CCI Review - 2020/2021 - #3

More with Less—Tips to Decluttering - by Trish Kaplan, CCI (Hons), Administrator

“What is our definition of clutter?” Everyone has a different definition, each of them valid and understandable. Some can be temporary and others paralyzing. This article is NOT to dictate what it means nor what is best for you. Rather, it is to share some tips and even humour, which just might help ease the anxiety that may be surfacing as a result of the many changes in our lifestyle and how we might like to advance with getting a handle on them. No one is exempt on the changes we’ve had to make this past year. Even talking about clutter creates anxiety for me; however, my own family members suggested that I get a start at divesting myself of the ‘tchotchkes’ I’ve accumulated over the years (they’ve suggested “too many” years). In my defense, some of these treasures actually belong to them, items of their own yesteryear that I carefully chose and packed into containers. I thought they might like to have at some point in their future (perhaps for their children). Granted I’ve had them for over 20 years already. My own

The experts recommend that we be clear about what we want to achieve and why, before proceeding to make the task easier. We know it is there. Many of us are able to close our eyes to it because the vision wasn’t constant. It was easier to contend with when we were going out to work and that vision disappeared, if only for those hours we were otherwise engaged. More now than ever, some of us have made decluttering a popular discussion topic (not necessarily an action), albeit for many different reasons. As you know, for safety sake, employees were dispatched to work at home, children were sent home from school, and there were also those who lost their jobs altogether. We all needed something to do to keep busy to respond to these events. Senior friends expressed their fear of a trip or fall, because the spaces to walk seemed to be more noticeably smaller. We were spending more time at home and that vision (of clutter or however we identified it) was more a reality that wouldn’t disappear without our helping hands. Of course we hoped the pandemic guidelines and “stay -at- home” would be short-lived and things would be back to normal. Well that didn’t happen! We all had to deal with our own anxieties and do what we could to alleviate them. As weeks passed, decluttering continued as just a fantasy to aspire to and to talk about with friends. The benefits were recognizable – less and easier to clean, less to organize, less stress, and definitely more energy to attend to more interesting focuses. But it still seemed an overwhelming task although relatively clear cut. Find

Trish Kaplan , CCI (Hon’s) is the current part-time Administrator for the CCI- London and Area Chapter, also having served in the position from April 2003- September 2010 and was awarded the Distinguished Service Award from CCI National in November 2006. She served on the Board of Directors from 2010 to 2015 when she returned as Administrator. Trish is also a former condominium manager.

treasurers include gifts from beloved family and friends,

reminding me of special occasions and people. While I continue to hope family members would step up and change their minds about embracing these treasures, they have been repeatedly insistent – they don’t want any of it! I don’t hear that very well though and will continue to store what does belong to them and let them do the deed. They may have second thoughts then. It’s going to be baby steps through the process though, never an overnight achievement! If only there was a magic wand!

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