knowing that if something goes wrong or there is a failure of some sort, you will be kind to yourself and treat yourself as you would a child or a best friend. In essence you are more afraid of yourself and that inner critic then anything else. Failure is always inevitable. Failure is the first step towards success, so just embrace it. If you know that you will treat yourself kindly when you fail, then you allow yourself the freedom to just try everything your heart desires and to be creative because you know it’s okay if it doesn’t work out. You know that you can provide yourself with support, get back up and try again.

 Here are a few things you can do to practice more self-love!

·       First and foremost write the words “I Am Enough” on a post it note or directly on your bathroom mirror! Look at this everyday and say it every time you happen to look in the mirror! I learned this trick from Marisa Peer who is a famous Psychologist in the UK.

·       Create a morning power affirmation. I’m awake I’m alive full of energy and full of life and today is a great day to prove it!

·       Practice a self-love meditation where you teach yourself to love yourself in a way you never have before. Check out Insight Timer or Calm or any of the med apps out there to find something you like.

·       Try to do Positive Mindset breaks throughout your day. 11am can be 5 minutes of gratitude, 1pm can be 5 minutes of listing 5-10  positive characteristics about yourself, 3pm can be 5 minutes of a self-love mantra. In the vein of self-care, maybe you can stand up and do some stretches while you do this positive mindset break!

Going back to you being the self-referral for your own happiness, I urge to try these methods and see how you feel a month from now. I can almost guarantee you will be feeling much better and your set-point for happiness will have increased. Remember to celebrate the amazing person that you are, so unique and so ready to share your gift! Wishing you all an abundance of self-love to be brought into your life by you and for you!!! xoxo

I found that the year 2020 was the year of nesting for almost everyone I know. All of my friends, family, neighbors and literally half the world was nesting. Clearing and cleaning out their homes since we were all under quarantine. What is nesting? It’s a phenomenon that usually occurs if you are pregnant, a new mother or if you are trying desperately to create a comfortable safe haven in your home due to a worldwide pandemic. 

Let’s look at some definition’s to see what we find. I want to explore the terms nesting, haven, hygge and slow.

Nesting definition: This urge to clean and organize is known as nesting. Nesting during pregnancy is the overwhelming desire to get your home ready for your new baby. The nesting instinct is strongest in the later weeks coming upon delivery. It is an old wives' tale that once nesting urges begin, labor is about to come on.

Haven definition: Definition of haven · 1 : harbor, port · 2 : a place of safety : refuge · 3 : a place offering favorable opportunities or conditions, like Carmel was a  haven for artists.

Hygge (pronounced hue-guh not hoo-gah) is a Danish word used when acknowledging a feeling or moment, whether alone or with friends, at home or out, ordinary or extraordinary as cosy, charming or special. Hygge (or to be “hyggeligt”) doesn't require adopting it as a lifestyle or buying anything. 

Slow is actually an acronym which stands for Sustainable, Local, Organic and Whole. So there is also an environmental aspect to the slow food movement and doing things slowly in general. 

Again, I do recommend you try to clear out the excess first if at all possible. Please do listen to my episode 1 topic Pre New Year Refresh for help with some overall decluttering. Here are some physical ways in which you can create your own haven and an atmosphere that will encourage the priceless feelings and emotions that are true hygge. 

• Lighting – soft lamp light, candles, salt lamps, Christmas lights, twinkle lights etc
• Aroma’s – candles, diffusers with essential oils
• Texture – ffuffy comforters, cozy pj’s, velvety blankets and sweater throws
• Favorite pieces around you – art, plants, furnitrue
• Loose comfortable clothing, really cute pjs, loungewear that’s one step above a ripped tee and sweats
• Clean home with good flow and no clutter
• Hot drinks and comfort foods soups, one pot dishes, lasagne type meals, curries, ramen
• Spend quality time with friends and family cooking, eating, playing games, watching a movie, having a hot drink together or just hanging out.

A special thank you to SmartSound FX HUMAN CROWD Applause Small Audience applauding and cheering!!!

Wow! We made it to January 1st, 2021!!! Congrats y'all this is truly amazing! What a fitting time to start this challenge! I spoke of the 30-day minimalism challenge in my last podcast and wanted to elaborate on it in this episode. My heroes, Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus, started the 30 day minimalism challenge as a way to motivate themselves to get rid of all their excess stuff. Try this out for yourself and see how you react to this exercise.  I was extremely challenged the first time I did this in May of this year, but then I got kind of addicted to letting go and believe it or not, I did it two more times in July and again in November.  As hard as the last one was I'm considering doing this a 4th time!!! That's how addictive and freeing this has become for me.

I will be sharing on my IG page the items that were decluttered. So feel free to check that out for ideas to help you during your challenge. Follow me on IG @rumaten8r1nk and on Twitter @mylifeinflow.

Here’s how it works.

On the first day of the month you eliminate one items Two things on the second day. Three things on the third day. Four things on the fourth day and so on and so on and so on. Find a friend, family member, or coworker who’s willing to minimize their stuff with you. If you can't find anyone, just do this on your own and really challenge yourself. Be your own accountability partner! There's nothing more empowering than keeping a promise to yourself. I know you can do this and you will feel so much better when you are done. I promise you that and as far as the items you are decluttering, 

Anything goes!
Collectables.
Decorations.
Kitchenware. 
Electronics.
Small appliances.
Furniture.
Bedding.
Clothes.
Towels.
Tools.
Knickknacks.

Whether you donate, sell, or trash your excess, every material possession must be out of your house—and out of your life—by midnight each day. In the vein of efficiency and small carbon footprint, I collected all of my items in a corner of the garage so I could disburse all at the end of the month. I pinned up signs above the piles that let me know if the pile was trash, donate or sell.

I jumped on some neighborhood apps here known as LetGo, Close5 and Nextdoor for the items I wanted to sell. I also sold clothing through ThredUp.com which is an awesome service. I also gave away a lot of items through my local "Buy Nothing" chapter which you can find on Facebook and then lastly I take the rest of the donations to GoodWill or Salvation Army. These two places have become last on my list because it's just better to try to recirculate your excess by resale or direct donations. 

It’s an easy game at first and I try hard to get ahead of each day by finding many items at the beginning of the challenge. Soon enough, it grows considerably more challenging day to day as you get to week 3 and week 4. By day 20 I was struggling  a little and realized that I have to start really getting rid of the "excess".  Excess is all the extras you have of one type of item. Who really needs 20 pairs of jeans or 40 t-shirts or 28 pairs of sweatpants and leggings. Why would anyone have 8 frypans when you can only really use 4 at one time on a regular stove top ? It's things like this that add to the chaos in your kitchen for example. When you have less stuff to manage, it honestly saves you a lot of headache. It's time to downsize all of that.

You can check out my inspiration and my heroes here: https://www.theminimalists.com/game/

What does the world need from you right now? 
What are you good at?
What do you love?
What can you get paid to do?
What is your bliss?
What is your Ikigai? 
What is your reason for being? 

These are great questions that we all should ask ourselves periodically. It's just to do a personal check in with yourself to make sure that you are on the right path to your own Bliss. Think back to the ages between 7 and 11 and try to recall vividly what you did during those years. What did you love to do? What brought you joy? What were you naturally good at? 

During an organizing session, a dear client of mine just blurted out "what is my purpose - why am I here?" Hearing her say these words in quiet desperation just broke my heart. It forced me to go into a heartfelt speech about why she was so important in this world and to list all the amazing things I know to be true about her. To remind her what she is good at and what she loves. In my experience as a professional organizer, it seems that 80% of my clients had no idea why they existed, thoughts of suicide and living in perpetual depression and drowning in "stuff" was their existence. It had been their existence for anywhere from 10 - 30 years. 

Covid has taught me that what I do to help people climb out of, literally their own man-made gravestone of stuff, is much bigger and has more impact than I ever imagined. I am their cheerleader. I am their motivator. I am their confidant. I help them get out of their own way. I am sometimes there only way out (words from that same client). I help them release the death-grip they have on "things" and open their hands up to growth, contribution, opportunity, life experiences and love. I explain very gently that the chaos and busy-work they have created is a barrier to do what they were born to do. It's a barrier that keeps them from bringing their personal best to the world. I say that removing all the "things" forces you to confront your shadows and everything that is holding you back, so that you can finally move past them, move forward and live the life you were meant to live. A life that you have a hand in creating. An exciting life where you are the star of your show! 

I now know that my main purpose is not really the physicality of organizing and moving stuff around from left to right or into a box, my main purpose is truly to help people love themselves so fully that they always bring the best version of themselves to their own table. To help those who don't understand their own worth. This means they are capable enough and can take control of their own surroundings in such a way that they regain control of their lives. 

I am here to also spread the word on minimalism and assist people in moving towards that so you can live life to the max. To share in a genuine way, that moving towards minimalism will touch upon and change every aspect of your life for the better. That is my purpose and my promise!!! It is so much bigger than the money I can make. In fact, it's so important to me that I slashed my pricing in half rather than charging extra like some organizers have been doing. When it's this big you can't put a price on it. I am providing a life-changing service that I want to make accessible to all people. Part of the reason I stay on the job until I can leave with good conscience is because I see what my clients cannot see. I don't see the 3ft high pile of mess. I see the space that is organized and pleasing with an incredible flow to it. That's all I see, which is why I work anywhere from 10-14 hours straight until my clients can see it too!!!! My purpose occurs when my vision becomes  their reality!!! I am the clutter-whisperer!!! 

Consume less, live more! 

This is such a great time of year to declutter so that you can be ready for anything coming in from the upcoming holidays. Minimalism honestly helps you live your best life. Mostly in the areas of time, money and your physical spaces. Minimalism is being surrounded by things you love. Life should be about adventure, about love, about family and about food. Life is about experiences not things. What are the experiences that you absolutely love doing? With whom, when and where. Think about this and start your own “Fun things” to-do list. What brings you the most joy? Think about this and start capturing it on a piece of paper. The power of putting pen or pencil to paper and the neurons that fire in your brain while doing this is ten-fold. The manifesting magic is working on the inside – I promise!

Think about 3 things that you would like to spend more time doing. Do you want to cook more? Maybe go on nature walks or hikes? Learn a new skill, something you’ve been wanting to do forever like photography, watercolor art or wood working. Maybe you want to learn a new language so next time you want to travel, you won’t seem so much like a tourist or have that language barrier that can cause a damper on things. Doing things that bring joy can reshape the neurons in your brain and train them to seek more joy as time goes on. Imagine that. Let joy begin.

What are you holding onto? Do they hold value for you? What is most important to you? What value have you given all of your stuff and how much do you actually use them or how much energy do you spend on not using them? I know odd question right, but really think about that for a minute. These items can actually be a subconscious burden on your life. It could be these things that are holding you back.

Here are some easy ways to move towards minimalism. Let’s use a mindful approach as well so we are part of the solution (of climate change and pollution) and not part of the problem. Becoming a conscious consumer and changing your shopping habits and going through some no-buy months will really help reduce your carbon footprint. Start shopping second hand if you can or look for companies that focus on quality and not quantity. These companies might cost more, but they can help you live more sustainably and live lighter, no fast fashion here please. These companies use fair-trade practices and recyclable packaging to help you eliminate your use of plastic as well.

I’m going to list off about 30 ways you can start living lighter today! These are all really easy to do and I guarantee when you are done you will become addicted to letting go and your muscle for releasing items will grow stronger and stronger! You can make a game out of this and start on any day that is convenient for you, or on the first of any month that you can dedicate to eliminating and releasing items in your home:

1. Wardrobe check.
2. Purse or wallet.
3. Junk drawer.
4. Socks and underwear. 
5. Phone and stored media items. 
6. Clear surfaces. 
7. Remove paper and work on digitizing them.
8. Office supplies and stationery. 
9. Extra furniture, side tables or chairs in your space. 
10. Go through your refrigerator and freezer.
11. Go through your pantry.
12. Unsubscribe from unwanted emails.
13. Shoes.
14. Beauty routine.
15. Jewelry. 
16. Unwanted gifts or hand-me-downs.
17. Electronics. 
18. Magazine subscriptions or the newspaper.
19. Linens.
20. Cleaning products. 
21. Physical photos with duplicates.
22. Art Supplies. 
23. Sports equipment. 
24. Holiday décor.
25. Tupperware. 
26. Car trunk. 
27. CDs, DVDs and Books.
28. Phone apps.
29. Sentimental items.
30. Rest, Rejuvenate and bask in the lightness of your surroundings.

What does it mean to be more with less?

I’m Ruma Tenbrink and welcome to the “Organize your closet and your life will follow” podcast.

If you feel like you are drowning in things and need to take back your life, you are in the right place. I am excited for you to “move towards minimalism” right along with me! Let’s do this together!

First, let’s talk a little bit about the Pareto Principle. It’s otherwise known as the 80/20 Rule and the law of the Vital Few, The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes - the “vital few”. So, if we translate this idea to our closets, really think about your wardrobe. You probably reach for 20% of your clothing 80% of the time. I know for a fact this was so true for me and that realization really hit me! It was the first time I went through all the fancy-wear and business clothing I was holding onto in deeper storage. Meaning, I never, ever, ever used them. I love being comfortable and wearing comfy clothes that feel good on my skin and make me feel good. So, I decided to be bold and just dropped them all off at a consignment shop in a funky little community here known as The Piedmont District in Oakland CA. I made it easy on myself and asked her to do her best and whatever didn’t sell well or fast enough for her, she could add to her donates pile which she took to a local women's shelter. The magic of doing this was I went home to a lighter space that felt a lot less overwhelming and easier to organize. I also did good by providing clothes for someone else to love and use. It’s a win-win-win-win. The consumer creates a small carbon footprint by reusing something and getting a good deal on the item, the shop makes their money for holding and displaying the item, the local charity gets really nice clothes donated to them and I go home to the start of serenity and freedom in my closet.

Are you ready to change your life simply by organizing your closet? Could it really be that simple? Actually, yes it can. As a professional organizer, I have seen the phenomenon take place with all of my clients. Every. Single. One. As you start to change your environment for the better, you inherently change along with it. You simply cannot help yourself. This opens a doorway into the world of positive change and along with that, infinite possibilities to uncover who you really are without all the physical stuff bogging down your home and your mind. Ultimately, your creativity hides deep within you because it is so muffled by the things you choose to hide behind. Let’s make this shift right now. By the way, did I mention this will be life-changing? Stay tuned and be ready for it!!!

Follow me on IG @rumaten8r1nk and on Twitter @mylifeinflow

Check out mylifeinflow.com if you are interested in connecting further and would like to get in touch with me on a project you are working on! Please make sure to reference my podcast in your correspondence.