I recently had the opportunity to go to my first Pilates class at Every Body Pilates in West Reading and I loved it! It’s been a goal of mine for a long time to engage in weight-bearing exercises. When a client indicates that they are setting a goal to live and eat healthier, we organize and unclutter their homes to support that goal. Here are five ways to do just that:
1. Kitchen
Throw out expired food and donate unexpired food that no longer fits into eating well.
Keep the food and tools needed for a healthier lifestyle easily accessible: smoothie blender on the counter, healthier snacks within reach, and a grocery list/menu planner on the fridge to shop for plant-based, real food.
2. Medications and supplements
Go through medications and supplements to look for expirations; keep current medications and supplements front and center in one place on a tray or in a basket.
Take expired medicines to local police stations.
3. Reorganize a room
Walk through your home with a visitor’s eye and see where you can set up exercise equipment you’ll really use (I reorganized my office for a yoga mat).
Think outside the box: dining rooms aren’t just for dining and guest rooms that are empty 99 percent of the time can be used for more daily pursuits.
4. Paper/Mail/Bills
Sticking with a goal means you’ll need to organize the biggest culprit of clutter and disorganization: paper.
Set up a mail sort area that includes a trash can, recycle bin and shred bin. Put all bills and to-do items in one area.
Recycle junk mail, magazines and newspaper regularly and remove the clutter so you can concentrate on your goals.
Go to thecluttercrew.com for tips.
5. Clothing
Let go of the clothing that doesn’t make you feel good: that includes the “fat and skinny” clothing you keep “just in case.”
Keep your fitness clothing front and center and buy a few new pieces to encourage yourself.
Keeping old clothing from the past keeps you in the past.
Changing a few key things in your home can support you and your family’s goals to live a healthier and more clutter-free life. Finally, don’t forget that saying “yes” to your goals may mean saying “no” to others. Guard your personal time with your life.
“If you want to live a happy life tie it to a goal, not to people or objects.” — Albert Einstein
Vali G. Heist, M.Ed. is a Certified Professional Organizer® and Owner of The Clutter Crew. She is the author of Organize This! Practical Tips, Green Ideas, and Ruminations about your CRAP.
