In an earlier post I described myself as having put on a lot of weight, In fact my BMI confirms that I am morbidly obese. It is blindingly obvious that working towards early retirement and the change in lifestyle I desire must be linked with ensuring that I live as long and healthy a life possible. I know that I am a "stress eater" and that losing the stress of being a critical care consultant will help, but I need to reverse a significant number of bad habits.

Trying to completely change oneself overnight is doomed to fail

Perhaps this is where one of the lessons learnt from decluttering may help! in that you must not allow yourself to become outfaced by the scale of the problem but instead focus on one thing at a time. Completely solving a single issue is good for a number of reasons; Most important is that you have finished and solved that problem, each complete victory will make starting the next challenge easier and you will approach the next challenge with the expectation of a more positive outcome, and most important you will not build up a load of unfinished baggage that impairs your ability to manage.

Breaking old habits can be hard, though replacing them with better habits should, at least in theory, be easier.

The Basic Principles
1. Make a clear decision to develop a new habit, starting simple and achievable. If, for example, you intend to read for an hour a day then start by reading for fifteen minutes a day first.
2. Get a buddy (someone who can help when problems arise)
3. Action the habit regularly (ideally daily)
4. Commit to 30 days (it takes this long for the habit to become ingrained and automatic)
5. Leave notes to remind you of the course of action you have decided (post it notes on the fridge, alarms in your phone it doesn't matter simply something to give you an additional prompt.

Ok great lets start by making one change.
Currently I attend a kettlebells exercise on a weekly basis and circuit training sessions also weekly but I have dropped out over the last few weeks.

New Habit Objective to Exercise for at least 30 minutes per day. Include brisk walks, runs, exercise classes etc. M to act as my Buddy and I can feel a post it note and digital calendar campaign coming on.

Wish me luck

We have had a busy few days and I have been unable to take time off to put my fingertips to the keyboard.

Our major success over the last three days has been to massively cull our overflowing wardrobes. I don't know about you, but i definitely had clothes hanging in my wardrobe that didn't fit me, didn't go with anything else at all or frankly were never worn because I simply didn't like them. There were also a large number of unworn garment that I simply had forgotten that I owned and therefore never reached for them.

I completely emptied all my clothes onto the bed, and to be honest there were so many that some overspilt onto the floor.

I then tried each item on one at a time. I have put on a lot of weight over the last couple of years and many simply didn't fit. The best of these we bagged to take to the charity shop and worn out clothes were bagged ready for ragging at the local recycling centre. I estimate that this process reduced my clothing mountain by about two thirds.

I then spent time looking at each garment that fitted; did it suit me?, does it work with my other clothes? and not least will I actually reach for it when I'm getting dressed? If any of the questions was answered 'no' then into the charity bag it went.

My, now much refined, selection of clothes easily fits in my wardrobe and drawers. Hooray

Dog Training

Dot, our 10 week old Border Collie puppy, has now had her second vaccination and will be able to go for short walks within the next fortnight. She is an absolute bundle of energy and we are already having to work hard at keeping up. Our focus is house training her and teaching her which items are chewable and which are not. Anything above this will be a surprise bonus.



Adorable though she is, laying the groundwork of basic rules and defining her position within the pack is essential at this early stage. Failure to set boundaries will lead to a dog that is forever in trouble and cannot easily understand why. This confusion can stress the dog and make it unhappy.
We are really looking forward to seeing Dot enjoying rockpooling and the beach when we go to our cottage in Robin Hood's Bay in the next few weeks.

Tags: De-Cluttering, Puppy Training, Downsizing, Dog Days

Now that I think about it, de-cluttering was always going to take time. After all it has taken twenty one years to get this bad so reversing the process is not going to be completed in a weekend!

On a positive note our basic plan is workable and only requiring tiny modifications.

It is easier to work as a team

The psychology of this statement is based on the simple fact that it is easier to identify items to go when you have no emotional attachment to them. this observation is why all U-tube declutterrers can quickly scoot through a room removing loads of items whilst the somewhat dazzled owners are unable to explain why they keep the items, due to vague emotional ties, in front of a camera. Working as a team means that there is a higher chance that one of you will not be emotionally invested in an item and can make a detached judgment on that items future.

Honesty is the key

If you've always hated it but her mother bought it for her, you may have to be tactful but always be truthful. Keep items that you can't agree on and move on, do not play power games after all you are both going to have to give things up. Keeping items you can't agree on, avoids conflict and once the seed is sown it may lead the recipient to realise that they can live without the item after all.

The New Plan

1. Work together one room at a time.
2. Identify Items that you both agree can go. Seek easy wins to begin with.
3. For each item decide Sell, Give Away, Recycle, Rubbish.
4. Action the decision. Put the item for sale, put in charity box, sort into recycling boxes, or bag up ready to take to the tip.
5. Move onto the next item

Tags: De-Cluttering, Downsizing

To be frank, getting rid of clutter is harder than it sounds. Every item we own appears to have a sentimental attachment that needs to be considered.

A quick internet search reveals a host of blogs and websites devoted to decluttering techniques, the processes they describe range from common sense to full blown obsessive lunacy.

It is clear to us that the actual task of disposing of stuff we no longer use or need is one of our issues. Things that we don't want but still work or are in good condition fill cupboards and storage spaces of our house,

They are too good to throw away!

The Plan

Set up a disposal system

• Items for the recycling centre need sorting into boxes matching our centres set up, i.e.Metal, Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), Batteries, Glass, Plastic, Wood and Finally Landfill (hopefully the smallest amount)
• Stuff that could be sold through Gumtree, Shpock, Preloved or Ebay
• Stuff that can be given either to charity or through websites like FreelyWheely or Freeloved

Work through each room one at a time and decide keep or dispose and if dispose which of the above options to use.

Easy in theory……. Lets Do It!

Tags: De-Cluttering, Downsizing