Vrint - Get your sh!t together: change your life

GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER

Copyright Summersdale Publishers Ltd, 2016

Written by Vicki Vrint

Illustrations by Konstiantyn Fedorov and Shutterstock

All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced by any means, nor transmitted, nor translated into a machine language, without the written permission of the publishers.

Condition of Sale
This book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.

Summersdale Publishers Ltd
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Chichester
West Sussex
PO19 1RP
UK

www.summersdale.com

eISBN: 978-1-78372-703-2

Substantial discounts on bulk quantities of Summersdale books are available to corporations, professional associations and other organisations. For details contact Nicky Douglas by telephone: +44 (0) 1243 756902, fax: +44 (0) 1243 786300 or email: .

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

Decluttering your life will change it for the better youll be able to see the living room floor again, for a start. But theres more to a decluttered lifestyle than being able to find the car keys without sending out a search party. Imagine relaxing in a calm and ordered home, surrounded by the things you really love. Imagine having the time and space to indulge in your hobbies (without feeling that you should be doing something else instead). Wouldnt that be wonderful?

And once you sort out the physical clutter around you, its much easier to organise other areas of your life too the things youve been meaning to look at for ages, such as your career, friendships and finances.

Decluttering is a lot less complicated than you might think. All you need to do is:

Get rid of the stuff you dont need/love.

Organise the stuff you do need/love.

Have fun.

It really is that simple. So why do many of us find the idea intimidating? Our mistake is that we imagine tackling everything in one go, which can make it seem like an enormous task. Break the process down into manageable categories, however, and its a piece of cake. Part One of this book shows you how to rationalise your belongings one category at a time. Soon your home will be clutter-free and youll be itching to show off your newly organised surroundings.

Once youve decluttered your home, therell be no stopping you from streamlining other aspects of your life too: updating your CV, finding time to take that cookery course, sorting out your fitness regime, and much more. Its just a case of following the same three steps: declutter, organise and enjoy. Part Two will focus more specifically on these areas, with plenty of tips to ensure that you make the most of your newly discovered free time.

So, what are you waiting for? Get your shit together!

OUT OF CLUTTER, FIND SIMPLICITY. FROM DISCORD, FIND HARMONY.

ALBERT EINSTEIN

PART ONE

SORT OUT YOUR SPACE

The first step to achieving a streamlined and spangly new life is to declutter the space around you. Tackle the different categories of clutter in your home one by one and youll not only see immediate results, youll also feel inspired to move on and tackle more. Before you know it, youll be living in a calm and uncluttered environment and youll be feeling revitalised. So read on and take the first step on your journey to clutter-free living.

REHOMING YOUR CLUTTER

As you declutter your home, youll inevitably find yourself with bags and boxes of things that you no longer need. What should you do with it all?

Friends and family: Does anyone you know need a foot spa?

eBay: For anything that can be easily posted.

Local online selling groups: A great way to make some cash and no delivery fees, because buyers will collect.

Freecycle, Freegle and other free recycling websites: Its amazing how far people will travel for a free shoe rack, but beware of timewasters.

Car boot sales: Do some research first as to what sells and which are the best sites.

Charity shops: Books, clothes, alarming vases Charity shops will be glad to take many things off your hands.

CLOTHES

Its easy to acquire more and more items of clothing as we get older, and surprisingly hard to ditch the things that we no longer wear. Whether its for sentimental reasons, or from a belief that we will slim down enough to wear that favourite shirt again one day, many of us suffer from bulging wardrobes and overstuffed drawers.

But never fear! Once you start to get your shit together and de-junk your clothes chaos, youll feel freer and lighter and youll actually be able to find your fashion favourites when you need them.

GETTING STARTED

Before you begin filling black bin bags for your favourite charity shop, here are a few questions that will help you to sort the evergreens from the has-beens.

Do I love it?

Do I wear it?

Does it project the image I want to project?

Does it itch or scratch?

Can I actually move in it comfortably?

Number 3 is the real eureka question for many people. Even if you love a particular piece of clothing, do you want other people to see you in it? If youre finding it hard to be an objective critic, enlist a friend who feels comfortable enough to tell you if something is wrong for you. Your storage space is limited, so it just doesnt make sense to waste your prime real estate on clothes youre not crazy about.

DECLUTTER THOSE DRAWERS

Once youve ejected all those items that you know youll never wear again, its time to revolutionise your storage habits. We tend to automatically stack our clothes in piles, but the downside of this is that we have to flip through them in order to find the perfect one. Eventually, the pile gets messy and our long-lost best T-shirt sinks to the bottom, never to be seen again until the next big clear-out.

If you arrange your clothes by rolling them and standing them upright in the drawer, youll be able to see all your items at a glance, and a rainbow of T-shirts will be at your disposal every day.

NEVER WEAR ANYTHING THAT PANICS THE CAT.

P. J. OROURKE

ORGANISE YOUR OUTFITS

Bring a sense of order to your wardrobe by following these simple rules.