Dear Robin,

The other night I watched a favorite movie of mine - “The Shawshank Redemption” - written by Stephen King. It's the story of Andy DuFrane, a young man sentenced to life in prison for murder. Andy plans and executes his escape from jail by tunneling through his cell wall using a teaspoon and small rock hammer. He patiently chips away at the decaying cell, filling his pockets with debris and scattering them in the prison yard. He masks the ever widening hole with posters of movie actresses - from Rita Hayworth to Raquel Welch – until the eventful night he breaks free from Shawshank Prison and finally finds his own peace on a beach in Mexico.

I thought that getting out from under a lot of clutter is kind of like Andy digging through that wall. Like any worthy goal, it takes focus and determination to break free and find your peace.

Andy couldn’t let himself think about how far or how long he had to go to. He couldn't focus on the impossibility of breaking through a thick wall with a spoon. He had to keep his mind on his goal - freedom - and keep digging.

I've had my share of clients quit on me - usually right in the middle of the project. They get discouraged or bored or overwhelmed with the size of the mess. They look at how far they still have to go and give up. They lose their focus and sight of their goal. The progress they have made is lost and the cycle begins all over again.

I’m not trying to convince you that getting organized will change your life for the better (even though I firmly believe it will!). Even if I did it wouldn’t be any more effective than trying to convince you to exercise more or spend less.

But nothing is more exciting to me than helping people who who feel imprisoned by the stuff of life escape the chaos and embrace their own personal vision of “life in order”. Not everybody wants to live in a “perfect mess”. And if that’s you – don’t ever think your mess is so big you can’t break free of it. Make a decision to plan your prison break and get help if you don’t know where to begin. I've got plenty of spoons - and a year from now you’ll be glad you started today.

To your best life now,

Robin