FAQ

I’m downsizing – now what?

Got a question? We might have it answered below.

How can I contact you?
I respond quickly to emails at Regina@aclearpath.net and can also be reached directly at 818.400.9592

When should I start packing? 

• As soon as you know where you’re heading next, start the process to de-clutter and pack
• Start clearing out your items early, about three months before the move. Take one day to go through your closet, another to donate books, and so on. The less you have on moving day the easier your move will be.

What exactly should I pack? 

• When you’re packing, focus on the most used items in your home. Do you never use the cheese grater because you buy shredded cheese? When you look at your items, view and rank them in terms of use and usefulness.

How do I deal with all the paper piles around my house? 

• Organize paper separately and early. Start boxing paper you need to keep and shredding what you don’t need. Take this time to organize your papers if they are disorganized. Discover what filing system works for you.

How do I know what to keep, toss, or donate? 

• Start clearing areas without sentimental value. The best to place to start is the kitchen. You can objectively say to yourself, “I don’t need 9 pans and 2 crock pots” with less emotional attachment. If an item has no purpose, why do you have it?
• Know what new living dimensions you are working with and what furniture will fit in a way that is arranged to your liking. This means taking measurements of furniture and knowing safety regulations.
• Do not make a “maybe” pile. Try to make definite decisions the first time around to save time and energy later.

How do I know if I need help? 

• Getting help to downsize is usually a good idea. Hiring a professional or inviting a good friend will often decrease your stress and anxiety with simple  “yes” or “no” questions. “You have 15 throw pillows, I packed your 4 favorite, can you live with that?” 
• Avoid open-ended questions that take more time and misplaced thought to answer.

Will I need a dumpster? 

If you can, avoid a dumpster. Try to sell, donate, or recycle first. Did you read our article on Having a Successful Yard Sale?

What exactly should I pack? 

• When you’re packing, focus on the most used items in your home. Do you never use the cheese grater because you buy shredded cheese? When you look at your items, view and rank them in terms of use and usefulness.
• Enlist professional help. We understand downsizing brings up a lot of emotions and new stresses. Compassionate moving professionals and organizers help manage these stresses and provide solutions.
• For a list of recycle and donation centers in your area click here.

What do I do if I am downsizing and moving my home?

• Start clearing out your items early, about three months before the move. Take one day to go through your closet, another to donate books, and so on. The less you have on moving day the easier your move will be.
• Organize paper separately and early. Start boxing paper you need to keep and shredding what you don’t need. Take this time to organize your papers if they are disorganized. Discover what filing system works for you.
• Start clearing areas without sentimental value. The best to place to start is the kitchen. You can objectively say to yourself, “I don’t need 9 pans and 2 crock pots” with less emotional attachment.ou need. If an item has no purpose, why do you have it?
• Know what new living dimensions you are working with and what furniture will fit in a way that is arranged to your liking. This means taking measurements of furniture and knowing safety regulations.
• If you are helping someone downsize, decrease stress and anxiety on the mover by asking “yes” or “no” questions. “You have 15 throw pillows, I packed your 4 favorite, can you live with that?” Avoid open-ended questions that take more time and misplaced thought to answer.
• Do not make a “maybe” pile. Try to make definite decisions the first time around to save time and energy later.
• If you can, avoid a dumpster. Try to sell, donate, or recycle first. Did you read our article on Having a Successful Yard Sale?
• When you’re packing, focus on the most used items in your home. Do you never use the cheese grater because you buy shredded cheese? When you look at your items, view and rank them in terms of use and usefulness.
• Enlist professional help. We understand downsizing brings up a lot of emotions and new stresses. Compassionate moving professionals and organizers help manage these stresses and provide solutions.
• For a list of recycle and donation centers in your area click here.

Got Clutter? 

What is “Clutter” and why do people have it?

• Clutter consists of items you or your family don’t use or enjoy on a daily basis. 
• These items typically don’t have a “home” inside your home. That is to say, their location is not intentional and often changes. The amount of clutter in people’s homes and offices has a lot to do with their relationships TO the clutter. I see people holding on to items they think they “may need one day,” although “one day” is rarely defined, people are genuinely afraid that if they don’t hang on to items, they may need some day, that something bad will happen because they don’t have the items, the “clutter.”
• The same is true for cards or mementos, something from an event or memory of the past. When people hang on to these things, it makes me think they don’t have faith that good times and good memories will ever come again! That’s not a healthy way to live. 
• Those two perspectives, fear and lack of faith in the future, means that many folks have let the past and the future become more important than their levels of comfort in the present.

Is that the ONLY reason people have clutter?
Not at all! I’ve met many people who have clutter because of a major life transition. 

• Marriage, new babies, divorce, death, aging parents, a newly empty nest…we each experience these transitions differently. 
• A new mom may have felt pretty organized before the birth of her first child, then all of a sudden…BAM! No sleep. BAM! 10 times more work. BAM! More trips to the grocery store. And wow, look at all the new stuff coming in to accommodate the new baby! 
• The Clear Path team of Ninja Organizers untangle from situation clutter by finding space in their place and help make decisions about storage, rotating toys, clothes, and more. 
• Once the situation clutter is under control, people who were once organized can usually maintain their newly de-cluttered space. More often than not, however, we see people with chronic disorganization and that’s not quite as quick a fix as situation clutter.

What the heck is “Chronic Disorganization”?

• Veteran Organizer Judith Kolberg coined the term “chronically disorganized” (CD) and described a CD person as one would can’t remember a time when clutter didn’t rule their world. 
• No matter what they do to help themselves get organized, they never seem to reach their de-cluttering goals. 
• They’ve read every self-help book imaginable, and yet the quality of their life still feels impaired, uncomfortable, or far too crowded. 
• People living with ADD and ADHD (and right-brain creative types) tend toward chronic disorganization. 
• People who hoard are also chronically disorganized, but on a scale and scope much different from right brain creatives or people with neuro behavioral conditions.

So…are you just going to come in and throw away all of my stuff?

• No. Your stuff is not our stuff. Your goals are, however, OUR goals. 
• We help create the PATH: Purpose, Action, Transform, and Harmonize. 
• These are the steps we take with you to declutter and reclaim your space. 
• Whether it be one member of our team, or all ten, A Clear Path works side-by-side with you to meet your goals.

How do I know how much help I need?

• We make decisions about team size and project duration based on these criteria: how many rooms / how much time / your budget / your maintenance plan. 
• I’d love to talk about your needs and what enlisting our services would look like for you. Call me any time at 818.400.9592.

Is it OK to feel embarrassed about my situation and nervous to reach out?

• There is NO SHAME in asking for help. In fact, it’s the first step to recovery. 
• Being organized takes skills that a majority of people just haven’t learned yet. 
• Let us teach and guide you in this process to find YOUR Clear Path.

What is “Clutter” and why do people have it?
Clutter consists of items you or your family don’t use or enjoy on a daily basis. These items typically don’t have a “home” inside your home. That is to say, their location is not intentional and often changes. The amount of clutter in people’s homes and offices has a lot to do with their relationships TO the clutter. I see people holding on to items they think they “may need one day”. Well, “one day” is rarely defined, and yet people are genuinely afraid that if they don’t hang on to items, they may need some day, that something bad will happen because they don’t have the items, the “clutter”. The same is true for cards or mementos, something from an event or memory of the past. When people hang on to these things, it makes me think they don’t have faith that good times and good memories will ever come again! That’s not a healthy way to live. Those two perspectives, fear and lack of faith in the future, means that many folks have let the past and the future become more important than their levels of comfort in the present.

Is that the ONLY reason people have clutter?
Not at all! I’ve met many people who have clutter because of a major life transition. Marriage, new babies, divorce, death, aging parents, a newly empty nest…we each experience these transitions differently. A new mom may have felt pretty organized before the birth of her first child, then all of a sudden…BAM! No sleep. BAM! 10 times more work. BAM! More trips to the grocery store. And wow, look at all the new stuff coming in to accommodate the new baby! My team and I help our clients untangle from situation clutter by finding space in their place and help make decisions about storage, rotating toys, clothes, and more. Once situation clutter is under control, people who were once organized can usually maintain their newly de-cluttered space. More often than not, however, we see people with chronic disorganization and that’s not quite as quick a fix as situation clutter.

What even IS “Chronic Disorganization”?
Judith Kolberg, the woman who coined the term “chronically disorganized” stated that people can’t remember a time when clutter didn’t rule their world. No matter what they do to help themselves get organized, they never seem to reach their de-cluttering goals. They’ve read every self-help book imaginable, and yet the quality of their life still feels impaired, uncomfortable, or far too crowded. People living with ADD and ADHD (and right-brain creative types) tend toward chronic disorganization. People who hoard are also chronically disorganized, but on a scale and scope much different from right brain creatives or people with neuro behavioral conditions.

So…are you just going to come in and throw away all of my stuff?
No. Your stuff is not our stuff. Your goals are, however, OUR goals. We help create the PATH: Purpose, Action, Transform, and Harmonize. These are the steps we take with you to declutter and reclaim your space. Whether it be one member of our team, or all ten, A Clear Path works side-by-side with you to meet your goals.

How do I know how much help I need?
We make decisions about team size and project duration based on these criteria: how many rooms / how much time / your budget / your maintenance plan. I’d love to talk about your needs and what enlisting our services would look like for you. Call me any time at 818.400.9592.

Is it OK to  feel embarrassed about my situation and nervous to reach out?
There is NO SHAME in asking for help. In fact, it’s the first step to recovery. Being organized takes skills that a majority of people just haven’t learned yet. Let us teach and guide you in this process to find YOUR Clear Path.