This month, I think of and fondly recall Jerry Lewis and the “Labor Day Telethon” he hosted for 45 years. 45 years!!! This September column is dedicated to Jerry Lewis and the extraordinary level of commitment that he tirelessly shared with the world.
I miss his antics, his Rat Pack buddies, and his untied tuxedo tie after the all-night marathon telethon… then… the tote board numbers revealing millions of pledged dollars for Muscular Dystrophy research. Remember?
Time of Reflection At this time of year, I experience a shift that occurs as summer lumbers into fall, the school year begins up north, and we get back from vacation.
This is a time to recalibrate YOUR TOTE BOARD… the last few months of the year to actualize your New Year’s resolutions set in January. Get going, keep going, start something and be of action as the nights grow longer and daylight hours dwindle. Before you know it, the Halloween time change will soon be upon us as we head into the holiday season.
Are your goals being realized?
What have you manifested? What’s left? What can you ADD? Are you excited by each day’s opportunities and challenges? Are you making dreams come true? Are you maximizing your time with self-love, community involvement, bonding with family and friends? It’s a time of reflection for some, and a time to step up the pace, perhaps. There’s no time like the present.
Consider your Home Environment Consider your home environment.
What shifts are you making? Have the kids moved out? Moved back in? Is there a family vibe, an empty nest, or some other configuration taking shape? If so, you may want to evaluate your home design.
Ask yourself, “Am I planning big dinner parties anymore?”
“Why am I holding onto formal dinner service for 12-18, when there’s just the two of us?”
“If there’s just two of us, why do I have so many coffee mugs, an abundance of water bottles, dozens of tablecloths? (fill in the blanks…).
You may decide that this month, you’re going to tackle the garage project… you know, that clutter collection space! Originally designed for housing a car or two (plus golf cart) and now, most often, the garage is a Costco storage depot of excess paper goods!
No worries. We’re in this together with TMS
Let’s continue the momentum of decluttering… letting go… purging unwanted items… and freeing ourselves from the shackles of Too Much Stuff (TMS). We all seem to suffer from the condition I call TMS. Too Much Stuff. We are a society of consumerism where the messages of FREE, SALE and 50% off lure us to hand over our credit cards to purchase items, whether needed or impulsively desired.
BOGO to BOTO We LOVE sales and we LOVE BOGO. Go out and have fun! All I ask is that you consider being mindful and deliberate with your purchases. ENJOY and keep ENJOY- ING your shopping decisions.
When we shop till we drop, unload the items and then go out and “HUNT” for more, there may be a problem to reveal.
How many of us have clothes that still have price tags attached? I see it all the time… it simply illustrates that we have TMS.
In addition to BOGO, I recommend BOTO.
What’s BOTO? It stands for Buy One, TOSS One.
By using the BOTO principle, you can rotate your new items as you release, let go and donate items that no longer serve you.
Want to REDUCE your “stuff” that is cramping your storage areas, closets and drawers? Try BOTT!
BOTT to REDUCE TMS What’s BOTT? It’s Buy One, TOSS Two!! With BOTT you can delicately, but purposefully REDUCE your thread count (so to speak) and help shrink your inventory. Works great in the closet, the kitchen and the garage.
As always, I invite you to share your story. Feel free to ask for support. Feel free. Period. Call, text or email, and let’s get you on the right track!
And to Jerry Lewis, I say THANK YOU FOR YOUR LOVE, LIGHT and LAUGHTER.
Clear the Clutter… Clear the Mind™