My monthly newsletter

Take a look at the latest issues of the ClutterGazette, a monthly newsletter that highlights a selection of decluttering issues around the home and the office.

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June/August 2020
A different kind of summer...

Usually, decluttering newsletters at this time of year are full of tips and tricks related to the end of the school term or getting ready for the holidays. It’s obvious that such subjects are not quite as relevant this year as they have been in the past. We live in different times and have to deal with totally different aspects of life: How safe is my job? Will the home schooling ever stop? How can I stay safe in a world that changes each week?

This said, there are some interesting, ultimately positive side-effects to being in quarantine for an extended period of time. First and foremost, the limited resources we all had access to will have forced most of us to become creative on many levels, from making a proper income to planning meals more consistently, from staying entertained to staying sane. Having to learn how to project manage, becoming money savvy, turning into a private tutor and/or running your business virtually, many have had a steep learning curve. Think about it: what did you have to change, which adaptations have you applied over the last couple of months? If you consider all this, you are more of a hero than you have ever been in ‘normal’ times. Well done, you!

It’s pretty obvious how this is relevant for the subject of organising [...]

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Published books

I have published two books so far, both dealing with particular aspects of decluttering both the spaces you live in and the mindset that is associated with your living situation.

We often hear that one of the key points to success in decluttering is that "you have to do it at the right time". This is rather a vague statement, so I have set out to find a way to better pinpoint such times, to facilitate the process and increase the chances of successful decluttering.

My new book "Clutter Tides" describes my findings, how life stages and clutter phases can help determine the best time to get started, and what to consider at each phase in the process.

The book holds a lot of guidance to help you understand why you hold on to things - a.o. in the shape of thought experiments - but also lots of practical tips and tricks to help you along and get you thinking along the right lines.

first published in February 2020
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More often than not, decluttering is seen as an intervention when stuff has already accumulated, but I wonder if there isn't a way to address the reasons that lead us to accumulate things and ideas in the first place.

My first book "Promise Broken. Moving On." talks about how advertising, branding and marketing contribute to the sheer number of items that we choose to bring into our lives. Besides that, it addresses the idea that 'how' we bring things in is in part responsible for our inability to let go.

Being aware that you are being manipulated by the industry, social pressures and your own habits can be instrumental to holding back the tides of stuff that enters your life.

first published in April 2019
click the image to visit Amazon

learn more about this book