Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Designed by Cena Block “ The Mom-Preneur Clarity Catalyst” Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing & Productivity Consulting Presented by INSERT YOUR LOGO & TITLE HERE

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Sane Spaces Mission Sane Spaces helps you get ‘unstuck’ using a whole systems approach. We’ll eliminate clutter and get you organized at home or in the office so you can stop wasting time and money. Creating, working and living in a supportive environment gives you the freedom to live the life you want.

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Have you ever said things like… I may use this some day… How long am I supposed to keep this? My best friend gave me this… what if she asks about it? I hate it but I’m afraid to get rid of it because she will come over and ask where it is… I’m going to finish this someday when I have more time! But it’s perfectly ‘good’ … there is nothing wrong with it! It’s part of a collection!

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write The Definition Insanity is defined as: Doing the same things over and over again yet expecting different results. Albert Einstein

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Asking & Answering Why Reflecting on what you do and why you do it gives you the power, freedom and choice to change your behavior Reflecting on what you do and why you do it gives you the power, freedom and choice to change your behavior.

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Why People Keep Things Unresolved Anger/Sadness Emotions Perceived Value Incomplete Past/ Childhood Perceived Importance Past Happiness or Reward Incomplete Past Fear

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Thoughts Beliefs Emotions Actions Acquiring/Saving Avoidance Fatigue Self Worth Lovability Vulnerability Pleasure Pride Satisfaction Fear Grief or Loss Guilt Anger Thoughts, Emotions, Actions Model

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Thought Strategies Examine and Evaluate Your Beliefs Use List of Questions to challenge beliefs Use Socratic questioning to examine the logic of beliefs Do the beliefs match common knowledge and facts? Use other cognitive strategies such as taking another perspective, pros and cons Use behavioral experiments Source: Gail Steketee, PhD Dean and Professor Boston University School of Social Work Co-Author: “Buried In Treasures”

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Detoxify Your Thoughts About Things Making Peace with the Things in Your Life Cindy Glovinsky, M.S.W., A.C.S.W. Consider changing your negative thing thoughts… ‘Should’ Statements – Trying to meet “other’s” expectations All or Nothing Thinking – If it’s not perfect, it’s condemned Mind-reading – Imagining critical thoughts of others… don’t assume Discounting The Positive – When one room is messy – you say “the house is a disaster” Personalization - When others mess and you say it’s you Blame – Blaming others for the mess Labeling - Using words like “slob, packrat, pig” Horriblizing – Exaggerating the circumstances and “as-is” condition: “It’s hideous, a nightmare, a disaster, it looks like tornado came through here!” Source: Gail Steketee, PhD Dean and Professor Boston University School of Social Work Co-Author: “Buried In Treasures”

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Downward Arrow Technique The following techniques developed by Gail Steketee, PhD Dean of Boston School of Social Work & Co Author: Buried in Treasures What would happen if you threw that out? “I’ll never find it again.” Why would that be so bad? “I would lose an opportunity.” What would be so bad about that? “I’d be stupid for not taking advantage of an opportunity.” What’s the worst part about that? “ Just that, I’d be a stupid person.” It sounds like you are worried that if you threw this out, that would mean you were a stupid person. Let’s take a look at that idea. “I guess I never thought about it. I do worry about doing something stupid.” Sounds like you also worry that you might be a stupid person. Does that seem right? “Yeah, I guess so. All through school….”

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Questions for Feelings of Loss Given your goals and values, if you get rid of this, what have you lost? What have you gained? Can you tolerate this (negative) feeling until it goes away? Is there another way to think about this? Should we hold a funeral to help you with what the loss of this item represents? I’m serious. Source: Gail Steketee, PhD Dean and Professor Boston University School of Social Work Co-Author: “Buried In Treasures ”

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Socratic Questioning: Thinking it Through Logically How likely is the negative outcome you fear? What evidence is there to support the belief? How catastrophic would this be? How well could you cope with not having this? How much distress would you feel? How long would the distress last? Can you tolerate with feeling? Is this coming from sometime or someone in your past? Source: Gail Steketee, PhD Dean and Professor Boston University School of Social Work Co-Author: “Buried In Treasures”

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Prioritize Identify What You Must Keep Prioritize Vital Emergency – Needed in case of a disaster Vital – Important to re-establish self Valuable Monetary Sentimental Historical Legal Does it establish identity and/or ownership Is it needed for legal proof

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Legal Records Warning! Legal Records Warning! Information provided by Sane Spaces is not legal advice! Please seek legal counsel to determine your actions Birth, Death, Adoption Marriage & Divorce Records Religious Records Blueprints, Deeds & Titles Lease Agreements Stocks, Bonds & Investments Personal Property Insurance Household Items/Appliances Appraisals for Valuable Items (including sales receipts) Legal Papers Living Wills Powers of Attorney Military Documents Passport & Travel Docs Medical Records & Documents X-Ray Records Government Records Original Contracts Regulatory Compliance Records Banking Information Salary, Benefits & Pension Records Union Contracts

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Legal Records Warning! Legal Records Warning! Information provided by Sane Spaces is not legal advice! Please seek legal counsel to determine your actions Check with legal counsel to determine what is a legal record “anything that sets the information in time” Records must be stored in a cd format and be unalterable Storage systems need controls to ensure integrity, accuracy and reliability Must have an audit trail with a complete and accurate transfer of records to have courts to see a document as legal Is a scanned document a legal record? If system has: Reasonable controls to prevent and detect deterioration Indexing system to assist in finding records System must have the ability to print copies of the records Must be able to cross-reference the other systems and software

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write How To Purge Don’t ask hypothetical questions, ask behaviorally significant questions based on today Do I love it? Do I love how it looks/makes me feel? Is it treasured or beautiful? Does the item make me happy? Do I need this to function? Do I have space for it? Do I have a plan to use this? Can I get it elsewhere? Will someone else benefit more from this at this time? Does holding on to this item keep me in the past? Does keeping this help meet my personal goals? Will getting rid of this help my hoarding problem? Have I used it in the past year? ~ if > 1 year, toss, bag or remove from the space and check back in 6 months Source: Gail Steketee, PhD. Dean & Professor Boston University School of Social Work Co-Author: “Buried In Treasures”

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write See Handouts – Household Items See Handouts – Identify what is outdated: Kitchen Pantry Bath Basement Attic Areas where consumable goods are stored

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write “…so HOW do I do it?” File and Paper Storage “…so HOW do I do it?” Records Categories Permanent Files Rotating (Remove/Replace) Files Active Files/Action Files Monthly Files Tax Files Archive Files Resource Files For more information: Paper Management 101- Cena Block Sane Spaces Power Office! – Cena Block Sane Spaces

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write “…and where does it all go?” Storage “…and where does it all go?” Storage Back up electronic information n separate location Lockable File Cabinet/ Safe/ Safety Deposit Box Fireproof Safe Electronic Media needs to be regulated for electronic media – In a real fire, the fireproof box has a lower temperature melt because paper is more sturdy, but there is a higher theft risk Open Bookshelves/Traditional Filing System Usual for paper, books, open filing cabinet Electronic Files Reduce searchable space, cannot work when power is out, set the information in time – different states and laws may require data to be kept in a specific form

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Where did all this information come from? Sites to help declutter and reduce: Products Tab: Time To Toss It! Google Search: “how long do I keep ___”

Copyright Cena Block, Owner of Sane Spaces Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, and coaching to individuals, groups and organizations. For Sane Spaces: Visit Call (570) , or Write Conquering Clutter: Information to help you let go Copyright Cena Block This is an informational packet and does not serve as counsel or legal advice. Please seek the advice of a CPA or Attorney for your unique situation. You can find a great recycling article on my website. Cena Block is the owner of Sane Spaces Professional Organizing and Productivity Consulting, a professional services firm that offers residential and business organizing, training, life coaching, and motivational speaking to individuals and organizations. Contact Cena at (570) , by at or visit