February Mixed Bag: Out With The Old, In With The Win

February is when I begin to see the crocuses pushing up from the cold winter ground when I’m out walking Gus. They stand out because there aren’t many and they stand in sharp contrast to the wintery landscape. To me they look like little wins in a bleak time of year. The sight of them gives me a small burst of positive energy. This month’s Mixed Bag is all about little wins and fresh starts; what’s new on the horizon with me, reviving your old photo collection, shopping with a decluttering mindset and the importance of celebrating decluttering wins. So out with the old and in with the wins – a few crocuses to brighten up your February!

my new ‘Grownup’ microphone

I’ve got some big news…I bought a microphone! I have been cracking myself up with this microphone because for some reason it makes me feel grown up?! Not sure what the connection is, or even how something random could make a 54 year old feel like a grownup? Maybe it’s what the microphone represents, which is in with the ‘wins’ on my business horizon that are energizing me right now.

I’m getting ready to launch my first Online Course (sign up for the waitlist here) and am using the microphone in the recording process. I’ll be doing my first podcast guest appearance in a few weeks, so I’ll use it for that as well. And I’m going to get my YouTube Channel going soon too so the mic will come in handy for that! So I guess it’s actually that the mic makes my business feel like a grownup. Anyway, thanks for helping me work that one out!

Those Old Albums

I am all in with the wins when it comes to bringing your photo collection up to Gen Z standards. I’m committed to helping people invest in their photo memories instead of keeping a bunch of physical stuff. One question I get a lot is what to do if your old print photos are buried in albums. On this subject I have two suggestions that can help.

If you would like to get your photos out of the old albums so you can digitize them there is a handy tool set you may need. Depending on the type of album you’re dealing with, pictures may come out easily, or they may cling to the pages for dear life. If your albums are in the latter category you can use a set of palette knives to help extract them. These mini-spatula-like knives are officially used in oil painting. But they also work really well to slide behind photographs and separate them from the album page.

The second suggestion is for folks who don’t understand how they will be able to enjoy their photos if they don’t have the albums anymore. I have so many ideas for you but here’s my favorite: an Aura digital frame.

If you are someone who is A) slightly afraid of technology and B) suspicious of digitizing anything this suggestion is for you. I ran a test case at Christmas and gave Aura frames to my dad, my aunt & uncle and my in-laws. I pre-loaded each frame with photos I had digitized (and lots that were already digital.)  Aura makes pre-loading photos super easy and even my tech-suspicious elders were able to set the frame up themselves. When I tell you I got rave reviews on this gift from all 4 recipients I am not exaggerating. Its surprise and delight for them on a daily basis. I’m so excited I have plans for my next round of gifts (including one for myself!)

Getting your photos out of the albums, digitizing them and then loading them onto an Aura frame is one of the most meaningful things you can do for yourself, your family or anyone who wants to relive memories from the 20th century. (see my Photo Organizing Checklist for more on how to do this) You’re Welcome!

The Shopping Conundrum

I recently requested blog topics from my community and got this one:

‘Reconciling wanting to shop while generally decluttering.’

If you’re going through the process of decluttering a lifetime’s worth of accumulation it can sometimes make you feel like shopping and bringing home something new is a bad thing. Decluttering increases your level of awareness around how much you actually have and how much of your stuff you actually use. You spend so much energy purging that the thought of shopping feels like petting a cat the wrong way.

Fear not! That feeling will subside but what will stay with you is the awareness. You can still buy new things, you’ll just be intentional when you do. You’ll recognize, when experiencing an impulse to buy red shoes, that you don’t have to act on it. You have that wisdom because you decluttered 3 pairs of red shoes that were not experiencing life outside your closet. And you will also know that it is a good idea to buy that air fryer you’ve been thinking about. Because you’re aware of the space you’ll need to store it and recognize the importance of using it, you’ll prioritize it. I love to declutter and I love to shop. In fact, I get fiendish pleasure from purchasing something I know won’t become clutter in my home. So there you have it, decluttering helps you make smarter shopping decisions!

Celebrating Wins

Celebrating and sharing wins is so important when you are decluttering, especially when you are tackling a big project. When you celebrate you create a positive feeling inside yourself that reinforces what you just did as a good thing. It could be as simple as a brief ‘I did it!’ or a text to a friend to spread the news of your accomplishment. Or the celebration could come in the form of a reward, like stopping to grab your favorite Starbucks treat after you’ve just dropped off a load of donations. Or maybe it’s enjoying a glass of wine with your spouse after showing off your newly-decluttered home office.

When you celebrate, you tap into the dopamine loop in your brain that appreciates and responds to rewards. Each celebration, regardless of the size, reinforces the behavior (in this case, decluttering!) that you are trying to accomplish. It’s a momentum builder, which is just what you need when you have multiple decades of stuff to declutter.

So don’t forget to celebrate when you clear a hurdle or reach a milestone. Not only do you deserve it, that celebration will help carry you on to the next step of your journey!