.jpg)
Organize Your Closet And Your Life Will Follow
What does it mean to be more with less? I’m Ruma Tenbrink and welcome to the “Organize your closet and then your life will follow” podcast. If you feel like you are drowning in things and need to take back your life, you are in the right place. I am excited for you to “move towards minimalism” right along with me! Let’s do this together!
First, let’s talk a little bit about the Pareto Principle. It’s otherwise known as the 80/20 Rule and the law of the Vital Few, The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes - the “vital few”. So, if we translate this idea to our closets, really think about your wardrobe. You probably reach for 20% of your clothing 80% of the time. I know for a fact this was so true for me and that realization really hit me! It was the first time I went through all the fancy-wear and business clothing I was holding onto in deeper storage. Meaning, I never, ever, ever used them. I love being comfortable and wearing comfy clothes that feel good on my skin and make me feel good. So, I decided to be bold and just dropped them all off at a consignment shop in a funky little community here known as The Piedmont District in Oakland CA. I made it easy on myself and asked her to do her best and whatever didn’t sell well or fast enough for her, she could add to her donates pile which she took to a local women's shelter.
The magic of doing this was I went home to a lighter space that felt a lot less overwhelming and easier to organize. I also did good by providing clothes for someone else to love and use. It’s a win-win-win-win. The consumer creates a small carbon footprint by reusing something and getting a good deal on the item, the shop makes their money for holding and displaying the item, the local charity gets really nice clothes donated to them and I go home to the start of serenity and freedom in my closet.
Are you ready to change your life simply by organizing your closet? Could it really be that simple? Actually, yes it can. As a professional home organizer, I have seen the phenomenon take place with all of my clients. Every. Single. One. As you start to change your environment for the better, you inherently change along with it. You simply cannot help yourself. This opens a doorway into the world of positive change and along with that, infinite possibilities to uncover who you really are without all the physical stuff bogging down your home and your mind. Ultimately, your creativity hides deep within you because it is so muffled by the things taking up all of the open space and also things you choose to hide behind.
Let’s make this shift right now. By the way, did I mention this will be life-changing? Stay tuned and be ready for it!!!
Organize Your Closet And Your Life Will Follow
Episode 2 - Finding your Ikigai!
What does the world need from you right now?
What are you good at?
What do you love?
What can you get paid to do?
What is your bliss?
What is your Ikigai?
What is your reason for being?
These are great questions that we all should ask ourselves periodically. It's just to do a personal check in with yourself to make sure that you are on the right path to your own Bliss. Think back to the ages between 7 and 11 and try to recall vividly what you did during those years. What did you love to do? What brought you joy? What were you naturally good at?
During an organizing session, a dear client of mine just blurted out "what is my purpose - why am I here?" Hearing her say these words in quiet desperation just broke my heart. It forced me to go into a heartfelt speech about why she was so important in this world and to list all the amazing things I know to be true about her. To remind her what she is good at and what she loves. In my experience as a professional organizer, it seems that 80% of my clients had no idea why they existed, thoughts of suicide and living in perpetual depression and drowning in "stuff" was their existence. It had been their existence for anywhere from 10 - 30 years.
Covid has taught me that what I do to help people climb out of, literally their own man-made gravestone of stuff, is much bigger and has more impact than I ever imagined. I am their cheerleader. I am their motivator. I am their confidant. I help them get out of their own way. I am sometimes there only way out (words from that same client). I help them release the death-grip they have on "things" and open their hands up to growth, contribution, opportunity, life experiences and love. I explain very gently that the chaos and busy-work they have created is a barrier to do what they were born to do. It's a barrier that keeps them from bringing their personal best to the world. I say that removing all the "things" forces you to confront your shadows and everything that is holding you back, so that you can finally move past them, move forward and live the life you were meant to live. A life that you have a hand in creating. An exciting life where you are the star of your show!
I now know that my main purpose is not really the physicality of organizing and moving stuff around from left to right or into a box, my main purpose is truly to help people love themselves so fully that they always bring the best version of themselves to their own table. To help those who don't understand their own worth. This means they are capable enough and can take control of their own surroundings in such a way that they regain control of their lives.
I am here to also spread the word on minimalism and assist people in moving towards that so you can live life to the max. To share in a genuine way, that moving towards minimalism will touch upon and change every aspect of your life for the better. That is my purpose and my promise!!! It is so much bigger than the money I can make. In fact, it's so important to me that I slashed my pricing in half rather than charging extra like some organizers have been doing. When it's this big you can't put a price on it. I am providing a life-changing service that I want to make accessible to all people. Part of the reason I stay on the job until I can leave with good conscience is because I see what my clients cannot see. I don't see the 3ft high pile of mess. I see the space that is organized and pleasing with an incredible flow to it. That's all I see, which is why I work anywhere from 10-14 hours straight until my clients can see it too!!!! My purpose occ
Consume less, live more!
https://linktr.ee/rumatenbrink
I would like to start with a quote from Joshua Fields Millburn. He says that letting go is not something you do it’s something you stop doing!
What is Ikigai and how do we find our reason for being
What do you love?
What can you get paid to do?
What is your bliss?
What is your Ikigai?
What is your reason for being?
These are great questions that we all should ask ourselves periodically. It's just to do a personal check in with yourself to make sure that you are on the right path to your own Bliss. Think back to the ages between 7 and 11 and try to recall vividly what you did during those years. What did you love to do? What brought you joy? What were you naturally good at?
During an organizing session, a dear client of mine just blurted out "what is my purpose - why am I here?" Hearing her say these words in quiet desperation just broke my heart. It forced me to go into a heartfelt speech about why she was so important in this world and to list all the amazing things I know to be true about her. To remind her what she is good at and what she loves. In my experience as a professional organizer, it seems that 80% of my clients had no idea why they existed, thoughts of suicide and living in perpetual depression and drowning in "stuff" was their existence. It had been their existence for anywhere from 10 - 30 years.
Covid has taught me that what I do to help people climb out of, literally their own man-made gravestone of stuff, is much bigger and has more impact than I ever imagined. I am their cheerleader. I am their motivator. I am their confidant. I help them get out of their own way. I am sometimes there only way out (words from that same client). I help them release the death-grip they have on "things" and open their hands up to growth, contribution, opportunity, life experiences and love. I explain very gently that the chaos and busy-work they have created is a barrier to do what they were born to do. It's a barrier that keeps them from bringing their personal best to the world. I say that removing all the "things" forces you to confront your shadows and everything that is holding you back, so that you can finally move past them, move forward and live the life you were meant to live. A life that you have a hand in creating. An exciting life where you are the star of your show!
I now know that my main purpose is not really the physicality of organizing and moving stuff around from left to right or into a box, my main purpose is truly to help people love themselves so fully that they always bring the best version of themselves to their own table. To help those who don't understand their own worth. This means they are capable enough and can take control of their own surroundings in such a way that they regain control of their lives.
I am here to also spread the word on minimalism and assist people in moving towards that so you can live life to the max. To share in a genuine way, that moving towards minimalism will touch upon and change every aspect of your life for the better. That is my purpose and my promise!!! It is so much bigger than the money I can make. In fact, it's so important to me that I slashed my pricing in half rather than charging extra like some organizers have been doing. When it's this big you can't put a price on it. I am providing a life-changing service that I want to make accessible to all people. Part of the reason I stay on the job until I can leave with good conscience is because I see what my clients cannot see. I don't see the 3ft high pile of mess. I see the space that is organized and pleasing with an incredible flow to it. That's all I see, which is why I work anywhere from 10-14 hours straight until my clients can see it too!!!! My purpose occurs when my vision becomes their reality!!! I am the clutter-whisperer!!!
Consume less, live more!
