September 7, 2025 • 22 mins
Drowning in clutter? Feeling stuck in a cycle of overwhelm? You're not alone and it's not just about having too much stuff.
Most decluttering approaches miss the crucial truth: clutter represents delayed decisions, weighing heavily on both your physical space AND mental wellbeing. When your nervous system goes into protective mode, even small organizational tasks can feel impossible, creating a paralyzing cycle that's difficult to break.
In this illuminating episode, I share my proven R.E.S.E.T method (Reclaim Space, Eliminate Clutter, Simplify Life, Elevate Mindset, and Take Action) designed specifically for those feeling overwhelmed and stuck. Unlike other decluttering frameworks, this approach acknowledges both the practical and emotional dimensions of organization.
We explore common emotional barriers like the "I might need it someday" mindset and guilt associated with inherited or sentimental items. I offer practical guidance on when to let go of items you've been trying to sell, how to preserve memories without keeping every physical object, and why setting a timer for just 10-15 minutes can create remarkable momentum.
The R.E.S.E.T method isn't about achieving a picture-perfect home. It's about creating breathing room for what matters most, transforming your relationship with your possessions and breaking free from the paralysis of overwhelm. Whether you're struggling with inherited items, children's belongings or simply too much stuff, this episode provides actionable strategies to move forward one small step at a time.
Ready to reclaim your space and mental energy? Listen now, and discover how small, intentional changes can create powerful transformation in both your home and mindset. Don't forget to subscribe.
No more access to the R.E.S.E.T Challenge - stay tuned for future rounds!
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Remember, organising is a tool to live the purposeful life beyond it.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Mel (00:18):
Welcome to Beyond Organised , a podcast that helps you
simplify your life and amplifyyour purpose.
I'm Mel Schenker life coach,speaker, founder of She's
Organised and, more importantly,a wife and mom of four little
kids.
If you've ever felt overwhelmed, like you're constantly
juggling everything but neverquite catching up, this is the
place for you.
Here we go beyond just thetidying up and creating systems.
(00:42):
We're talking about real lifestrategies that bring order to
your life, but also we talkabout the things beyond the
organising, the things thatreally matter, like your
parenting relationships and somuch more.
So grab your coffee and let'sdive in.
In today's episode, I wanted totalk about decluttering episode.
(01:03):
I wanted to talk aboutdecluttering, so these kind of
questions I get asked all thetime.
So getting on top of the homeis a really big focus for a lot
of my clients, because that is aphysical thing that they can
see as adding to their stressand their overwhelm.
So by dealing with things inthe home, they can start to
(01:25):
reclaim a little bit ofthemselves.
So I wanted to focus a bit ondecluttering, but I also wanted
to focus on the way that I goabout it.
So my method is the R.
E.
S.
E.
T method.
For me, reset stands forReclaim Space.
Eliminate Clutter, simplifyLife, elevate Mindset and take
(01:45):
action.
So I'm going to go through thattoday because ultimately,
clutter isn't just stuff, it'sdelayed decisions and there's a
lot that goes on mentally as tohow things are going physically.
So the more you have, the moreit weighs on your energy and
your focus and your mood.
(02:06):
And decluttering doesn't haveto be your massive overhauls, as
much as I like that.
It really is just making small,intentional steps that really
add up over time.
So I did create a resetchallenge that is coming up,
which I'll mention a bit more atthe end, but I wanted to touch
(02:27):
on reset and how you can applythis to where you're at today.
So the first letter is R reclaimspace.
So every item you own takes upphysical and mental space.
You want to be asking yourselfwhat's actually serving me and
(02:48):
what's just taking up room.
So we want to start simple.
Maybe start with one surface orone drawer or just one space
that you can actually see andfeel and get tangible results
quickly.
See and feel and get tangibleresults quickly.
(03:09):
That helps with building a bitof momentum and creating that
motivation that you need to keepgoing.
So a lot of people that come tome are not very motivated.
They procrastinate a lot, andit's not because they don't want
to change.
It's because they're sooverwhelmed that they are
literally paralyzed.
Their nervous system isshutting down and literally
going into some backup,protective mode, and that
(03:33):
survival mode doesn't allow forthings like decluttering and
actually getting on top of yourlife again.
So the method that I've got andthis challenge that I've
created is created specificallyfor people who are overwhelmed
and who are really stuck in thiscycle that doesn't allow for
(03:54):
growth and moving forward.
So we want to reclaim both yourphysical and mental space both
your physical and mental space.
The second one is E eliminateclutter.
Now, a big part of being ableto do that is to actually remove
what doesn't serve you.
So ask yourself and be honestdo I need this?
(04:16):
Do I use this?
Do I love this?
If you answer no to any ofthose things, well, they're
generally the simplest things toget rid of.
First, you can either donate it, recycle it, throw it away.
I like to be mindful.
I try to avoid throwing thingsaway and have it really as a
(04:36):
last resort, unless, of course,it's broken or it's rubbish and
no one else is ever going towant it anyway.
But I do get a common questionwhere people have maybe started
the decluttering process andhave put things aside to sell on
marketplace or wherever yousell things.
That can be good.
It can be good to get somemoney, but keep in mind that a
(05:00):
lot of the things that you findvalue in and the prices you
might set it for, other peopledon't value it.
So if you list things for acertain price, I would encourage
you, after even a few days andthat, to reduce the price and if
it's still there after a weekor two, you set a realistic
(05:22):
timeframe depending on the item.
But if it's still there after alittle while, then you actually
need to pull it down and donateit.
Get rid of it Because, trust me,you could still be holding onto
it a year later trying to get20 bucks for something, and it's
just not worth your space, yourtime and your energy for what
it is.
So I mean I had something whereI was trying to sell these
(05:47):
eight dining chairs and I had itlisted for maybe two years.
Yeah, ridiculous, right.
I wanted to just get rid of it,but my husband kept wanting to
get money for it because eachchair was worth like 400 bucks.
I couldn't even sell eight ofthem for 400 bucks or 200 bucks
or 100 bucks.
(06:08):
I reduced it and after a whileobviously kept coming back to it
because it was just in thegarage and every few months kept
coming back Okay, can we getrid of it now?
And it's like no, we need moneyfor it.
They're good chairs.
But after a while we ended upputting it on hard rubbish.
It got picked up, somebodywanted it and taken it, which
(06:29):
was good, because I was scaredthat it was literally going to
end up in landfill.
And they were really good,really really good chairs.
But no, somebody else picked itup and took it away, which was
great.
But you need to put a set timeframe on it and it's a lot
easier when it's just your stuff.
If it's you and your partner orsomeone else, it can be a
(06:50):
little bit harder to deal withthat.
But I would encourage both ofyou to set a proper time frame
and not just hold on to thingsbecause you think you can get
money for it, because eventhough you might have spent a
lot of money on it, you mightfeel it's worth a lot.
Other people just don't valueit the way that you do.
So getting rid of the clutterand actually reclaiming that
(07:13):
space back is so much moreimportant, and if something is
really cheap and easy to replace, then let it go, because you
know if you need it down thetrack which rarely happens by.
You know if you need it downthe track, which rarely happens,
by the way if you need it downthe track and it's easily
sourceable, then just get itthen, but save yourself the
(07:33):
space and the headaches andeverything else in the meantime.
The third one is S, and that oneis simplify life.
So systems are generally whathelps with simplifying.
I mean, I have got a 4D filterand I go through all of that.
We can hear it elsewhere, butin this case I want to talk
(07:54):
about systems that make yourlife a little bit easier.
You want to be able to have aplace for everything in your
home.
So if you have the toaster outon the bench, you're making
breakfast, all of that that whenyou're done there's a spot back
in the cupboard or drawer orhowever you have it.
There's a space for it to goback, so it doesn't need to live
on the bench because there'snowhere else for it.
(08:16):
We want to have a home foreverything.
We want to simplify in makingthe process as easy as possible
in as fewer steps as possible.
One big one that I come across alot is the washing.
Everybody hates washing.
We like clean clothes but wedon't like how we get them, and
(08:37):
a big part of the process is thesorting sorting through the
different clothes and what goeswhere and to whom, and all of
that.
And so even just eliminatingthe sorting process by washing,
in particular batches and thingslike that, can already help
simplify that process and save abit of energy, both physically
(08:57):
and mentally.
Some other examples might evenbe, you know, having a basket at
the door for the shoes, or justchucking all the kids' snacks
in one big tub and container andthey will sift through it and
sort through it.
You don't need to have eachindividual snack in different
containers and things like that.
Maybe it's having a tray foryour paper bills to go in to
collect all in one spot insteadof having it spread out
(09:19):
everywhere.
It's having systems that makethings easier for you that you
can maintain for the long term.
That will stick really.
And now the fourth one is Eelevate mindset, so decluttering
isn't just physical.
In fact, the physical side isalmost the smaller portion of it
(09:42):
.
It really is an emotional andmental challenge, probably even
more than the physical.
So it can even be like, how didit get like this in the first
place?
And sometimes it's just beingmindful.
Maybe we just aren't mindful onhow we're spending our money or
(10:03):
how we're organizing thingsaround the home, not realizing
we already had three of the samething already and we've just
bought another one.
And to do that a bit with atomato sauce, but it also could
be what does that stuff mean toyou?
So a couple of big ones that Icome across.
A lot is this fear of I mightneed it someday, which tends to
(10:25):
happen more with my parents'generation, because they grew up
with very little and now theyhave a lot really.
But that's also because they'veheld onto a lot, because they
learned not to be wasteful whenthey were little.
But it's a very different worldand a very different livelihood
now from when they were little.
(10:46):
So it's that fear of I mightneed it someday that really
holds onto what is now clutterand the things that are
important end up gettingswallowed up by all the things
that aren't.
So that can be a really toughone.
But another one is guilt.
So I see this a bit when itcomes to inheritance.
(11:06):
So maybe you've lost agrandparent or a parent or even
a child, and that one's reallytough and there's this guilt of
letting go because it wasimportant to that person or it's
really got strong emotionalties to you and reminder of what
(11:28):
you've lost really.
But there's memories kept inthese items that can be a really
, really tough one and that'ssomething when it comes to
sentimental items, I tend toleave last.
And in this particularchallenge I've got coming up.
We're not even going to touchthe sentimental stuff.
We're going to have quick andeasy stuff this time around.
(11:49):
But even with the sentimentalitems, there are ways that you
can reduce the actual items andstill hold on to the memories,
like taking photos or videos.
You can even film yourself withthat particular item, talking
through what that memory meansto you.
Even that is something you canstill pass down to your kids and
(12:12):
beyond and having that actualmemory saved for you.
So it can be about reframingyour mindset as well that
letting go is an act ofself-care and intention.
It's not failing, it's notabout not caring, it's actually
(12:34):
an intentional, purposefulprocess to really treasure and
enjoy the things that you dohave.
We're not talking about gettingrid of every single thing in
your home or everything.
That means something not at all.
It's about holding onto thethings that mean the most to you
so you can really be able toenjoy those things in the time
(12:56):
you've got with it.
So after a while going throughthis process, it can either get
easier or harder, and for me Ifound it gets easier in the fact
that I can get rid of things alot easier than I did 10 years
ago.
But in some ways there are moreemotional attachments that I
have to things now than I did 10years ago, things that I have
(13:19):
inherited, but also my childrenthat have grown up and no longer
fit in those pair of shoes oranything yeah, just all the
stuff that goes with it.
But we want to not just focuson the physical side of things
but also deal with the emotionaland mental part, because, if
anything, that is probably evena bigger reason as to why
(13:42):
there's clutter in the firstplace.
Now, the fifth one T is takeaction, don't overthink it.
Start small, start today, soyou might be waiting for these
big pockets of time, massiveoverhauls, that's great if you
can make it work, but for mostpeople life is way too busy and
(14:03):
before you realize that, monthshave disappeared and you're
still drowning in the sameclutter that you had before.
So we want to start at small atleast, and it and particularly
if overwhelm is something thatimpacts you this can help in
pushing past it enough to notadd to the overwhelm and burnout
(14:24):
, but to actually provide a bitof relief to the stress you're
carrying.
So one way you can do it is youcould set a timer and do 10 to
15 minutes.
So I like a timer to count downwhen you just want to do a
small pocket of like 10 minutesper thing, but I also like a
stopwatch when there might beparticular tasks you're putting
off because you think it takestoo long.
(14:45):
But you actually time yourselfand you realize it takes a
fraction of that time.
So you might have been puttingoff even making your bed because
you think, oh, it's going totake 15 minutes, I've got to do
this, got to do that, and youactually time yourself and it
takes you a minute and a half.
I know if you've got a lot ofcushions and a lot of pillows.
(15:07):
Maybe it takes you threeminutes, but it still won't take
you 15.
So it's good to actually getsome data around how long things
take you realistically, butalso to give yourself just a
small pocket of windows, and Iknow when I have 10 minutes to
quickly clean up and get on topof things, I can actually get a
(15:29):
lot done in 10 minutes.
It's kind of like, especiallywhen you know that someone's
about to come over and you'vegot 10 minutes to quickly clean
up, it's amazing how much youcan get done in that time.
So just treat it like that 10minutes quick.
What's the word?
Scurry funds or something likethat.
So, yeah, that's a good one.
We want to take action, andaction helps create the momentum
(15:51):
and the momentum builds on themotivation and it keeps you
going.
So I did an episode a littlewhile back talking about how
motivation is overrated, and abig part of it is because people
rely on motivation to kick infirst when it works for some
people or for some things.
But action needs to come firstand then that helps eventually
(16:12):
get to that motivation thatyou're after and just be
consistent.
It's easy to do sporadic bitshere and there, but if we can
find ways, like the systems Iwas talking about, to help us be
consistent in not justdecluttering but in being able
to maybe reduce the load that'scoming in, simplify the way that
(16:33):
we do life so we can actuallyfocus on the things that are
more important to us, then thatalso helps in the long run.
And it's not about leading aperfect life that is the envy of
everyone.
It's about just having moretime and energy and focus on the
things that are just way moreimportant than dealing with
(16:55):
stuff.
So my main takeaways that I'mhoping that you get out of this
is reclaim space, eliminateclutter, simplify life, elevate
mindset, take action.
That reset process is a goodstepping stone to getting you
moving forward in reclaimingyour home and creating that
(17:16):
peace and freedom in your home,and it's just really about
creating that breathing room forwhat matters to you.
Now I did mention before aboutthe reset challenge that I've
got coming up.
So I've got the challengestarting on September 20th that
I've got coming up.
So I've got the challengestarting on September 20th,
melbourne time of 7am, soSeptember 19th for some of you.
(17:37):
So if you're listening to thisafter the fact, that's fine.
I'll let you know how you canmaybe come across the challenge
details, but if you're yet toreach September 20 and you want
to be part of this resetchallenge, then head over to the
beyondorganizedcom slashtoolkit and I'll have the
details in there for you.
(17:57):
And I want to encourage youthat if you've been feeling
overwhelmed and stretched inevery possible way and the
thought of doing a declutterchallenge is just overwhelming
even more, then I encourage youto actually check this out,
because this is what isdifferent to all the other
(18:17):
challenges out there.
I have created somethingspecifically for those that are
literally having the nervousbreakdown, having the burnout,
can't move because of taskparalysis and all that kind of
stuff.
I have created this for you.
I know what it's like to be youand I don't rely on motivation
(18:38):
or how I feel anymore.
I just get on with it.
I just do it, and so I want topass a lot of that knowledge and
experience onto you as well andhelp you move forward, even if
it's just a tiny bit.
So just to give you a little bitmore information, with this
Reset Challenge we do have itgoing over six weeks.
They're live coaching sessions,but you can have access to the
(19:01):
recordings as well.
You get all the workbooks andcheat sheets and you get a group
support chat and there's awhole lot of stuff in there and
I encourage you to check it out.
But with this challenge itreally meets you where you're at
.
You don't have to try and dothese big overhauls and big wins
.
You just have to take even onestep forward and that's going to
(19:25):
be better than where you arenow.
The price is ridiculously goodand it probably won't be this
cheap again because this is abeta round.
It is the first time doing itand I would love to get your
feedback for future rounds aswell on it.
But with this it's only $97 andyou will get access to all the
(19:45):
coaching and everything I justmentioned for the six weeks,
plus the group support anddirect support from me.
I'm going to be very active inthere.
People are going to have theirpersonalized goals, personalized
challenges, and I'm going to beable to help with as much as I
possibly can in that six-weekperiod.
So I do encourage you to joinif you are part of the she's
(20:07):
Organized Hub Now I have talkedabout it a lot before and the
details are in the descriptionbut if you are part of the she's
Organized Hub and that's prettycheap monthly at the moment as
well.
You get access to this for $47,not $97.
So if you aren't in the hubalready and you want to get this
for $50 off, then head over tothe she's Organized hub Again,
(20:32):
the link is in the descriptionand you can actually join there
and then sign up through thechallenge, through the hub there
, and get it at the discountedrate.
Plus, you get everything elsethat's inside the hub all the
group coaching and the previousrecordings and trainings and
everything.
You get access to everything inthere as well.
So it's a really good deal.
(20:52):
But I want to encourage you thateven if you feel like, oh,
now's not a good time, then whenis when is going to be a good
time for you?
Because three months from now,even 12 months from now, things
can be looking really differentto how they are today.
And if that means that you getto move forward, even if you're
(21:13):
just dealing with a whole lot ofmental load and you don't even
get through as much physically,that is still a massive win and
I really want that win for you.
So reach out.
If you've got any questions, youcan actually send me a text
message.
The link is in the descriptionthere and I'm happy to respond.
If you've got specificquestions on the R.
E.
S.
E.
T Challenge or anything that Italked about today, I'd love to
(21:35):
be able to help you with thatand I look forward to seeing you
on this challenge startingSeptember 20, 2025.
If you loved this episode,don't forget to hit subscribe so
you don't miss what's comingnext.
And if you want to continue theconversation, you can connect
with me on Instagram at @shes.
organised, or, for some freeresources, head over to
(21:56):
beyondorganised.
com/ toolkit.
Remember, organising is a toolto live the purposeful life
beyond it.
See you next time.
Welcome to Beyond Organised , a podcast that helps you
simplify your life and amplifyyour purpose.
I'm Mel Schenker life coach,speaker, founder of She's
Organised and, more importantly,a wife and mom of four little
kids.
If you've ever felt overwhelmed, like you're constantly
juggling everything but neverquite catching up, this is the
place for you.
Here we go beyond just thetidying up and creating systems.
(00:42):
We're talking about real lifestrategies that bring order to
your life, but also we talkabout the things beyond the
organising, the things thatreally matter, like your
parenting relationships and somuch more.
So grab your coffee and let'sdive in.
In today's episode, I wanted totalk about decluttering episode.
(01:03):
I wanted to talk aboutdecluttering, so these kind of
questions I get asked all thetime.
So getting on top of the homeis a really big focus for a lot
of my clients, because that is aphysical thing that they can
see as adding to their stressand their overwhelm.
So by dealing with things inthe home, they can start to
(01:25):
reclaim a little bit ofthemselves.
So I wanted to focus a bit ondecluttering, but I also wanted
to focus on the way that I goabout it.
So my method is the R.
E.
S.
E.
T method.
For me, reset stands forReclaim Space.
Eliminate Clutter, simplifyLife, elevate Mindset and take
(01:45):
action.
So I'm going to go through thattoday because ultimately,
clutter isn't just stuff, it'sdelayed decisions and there's a
lot that goes on mentally as tohow things are going physically.
So the more you have, the moreit weighs on your energy and
your focus and your mood.
(02:06):
And decluttering doesn't haveto be your massive overhauls, as
much as I like that.
It really is just making small,intentional steps that really
add up over time.
So I did create a resetchallenge that is coming up,
which I'll mention a bit more atthe end, but I wanted to touch
(02:27):
on reset and how you can applythis to where you're at today.
So the first letter is R reclaimspace.
So every item you own takes upphysical and mental space.
You want to be asking yourselfwhat's actually serving me and
(02:48):
what's just taking up room.
So we want to start simple.
Maybe start with one surface orone drawer or just one space
that you can actually see andfeel and get tangible results
quickly.
See and feel and get tangibleresults quickly.
(03:09):
That helps with building a bitof momentum and creating that
motivation that you need to keepgoing.
So a lot of people that come tome are not very motivated.
They procrastinate a lot, andit's not because they don't want
to change.
It's because they're sooverwhelmed that they are
literally paralyzed.
Their nervous system isshutting down and literally
going into some backup,protective mode, and that
(03:33):
survival mode doesn't allow forthings like decluttering and
actually getting on top of yourlife again.
So the method that I've got andthis challenge that I've
created is created specificallyfor people who are overwhelmed
and who are really stuck in thiscycle that doesn't allow for
(03:54):
growth and moving forward.
So we want to reclaim both yourphysical and mental space both
your physical and mental space.
The second one is E eliminateclutter.
Now, a big part of being ableto do that is to actually remove
what doesn't serve you.
So ask yourself and be honestdo I need this?
(04:16):
Do I use this?
Do I love this?
If you answer no to any ofthose things, well, they're
generally the simplest things toget rid of.
First, you can either donate it, recycle it, throw it away.
I like to be mindful.
I try to avoid throwing thingsaway and have it really as a
(04:36):
last resort, unless, of course,it's broken or it's rubbish and
no one else is ever going towant it anyway.
But I do get a common questionwhere people have maybe started
the decluttering process andhave put things aside to sell on
marketplace or wherever yousell things.
That can be good.
It can be good to get somemoney, but keep in mind that a
(05:00):
lot of the things that you findvalue in and the prices you
might set it for, other peopledon't value it.
So if you list things for acertain price, I would encourage
you, after even a few days andthat, to reduce the price and if
it's still there after a weekor two, you set a realistic
(05:22):
timeframe depending on the item.
But if it's still there after alittle while, then you actually
need to pull it down and donateit.
Get rid of it Because, trust me,you could still be holding onto
it a year later trying to get20 bucks for something, and it's
just not worth your space, yourtime and your energy for what
it is.
So I mean I had something whereI was trying to sell these
(05:47):
eight dining chairs and I had itlisted for maybe two years.
Yeah, ridiculous, right.
I wanted to just get rid of it,but my husband kept wanting to
get money for it because eachchair was worth like 400 bucks.
I couldn't even sell eight ofthem for 400 bucks or 200 bucks
or 100 bucks.
(06:08):
I reduced it and after a whileobviously kept coming back to it
because it was just in thegarage and every few months kept
coming back Okay, can we getrid of it now?
And it's like no, we need moneyfor it.
They're good chairs.
But after a while we ended upputting it on hard rubbish.
It got picked up, somebodywanted it and taken it, which
(06:29):
was good, because I was scaredthat it was literally going to
end up in landfill.
And they were really good,really really good chairs.
But no, somebody else picked itup and took it away, which was
great.
But you need to put a set timeframe on it and it's a lot
easier when it's just your stuff.
If it's you and your partner orsomeone else, it can be a
(06:50):
little bit harder to deal withthat.
But I would encourage both ofyou to set a proper time frame
and not just hold on to thingsbecause you think you can get
money for it, because eventhough you might have spent a
lot of money on it, you mightfeel it's worth a lot.
Other people just don't valueit the way that you do.
So getting rid of the clutterand actually reclaiming that
(07:13):
space back is so much moreimportant, and if something is
really cheap and easy to replace, then let it go, because you
know if you need it down thetrack which rarely happens by.
You know if you need it downthe track, which rarely happens,
by the way if you need it downthe track and it's easily
sourceable, then just get itthen, but save yourself the
(07:33):
space and the headaches andeverything else in the meantime.
The third one is S, and that oneis simplify life.
So systems are generally whathelps with simplifying.
I mean, I have got a 4D filterand I go through all of that.
We can hear it elsewhere, butin this case I want to talk
(07:54):
about systems that make yourlife a little bit easier.
You want to be able to have aplace for everything in your
home.
So if you have the toaster outon the bench, you're making
breakfast, all of that that whenyou're done there's a spot back
in the cupboard or drawer orhowever you have it.
There's a space for it to goback, so it doesn't need to live
on the bench because there'snowhere else for it.
(08:16):
We want to have a home foreverything.
We want to simplify in makingthe process as easy as possible
in as fewer steps as possible.
One big one that I come across alot is the washing.
Everybody hates washing.
We like clean clothes but wedon't like how we get them, and
(08:37):
a big part of the process is thesorting sorting through the
different clothes and what goeswhere and to whom, and all of
that.
And so even just eliminatingthe sorting process by washing,
in particular batches and thingslike that, can already help
simplify that process and save abit of energy, both physically
(08:57):
and mentally.
Some other examples might evenbe, you know, having a basket at
the door for the shoes, or justchucking all the kids' snacks
in one big tub and container andthey will sift through it and
sort through it.
You don't need to have eachindividual snack in different
containers and things like that.
Maybe it's having a tray foryour paper bills to go in to
collect all in one spot insteadof having it spread out
(09:19):
everywhere.
It's having systems that makethings easier for you that you
can maintain for the long term.
That will stick really.
And now the fourth one is Eelevate mindset, so decluttering
isn't just physical.
In fact, the physical side isalmost the smaller portion of it
(09:42):
.
It really is an emotional andmental challenge, probably even
more than the physical.
So it can even be like, how didit get like this in the first
place?
And sometimes it's just beingmindful.
Maybe we just aren't mindful onhow we're spending our money or
(10:03):
how we're organizing thingsaround the home, not realizing
we already had three of the samething already and we've just
bought another one.
And to do that a bit with atomato sauce, but it also could
be what does that stuff mean toyou?
So a couple of big ones that Icome across.
A lot is this fear of I mightneed it someday, which tends to
(10:25):
happen more with my parents'generation, because they grew up
with very little and now theyhave a lot really.
But that's also because they'veheld onto a lot, because they
learned not to be wasteful whenthey were little.
But it's a very different worldand a very different livelihood
now from when they were little.
(10:46):
So it's that fear of I mightneed it someday that really
holds onto what is now clutterand the things that are
important end up gettingswallowed up by all the things
that aren't.
So that can be a really toughone.
But another one is guilt.
So I see this a bit when itcomes to inheritance.
(11:06):
So maybe you've lost agrandparent or a parent or even
a child, and that one's reallytough and there's this guilt of
letting go because it wasimportant to that person or it's
really got strong emotionalties to you and reminder of what
(11:28):
you've lost really.
But there's memories kept inthese items that can be a really
, really tough one and that'ssomething when it comes to
sentimental items, I tend toleave last.
And in this particularchallenge I've got coming up.
We're not even going to touchthe sentimental stuff.
We're going to have quick andeasy stuff this time around.
(11:49):
But even with the sentimentalitems, there are ways that you
can reduce the actual items andstill hold on to the memories,
like taking photos or videos.
You can even film yourself withthat particular item, talking
through what that memory meansto you.
Even that is something you canstill pass down to your kids and
(12:12):
beyond and having that actualmemory saved for you.
So it can be about reframingyour mindset as well that
letting go is an act ofself-care and intention.
It's not failing, it's notabout not caring, it's actually
(12:34):
an intentional, purposefulprocess to really treasure and
enjoy the things that you dohave.
We're not talking about gettingrid of every single thing in
your home or everything.
That means something not at all.
It's about holding onto thethings that mean the most to you
so you can really be able toenjoy those things in the time
(12:56):
you've got with it.
So after a while going throughthis process, it can either get
easier or harder, and for me Ifound it gets easier in the fact
that I can get rid of things alot easier than I did 10 years
ago.
But in some ways there are moreemotional attachments that I
have to things now than I did 10years ago, things that I have
(13:19):
inherited, but also my childrenthat have grown up and no longer
fit in those pair of shoes oranything yeah, just all the
stuff that goes with it.
But we want to not just focuson the physical side of things
but also deal with the emotionaland mental part, because, if
anything, that is probably evena bigger reason as to why
(13:42):
there's clutter in the firstplace.
Now, the fifth one T is takeaction, don't overthink it.
Start small, start today, soyou might be waiting for these
big pockets of time, massiveoverhauls, that's great if you
can make it work, but for mostpeople life is way too busy and
(14:03):
before you realize that, monthshave disappeared and you're
still drowning in the sameclutter that you had before.
So we want to start at small atleast, and it and particularly
if overwhelm is something thatimpacts you this can help in
pushing past it enough to notadd to the overwhelm and burnout
(14:24):
, but to actually provide a bitof relief to the stress you're
carrying.
So one way you can do it is youcould set a timer and do 10 to
15 minutes.
So I like a timer to count downwhen you just want to do a
small pocket of like 10 minutesper thing, but I also like a
stopwatch when there might beparticular tasks you're putting
off because you think it takestoo long.
(14:45):
But you actually time yourselfand you realize it takes a
fraction of that time.
So you might have been puttingoff even making your bed because
you think, oh, it's going totake 15 minutes, I've got to do
this, got to do that, and youactually time yourself and it
takes you a minute and a half.
I know if you've got a lot ofcushions and a lot of pillows.
(15:07):
Maybe it takes you threeminutes, but it still won't take
you 15.
So it's good to actually getsome data around how long things
take you realistically, butalso to give yourself just a
small pocket of windows, and Iknow when I have 10 minutes to
quickly clean up and get on topof things, I can actually get a
(15:29):
lot done in 10 minutes.
It's kind of like, especiallywhen you know that someone's
about to come over and you'vegot 10 minutes to quickly clean
up, it's amazing how much youcan get done in that time.
So just treat it like that 10minutes quick.
What's the word?
Scurry funds or something likethat.
So, yeah, that's a good one.
We want to take action, andaction helps create the momentum
(15:51):
and the momentum builds on themotivation and it keeps you
going.
So I did an episode a littlewhile back talking about how
motivation is overrated, and abig part of it is because people
rely on motivation to kick infirst when it works for some
people or for some things.
But action needs to come firstand then that helps eventually
(16:12):
get to that motivation thatyou're after and just be
consistent.
It's easy to do sporadic bitshere and there, but if we can
find ways, like the systems Iwas talking about, to help us be
consistent in not justdecluttering but in being able
to maybe reduce the load that'scoming in, simplify the way that
(16:33):
we do life so we can actuallyfocus on the things that are
more important to us, then thatalso helps in the long run.
And it's not about leading aperfect life that is the envy of
everyone.
It's about just having moretime and energy and focus on the
things that are just way moreimportant than dealing with
(16:55):
stuff.
So my main takeaways that I'mhoping that you get out of this
is reclaim space, eliminateclutter, simplify life, elevate
mindset, take action.
That reset process is a goodstepping stone to getting you
moving forward in reclaimingyour home and creating that
(17:16):
peace and freedom in your home,and it's just really about
creating that breathing room forwhat matters to you.
Now I did mention before aboutthe reset challenge that I've
got coming up.
So I've got the challengestarting on September 20th that
I've got coming up.
So I've got the challengestarting on September 20th,
melbourne time of 7am, soSeptember 19th for some of you.
(17:37):
So if you're listening to thisafter the fact, that's fine.
I'll let you know how you canmaybe come across the challenge
details, but if you're yet toreach September 20 and you want
to be part of this resetchallenge, then head over to the
beyondorganizedcom slashtoolkit and I'll have the
details in there for you.
(17:57):
And I want to encourage youthat if you've been feeling
overwhelmed and stretched inevery possible way and the
thought of doing a declutterchallenge is just overwhelming
even more, then I encourage youto actually check this out,
because this is what isdifferent to all the other
(18:17):
challenges out there.
I have created somethingspecifically for those that are
literally having the nervousbreakdown, having the burnout,
can't move because of taskparalysis and all that kind of
stuff.
I have created this for you.
I know what it's like to be youand I don't rely on motivation
(18:38):
or how I feel anymore.
I just get on with it.
I just do it, and so I want topass a lot of that knowledge and
experience onto you as well andhelp you move forward, even if
it's just a tiny bit.
So just to give you a little bitmore information, with this
Reset Challenge we do have itgoing over six weeks.
They're live coaching sessions,but you can have access to the
(19:01):
recordings as well.
You get all the workbooks andcheat sheets and you get a group
support chat and there's awhole lot of stuff in there and
I encourage you to check it out.
But with this challenge itreally meets you where you're at
.
You don't have to try and dothese big overhauls and big wins
.
You just have to take even onestep forward and that's going to
(19:25):
be better than where you arenow.
The price is ridiculously goodand it probably won't be this
cheap again because this is abeta round.
It is the first time doing itand I would love to get your
feedback for future rounds aswell on it.
But with this it's only $97 andyou will get access to all the
(19:45):
coaching and everything I justmentioned for the six weeks,
plus the group support anddirect support from me.
I'm going to be very active inthere.
People are going to have theirpersonalized goals, personalized
challenges, and I'm going to beable to help with as much as I
possibly can in that six-weekperiod.
So I do encourage you to joinif you are part of the she's
(20:07):
Organized Hub Now I have talkedabout it a lot before and the
details are in the descriptionbut if you are part of the she's
Organized Hub and that's prettycheap monthly at the moment as
well.
You get access to this for $47,not $97.
So if you aren't in the hubalready and you want to get this
for $50 off, then head over tothe she's Organized hub Again,
(20:32):
the link is in the descriptionand you can actually join there
and then sign up through thechallenge, through the hub there
, and get it at the discountedrate.
Plus, you get everything elsethat's inside the hub all the
group coaching and the previousrecordings and trainings and
everything.
You get access to everything inthere as well.
So it's a really good deal.
(20:52):
But I want to encourage you thateven if you feel like, oh,
now's not a good time, then whenis when is going to be a good
time for you?
Because three months from now,even 12 months from now, things
can be looking really differentto how they are today.
And if that means that you getto move forward, even if you're
(21:13):
just dealing with a whole lot ofmental load and you don't even
get through as much physically,that is still a massive win and
I really want that win for you.
So reach out.
If you've got any questions, youcan actually send me a text
message.
The link is in the descriptionthere and I'm happy to respond.
If you've got specificquestions on the R.
E.
S.
E.
T Challenge or anything that Italked about today, I'd love to
(21:35):
be able to help you with thatand I look forward to seeing you
on this challenge startingSeptember 20, 2025.
If you loved this episode,don't forget to hit subscribe so
you don't miss what's comingnext.
And if you want to continue theconversation, you can connect
with me on Instagram at @shes.
organised, or, for some freeresources, head over to
(21:56):
beyondorganised.
com/ toolkit.
Remember, organising is a toolto live the purposeful life
beyond it.
See you next time.
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