It was recorded during a time when all the ads on Facebook and Instagram were talking about living in a mess was because of trauma — and honestly it pissed me off. This is still what people think…

If we have a  REASON why we can’t change, then we stay stuck. How can we achieve something different if the reason still exists?

We are not stuck until trauma is resolved. How sad would that be? The trauma of our past will always be there. But the mess does not have to be.

We can do whatever we desire, what we need, and what we want. Nothing from our past has the power to stop us. We can  decide to choose ourselves.

In this video I talk about why I don’t believe trauma is the reason for clutter, and what actually makes the difference when it comes to changing your home and life.

Many people who struggle with clutter have spent years thinking something is wrong with them. They believe they are lazy, broken, or incapable of change.

I don’t believe that either. In fact I can say that t is not true.

The real issue is much simpler. We were never taught a system that actually works for the way we think and live. We simply don’t know how.

In the video I also talk about habits that quietly keep us stuck — things like saying yes to everyone, stopping what we’re doing every time someone calls, and living without a clear plan for the day.

One small change, like learning to check your calendar before committing to something, can completely change the pressure and chaos in life.

This video has very few views on YouTube right now, but it is such a needed message.

I hope you’ll watch it and leave a comment — here and on YouTube. I really want to hear what you think.

With LOVE!
The tidy Tutor
Kathy
PS

f you’d like access to some free resources, you can join my free Tidy Tutor community here:
https://www.skool.com/tidy-tutor-free-resources-6150/about

That space is where I keep free resources and it’s also where people access classes they’ve purchased.

If you want deeper help, live sessions, and a group working through this together, you can learn about the Inner Circle here: https://www.skool.com/thetidytutor/about

Inside the Inner Circle you’ll also get The Tidy Tutor Masterclass, which normally sells for $497 on its own, and is INCLUDED with the community.

I’d love to see you there.

The post Could Trauma Be Stopping You From Living an Organized Life? appeared first on The Tidy Tutor.

Declutter With Me: A Real Closet Demonstration

Today I want to walk you through a real decluttering session.

This is not staged.
This is not perfect.
This is exactly what it looks like.

I decluttered a closet at my girlfriend’s house, and I want you to see the process in action because this is where things really click.

Before we jump in, I want to share two things I use now that I didn’t use back then.

1. The “I Don’t Know What To Do With It” Box

This is a game changer.

Instead of standing there, overthinking, second guessing, and getting stuck, you just put it in the box.

Done.

Then when you’re finished, put a lid on it, write “I don’t know what to do with it” on it, and put a reminder in your calendar for four weeks from now.

Also write down where you put it so you can find it again.

When you go back to it, you’ll likely get rid of half or more because you didn’t need it.

That one simple step keeps you moving.

2. The “Put Away in This Room” Box

If something belongs in the room you’re working in, but you can’t get to where it goes, don’t stop.

Don’t rearrange.
Don’t start organizing.

Just put it in a box for that room.

You’ll take care of it at the end.

This keeps you from getting completely sidetracked.

The Process

You set a timer.

15 minutes
30 minutes
or 1 hour

Then you work.

You pick up one item at a time and decide:

• Do I love it?
• Do I need it?
• Does it belong in another room?
• Is it garbage?
• Is it giveaway?

That’s it.

No overthinking.
No organizing.
No deep decisions.

Just movement.

Your Anti-Sidetracking Setup

Have containers ready:

• Garbage
• Give Away
• Put Away (another room)
• Storage
• Papers
• Shoebox (small important items)

This is what keeps everything under control.

You are not walking all over the house.
You are not starting new projects.
You are staying right where you are.

A Few Important Rules

Do not organize while you declutter.
If something is obvious and easy, fine. But this is about removing what doesn’t belong.

Do not go through papers.
Put them in a box, label where you found them, and deal with them later.

Do not leave the room.
That’s how it all falls apart.

What Happens at the End

When the timer goes off, you disperse everything.

• Put away items go where they belong
• Garbage goes out
• Give away items go out of the house
• Storage gets a lid and gets put away

Then you’re done.

And here’s the part I want you to hear:

This closet took about 30 minutes.
With talking.
With interruptions.

For you, it could be 15 minutes.

One Last Thing

Have a pad and pen with you.

When you notice you need something, write it down.

• Hooks
• Containers
• Supplies

Do not stop to go get it.
Just write it down and keep going.

Want Help With This?

• Tracking sheets
• Direction on where to start to declutter
• A mini decluttering planner
• A list of the supplies you’ll need

You don’t have to figure this out alone.

With Love,
Kathy
The Tidy Tutor

The post Declutter A Closet With Me: (Without Getting Sidetracked) appeared first on The Tidy Tutor.

The post When the System Doesn’t Fit Who You Are appeared first on The Tidy Tutor.

Here is a lie many of us have believed for years:

“I’m lazy.”
“I’m just messy.”
“There’s something wrong with me.”

But that’s not true.

Being organized is not a personality trait. It’s not a moral issue. It’s not proof that you’re disciplined or undisciplined.

It’s a learned skill.

No one expects you to speak Italian unless you’ve studied it. And yet we expect ourselves to “just know” how to run an organized home.

Pam and Peggy, authors of Sidetracked Home Executives, called us SLOBs — and they coined the phrase: spontaneous, light-hearted, optimistic, and beloved. That’s not an insult. That’s wiring.

Some people are born system-driven. List-oriented. Sequential thinkers.

Others are attention-diverse and happiness-driven — my version of ADHD. Same thing, different description.

That doesn’t make us broken. We just think differently.

It simply means we need the when, the what, and the how.

And here’s the hard truth:

We are not a mess because of our circumstances.
We are a mess because of our habits.

There is no excuse for a mess. That might sound harsh — but when you understand it, you’ll see how freeing it is to abandon the excuses.

If habits are the problem… habits can be changed.

It takes no more time to throw a wrapper in the trash than to leave it on the counter.
It takes seconds to rinse a mug.

The ADHD community says we have “time blindness.” I’ve been saying for years that we have a warped perception of time — which is just another way of saying it.

So I developed something called Counting Mississippis. It helps us see how much time actually is going by, and we teach ourselves that we can take the time — and that things don’t take as long as we think they do.

What steals our peace is unawareness and tiny, repeated neglect.

And the opposite is also true.

Tiny, repeated actions build order.

I give the example of someone bedridden and crippled due to a car accident, and someone with cancer and two small children at home with a husband who worked full time and went to school at night.

In both cases, the house was not a mess — not because life wasn’t hard, but because systems were in place and good habits had already been formed. The homes remained neat and clutter-free.

We’re not lazy.
We’re not broken.
We’re not unmotivated.

We just need to learn.

Let me know what you think of this video. And if you want more help, check out my Skool Community.
CLICK HERE or on the link to find out more. https://www.skool.com/thetidytutor/about

The post The lie we believe and what the truth really is! appeared first on The Tidy Tutor.

It’s how to declutter clothes.

I’m pretty minimalist. My drawers and closets were not packed. Then my niece gave me a bunch of her clothes—really nice things—and suddenly I went from very little to a full closet and full drawers, not overstuffed, but way more than I had before..I kept what I thought I would wear.

A few days after I had gotten these clothes I had a women’s tea at church. It was a very nice place. Not wedding fancy, but definitely fancy. So I grabbed something from the new clothes I got from my niece and put it on… and immediately said, “Nope. I’m not going out in this.”

And that’s when it hit me. That’s how we declutter clothes.

Actually put things on as if you’re going out in it. If you’re not going to wear it out—it goes. This works for anything every day, even pajamas, If you close not to wear it, ask yourself why? Will you ever wear it?

I know it sounds obvious. But it’s different when you actually do it.

We keep so many clothes we never wear. We tell ourselves we’ll wear them at home, or they’re comfortable, or they were expensive so we have to keep it.

Regarding “Throw on clothes.” what we put on affects how we feel—and how we feel affects how behave. So throw on clothes is an easy toss when you decide that you matter. The other things, use this ‘hack’ it really works.

If things don’t fit us they should go, like if you lost 100 lbs, let those those go! But there are exceptions. I have one box of clothes that don’t fit anymore.  It doesn’t clutter my space, and it doesn’t make me feel bad. If that box ever becomes a problem, I’ll get rid of it.

What doesn’t work is keeping piles of “maybe someday” clothes in your everyday space. We don’t want to live that way. That kind of life style bleeds into every area of life.

Here’s another simple way to do this:
Every day, reach for something you never wear. If you put it on and immediately think, “I’m not wearing this,” that’s your answer.

If you don’t want to try things on, ask yourself honestly: Would I put this on to go out today?

Yes → keep it
Not sure but I like it → keep it, turn it inside out and put it away.
No → it goes

For the things you absolutely know you’ll never wear but can’t let go of, put them in a box labeled Not Sure Clothes. Put a reminder in your calendar for four weeks from now and visit that box on that date. Make sure you make a note of where you placed it. When you open that box, most of it will go— what you’re still not sure of keep in the box and get another 4 weeks in the calendar to check on again.

This whole realization came from actually putting clothes on and looking in the mirror to head out in—not from decluttering, and it really helped me see how we can just decide. I have some pajamas I’m going to let go of because of this. I never wear them. Every day I’ll choose one of those pjs I never put on, and if I won’t I know they’re gone.

If you wouldn’t go out in it, don’t keep it.

Let me know what you thought of this video!
WIth Love,
Kathy
PS
If you’d like to join my free Skool community, here’s the link.
You’ll also be able to join a live meeting with me once a month.
👉 https://www.skool.com/tidy-tutor-free…

If you’d like more support, you’re welcome to join my Skool community starting at only $7.
CLICK THE LINK to find out more.
👉 https://www.skool.com/thetidytutor/about

The post How to Declutter Clothes Without Overthinking It appeared first on The Tidy Tutor.

If you started the year with good intentions and things already feel off, behind, or messy, I want you to know this… It’s normal. Nothing is wrong.

January has a way of making people feel like they missed the boat.
But the truth is, you didn’t. There is no boat to miss. And even if you’re reading this in March… or June… you’re not behind.
You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

A New Way I’m Supporting You

What I want to share with you isn’t about changing what I teach.
It’s about where and how I’m supporting you.

I’ve restarted how I’m showing up by creating a simple, focused home base, a place where everything lives together so you’re not trying to piece things together across YouTube, emails, and random notes.

It’s a place where we can talk, plan, declutter, meet live, and actually do things together.

It’s simple. It’s organized. And it keeps everything in one place.

Two Spaces — Because People Need/Want Different Things

There are two spaces inside the community, because people need and want different levels of support.

The Free Group

Inside the free group, you’ll find resources that aren’t available on YouTube.

There’s an ADHD-focused series I’ve created, my “10 Tips That Will Rock Your World,” and a mini course called “Seven Steps to Declutter Success.”

I’ll continue adding to the classroom, so depending on when you’re reading this, there may already be more waiting for you.

I’m also organizing some of my favorite YouTube videos into collections that actually go together, along with a few select teachings from my Inner Circle.

There’s a community space (similar to Facebook, but much more organized), and we meet live once a month.

The reason for the free group is simple: to give you a more organized way to get help, more access to me and to each other, and a place to see if more support is something you want or need.

The Paid Community

For those who want deeper support, there’s also a paid community.

Inside that space, you’ll find every course you’ve ever purchased from me, a connected and supportive community where I’m present,
and fun ways we stay on track together. There’s also an Inner Circle option for those who want even more support.

Right now, there’s a seven-day free option for the paid community,
so you don’t have to decide today. You can start in the free group and move later if and when you want.

You’re Not Behind

If the year hasn’t gone the way you hoped, it’s not too late. Truth is…
It’s never too late. Even if you’re watching this months from now, you’re not behind. You’re right on time.

If you want a place to land and keep going — a place where you feel understood and supported — I’ve got you covered.

The link to all the details is below:

Links to both communities:
Free Community:https://www.skool.com/tidy-tutor-free-resources-6150/about
Inner Circle: https://www.skool.com/thetidytutor/abou

If you’ve ever downloaded something from me — free or paid — you’re welcome here. And if you know you want more connection with me,
this is absolutely your place.

I hope to see you there.

With Love!
Kathy
The Tidy Tutor

The post If the Year Feels Off Track, Read This appeared first on The Tidy Tutor.

Any time you need to get something done this is a great video to pop on and get some work done.

This is a replay from one of my Inner Circle meetings, and I run it like a Pomodoro: set an intention, work with me, take a quick break, then start again. While we work, I teach the one thing that makes everything else easier: your daily routine on paper (not in your head).

You’re invited to join my free Skool community for more videos, support, and the link to our live meetings.

Also—my last Tuesday meeting of every month is open to anyone who wants to join us. Look for the link on this page. If I’ve ever helped you, I’d love it if you’d subscribe and leave a quick comment. It really does help.

Join my Free Skool Community free here: https://www.skool.com/tidy-tutor-free-resources-6150/about

More Support: https://www.skool.com/thetidytutor/about Find out more. It’s only 7.00 a month.

The post appeared first on The Tidy Tutor.

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The post From Shutting Down to Starting Fresh: My Return to The Tidy Tutor appeared first on The Tidy Tutor.