Organizing specialist Dr. Regina Lark’s 4 golden rules for getting rid of sentimental clutter
‘Whatever comes through my front door has to feed me in one of three ways – aesthetically, intellectually, or it’s got to be part of my activities for daily living’
If you struggle to let go of certain items that hold sentimental value but are beginning to feel like clutter – or are even causing you stress and guilt – professional organizer Dr. Regina Lark has explained her golden rules for decluttering sentimental items.
In Late-Career Pivots, 3 Traits Successful Career Changers Share
If you have 20 or more years invested in one line of work, you have a specific set of skills and expertise, which you might think doesn’t translate elsewhere. Besides, people know you for being in a particular industry and/or role, and your own network is more likely stocked with people from the field you want to leave. Finally, you have less time in the latter arc of your career to make a change. Is it ever too late to pivot your career?
I once coached a marketing executive who had 20 years in financial services before landing a top operations job for a retirement community. Vickey Barron, currently a top New York City real estate agent, spent 20 years in health care on the West Coast. Dr, Regina Lark was 50 years old and laid off from a job in academia, when she pivoted to building, A Clear Path, a professional organization business that now has 13 employees and seven figures in revenue.
How can I let go of sentimental clutter?
As the owner of a professional organizing company for the past 14 years, I understand our relationships with “stuff’ – and how it can sometimes turn into “clutter.” We tend to hold on to our stuff for one of two reasons:
First, we have one hand holding on to what we think we may need someday. The other hand is holding on to the past, the items and artifacts that gave meaning to life when they came into one’s life.
Holding on to what we may need and what has already happened doesn’t leave much room (literally!) for the present. It’s as if past and future upstage any hope of having an uncluttered present.
I get a sense that many folks believe that however they’re walking through their lives, they hold on to things that no longer reflect who they are. We look back at the past with a great deal of fondness; with that fondness comes holding on to the baggage of that time without considering that this time of our life has the potential to be, or already is, pretty darned good.
The hand in front is holding on to an unknown, unnamed future we call “someday.” We are afraid that something will happen (or not!) if we don’t have a particular item for “someday” because, when and if that day finally arrives, and we don’t have that thing, we will be unprepared, and that is bad. The problem with holding on to “someday” is that most people tend to have a lot of somedays on the horizon. Holding on to a lot of somedays likely means that you have a lot of stuff everywhere and you won’t be able to find what you know you have, if someday ever does arrive!
The hand that we have behind us? The one that holds on to the past? We believe that these remnants and artifacts from the past have particular importance, so important that we have to save them for what?
One suggestion to start clearing the path from the past: remove ten things/day. That’s it. That’s all you have to do. And then, repeat.
-Regina F. Lark at A Clear Path
Read the entire article at ISN Inspection Support Network
How to Conquer Chaos in Your New Business You have a skill, and want to turn it into a company. Here’s what you need to do
If there's anything you can be sure of in life and business, it's that you must expect the unexpected. Sometimes, great things can come from the surprises life throws at us.
Dr. Regina Lark knows this lesson well. Before founding her firm, A Clear Path, Regina was immersed in higher education. But when budget cuts eliminated her position at UCLA, Regina found herself starting over at age 50, during the economic recession in 2008. Read more...
WORKING WITH PEOPLE WHO HOARD*
For the Professional Fiduciary, from a Hoarding
Clear-Out Specialist (Part 1 of 2)
If you have worked as a Fiduciary for any length of time, chances are good that you’ve walked into a hoarded house. Shoulder against the front door, you push hard to gain access, and once inside, as your eyes adjust to the diminished light, you greet your client with a hearty “Hello! I’m here!” and you begin your initial assessment that begins with the thought, “Oy! What a mess!”
Destination: LA — Episode 4 Airing!
Local CBS, IGTV, and Amazon Prime on the following dates:
- KCAL CH. 9 (CBS - LA): 11/28/2020 at 5:00pm
- IGTV: Week of 12/5/2020
- Amazon Prime and Client Footage Delivery: Week of 12/12/2020
- KCBS CH. 2 (CBS - LA): December date TBD.
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