Go Win at Life

05/05/2024

In any industry learning is essential for progress.

Which is why I was delighted to meet Lisa Woodruff last week. Her Sunday Basket system sounds like a brilliant way to get on top of paperwork and home organising.

We talked about the organising challenges faced by women with ADHD and I was delighted to hear that supporting neurodiversity is a focus for Lisa in her research and in her business.

Thank you for organising this opportunity!

13/09/2023

Would you get this right?

In case you’ve never heard of us, the answer is APDO= Association of Professional Declutteres and Organisers, of which I’m a proud member.

As seen on “The Chase”.

27/06/2022

😍This is not my pantry.

🌱This is actually a display in the science centre at RHS Wisley. Inspiration can be found anywhere!

🫙I love glass jars for storage for a few reasons.

* It’s easy to see what’s inside.
* Glass doesn’t infuse the contents with nasty chemicals.
* Glass is infinitely recyclable.
* You can see what you are running low on and need to replenish.
* Avoid the visual clutter of assorted boxes and labels.
* Save money by buying in bulk and decanting into containers.

❤️But I also get that decanting pantry goods into separate containers is not for everyone.

And that is actually the key to the “perfect” organising system. It has to work for you and your circumstances.

📱And not just look good on Instagram.

So if you love glass jars like I do, by all means, embrace them.

And if you don’t, that’s cool too. Keep experimenting till you find the system that works for you.

👍Click my link in bio to get weekly declutter tips in your inbox!

29/03/2022

We are in the news!
reports today on Spare Room Sorted.

I’m delighted to be part of this initiative to help families host refugees.

This project was set up by my Professional Organiser colleague Juliette Landau-Pope, .
You can read her story in the article.

Her story echoes many elements of mine. My grandparents, on both sides of the family, were born in and around Lwów (Lviv).

My mother’s parent’s met at Lwów University, and lived in the area until the outbreak of WW2.

My dad’s family moved to what is now modern-day Poland, but had to flee at the outbreak of WW2.
My dad and his family never returned home.

It breaks my heart to see people re-living the same story now.

But what my dad’s family did benefit from was incredible support and generosity for the 6 years they spent as refugees, first in Hungary and later in (then Palestinian) Jerusalem. And finally, the opportunity to move to the U.K.

So I feel a need to pay it forward.

I’m on Juliette’s list of Professional Organisers, offering decluttering, organising and room design services free of charge to help families planning to host refugees.

The offer is also on my own website. So if you know of someone looking to host refugees in Surrey or South London, do send them my link. 

Or for support further afield, check out Spare Room Sorted for the full national directory of all organisers taking part in this project.

29/03/2022

Read my story, as well as what I and my fellow professional organisers are doing to support refugees fleeing the conflict in Ukraine 🇺🇦

Find out how you could provide a home for Ukrainian refugees in their hour of need.

04/03/2022

😫 When you are overwhelmed by mess it is easy to slip into one of two modes: Paralysis or procrastination.

😫 You want to start tidying, but you just don’t know where to start. Or you start but end up switching from task to task and never actually getting anything done.

😫 This is particularly problematic for those of us with ADHD brains.

🏡 We can see the end goal. A tidy house.

🤷‍♀️ But the steps to get there are so many, so jumbled or so insignificant that we just can’t see how they will lead to our goal.

🤷‍♀️ And if we can’t see a clear path we will get lost or take a wrong turn on the way.

So then you find yourself with a mountain of stuff to do.

📱 But instead of doing it, you are zoned out on the couch, scrolling TikTok or just hiding under the covers.

❤️ Can you relate?

🌟 If so, you’ll want to read my blog post: Beat Paralysis and Avoid Procrastination to Finally Declutter Your Home. (Link in bio) 👆

👇 Comment below, do you get paralysed by clutter too?

25/02/2022

🏡 So your home is in a bit of a mess, and you know you should probably get rid of a few things.

🤷‍♀️ But where do you start? How do you even know what to declutter?

🤷‍♀️ I mean, what if you get rid of something and find yourself needing it again?

🤷‍♀️ If you don’t have really clear criteria on what you want to keep you will struggle to declutter.

* Not knowing what to let go of can paralyse you and stop you from even starting.

* And then making a decision on every object will be exhausting.

* ADHD traits make prioritising belongings even harder.

👍 So before you start any decluttering project, use these questions to get really clear on what you want to keep and what you will let go of.

🎁 Get your : IS IT CLUTTER?-Essential Decluttering Questions To Ask Yourself.

☝️ Click LINK IN BIO

23/02/2022

ADHD hack-Wash up without forgetting dirty dishes.

Often I set out to "do the dishes", and that's what I do. Tackle what is in and around the sink.

But then I think I’m done, only to turn around and see dirty pots still on the stove, or cups and plates still left on the table.

(Only me? I hope not 😝) 

ADHD brains have trouble sequencing and doing things in the right order.

So here is what I have started to do instead:

* Do a visual sweep of the room. Start at the furthest point from the sink and work your way back, picking up any stray dishes along the way.
* Pick up everything from the kitchen table and give it a wipe, and take anything to be washed to the sink.
* Pick up everything from the kitchen island and give that a wipe.
* Pick up everything from on or around the stove and give that area a wipe too.
* Bonus points if you also check the microwave and oven!
* Then wash up or load into the dishwasher everything you’ve collected in and around the sink.

This way nothing gets missed. And if you get pulled away during the job at least you will have some key surfaces that are clean and clear.
Get more ADHD friendly home tips at https://gowinatlife.com/declutter-coaching-blog/

Useful?

Share your washing up tips too!

                                      #

22/02/2022

😤 If you struggle with organisation or punctuality, you are probably sick of hearing advice like this:

“If you are regularly 7 minutes late the solution is simple. Just leave 7 minutes earlier.”

🤯 Someone who has never struggled with punctuality just doesn’t get it.

It’s never as simple as “just leave earlier”.

🤷‍♀️ No sh**! If it were that easy, don’t you think we’d be doing it by now?

✅ A feature of ADHD is time blindness. We simply don’t process time the same way that the average person does.

✅ So we may not realise that we have been drinking our coffee and reviewing plans in our head for 20 minutes and it is actually time to leave.

✅ We don’t intend to be late, and it’s certainly not because we don’t care.

But if this is an issue for you, you need to design your home to help you get out when you need to.

🏡 Part of this is setting up the physical space so you can easily find what you need to get out of the door.

🏡 And removing the distractions you don’t need.

🏡 You need your home to support you in getting out of the door on time.

⏰ You also need visual and auditory reminders so you can take the steps to get out at the right time.

✅ To help you, this week on the blog you can read 8 Ways to Make Your Home Easier to Manage.

Click the link in bio for this and other useful tips.

⬇️ Tell me, what’s the most useless advice you’ve been given? 🤷‍♀️

20/02/2022

😀 Who else puts something on the to-do list just so you can check it off?
Just me?


🌟This might not be as silly as it seems.
🌟 We can get a little endorphin hit from achieving a goal, even if we are writing it down after doing it.

🧠 So important for ADHD brains.

🌟 In fact, writing it AFTER doing it may be even better, as it’s a guaranteed success!

👍 So if you are struggling with motivation with household tasks do something, no matter how small.

✅ And then put it on your list and tick it off!

✅ You’ll get to the end of the day with a list of wins. And that’s another win!

✏️ Do you do this too?

P.S. Check out this week's blog post for tips to make your home easier to manage.

18/02/2022

🙋‍♀️ Hands up if you would like your home to be easier to manage!

😤 Not so long ago I was totally overwhelmed by having to balance looking after my home, my daughter and keep it together myself.

ADHD makes focussing on mundane tasks like housework HARD and can drain all motivation.

Housework was a constant source of friction in our home.

Until I set up systems to make looking after the house easy.

I share 8 strategies you can try on my blog this week. Check it out through the link in bio.

✏️ What tricks do you have for making housework easier?

17/02/2022

What's your idea of a perfect home?

There is no one-size-fits all with home design.

Life would be pretty boring if we all liked the same things, right?

And there is no one size fits all with decluttering and organising, because your vision and values are unique.

And your brain and organising style are unique.

So if you follow a method that doesn’t align, you’ll only find yourself frustrated.

I pride myself on tailoring my declutter coaching to fit the goals and mindset of my clients.

Click the link in bio to see the blog to find the tips that work for you.

So, tell me, what’s your idea of a perfect home - A, B, C or D?