Peter Walsh’s September 2009 Newsletter

Welcome to My November Newsletter

Can somebody please tell me where the year has gone to? With 2009 rapidly drawing to a close it’s a great time – before the mad rush of the holidays – to stop and take stock of the year to date.

The pace of things just doesn’t seem to let up here – and I’m guessing it’s much the same for you. Promise yourself that sometime in the next couple of days you’ll take five or ten minutes just for yourself to get your head space a little organized! I’ll be doing the same.

NOW ON DVD: IT’S ALL TOO MUCH!

Ever since the release of It’s All Too Much: An Easy Plan for Living a Richer Life with Less Stuff, I’ve been asked about making a DVD version of the book.

At last – here it is!

This month I’m releasing my personal, at-home coaching sessions to help you declutter your home and organize your personal spaces.

This DVD of It’s All Too Much covers pretty much every room in your home and provides more than an hour of my tips, techniques and guidance for clearing the clutter and maintaining the home you imagine for you and your family.

If you’re after more information about the DVD, would like to view some clips from the program or wish to order your own copy just go to www.peterwalshdesign.com for all the details.

JOIN ME ON FACEBOOK!

I’m loving Facebook! My page is up and running with more than 20,000 fans signing on in just a few weeks! Lots of comments are coming in every day.

Jump onboard and join me there at http://www.facebook.com/PeterWalsh

I’m posting lots of updates to Facebook as well as a ton of decluttering and organizing advice. Check it out and join the discussions! I’d love to hear your opinions and thoughts.

THE OFFICIAL LAUNCH OF IT’S ALL TOO MUCH FOR TEENAGERS GOOD MORNING AMERICA: Thursday November 19

Today’s teens have a lot going on – from what after school activities to choose, to what college to go to, to what job to get, the list of things to do and think about is huge. And the amount of junk – mental and literal – that accumulates is even bigger!

So what to do with it all?

I’m excited to announce that on November 19 on Good Morning America I’m launching It’s All Too Much: So Get It Together – a decluttering and organizing guide written specifically for teenagers.

This book shows kids how to identify clutter – whether it’s mental, physical, internal or external – and then in four easy steps how to declutter their spaces and their life.

Additionally, I show teenagers how to apply the skills of identifying and removing clutter to all aspects of their life – including goal setting, schoolwork, after-school activities, and relationships with family and friends.

If you know a teenager (or are a teenager!) who has problems with clutter then this is the book for you!

Either tune into GMA on November 19th or check out the book section on my website at www.peterwalshdesign.com for more information on how to help kids have less junk, a clearer mind and a better life!

FROM THE MAIL BOX THIS MONTH

Every day many people take the time to email with great stories of how they have managed to get on top of their clutter – this month I received a wonderful email that I’d like to share with you.

“I bought your book, It's All Too Much, at a “Buy 1 get 1 half price” promo at my local bookstore. Your book has been on my shelf for two years waiting for me to open it. Well on September 12th, I was going through my books to donate and came across yours. I sat down right there on the floor and started reading. Hours later I went down to see my husband, I walked up to him, he looked up at me and said “What”. I could not speak; I could not verbalize what I was feeling. I left the room and he followed knowing something big was wrong. He asked again “What?”, at which I said “We have too much stuff, and I am overwhelmed with it”. He agreed. I continued to read through and at times found myself crying at the sheer source of weight that was burdening me through my stuff.

On September 19, my house was purged of 29 garbage bags, two truckloads went to the dump, and one truckload went to the thrift store. I sold a chair from my driveway for $20, while loading furniture into my truck. That weekend was an eye opener, I am not done, but every week I tackle another closet or drawer or storage bin. This is my fifth weekend; I am tired but committed to finishing before the snow comes to stay. I have since passed your book to my friend who after storing stuff for family for 11 years has taken it to the dump. I thank you from the bottom of my heart; you have initiated a wonderful change in my life.”

This is one of my favorite emails this month and reinforces one of my strongest beliefs – no matter what your situation, change is possible!

NOVEMBER IS THE TIME TO GEAR UP FOR THE HOLIDAYS

The holidays are supposed to be fun, right? So why spend hours looking for parking in the mall parking lot only to rush around grabbing last-minute gifts that you only half believe your family and friends will like? The secret to really feeling the holiday spirit is great organization. A little advance planning will keep you focused on family and celebration—not stress and discord!

Consider giving an “experience” rather than a “thing”

All of us are in tight economic times – keep this in mind going into the holiday season. A concert, theater ticket, restaurant gift certificate, or even a donation to a particular charity can leave a more lasting impression than another bottle of perfume or one more unnecessary article of clothing.

Keep the gift-giving under control

It’s nice to be generous, but don’t go overboard. There are lots of ways to exercise restraint when it comes to giving gifts, particularly if you have a large family or gift-heavy social circle. Gifts comprise a large chunk of clutter because they tend to be items with value that aren’t exactly what you want or need. Suggest that the family or group set a price limit on gifts, use a family lottery to choose one person only to buy for, or purchase gifts only for the kids.

Holiday card and gift lists

Consider using a PDA or a computer to electronically store names and addresses. This will enable you to quickly and easily print name and address labels for your holiday cards. It’s also an efficient way to immediately save the addresses on the envelopes of cards you receive.

Take notes

Pay attention—you’ll be surprised at how often family and friends mention items they’re hoping or planning to buy or that you see an item you know one of them would love. Keep a list with the gift idea, the person it’s for, and the date you had the idea on a page at the back of your daily planner. When it comes time to shop, the list will jog your memory. If it’s been several months, you might want to check with someone in the know to make sure your recipient hasn’t already bought or received the item.

Go digital and save some legwork

Shop online—it’s easy, fast, and shipping is often free around the holidays. If you’re traveling, have gifts shipped directly to your destination. But make sure the recipient will be home to accept them, and make sure they don’t get opened before you arrive! You can also buy groceries and other holiday purchases (even trees!) online. Save yourself a shopping trip, and spare yourself those impulse purchases that tend to go hand in hand with holiday shopping.

Whether it’s the garage, that space under the stairs, the basement, the spare bedroom, or the attic, everyone has a favorite black hole for things that they don’t need right away, might need someday, or just can’t get rid of. It’s time to tackle your storage areas!

Divide and conquer

Divide your home into four areas and tackle any storage closets in one zone each week during this month. The four areas might be the basement, bedrooms, living areas, and laundry—choose areas that make sense to you.

Spread the load

Ask friends or family to help if the amount of stuff in storage is large. This can help make the task manageable. Volunteer to return the favor.

Remember–you only have the space you have!

Cull the items you have stored to fit the space you have. Specify areas in your home for needed temporary storage—yard sale items, gifts for re-gifting, or borrowed items like books or videos that need to be returned.

Storage areas

Discard items no longer needed or used, store like items together, and clearly label storage containers and boxes. Remember that garages are often cold and damp or prone to extreme temperatures. Check to make sure your stored items are surviving the elements. If you have a rented storage space, keep in mind that storage outside your home should only be used in extreme circumstances, and then only for a short period of time.

Off-site storage is expensive and, like the old saying, out of sight is out of mind. Now’s the time to reconsider your off-site storage space. How long have you had it? What if you take the plunge and sell or discard everything in there? Would your life change in any way (other than that you’d have one less bill to pay)?

Best to you and yours

Peter