NEAT & SIMPLE LIVING

25 Ways I Save Money

Dawn over at Frugal for Life has put out a call to share ways to save money.  I couldn't resist this one,  so here are the top 25 ways we save money!  Thanks for the great idea Dawn! 

1. We live in a smaller house than we can afford, and do our own home repairs and painting.  Though we weren't thinking about it at the time, living in a smaller house gave me the freedom to quit my corporate consulting work and start my Neat & Simple Living professional organizing business.
   
2. Pay bills online with a free checking & online account from Wachovia which also pays interest on our balances.
   
3. We moved our home equity loan balance to a 0% credit card. Haven't paid interest for the 3 years since we renovated the entire front and backyard of our home which has enabled us to pay it off much faster. I set up reminders in Outlook to tell me when the 0% rate is up and then we move it to another 0% interest account. It will all be paid off in 2008.
   
4. We never use an ATM or any other banking service that charges fees.
   
5. We changed all our lightbulbs to compact flourescent bulbs including our front porch and outdoor lights. Of course we got them in bulk on sale!
   
6. We organized our shopping routines to use coupons! My favorite coupon organizer is Mrs. A's coupon organizer - I save around $20 - $25 every week since I got it.  It's very unique in that it lets you see all your coupons at a glance. My clients who use it love it too.
   Update 10/10/06 Mrs. A's saw this post and is now offering Neat & Simple Living readers 33% off on this award winning coupon organizer!
   
   
7. We use an Amazon.com Rewards Credit Card and get $25 rewards every month or two. We put all daily living purchases on it and pay it in full every month. We use the reward certificates for birthday gifts that we can simply enclose in a birthday card.
    
8. We use a Miles One Rewards credit card for all business purchases and get free miles for traveling. We've gotten 2 tickets free that way!
   
9. Don't go to movie theaters anymore - we have cable & wait for movies to come out on cable.  We use Tivo to record movies we really want to see.
   
10. We only eat in restaurants or get takeout maybe once a month or even 2 months. We cook at home every day.
    
11. We only run the dishwasher and washing machine when it's full.
    
12. Buy water by the case -  on sale. Only drink water and coffee or tea...no sodas, etc.  Only drink wine on special occasions.   NOTE: We are planning on getting a water filtration system and no longer using plastic bottles.  We hope to soon be able to find water packaged in those biodegradable corn-based plastic bottles.
    
13. We moved our car insurance to Geico last year and saved $1500 per year.  Northern NJ has nearly the highest insurance rates in the country. We couldn't believe we saved this much.  And our insurance rates have actually gone down every year!  Probably because my car just keeps getting older.  We also have a huge collision deductible which also keeps rates down.
    
14. I cut my husband's hair myself. And I keep my hair long so I only have to go to the hairdresser 2-3 times a year. Also color my own hair and trim the front of my hair myself.
    
15. I mostly only wear lipstick and blush.  Only use full makeup the first time I meet a client for the first time!  :)
    
16. Only wear a watch and my wedding rings as jewelry.  Jewelry on my neck, wrists or ears causes me a lot of discomfort anyway.
    
17. We saved a lot of money on our wedding rings with just simple bands.  We put our money into the down payment on our house!
    
18. Do my own pedicures and go out for a pedicure maybe once a year as a treat for a special occasion.
    
19. Do my own manicures...and I don't use nail polish on my fingernails - it saves a lot of time too!!  : )
    
20. We rarely throw any food anyway. Have a system for storing leftovers and USING them! We have a sin tray in the fridge on the top shelf and always put leftovers there and then use them the next day or 2 for lunch or snacks or as a side dish with dinner.
     
21. We have a small Cuisinart counter top combo toaster, broiler and convection oven and use that for heating & baking small portions instead of firing us the stove.
     
22. I've only bought one brand new car in my life! Cars only depreciate so I never saw the point in losing a few thousand dollars as soon as you drive it off the lot.  But I did finally splurge on my 40th birthday and got myself a 2000 Sebring Convertible which I will keep as long it is still safe to drive!  I love it!  It is actually very practical as we can open the top and haul just about anything an SUV can.  Even more!  : )
    
    I had my Honda Accord for 10 years until I gave it to my brother who had it another 4 years before it died.  My husband has a 2003 Honda Civic Hybrid he LOVES and it gets nearly 50 mpg.  We also buy other things used...like our dining room set.
    
23. We rarely buy CDs or DVDs anymore - we download most of our music  - we get 25 songs free every month with our Comcast cable internet service.  The super high speed internet pays for itself between the free music and all the research we do on it to save money.
    
24. We avoid processed foods like microwave popcorn, we use the bulk kind and have a West Bend Stir Crazy popcorn popper.which is actually a lot of fun to use!  We also make our own sugar free ice cream with just fruit and milk using the Vitamix blender we invested in. Cutting out sugar and gluten has saved a lot of money in addition to improving our health dramatically.
    
25. We use a digital camera for photos and ONLY print out a very select few!

Whew...that was fun!   So what are your top tips?  Would love to hear any additions you might have!   hmmm...Wonder what a list of the top 25 ways we waste money would look like!  : ) 

The Tyra Banks Show chose Neat Living to organize a room for one of their guests!

What a great way to end the week! I was stunned when I got a call from Jessica at the Tyra Banks show. To be honest, I thought my friend Jessica Duquette was playing a little joke on me when she said "Hi, this is Jessica calling from the Tyra Banks show and we need a professional organizer in New Jersey to help organize a bedroom for one of our guests" At first I laughed, but then quickly realized this was for real!

I discovered Tyra's show a couple month's ago when Tivo recorded it for me.  I was so impressed with her kindness and generosity to her guests.  She always takes the high road.  But I never imagined in my wildest dreams her generosity would connect her to me!  She had her assistant contact me simply to help a past guest from New Jersey who needs a room in her home organized! 

They bought a gift certificate from me, and the real kicker is they aren't planning to do a show around it.  They just wanted to help her out.  Isn't that amazing?  I tend to get so cynical about corporate motives at times...this was just so uplifting.  Not only did they find me and choose me which is a huge honor in itself, but Tyra is truly doing this out of the kindness of her heart!  No ulterior motives to get publicity or show how great she is.  If I was a fan of hers before...I'm a RAVING fan now!

If you haven't seen her show, check out her website... www.TyraTV.com  she has some very interesting topics as well some just fun topics!  Thank you Tyra for uplifting me in so many ways.  What a great example you are to the young people of this country! 

And to make my week complete, I got a Blog of the Day Award!  The universe is smiling at me and I'm smiling right back!   It's hard to describe how good it feels when all the hard work and long hours I've put into building Neat Living as a resource to help ease people's suffering and acheive their dreams is recognized.  As the mom on Extreme Makeover Home edition last week said, "what word is bigger than thank you?"

Ink jet, Laser & Toner Cartridge Recycling

A Quick Neat Tip!

Staples may not be taking your Epson Ink Cartridges but  www.Recycleplace.com  offers $1 for each used inkjet, toner, laser, and fax cartridge on its wanted list, as well as most cell phones. The company will refurbish or recycle each item it receives. And they provide you with prepaid envelopes to send them in.

Link: Ink jet, Laser & Toner Cartridge Recycling.

OCF's Hoarding Web Site: How Compulsive Hoarding Affects Families

I've been too busy to post much lately, but I found this and just had to share with you. If you are living with someone you think might be a compulsive hoarder...here's a few excerpts from an article "How Compulsive Hoarding Affects Families" by Fugen Neziroglu, Ph.D, ABBP (Author of Overcoming Compulsive Hoarding) and Jerome Bubrick, Ph.D on the the Obsessive Compulsive Foundations's (OCF) Hoarding Web Site.
http://www.ocfoundation.org   

Their website has a wealth information and tips. Hope you find it helpful!
__________________

Living with someone who compulsively hoards can often be as stressful of a lifestyle as it is to actually be a compulsive hoarder...Clutter is one of the biggest contributors to family tension with regards to homes with hoarders. The loss of or elimination of functional living space as the result of clutter is one of the biggest bones of contention for families who live with hoarders... 

Obviously, this lack of functional living space makes it impossible for families to be able to enjoy their own homes. Decreased or eliminated functional living space may mean that families are not able to use their kitchens to cook food and may, therefore, be dependent on ordering take out regularly. This can often lead to increased financial strain and obesity, because they are spending more money and taking in more calories than they would if they were grocery shopping and cooking. 

... The issues brought up so far typically result in family members feeling frustrated, overwhelmed and resentful. However, there are other effects of compulsive hoarding that can actually affect the safety and well-being of families. For instance, compulsive hoarders and their families often experience headaches, respiratory problems (asthma, etc.) and allergies, all due to having excessive clutter. 

...Certainly, the health and safety concerns associated with clutter can have tremendous affects on families. Embarrassment, frustration, resentfulness and hopelessness are just some of the emotions that family members feel with regards to hoarders. Often, they feel as though their home is not really their home. They are ashamed of the clutter, but often have little control over cleaning it and are essentially forced to live amidst chaos. Commonly, family members will get so frustrated with clutter that they will attempt to clean or organize without the consent of the hoarder, which invariably results in arguments and fights. 

Children are often too embarrassed to have friends come over, or are not allowed to because of the hoarder's embarrassment. This can often lead to increased social isolation and resentment of the hoarder. Spouses often consider divorce or separation because of the extreme impairment in functioning. 

Spouses often wonder what their responsibilities are to the children involved. The children feel torn between the parent who is the hoarder, and the parent who is not. They tend to keep the hoarding a family secret but feel depressed and angry and do not know what to do with their emotions. If the non-hoarding parent decides to ask for a divorce, a custody battle may ensue. Often pictures of the home are taken to court to convince the court that the home environment is not suitable for bringing up a child. The sufferer of hoarding is not only embarrassed but feels tremendous resentment which usually interferes with bringing up the child jointly. 

Sometimes, a neighbor who becomes aware of the home situation may call child protective services. Under these circumstances, an investigation may be started, resulting in the possible removal of the children from the home unless one of the parents makes alternative living arrangements. Whether the child lives in clutter or is removed from the home, the end result is devastating. Unfortunately given all the negative consequences of living in clutter, the hoarder is usually very reluctant to seek treatment although effective treatment strategies are available. 

GETTING HELP

The following are some suggestions for family members who are trying to persuade their reluctant hoarder to enter treatment: 

You must make sure to reassure your family member that those clinicians who are familiar with the problem are not going to go into the house and start throwing things out. They are not going to take control of the possessions. 

Well-trained clinicians will teach a method and work side by side with your loved one. If the compulsive hoarder does not want the therapist to go into the house initially, that is okay. It is a very gradual process. 

If your family member does not want to even go for an initial consultation, it is suggested you go to the therapist several times to learn how to get him or her into treatment. ... 

Read the whole article at the Obsessive Compulsive Foundations's (OCF) Hoarding Web Site

How Compulsive Hoarding Affects Families
http://www.ocfoundation.org/1005/m150a_006.htm   

Do you make the mistake of thinking Organizing should be easy?

Gretchen Rubin from the Happiness Project posted a wonderfully insightful and interesting perspective about what a mistake it often is to tell ourselves and others that things should be "easy"  I love the detail and examples she gives.  For example,

"... if you ask someone to do something, and you characterize it as difficult or a lot of trouble, paradoxically, in my experience, people are more willing to help. They know you recognize their effort. Once a friend sent me an email with the subject line, “Quick favor.” In fact, the favor was going to take some work on my part, and I was irritated by her characterization of it as easy."

Haven't we all been annoyed when someone says "oh it will be easy"  and it's anything but!

This is a principle I learned in education psychology and it has served me well in organizing.  When you tell people that something is not easy, and they achieve it, their motivation and self-esteem is enhanced. 

Almost all my organizing clients have gotten very down on themselves because they think it should be easy to be organized.  Or perhaps their family members tell them they should be able to do it without help.  They see people for whom it's "natural" and feel bad about themselves. 

But organizing is anything but easy for many people.  It takes energy, time, motivation, effort, analytical skills, creativity tools and knowledge. It means knowing yourself and realizing that what works for one person won't necessarily work for you and your lifestyle. 

I think learning to organize is a lot like learning a musical instrument...there are gifted people for whom organizing comes naturally and they can "play by ear", but many of us have to learn new ways of looking at our things and the tools we use to organize, some of us need a teacher and have to practice every day before we making harmony in our lives on a daily basis becomes a habit that we incorporate into our lives as seamlessly as brushing our teeth.

The same is true with happiness, we aren't designed for 24/7 happiness nor are we designed to be orderly 24/7.  We can't be "cheerfully" happy all the time nor can we be organized ALL the time.  Organizing and Being Happy, pretty much everything in LIFE is NOT all that easy! And it really can very annoying when people make it seem like it is easy.  But with effort and practice...we CAN help make life a little easier for ourselves and each other by trying to be organized and trying to be happier.  It's not easy, but it can be done - and the rewards ARE worth the trouble!

Gretchen, Thanks for being my guru of happiness!  I love getting your posts in my email! 

Here' the link to Gretchen's post

Do you make the mistake of describing a task as “easy” or “no big deal”?

Organizing Your Coupons!

Jessica Duquette & I were emailing about coupon organizing strategies and she was kind enough to write up a post about it with some great ideas for organizing coupons!   

We both believe in keeping coupons you know you will use while you are out and about in our mobile offices - Our CARS!   

I also keep in my purse a neat index card holder which I use for coupons for the garden center, the car wash, CVS, etc.

And if you use a lot of grocery coupons, I recommend Mrs. As Coupon Organizer: My clients love it, too!

Update 10/10/06 Mrs. A's saw this post and is now offering Neat & Simple Living readers 33% off on this award winning coupon organizer!

http://mrsascouponorganizer.com/neatcoupon.html 

All the Best,

Environmental Initiative: Habitat ReStores -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l

I recently discovered a new way to donate household and office items such as light fixtures, cabinets, large appliances, sinks, paint, tools, wallpaper rolls, new carpet remnants, copiers, and items that I'd like to share with you in case you don't already know about it.  It is called Habitat ReStores --by  Habitat for Humanity Int'l. When you donate the proceeds go directly to support your local Habitat for Humanity!  There are many locations throughout the US.  See the link below to find a location near you!

Environmental Initiative: Habitat ReStores -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l.

ReStore accepts stuff many other charities are unwilling to accept.  Their brochure says, "new and gently used building and home remodeling materials and supplies."   

The donor gets a receipt for tax deduction, the purchaser gets a good deal, and profits are put back into Habitat for Humanity.  They are willing to pick up large items.  What a win-win!

http://www.habitat.org/cd/env/restore_detail.aspx?place=70

For those in the Rochester area, the store is new and not yet on the website: 

66 Public Market

Rochester, NY  14609

585-697-2012

Thanks for this tip go to: Dorothy Madden, Professional Organizer

ORGANIZE IT!   Rochester, NY   www.OrganizeIt.biz

I also noticed that Monica Ricci recently did a radio show interviewing Joe Schaitberger from the Atlanta Habitat ReStore. Joe shared insights into what the Habitat ReStores actually are, what kind of inventory they keep, and how you can donate items to the ReStore locations.

See Monica's Blog Post about Habitat ReStores

Visit her Radio Show "Organization Nation" Web Page featuring audio replays of her great shows - but they are only free for a week!

Link: Environmental Initiative: Habitat ReStores -- Habitat for Humanity Int'l.

Interview: Liz Maffucci Shares Her Story, Tips on Medical Organizing & Client Success Stories!

Liz Maffucci, The Clutter Warrior. is one of the really neat people may husband Alan & I have as a client of Neat Web Solutions, our web design company for small businesses. In the process of creating her Organizing & Coaching website, we got to know a lot about her and especially about her unique medical organizing service.

So we asked her to be the first in a series of interviews we are doing with Professional Organizers around the country!  Our intention is to bring to our readers a wide diversity of tips from organizers specializing in different areas and highlight the diversity in the Professional Organizing industry as well.  For folks who may be putting off the decision to get the help you need, I hope this might help inspire you to reach out for the support you need to transform your life!

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Q: What motivated you to start your Organizing business?

A: Most of my work life had been spent in government. I decided to leave that work and be a paralegal. I worked as a paralegal in a lawyers office that did closings. In working there I soon found out that it just wasn’t my cup of tea, so I made the decision after a year to leave and open up my own business. I knew I had excellent organizing and people skills so I decided to start my own professional organizing business and The Clutter Warrior was born.

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Q: What got you into coaching?

A: Now ten years later, I am still a successful, busy organizer, but I also do a lot of life coaching. I found that many of my clients needed to talk about other things while we were organizing their homes and businesses. So I saw the need to offer life coaching as a separate service for people who needed to try and fulfill their lifelong dreams and aspirations.

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Q: What do you enjoy most about your organizing / coaching work?

A: When I see positive changes in an environment like a home or office and how these changes affect my clients it makes me really enjoy what I do. The same can be said for coaching. In coaching clients that are very motivated to make positive changes in their lives and I get to see the progress each week with my clients it makes coaching very rewarding for me. To make clients see their own potential is magical to me.

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Q: You offer Medical Organizing, can you share a few of your favorite organizing tips for people to organize medical paperwork?

A: There are a few things that are very important when dealing with medical paperwork. Health insurance companies are becoming much stricter with the amount of time you have to submit claims. Many now allow only 3 months for submission of claims. The key is to have an organized system for your medical claims.

Create separate folders called;

• Pending Medical – After you submit a completed claim, a copy of the statement gets put into this folder with the date noted as to when it was submitted
• Completed Medical – Once you receive payment on a claim, it gets filed in this folder along with any related EOB’s from the insurance company.
• Forms and labels - A form should be done separately for each member of the family, which makes it much easier to submit a claim. Simply staple the claim to your doctor’s statement and send it directly to the insurance company. Make sure you make a copy of the doctor’s statement and put it in your pending file with the date you submitted it. Creating pre-printed labels with the insurance company’s address on your computer which will make it easy and simple to get your claims out in the mail.
• Medical Correspondence – Any letters you write to your insurance company and any correspondence that you receive from them goes in this file.
• Medical History – Each member of the family needs a medical history file.

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Q: Describe one or 2 of your best client success stories.

A: Let me give you one from organizing and one from coaching.

I have an organizing client that was so overwhelmed by her paper that she had to sleep on her couch because even her bed was covered by it. We worked over a period of a few weeks and by the time we were finished, she was very motivated to keep it that way. She became a different person, no longer were the shades closed, she was able to sleep in her bed at night and she felt comfortable having company over to her house. She has maintained it to this day and that was two years ago. She realized how depressed she felt being surrounded by all the clutter.

A coaching client of mine had a very bad car accident, and did not allow her to dance which was her favorite hobby and kept her in severe pain. When her car insurance company told her that they would not pay for the accident due to some sort of paperwork mix up, she did not feel she had the strength to fight them. And when she looked at the ominous stack of papers she had to deal with she leaned towards not pursuing the insurance company legally.

We spoke over a period of three months about this and she came to the conclusion through her weekly coaching sessions that she needed to fight for what was right and that the accident had so changed her life and she had spent so much of her own money on doctors, specialists, chiropractors etc that she pushed ahead to bring about justice. She did not want to feel defeated by the insurance company and when she was finally able to weed through the papers and get an attorney she felt a great weight lifted off of her. And she persevered and actually won a settlement from the insurance company and came to the realization that she could do whatever she put her mind to and overcome any obstacle in her way!

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What a great story!  How often do we feel overwhelmed by the idea of a confrontation and so we just back down and let it pass and feel defeated?  How often do we feel guilty or inadequate about reaching out to get the support we need to get through an ordeal that is making us miserable?  This is a great example of how getting the support you need and facing your challenges empowers you and affects all aspects of your life.

Thanks for sharing Liz!

e-moms at home - Clutter Clearing Success Story!!

Ever Wonder How to Make a Professional Organizer's Day?  Just let them know how they inspired or helped you!

I love hearing how people are inspired to clear clutter and how their lives change...and imagine what an honor it was that Wendy Piersall, author of the eMoms at Home website and blog cited my Neat Living Blog and my friend Jessica's blog It's Not About Your Stuff  as her inspiration to declutter and create her own office space!  I got that warm fuzzy feeling all the way down to my toes.  That's the feeling that tells you you are doing the right thing with your life! 

Here's an excerpt from her really sweet post about how she's creating a A Productive and Organized Home Office:

I’ve blogged about both of these wonderful and inspirational ladies before - but the impact of their work is finally coming to fruition in my business and life - and WOW. WHAT a difference!

Some key takeaway lessons learned - and my fave links from these Queens of the White Space:

• Clutter robs us of our energy - which is exactly the energy we need to run a productive and successful home based business

Too much stuff distracts you from the present and keeps you attached to the past

The stress of always having to look for something is enormous - and hurts the ones we love the most

You can read the full post at: eMoms at Home ? Blog Archive ? A Productive and Organized Home Office.

And if you are a mom working from home, check out the rest of the great tips and acticles on her Best of eMoms page.

Hmm... with over 200 posts on this blog now...I gotta create a Best Of Neat Living page...okay so that's number 532 on my list of ideas to implement "eventually"  : ) 

Clear Your Clutter Workshop - A Big success!

What a wonderful workshop it was Tuesday night!  The participants were awesome!  I got so much positive energy from everyone that I'm still walking on air!  So it looks like we'll be doing a whole series of workshops over the next year on a variety of topics.  I'm already working on the next one!   For those who couldn't attend, soon we'll have some video and audio clips up and you'll be able to buy the e-book version and maybe even an MP3 version?  It's almost done!  So stay tuned!

My heartfelt thanks to Cheryl Wylen from the YM-YWHA for excellent coordinating and brilliant promoting of the event and to all the wonderful attendees for participating and sharing bravely and openly.  It was so exciting to hear how motivated you were to go home and start clearing your clutter!  I wish you all the best and can't wait to hear your success stories!!! 

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for attending and sharing!

Clutter Clearing Success Story Makes My Day!

An amazing Mom of 2 children with special needs who call herself "Turtle" wrote about how one of my articles inspired her and her family to have an organizing weekend and clear some clutter!  It's so heartwarming to have touched someone's life...it inspires me to keep going.  If you have a clutter clearing success story of any kind, please send it to me!  I'd love to hear it and write about it!

"I went over to Neat Living and found a great list on "Understanding how clutter affects you. [http://blog.neatandsimple.com/blog/2006/05/clearing_clutte_1.html#more] What an inspiration. I went and woke my husband up and said you gotta see this. I read both articles to him and we decided to have an organizational weekend.

First we tackled the garage. We have been meaning to do this for ages. Every once in a great, great while, we get to work on it together, but it is mostly me trying to organize everything. Well, with ADHD, you can imagine how well that went. We both went to work on it Saturday and we accomplished so much. Mostly what's left is several bags that are going to the twin sale and the local charity and a few mineral boxes of Tim's. Then Sunday we decided to clean the carpets in the family room, the hallway and the living room. Wow! Does it look great.

Then I decided to tackle my desk. I cleaned up one whole side of my desk, organized the piles of paper and it is now ready to be filed. Everything is broken up in very easy to manage piles.

I am very proud of myself. I was in an organizational mood and I got ALOT accomplished. This doesn't happen very often."

Quoted From:  http://turtle-hope.blogspot.com/

WANTED: Clutter Clearing Success Stories

Calling All Clutter Clearing Success Stories!

If you have made it through and succeeded in changing your life by clearing clutter, I want to hear about it and share your story in my blog and in my upcoming book.  Your decluttering story can be anonymous or not - it's up to you.  Before and After clutter pictures are welcome if you have them!  I'll also be happy to put links in my book to your blog posts or website featuring clutter clearing success stories as a resource to my readers. Just leave a comment here letting me know about it! NOTE: By placing comments here you are giving me your permission to use them in my book.   

Please contact me at 973-429-2100 with any questions or to discuss your story with me personally.  Or, if you prefer you can send your answers to the questions below by email to: abenefit@neatandsimple.com 

Thank you in advance for taking the time to share your success story and serve as a role model and inspiration to others in their journey to clutter-free living!

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Q: When did you first realize that clutter was creating chaos in your life?

A: Answer

How do you know when you are really ready to clear clutter? How do you "get to ready" to make deep lasting changes in your life?

   Today I'm inspired by a dear client to share my thoughts on the process of getting to ready and knowing when you are really ready to let go and clear clutter.  My thoughts on this process are based on my NSGCD training, hearing other organizer's stories, my professional training in change management, and from working with my clients, hearing their stories and observing how they get to a certain turning point where letting go just starts to flow. 

I've noticed that people get to a point where they stop resisting their own efforts to clear clutter and it starts to make perfect sense to them to let go of clutter.  It stops being so painful and becomes a process of lightening and energizing their spirit  They start to find joy in the very process of letting go and feeling the flow.

Helping people get to that point is one of the deepest and most satisfying rewards of what I do. It's almost like the feeling I had when I was present at my nephew's birth!  It's like watching someone become "reborn" as the master of her own destiny.

I call the process of getting to that point of clarity "getting to ready". A term I first heard in a speech by Marilyn Paul, author of the incredibly insightful and inspiring book on overcoming chronic disorganization - It's Hard to Make a Difference When You Can't Find Your Keys

"Getting to ready" is a critical point in the process of letting go of the clutter causing dysfunction in your life. "Getting ready" to clear clutter is much like getting ready to make any major change in your life. It happens in stages. The stages are not purely sequential; people tend to move around in them until they are ready to let go and even then, the old fears and habits may come back from time to time, but once you have gone through this process - you'll usually be able to bounce back by getting the support you need. Generally people have to go through a process that looks something like the following 5 stages.

1. Awareness & Insight Stage 

The first stage is becoming aware of the pain clutter is causing you.  It's about gaining insights into how your own thoughts, beliefs, fears are keeping you stuck holding on to clutter  - while at the same time you may be wishing a natural event like a flood or fire would free you from it. How often have you heard people say that they wish they could just move away and leave all the stuff behind and start all over?