September 10, 2025 • 23 mins
Organization expert Shira Gill talks about clearing the clutter and making space for what's important
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:02):
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
episode is going to be a longer one part of
the series where I interview fascinating people about how they
take their days from great to awesome and any advice
(00:23):
they have for the rest of us. So today I
am delighted to welcome Shira Gill to Before Breakfast. Shira
is an organizing expert and the author of several lovely
and calming books, including Lifestyled and Organized Living. Shira, welcome
to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Yeah, why don't you tell our listeners a little bit
about yourself?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
So, I spent the majority of my career as a
professional organizer in people's homes, so helping people edit and
organize and style every room of their home, and then
kind of transitioned into book writing during COVID, which was
a natural trendransition to get out of people's homes, and
that's when I wrote my first book, Minimalista, and then
(01:06):
from there, as you mentioned, I wrote two other books
and now my work is really designed to help people
create clarity, clear clutter, and take decisive action. In all
areas of life, so from home to their mind, to
their schedule to their business.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
And were you always like an organized person. I'm curious
how you began a career in professional organizing.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I would say I was always very affected by my environment.
I don't know that I would have used the word
to organize, but it was more obsessive and I always
felt very calmed by having a calming environment. So I
think as a young kid, it was something I always
paid a lot of attention to when I felt anxious.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
You know, my parents divorced.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
When I was quite young, and I was an only
child who went back and forth from house to house
every other day. So I think I found organization and
editing and styling as a way of kind of self
soothing and just calming myself when things fell out of control.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah. Absolutely, well, so it's interesting one of the things
you talk about is minimalism. I mean, your first book
was called Minimalista, But you know, you have multiple kids,
you have a business that involves multiple projects at a
given point. I'm curious what minimalism really means in a
context for people who do have a lot going on.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yeah. So for me, the way I define minimalism is
clarifying what's most important and stripping away everything else, the
clutter and distraction that's in the way of that thing
that you've defined as most important. And that thing or
things can obviously change during different seasons of your life.
For me, you know, I've had periods where I'm raising
(02:54):
a baby and a toddler and that kind of takes
first priority. And then as my kids now are tea
I've kind of pivoted my focus to more of a
career mindset.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
But I think the thing is whether you're.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Thinking about, you know, curating your home or editing your
schedule or thinking about your career, it all starts with
the clarity of what do I want most in this moment,
And then I think the step that most of us
fail to take is the what can I let go
of that's in the way or preventing me from getting
(03:28):
that thing that I want.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, so let's say that somebody is saying, you know,
like my house is a mess, right, everything is just amus?
What is usually led to that, like, what are people
doing wrong that makes things feel so out of control?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, so I think most of it is not their fault,
I should say, because I think a lot of it
just comes from the consumer forward culture that we're all
living in in the Western world that tells us we
need more and more and more all the time, bigger, better,
and there's this kind of constant sense of needing to acquire.
So I think the biggest issue that I run into
(04:04):
with people is just a volume problem, where they have
stopped setting firm boundaries and guidelines about how much they consume,
when they consume, and what they're willing to bring into
their home. I think the other thing around organization is
just over complicating it. So the main themes that I
see are running to the container store to buy more
(04:26):
containers as opposed to really addressing the volume problem or
overorganizing is a big one for people thinking that they
have to have everything color coded or alphabetized, and then
getting so overwhelmed that they feel paralyzed. And so my
process really starts with clarity, what do I want and
(04:48):
what's in the way, And when you look at the
things in your home, you can start seeing them through
that lens of are these things that I own that
I surround myself with getting me closer to that vision
of the life I want or or are they a
time suck and taking me further and further away.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
From that vision.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And I think having that compelling north star of here's
the thing I want most is really liberating for people
in then starting to look at their stuff because you
can really you can explain wanting to keep anything or
anything being useful. But I think when you look at
it through that lens of is this getting me closer
(05:26):
to the thing that you want or further away, then
it's easier for people.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
To let go.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
All right, Well, I was intrigued by a headline on
your website where you said five things you can do
in five minutes. I believe talk about something you want
to click on right there? What are some things we
can do in five minutes to have a more, better
or useful space?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
I think number one is set up a donation station
in your home. I always like to hang a toe
bag in my entry closet or if you have a mudroom,
but somewhere right by the front door, that can corral
things that you just notice you no longer need.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
The other thing I would say is an outbox.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
We talk a lot about the inbox for like mail
and bills, but the outbox is some sort of vessel.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I like a big, pretty basket.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Again towards your front door, where you can corral all
of the things that need to see their way out
of your house. So those are the things that tend
to clutter all of your surfaces, like the tupperware you
borrowed from a neighbor, or a shop return for nord
Storm or Amazon, or you know, all those things that
(06:36):
need to see their way out.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So having a dedicated.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Place by the front door to corral though, so that
the next time you hop in your car, don't get
on the bus, you can grab it and go and redistribute.
I would also say, you know, the converse of that
is having an inbox. So I'm a busy mom. I
have kids coming and going with school forms and things
for me to sign, and bills and invites, and they
(07:00):
used to get scattered all over our home, you know,
littering all of the counters. And so I basically erected
this very simple system that I call the inbox.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Here's a basket. If anything needs my attention, pop it
in here. I will look at it every Sunday.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
And so those like very tiny simple systems have been
game changing. I also think you know, I started this
thing a few years ago called the fifteen Minute Win
that just challenges people to see what you can do
in terms of tackling a micro project. So that could
be a junk drawer in your kitchen, it could be
editing the contents of your wallet or handbag. It could
(07:39):
be a quickie refrigerator clean out, or a medicine cabinet purge.
But I think it's like those little things go such
a long way in boosting how we feel on a
day to day basis, and they really don't have to
take that long.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Absolutely, Well, We're going to take a quick ad break
and then i'll be back with more from Shira Gill. Well,
I am back talking with Shira Gill, who is an
organization expert and the author of several books including Lifestyled,
Organized Living, Minimalista. So another thing I was intrigued vibes
(08:17):
on all your content and they've been creating travel essentials. So,
you know, we have very limited space on planes, you know,
sometimes less than three ounces we can take of various
six What are your travel essentials that you think people
should be looking into.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, it's so funny that I just got back from
a one month's trip that I went to all over
Europe in a tiny carry on bag, so I was
tested more than ever. And in Europe they have different
travel standards and so the typical American travel standards for
things like toiletries were completely thrown out the window, so
(08:55):
I had to edit even further. So I would say
toiletries are the thing that get people in trouble more
than anything. So tip number one is trust that wherever
you go, there will be shampoo, there will be conditioner,
there will be soap.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
You do not have to pack those things up.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
So I really focus on thinking about, like what is
my capsule collection of like the five minute face that
I need. So I also like dual purpose products. So
for me, I don't wear a ton of makeup, but
I love like a cheek lip duo, so one product
instead of two. I like a tiny tub of coconut oil,
(09:30):
which you can use as a moisturizer. You can use
it to tame frizzies on your hair, you can use
it as a makeup remover.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
So really thinking about.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
What are those dual purpose or even triple purpose products
that you might have, And for me, it's getting that
toiletry baged down to one tiny compact system that consists
of deodorant, face wash, moisturizer, and a few basic makeup
essentials and that's it. My other trick, I'm a person
(10:02):
with zero hair skills, so I will often get a
blowout or get my hair done prior to a trip
and then just not touch it, not bring any hair
care essentials or products, which also can.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Clutter up a bag.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Other quick travel tips I swear by the space saving
packing cube is actually my number one travel essential. They
really can double or triple the space in your luggage.
So for me, I'll use one packing cube for tops
and bottoms, another for underwear and pajamas.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
And the other big thing is just shoes.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Shoes are the largest thing typically that we pack, so
wearing your bulkiest pair of shoes on the plane and
then potentially limiting yourself to just one that you pack
in your suitcase.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So I have a question about the packing cubes, because
I mean, the laws of physics don't change based on
So what is it about the packing cubes that is
expanding the volume of stuff that we can bring in
any given container.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Yes, it's such a good question. The answer is compression
so when you put your your goodies in a packing cube,
so I can layer like ten blouses in a packing
cube and they look like they're exploding. But when you
when you zip it, it compresses and removes all of
the air, so it's almost works as suction, and so
(11:24):
it can take this huge mountain of clothes and.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Reduce it to like a tiny, little compact package.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Okay, all right, now I've got.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I promise it works.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Promise it works exactly. So Sharrah. A lot of people,
I mean, really like the aesthetic of your work. Like
I said, like you have sort of coffee table looking
books that you've you've written over the years. I'm curious
how you would describe what that aesthetic is. I was
saying things like calming, natural colors, But I wonder how
you would describe it. And what if somebody is trying
(11:57):
to go for something like that, what gets included in
what does not get included in that?
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Oh, that's a fun question.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
I think I would probably say warm minimalism. I think
often people think of minimalism as very stark and kind
of austere, and I like my spaces to feel very
warm and cozy and inviting.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
But I still like them very stripped down and clutter free.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
So I think I'm always looking at things like the
bones of a home, like how do you elevate beautiful
paint and crown moldings. And I live in a home
that's one hundred and twenty years old, so I love
to kind of highlight those old elements and then really
invest in the things that take up the most space,
So like a couch or a bed that takes up
(12:45):
you know, sometimes ninety percent of your room. Those are
the places where I really invest in getting high quality
items and then being very thoughtful about the accessories. So
I'm a huge fan of bringing the out in. Whenever
I'm decorating a space, I just think about fresh flowers
or plants as a way of warming the space up,
(13:08):
and also textiles, so even if there's not a lot
in a space, Like I'm looking at my living room
right now, which literally just has a couch and a
coffee table and a chair, but I warm that up
with throw pillows and with art and with flowers and
blankets so that it feels inviting.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Okay, got it, got it? So what's your schedule looking
like these days? This is kind of a productivity show.
So I'm curious what life is looking like for you.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Yeah, busy in a good way, I think, you know.
I get bored easily. So I always like to have
a very diverse schedule. So my schedule is kind of
a combo of seeing clients in person, seeing clients virtually,
working on books, writing content, doing photoshoots and collaborations with
other creatives. And I'm also planning multiple retreats and in
(13:57):
person workshops. So it's a lot of like creative of
dreaming and scheming, and then also client work.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Okay, and so let's talk through daily routine, like what
time do you get up in the morning and what
do you do?
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Then?
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah, so sleep is my number one priority. I'm hardcore
about sleep, so I'm always in bed by ten ten thirty,
and I tend to sleep until seven or seven thirty.
Now that my kids are older and not waking me
at five in the morning, that mainly can be adhered to.
So I'm getting a really solid chunk of sleep every night.
(14:32):
Otherwise I found I just am useless. So that's number
one is sleep. And then I wake up in the morning.
I don't have a very I guess massive morning routine.
I try to keep it, I guess really minimal, but
I drink a huge amount of water first thing when
I wake up, and we have a dog, so I
(14:53):
kind of integrate walking the dog with getting my exercise,
getting fresh air first thing in the morning, and then
I typically sitting down to work by nine.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
All right, Well, we're going to hear a little bit
more about SHA's routine after this, but we're going to
take one more quick ad break. Well, I am back
talking with Shira Gill, who's an organization expert and the
author of several books. All right, so, share, you're at
your workplace or your work your desk around nine, starting work.
(15:26):
I know you're managing lots of projects all the time.
How do you figure out what you should be doing
at any given time? Is there a time you plan
your schedule or any approach you take to this?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Absolutely. So I always have one big goal that I'm
working towards. For the past three years, that's been a book.
I've written three books back to back, so kind of
the big goal is writing and finishing a manuscript that
anchors the rest of my schedule. So I find that
I am brightest and sharpest in the morning, and so
(15:55):
once the kids are out the door, the dog is walked.
I really use from nine to every day for my
key productivity. So typically that's writing a book, or it's
writing content for my substack, but it's not client work
that always happens first in the day for me. Whatever
that priority is developing a new program, writing a book.
(16:19):
And then after that I always have lunch. I'm very
big into food, so I would say from noon to one,
I'm always eating, and that's a time when I can
catch up on emails, call a friend. And then the
afternoon tends to be things like client work. I go
on podcasts often in the afternoon. If I need to
(16:41):
schedule something like a networking meeting or a photoshoot, that
would be in the afternoon. And then family time starts
for me around five or six every day, when my
kids and husband and dog and all of the beings
come back.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
And do you have a wind down routine that helps
you get to bed ten ten thirty at night?
Speaker 3 (17:00):
I do, yeah, So we typically have dinner together as
a family. We're total early birds, our whole family, so
we eat, you know, buy five thirty or six, and
then my kids knock out the dishes, which is amazing
now that they're older. And during that time, I do
kind of like a ten minute tidy of the space.
So I'll wipe down the dining room table, which also
(17:22):
doubles as my office space in the morning, so I
want that to be nice and clear and clean. And
then I'll take about fifteen minutes, I'll sit down with
my calendar and my notebook and I'll basically make a
little cheat sheet for the following day. I do this
on a white index card or in a notebook, and
I literally just write down my day. So like today,
(17:45):
it was like block the Dog podcast with you. I
have a dentist appointment, I have another podcast, I'm doing
some writing, and then picking up dinner. So I can
see all of that at a glance with this note card,
and I think, think what that process does for me
is it reminds me of anything such as I need
to confirm this appointment, or I need to lay out clothes,
(18:08):
or I need to pack a lunch or snacks, so
that when I go to bed, I'm really prepped already
for waking up and diving into my day. All of
those things are checked off.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
All right, got it? So we're organized for the next
day by the day before always good. So one of
the questions I always ask people is what is something
you have done recently to take a day from great
to awesome?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
For me, it's always going to this very intense core
power yoga class where I sweat my brains out. It's
about forty five minutes. I have to get there, I
have to park, I have to shower afterwards. But what
I find is when I can get to that class,
the energy and momentum I have afterwards like super sizes
my day. So that's something I'm trying to integrate five
(19:00):
days a week, which is very difficult by.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
I say, when does that happen?
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I do see any space earlier? You do not stay
to space?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Yeah, So I always do Saturday and Sunday mornings, so
I kind of have a guaranteed two in my week,
and then I'll typically do one evening. So three is
really easy for me. It's getting to four or five.
That just depends on the week. Like if I have
a nice you know block in the middle of my day,
say and I can run and do a twelve to one.
(19:30):
But I do find for me exercises the biggest productivity
hack that I have. It just really changes my energy
in my momentum.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
But forty five minutes away is quite a way.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Oh sorry, it's not forty five minutes, Okay, classes forty
five minutes.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Okay, yeah, whoa, No, no, no, that would be a
really good instructor.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah, no, I'm not that dedicated.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
So yeah, it's about ten minutes from my house, Okay,
So I have to kind of have a buffer of
like fifteen to twenty on either side for parking, and
then because it's a high intensity sweat class, I do
have to then go home and shower. So it really
I would say, like all told, I need to budget
two hours to do this, which is a decent chunk
of the day. But then I feel like it gives
(20:14):
me this whole new lease on life where then I
can work and be productive for many more hours when
typically I would be in a slump by the afternoon. Yeah,
although it's interesting, you know, I feel like even with
things like that, we can sometimes work on our transitions
to be faster as well. I wonder if that's something
you've thought about in your life. Absolutely, I mean, honestly,
(20:34):
sometimes I'm like I don't need to shower this minute.
I'm feeling revved up and I'm going to write or
I'm going to make that phone call and all shower
later and just it'll be okay. I think, you know,
for me, I don't have I don't take that long
to get ready, both in the morning or post workout.
I like I mentioned, I don't know how to do
(20:55):
my hair, so I find that many people have like
these elaborate hair or makeup routines.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I don't have that.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
It takes me about five minutes to throw myself together
and put my hair in.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
A messy butN so that does save time.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
I think for me, the big blocks are always sleep, eating,
and exercise, and if I get those pillars in the
rest of my day tends to work and be optimized.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Absolutely. So, Cheryl, what's something you are looking forward to
right now?
Speaker 3 (21:25):
I am doing my first ever in person retreat with
my brother who is a chef, and so he is
providing all of the food and snacks and provisions for
this retreat. That is a big goal setting retreat. So
I have fifteen women coming from all over the world.
I actually have some people flying in from Montreal and
Amsterdam and We're meeting in California this fall, and I'm
(21:49):
going to coach people through my goal setting process and
then we're going to turn that into kind of a
business mastermind and accountability group.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Well that sounds like a ton of fun. And I've
bet the food will be amaze.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Yeah, it's all about the food. That's how it started.
We build the food first and everything else.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I have the food, I need to have a reason
to bring people.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
That's right, that's right. That food came first. And and I
was like, well, what is this retreat?
Speaker 1 (22:15):
I love it? I love it absolutely so, Shierra. Where
can people find you?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yeah, so people can find me on my website Shiragil
dot com. I also write a substack called the Life Edit,
where I drop tips and inspiration towards living a clutter
free life every Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Excellent. Well Sherra, Thank you so much for joining us.
Thank you to everyone for listening. If you have feedback
about this or any other episode, you can always reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime,
this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
(23:00):
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
(23:22):
listen to your favorite shows.
Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning.
This is Laura, Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's
episode is going to be a longer one part of
the series where I interview fascinating people about how they
take their days from great to awesome and any advice
(00:23):
they have for the rest of us. So today I
am delighted to welcome Shira Gill to Before Breakfast. Shira
is an organizing expert and the author of several lovely
and calming books, including Lifestyled and Organized Living. Shira, welcome
to the show.
Speaker 2 (00:38):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 1 (00:39):
Yeah, why don't you tell our listeners a little bit
about yourself?
Speaker 2 (00:42):
Sure?
Speaker 3 (00:43):
So, I spent the majority of my career as a
professional organizer in people's homes, so helping people edit and
organize and style every room of their home, and then
kind of transitioned into book writing during COVID, which was
a natural trendransition to get out of people's homes, and
that's when I wrote my first book, Minimalista, and then
(01:06):
from there, as you mentioned, I wrote two other books
and now my work is really designed to help people
create clarity, clear clutter, and take decisive action. In all
areas of life, so from home to their mind, to
their schedule to their business.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
And were you always like an organized person. I'm curious
how you began a career in professional organizing.
Speaker 2 (01:31):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (01:31):
I would say I was always very affected by my environment.
I don't know that I would have used the word
to organize, but it was more obsessive and I always
felt very calmed by having a calming environment. So I
think as a young kid, it was something I always
paid a lot of attention to when I felt anxious.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
You know, my parents divorced.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
When I was quite young, and I was an only
child who went back and forth from house to house
every other day. So I think I found organization and
editing and styling as a way of kind of self
soothing and just calming myself when things fell out of control.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Yeah. Absolutely, well, so it's interesting one of the things
you talk about is minimalism. I mean, your first book
was called Minimalista, But you know, you have multiple kids,
you have a business that involves multiple projects at a
given point. I'm curious what minimalism really means in a
context for people who do have a lot going on.
Speaker 3 (02:33):
Yeah. So for me, the way I define minimalism is
clarifying what's most important and stripping away everything else, the
clutter and distraction that's in the way of that thing
that you've defined as most important. And that thing or
things can obviously change during different seasons of your life.
For me, you know, I've had periods where I'm raising
(02:54):
a baby and a toddler and that kind of takes
first priority. And then as my kids now are tea
I've kind of pivoted my focus to more of a
career mindset.
Speaker 2 (03:06):
But I think the thing is whether you're.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
Thinking about, you know, curating your home or editing your
schedule or thinking about your career, it all starts with
the clarity of what do I want most in this moment,
And then I think the step that most of us
fail to take is the what can I let go
of that's in the way or preventing me from getting
(03:28):
that thing that I want.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
Yeah, so let's say that somebody is saying, you know,
like my house is a mess, right, everything is just amus?
What is usually led to that, like, what are people
doing wrong that makes things feel so out of control?
Speaker 3 (03:42):
Well, so I think most of it is not their fault,
I should say, because I think a lot of it
just comes from the consumer forward culture that we're all
living in in the Western world that tells us we
need more and more and more all the time, bigger, better,
and there's this kind of constant sense of needing to acquire.
So I think the biggest issue that I run into
(04:04):
with people is just a volume problem, where they have
stopped setting firm boundaries and guidelines about how much they consume,
when they consume, and what they're willing to bring into
their home. I think the other thing around organization is
just over complicating it. So the main themes that I
see are running to the container store to buy more
(04:26):
containers as opposed to really addressing the volume problem or
overorganizing is a big one for people thinking that they
have to have everything color coded or alphabetized, and then
getting so overwhelmed that they feel paralyzed. And so my
process really starts with clarity, what do I want and
(04:48):
what's in the way, And when you look at the
things in your home, you can start seeing them through
that lens of are these things that I own that
I surround myself with getting me closer to that vision
of the life I want or or are they a
time suck and taking me further and further away.
Speaker 2 (05:04):
From that vision.
Speaker 3 (05:05):
And I think having that compelling north star of here's
the thing I want most is really liberating for people
in then starting to look at their stuff because you
can really you can explain wanting to keep anything or
anything being useful. But I think when you look at
it through that lens of is this getting me closer
(05:26):
to the thing that you want or further away, then
it's easier for people.
Speaker 2 (05:30):
To let go.
Speaker 1 (05:32):
All right, Well, I was intrigued by a headline on
your website where you said five things you can do
in five minutes. I believe talk about something you want
to click on right there? What are some things we
can do in five minutes to have a more, better
or useful space?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (05:50):
I think number one is set up a donation station
in your home. I always like to hang a toe
bag in my entry closet or if you have a mudroom,
but somewhere right by the front door, that can corral
things that you just notice you no longer need.
Speaker 2 (06:05):
The other thing I would say is an outbox.
Speaker 3 (06:07):
We talk a lot about the inbox for like mail
and bills, but the outbox is some sort of vessel.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I like a big, pretty basket.
Speaker 3 (06:16):
Again towards your front door, where you can corral all
of the things that need to see their way out
of your house. So those are the things that tend
to clutter all of your surfaces, like the tupperware you
borrowed from a neighbor, or a shop return for nord
Storm or Amazon, or you know, all those things that
(06:36):
need to see their way out.
Speaker 2 (06:38):
So having a dedicated.
Speaker 3 (06:39):
Place by the front door to corral though, so that
the next time you hop in your car, don't get
on the bus, you can grab it and go and redistribute.
I would also say, you know, the converse of that
is having an inbox. So I'm a busy mom. I
have kids coming and going with school forms and things
for me to sign, and bills and invites, and they
(07:00):
used to get scattered all over our home, you know,
littering all of the counters. And so I basically erected
this very simple system that I call the inbox.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
Here's a basket. If anything needs my attention, pop it
in here. I will look at it every Sunday.
Speaker 3 (07:15):
And so those like very tiny simple systems have been
game changing. I also think you know, I started this
thing a few years ago called the fifteen Minute Win
that just challenges people to see what you can do
in terms of tackling a micro project. So that could
be a junk drawer in your kitchen, it could be
editing the contents of your wallet or handbag. It could
(07:39):
be a quickie refrigerator clean out, or a medicine cabinet purge.
But I think it's like those little things go such
a long way in boosting how we feel on a
day to day basis, and they really don't have to
take that long.
Speaker 1 (07:54):
Absolutely, Well, We're going to take a quick ad break
and then i'll be back with more from Shira Gill. Well,
I am back talking with Shira Gill, who is an
organization expert and the author of several books including Lifestyled,
Organized Living, Minimalista. So another thing I was intrigued vibes
(08:17):
on all your content and they've been creating travel essentials. So,
you know, we have very limited space on planes, you know,
sometimes less than three ounces we can take of various
six What are your travel essentials that you think people
should be looking into.
Speaker 3 (08:34):
Yeah, it's so funny that I just got back from
a one month's trip that I went to all over
Europe in a tiny carry on bag, so I was
tested more than ever. And in Europe they have different
travel standards and so the typical American travel standards for
things like toiletries were completely thrown out the window, so
(08:55):
I had to edit even further. So I would say
toiletries are the thing that get people in trouble more
than anything. So tip number one is trust that wherever
you go, there will be shampoo, there will be conditioner,
there will be soap.
Speaker 2 (09:08):
You do not have to pack those things up.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
So I really focus on thinking about, like what is
my capsule collection of like the five minute face that
I need. So I also like dual purpose products. So
for me, I don't wear a ton of makeup, but
I love like a cheek lip duo, so one product
instead of two. I like a tiny tub of coconut oil,
(09:30):
which you can use as a moisturizer. You can use
it to tame frizzies on your hair, you can use
it as a makeup remover.
Speaker 2 (09:38):
So really thinking about.
Speaker 3 (09:39):
What are those dual purpose or even triple purpose products
that you might have, And for me, it's getting that
toiletry baged down to one tiny compact system that consists
of deodorant, face wash, moisturizer, and a few basic makeup
essentials and that's it. My other trick, I'm a person
(10:02):
with zero hair skills, so I will often get a
blowout or get my hair done prior to a trip
and then just not touch it, not bring any hair
care essentials or products, which also can.
Speaker 2 (10:12):
Clutter up a bag.
Speaker 3 (10:14):
Other quick travel tips I swear by the space saving
packing cube is actually my number one travel essential. They
really can double or triple the space in your luggage.
So for me, I'll use one packing cube for tops
and bottoms, another for underwear and pajamas.
Speaker 2 (10:35):
And the other big thing is just shoes.
Speaker 3 (10:37):
Shoes are the largest thing typically that we pack, so
wearing your bulkiest pair of shoes on the plane and
then potentially limiting yourself to just one that you pack
in your suitcase.
Speaker 1 (10:47):
So I have a question about the packing cubes, because
I mean, the laws of physics don't change based on
So what is it about the packing cubes that is
expanding the volume of stuff that we can bring in
any given container.
Speaker 3 (11:03):
Yes, it's such a good question. The answer is compression
so when you put your your goodies in a packing cube,
so I can layer like ten blouses in a packing
cube and they look like they're exploding. But when you
when you zip it, it compresses and removes all of
the air, so it's almost works as suction, and so
(11:24):
it can take this huge mountain of clothes and.
Speaker 2 (11:27):
Reduce it to like a tiny, little compact package.
Speaker 1 (11:30):
Okay, all right, now I've got.
Speaker 2 (11:33):
I promise it works.
Speaker 1 (11:35):
Promise it works exactly. So Sharrah. A lot of people,
I mean, really like the aesthetic of your work. Like
I said, like you have sort of coffee table looking
books that you've you've written over the years. I'm curious
how you would describe what that aesthetic is. I was
saying things like calming, natural colors, But I wonder how
you would describe it. And what if somebody is trying
(11:57):
to go for something like that, what gets included in
what does not get included in that?
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Oh, that's a fun question.
Speaker 3 (12:03):
I think I would probably say warm minimalism. I think
often people think of minimalism as very stark and kind
of austere, and I like my spaces to feel very
warm and cozy and inviting.
Speaker 2 (12:18):
But I still like them very stripped down and clutter free.
Speaker 3 (12:23):
So I think I'm always looking at things like the
bones of a home, like how do you elevate beautiful
paint and crown moldings. And I live in a home
that's one hundred and twenty years old, so I love
to kind of highlight those old elements and then really
invest in the things that take up the most space,
So like a couch or a bed that takes up
(12:45):
you know, sometimes ninety percent of your room. Those are
the places where I really invest in getting high quality
items and then being very thoughtful about the accessories. So
I'm a huge fan of bringing the out in. Whenever
I'm decorating a space, I just think about fresh flowers
or plants as a way of warming the space up,
(13:08):
and also textiles, so even if there's not a lot
in a space, Like I'm looking at my living room
right now, which literally just has a couch and a
coffee table and a chair, but I warm that up
with throw pillows and with art and with flowers and
blankets so that it feels inviting.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
Okay, got it, got it? So what's your schedule looking
like these days? This is kind of a productivity show.
So I'm curious what life is looking like for you.
Speaker 3 (13:34):
Yeah, busy in a good way, I think, you know.
I get bored easily. So I always like to have
a very diverse schedule. So my schedule is kind of
a combo of seeing clients in person, seeing clients virtually,
working on books, writing content, doing photoshoots and collaborations with
other creatives. And I'm also planning multiple retreats and in
(13:57):
person workshops. So it's a lot of like creative of
dreaming and scheming, and then also client work.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Okay, and so let's talk through daily routine, like what
time do you get up in the morning and what
do you do?
Speaker 2 (14:09):
Then?
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Yeah, so sleep is my number one priority. I'm hardcore
about sleep, so I'm always in bed by ten ten thirty,
and I tend to sleep until seven or seven thirty.
Now that my kids are older and not waking me
at five in the morning, that mainly can be adhered to.
So I'm getting a really solid chunk of sleep every night.
(14:32):
Otherwise I found I just am useless. So that's number
one is sleep. And then I wake up in the morning.
I don't have a very I guess massive morning routine.
I try to keep it, I guess really minimal, but
I drink a huge amount of water first thing when
I wake up, and we have a dog, so I
(14:53):
kind of integrate walking the dog with getting my exercise,
getting fresh air first thing in the morning, and then
I typically sitting down to work by nine.
Speaker 1 (15:02):
All right, Well, we're going to hear a little bit
more about SHA's routine after this, but we're going to
take one more quick ad break. Well, I am back
talking with Shira Gill, who's an organization expert and the
author of several books. All right, so, share, you're at
your workplace or your work your desk around nine, starting work.
(15:26):
I know you're managing lots of projects all the time.
How do you figure out what you should be doing
at any given time? Is there a time you plan
your schedule or any approach you take to this?
Speaker 2 (15:34):
Yeah?
Speaker 3 (15:34):
Absolutely. So I always have one big goal that I'm
working towards. For the past three years, that's been a book.
I've written three books back to back, so kind of
the big goal is writing and finishing a manuscript that
anchors the rest of my schedule. So I find that
I am brightest and sharpest in the morning, and so
(15:55):
once the kids are out the door, the dog is walked.
I really use from nine to every day for my
key productivity. So typically that's writing a book, or it's
writing content for my substack, but it's not client work
that always happens first in the day for me. Whatever
that priority is developing a new program, writing a book.
(16:19):
And then after that I always have lunch. I'm very
big into food, so I would say from noon to one,
I'm always eating, and that's a time when I can
catch up on emails, call a friend. And then the
afternoon tends to be things like client work. I go
on podcasts often in the afternoon. If I need to
(16:41):
schedule something like a networking meeting or a photoshoot, that
would be in the afternoon. And then family time starts
for me around five or six every day, when my
kids and husband and dog and all of the beings
come back.
Speaker 1 (16:55):
And do you have a wind down routine that helps
you get to bed ten ten thirty at night?
Speaker 3 (17:00):
I do, yeah, So we typically have dinner together as
a family. We're total early birds, our whole family, so
we eat, you know, buy five thirty or six, and
then my kids knock out the dishes, which is amazing
now that they're older. And during that time, I do
kind of like a ten minute tidy of the space.
So I'll wipe down the dining room table, which also
(17:22):
doubles as my office space in the morning, so I
want that to be nice and clear and clean. And
then I'll take about fifteen minutes, I'll sit down with
my calendar and my notebook and I'll basically make a
little cheat sheet for the following day. I do this
on a white index card or in a notebook, and
I literally just write down my day. So like today,
(17:45):
it was like block the Dog podcast with you. I
have a dentist appointment, I have another podcast, I'm doing
some writing, and then picking up dinner. So I can
see all of that at a glance with this note card,
and I think, think what that process does for me
is it reminds me of anything such as I need
to confirm this appointment, or I need to lay out clothes,
(18:08):
or I need to pack a lunch or snacks, so
that when I go to bed, I'm really prepped already
for waking up and diving into my day. All of
those things are checked off.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
All right, got it? So we're organized for the next
day by the day before always good. So one of
the questions I always ask people is what is something
you have done recently to take a day from great
to awesome?
Speaker 3 (18:37):
For me, it's always going to this very intense core
power yoga class where I sweat my brains out. It's
about forty five minutes. I have to get there, I
have to park, I have to shower afterwards. But what
I find is when I can get to that class,
the energy and momentum I have afterwards like super sizes
my day. So that's something I'm trying to integrate five
(19:00):
days a week, which is very difficult by.
Speaker 1 (19:03):
I say, when does that happen?
Speaker 2 (19:05):
I do see any space earlier? You do not stay
to space?
Speaker 3 (19:08):
Yeah, So I always do Saturday and Sunday mornings, so
I kind of have a guaranteed two in my week,
and then I'll typically do one evening. So three is
really easy for me. It's getting to four or five.
That just depends on the week. Like if I have
a nice you know block in the middle of my day,
say and I can run and do a twelve to one.
(19:30):
But I do find for me exercises the biggest productivity
hack that I have. It just really changes my energy
in my momentum.
Speaker 1 (19:40):
But forty five minutes away is quite a way.
Speaker 3 (19:42):
Oh sorry, it's not forty five minutes, Okay, classes forty
five minutes.
Speaker 1 (19:45):
Okay, yeah, whoa, No, no, no, that would be a
really good instructor.
Speaker 2 (19:49):
Yeah, no, I'm not that dedicated.
Speaker 3 (19:52):
So yeah, it's about ten minutes from my house, Okay,
So I have to kind of have a buffer of
like fifteen to twenty on either side for parking, and
then because it's a high intensity sweat class, I do
have to then go home and shower. So it really
I would say, like all told, I need to budget
two hours to do this, which is a decent chunk
of the day. But then I feel like it gives
(20:14):
me this whole new lease on life where then I
can work and be productive for many more hours when
typically I would be in a slump by the afternoon. Yeah,
although it's interesting, you know, I feel like even with
things like that, we can sometimes work on our transitions
to be faster as well. I wonder if that's something
you've thought about in your life. Absolutely, I mean, honestly,
(20:34):
sometimes I'm like I don't need to shower this minute.
I'm feeling revved up and I'm going to write or
I'm going to make that phone call and all shower
later and just it'll be okay. I think, you know,
for me, I don't have I don't take that long
to get ready, both in the morning or post workout.
I like I mentioned, I don't know how to do
(20:55):
my hair, so I find that many people have like
these elaborate hair or makeup routines.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
I don't have that.
Speaker 3 (21:00):
It takes me about five minutes to throw myself together
and put my hair in.
Speaker 2 (21:04):
A messy butN so that does save time.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
I think for me, the big blocks are always sleep, eating,
and exercise, and if I get those pillars in the
rest of my day tends to work and be optimized.
Speaker 1 (21:19):
Absolutely. So, Cheryl, what's something you are looking forward to
right now?
Speaker 3 (21:25):
I am doing my first ever in person retreat with
my brother who is a chef, and so he is
providing all of the food and snacks and provisions for
this retreat. That is a big goal setting retreat. So
I have fifteen women coming from all over the world.
I actually have some people flying in from Montreal and
Amsterdam and We're meeting in California this fall, and I'm
(21:49):
going to coach people through my goal setting process and
then we're going to turn that into kind of a
business mastermind and accountability group.
Speaker 1 (21:57):
Well that sounds like a ton of fun. And I've
bet the food will be amaze.
Speaker 3 (22:00):
Yeah, it's all about the food. That's how it started.
We build the food first and everything else.
Speaker 1 (22:06):
I have the food, I need to have a reason
to bring people.
Speaker 2 (22:09):
That's right, that's right. That food came first. And and I
was like, well, what is this retreat?
Speaker 1 (22:15):
I love it? I love it absolutely so, Shierra. Where
can people find you?
Speaker 3 (22:19):
Yeah, so people can find me on my website Shiragil
dot com. I also write a substack called the Life Edit,
where I drop tips and inspiration towards living a clutter
free life every Tuesday.
Speaker 1 (22:32):
Excellent. Well Sherra, Thank you so much for joining us.
Thank you to everyone for listening. If you have feedback
about this or any other episode, you can always reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. In the meantime,
this is Laura. Thanks for listening, and here's to making
the most of our time. Thanks for listening to Before Breakfast.
(23:00):
If you've got questions, ideas, or feedback, you can reach
me at Laura at Laura vandercam dot com. Before Breakfast
is a production of iHeartMedia. For more podcasts from iHeartMedia,
please visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you
(23:22):
listen to your favorite shows.
Before Breakfast News
Host
Laura Vanderkam
Show Links
AboutPopular Podcasts
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
The Herd with Colin Cowherd
The Herd with Colin Cowherd is a thought-provoking, opinionated, and topic-driven journey through the top sports stories of the day.