The Clutter Fairy Weekly #114
Organize for the Unplanned: Prepare for Crises Before They Arrive
As life unfolds, we may find ourselves in circumstances that require us to deal with a lot of stuff in a short time: an unexpected move, an illness, a death or disaster. You can’t prevent these crises, but there are steps you can take to help your loved ones or yourself manage better when trouble turns up. In episode #114 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly, Gayle Goddard, professional organizer and owner of The Clutter Fairy in Houston, Texas, discusses how to plan and prepare to minimize the impact of clutter emergencies.
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The Weekly Tittle is an exercise designed to focus your attention on a specific space, aspect, or challenge of decluttering and organizing your home. We assign a new tittle in each webcast/podcast, then check on your progress the following week.
How Ready Are You?
This week’s assignment is to begin or update your preparations for a crisis in your life or the life of a loved one. Choose whichever option below is the most relevant to your circumstances:
- Prepare—or update—your collection of useful information to share with the person who would likely be responsible for you affairs in the event you were no longer able to manage them yourself. Be sure to think about where it will be stored and what they’ll need to gain access to it. For a starting point, take our quiz.
- If you expect one day to have to manage responsibilities for someone else—spouse, partner, parent, special-needs child, etc.—begin discussions with that person (or their caregivers) to make sure that you’ll have what you need when the time comes.
- Prepare an evacuation “Grab and Go” box that you could take with you if you had to leave home in an emergency. Download a handy guide from Texas A&M AgriLife Extension to get you started.
For the full discussion of this week’s tittle, watch the Weekly Tittle segment on YouTube.
Chat Transcript
Download a transcript of the chat that took place during the live event.
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I have a Go Bag. Yes this is extremely helpful in emergencies!
As we speak, I just had completed taxes last month. This month, we have a leak In a Bathroom and a plumber is ‘in my cluttered closet’ drilling through to the bathroom, which i had to box up closet contents. Unexpected! So I’m clearing out this clutter anyway snd I wasn’t ready. I’m recovering from a broken ankle and leg. Not very mobile yet. Life happens.
This encourages me to keep working on the clutter clearing project. I’m buying less anyway. But must downsize further if what we own.
Thanks for further info about backup plan Igor important paperwork.
Pat in Colorado
When I purchase gift cards, for myself and others, I choose prepaid MasterCard or Visas.
That way, after I buy a larger item or two and there is just a small (unusable) amount still on it, I can go to my favourite child-centred charity and donate the balance.
This week, I also made a donation to Ukraine.
Hi All. Recent, rare Tornado Warning in our County, 7 minutes out the door with cat, goldfish, ER bag of essential items AND forgot to safely underarm my Husband! In humor, I now have a huge sticker by exit door that states “Don’t Forget Heaven”, my nickname for my recently deceased Husband Kevin’s Urn as I race out my exit door. Great re-thinking the steps to do.Thank you all from the last podcast April 6 2022 #114 Mel.
Upcoming 4.12.22 podcast, Magic in Language. Um, some of my prior written notes:
My Clutter Con = If I didn’t Bring It, Buy It, Marry It, Treasure It, Inherit It, Love It…
(and so on). Can I live Better w/out It? I can choose = IT goes gone.
Take Denial to the Dump. Re=Cycle Resentments. .