1 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:09,680 Speaker 1: Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of iHeartRadio. Good Morning, 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:17,080 Speaker 1: This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast. Today's 3 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:22,160 Speaker 1: tip is to start with the trash. If you are 4 00:00:22,239 --> 00:00:27,480 Speaker 1: tackling a huge cleaning or decluttering project, simply getting rid 5 00:00:27,480 --> 00:00:30,800 Speaker 1: of the trash can make it all seem more doable, 6 00:00:31,880 --> 00:00:35,520 Speaker 1: a strategy that is helpful in more broader contexts too. 7 00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:42,160 Speaker 1: Today's tip, like another this week, comes from Casey Davis's book, 8 00:00:42,600 --> 00:00:46,920 Speaker 1: How to Keep House While Drowning. This book is about 9 00:00:46,960 --> 00:00:50,720 Speaker 1: how to maintain an organized home even if you are 10 00:00:50,720 --> 00:00:53,640 Speaker 1: in a very busy stage of life, or if you 11 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: are struggling with mental challenges that make executive functioning difficult. 12 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:03,320 Speaker 1: Davis notes that when you survey a mess or mound 13 00:01:03,360 --> 00:01:08,039 Speaker 1: of clutter, you are really looking at things in five categories. 14 00:01:09,120 --> 00:01:16,720 Speaker 1: There is trash, dishes, laundry, things that have a home 15 00:01:16,760 --> 00:01:19,760 Speaker 1: but aren't in their home, and things that don't have 16 00:01:19,800 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: a home. If you tackle one of these five categories 17 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,920 Speaker 1: at a time, you will have a fairly functional space. 18 00:01:28,000 --> 00:01:31,480 Speaker 1: By the end, things might not be in rainbow order, 19 00:01:32,280 --> 00:01:36,200 Speaker 1: but the space will be functional and that is a 20 00:01:36,240 --> 00:01:41,600 Speaker 1: major win of those five categories. She suggests starting with 21 00:01:41,720 --> 00:01:45,520 Speaker 1: the trash, Get a bag, grab the stuff that is 22 00:01:45,840 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: clearly garbage, and get it out of there. I love 23 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:54,320 Speaker 1: this suggestion because some stuff is in fact clearly trash, 24 00:01:54,480 --> 00:01:59,120 Speaker 1: like food wrappers, packages, things came in. For the most part, 25 00:01:59,240 --> 00:02:02,360 Speaker 1: it is not mentally challenging to figure out what is 26 00:02:02,400 --> 00:02:06,120 Speaker 1: trash now. Later on you might decide that many of 27 00:02:06,120 --> 00:02:10,520 Speaker 1: the items with no home are also trash, but that 28 00:02:10,639 --> 00:02:14,680 Speaker 1: involves more decision making. Decision making can be hard when 29 00:02:14,680 --> 00:02:19,320 Speaker 1: you are tired or depressed or anything along those lines, 30 00:02:20,560 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: but trash that is easier. You just grab and go, 31 00:02:25,919 --> 00:02:28,680 Speaker 1: and in many cases, by the time you have gotten 32 00:02:28,880 --> 00:02:32,839 Speaker 1: all the trash out of any given space, it will 33 00:02:32,880 --> 00:02:38,160 Speaker 1: look better. The bulk has been reduced, the stuff that 34 00:02:38,280 --> 00:02:43,440 Speaker 1: might attract pests is gone. With obvious trash out of 35 00:02:43,480 --> 00:02:47,560 Speaker 1: the picture, the next steps of cleaning won't be quite 36 00:02:47,600 --> 00:02:53,040 Speaker 1: so overwhelming. I find that this mindset, starting with the 37 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:58,320 Speaker 1: trash can help with lots of big projects. Sometimes I've 38 00:02:58,360 --> 00:03:00,560 Speaker 1: written things that need to be quite a bit shorter 39 00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: than my original draft. On the first edit, I can 40 00:03:04,360 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: start with the trash, throw away lines and the throat 41 00:03:08,040 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: clearing that all first drafts have. The work will get 42 00:03:12,240 --> 00:03:18,080 Speaker 1: more challenging later, but the first part is doable. Or 43 00:03:18,080 --> 00:03:20,240 Speaker 1: if you need to clean up how you are spending 44 00:03:20,280 --> 00:03:24,800 Speaker 1: your time, some things will be challenging. Should I focus 45 00:03:24,840 --> 00:03:28,720 Speaker 1: on this project at work or another? Do my kids 46 00:03:28,800 --> 00:03:31,960 Speaker 1: need more time? Or does my marriage need more time? 47 00:03:32,880 --> 00:03:35,000 Speaker 1: I don't know what the answer is to those questions, 48 00:03:35,800 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: but getting rid of the trash first, the mindless time 49 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: not spent in enjoyable ways, is going to help clear 50 00:03:43,440 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: things up at least a little bit. If you're trying 51 00:03:46,480 --> 00:03:50,440 Speaker 1: to clean up your finances, there might be big questions 52 00:03:50,480 --> 00:03:54,280 Speaker 1: of downsizing or looking for a different job, but you 53 00:03:54,320 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: can buy yourself at least a little breathing room on 54 00:03:56,760 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: the way there by getting rid of any expenditures that 55 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: are just garbage fees you forgot you were paying paying 56 00:04:05,320 --> 00:04:09,920 Speaker 1: too much for cell phone bills or insurance. Start with 57 00:04:10,040 --> 00:04:14,640 Speaker 1: the trash. We all face difficult decisions in life, but 58 00:04:14,720 --> 00:04:16,920 Speaker 1: when you get at least a few of the easy 59 00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 1: ones out of the way, maybe the difficult decisions will 60 00:04:20,440 --> 00:04:26,400 Speaker 1: seem slightly less overwhelming, or maybe not, but at least 61 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:30,359 Speaker 1: you'll have less trash, and that is often a good 62 00:04:30,960 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 1: in its own right. In the meantime, this is Laura, 63 00:04:36,600 --> 00:04:41,120 Speaker 1: Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of 64 00:04:41,160 --> 00:04:50,080 Speaker 1: our time. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you. 65 00:04:50,080 --> 00:04:53,000 Speaker 1: You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else. 66 00:04:53,800 --> 00:04:57,320 Speaker 1: Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at 67 00:04:57,360 --> 00:05:02,200 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast pod that's b E the number four, then 68 00:05:02,279 --> 00:05:05,680 Speaker 1: breakfast p o D. You can also shoot me an 69 00:05:05,680 --> 00:05:10,000 Speaker 1: email at Before Breakfast Podcasts at iHeartMedia dot com that 70 00:05:10,120 --> 00:05:13,359 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters. Thanks 71 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,160 Speaker 1: so much. Should I look forward to staying in touch. 72 00:05:21,000 --> 00:05:25,040 Speaker 1: Before Breakfast is a production of iHeartRadio. For more podcasts 73 00:05:25,040 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever 74 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:36,800 Speaker 1: you listen to your favorite shows.