THE ANTICRASTINATION TIP SHEET
From Rita Emmett
Author of THE PROCRASTINATOR’S HANDBOOK
THE CLUTTER-BUSTING HANDBOOK and
MANAGE YOUR TIME TO REDUCE YOUR STRESS:
A Handbook for the Overworked, Overscheduled,
and Overwhelmed
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Quotes for October Many times the reading of a book has made the future of a person.
--- Ralph Waldo Emerson
Humans alone of all the creatures on earth can change their own patterns.
Man alone is the architect of his destiny.
--- William James
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October Message from Rita WHEN YOU LIVE WITH A PACK RAT
Some of you are already clutter-busters, but you live with a Pack Rat or
two (as do I – Bruce is the King of Klutter.) Recently, I received a short
email – 3 lines long from a guy in that situation. He wrote:
I am desperate
How can I get my wife to throw away stuff?
Thank you
Here is my reply to him – I’ve changed his name to protect the innocent.
Hi Bob,
You sound desperate. First of all, I'm proud of you for asking how to get
HER to throw her stuff out. Because if YOU decided to throw it out, it doesn't
work. She'll never forgive you and if she's not part of the clutter busting,
then in 18 months, she'll accumulate a whole bunch of new clutter anyway.
Next: do you have a copy of my book,
The Clutter-Busting
Handbook?
If you can't get her to read it, offer to read it TO her (make it fun)
Next, realize she cannot just throw out her beloved clutter. Help her find
a person or organization who will LOVE and cherish her stuff as much as
she does. So that way, if she's holding a jacket she hasn't worn in a year,
she can think "Somebody at the homeless shelter will really love to wear
this" and she can say good-bye to it with joy in her heart instead of tears.
Next, I've attached a list of 21 clutter busting tips. (
Click
Here)
Maybe she might be willing to do ONE tip, and then maybe another one. It
took a while for all her clutter to accumulate, so it will take a while
to get rid of it. One day at a time.
Next, see if you can talk her into trying to clutter bust just one small
area, and if she can't put any time into it, then every day, WITH HER just
process 5 pieces of clutter. By process, I mean put it where it belongs,
or make a place for it to belong and put it there, or best of all, get rid
of it.
One last way you can help her. When she DOES do some clutter busting, you
offer to take the stuff she is donating or tossing and deliver it to wherever
she selects. Otherwise, it will set in the corner or the car trunk and eventually
she will bring it all back into her space.
Nagging or fighting with her won't help. Give her loving support because
it is really hard for her to get rid of her stuff. Celebrate and reward
her for every little victory. And encourage her to NOT try to clutter-bust
the whole house -- just one small area. Not the whole kitchen -- just one
section of the counter top. Not a whole closet -- just one shelf. Not the
whole car -- just the front seat. Get it? Good luck.
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WANT TO BREAK THE CLUTTER HABIT? Like to read? We’ve got The
The Clutter-Busting Handbook
Like to listen to CDs? We've got a 1 hour interview with Rita called
“
Conquer
Your Clutter”
OR
an in-depth 4-CD set of interviews covering tons of info on clutter – "
Vaporize
Clutter" General, Sentimental, Paper and Stealth Clutter (You know –
that stuff that creeps back in 5 minutes after you’ve de-cluttered)
Like to watch DVDs?
The Clutter Busting DVD of Rita giving a talk at a library is the kind
of thing you’ll want to watch again & again, and if you have kids, they
might even get hooked watching it.
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WANT TO MEET RITA IN PERSON?
IBAM at IAHC: What does THAT mean?
Irish Books, Art & Music at the Irish American Heritage Center
4626 North Knox Ave, Chicago, IL
phone: 773-282-7035 for directions or further information.
If you live in the Chicago area Rita, along with many other authors, will
be signing books there on
Sat, Oct. 31 at 11am till 4pm
Sun, Nov. 1 at 11am till 4pm, and
giving a talk on “
Want to Break the Clutter Habit” at noon on Sunday.
Her pal Malachy McCourt (who tells a charming story on page 96 of Rita’s
book
Manage Your Time to Reduce Your Stress: A Handbook for the Overworked, Overscheduled,
and Overwhelmed) gives a talk on Saturday at 4:15
You’ll be able to spot Rita – she’ll be wearing a witch’s hat…. that is
musical… and – um – animated… and weird. She thinks it is wonderful. We
tried to talk her out of it, but she loves the goofy thing. Rita tells all
about it on
YouTube. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
WANT TO LISTEN TO RITA?
SAY GOOD-BY TO SENTIMENTAL CLUTTER (90 minutes) Rita will be interviewed by Stephanie Calahan
October 14
7:00 pm CST till 8
You can listen by telephone OR computer, if you cannot make it that day
& time, you can listen by computer later.
To Register:
Click Here ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Please share this Tip Sheet with 2 or 3 friends who would be interested.
And feel free to use this message in your blog or newsletter, as long as
you include my bio and contact info:
