Not many people make the connection between organization and overall health and wellness—at least not at first. After all, what does clearing out clutter have to do with exercising more, or eating better, or losing weight?
Actually, they’re more connected than you might think. First of all, when someone commits to organizing, on a macro level it typically means they are stepping back and evaluating what is important to them. “Am I happy with all of this stuff? What do I really need to keep? What do I really want to keep?”
When you’re in that frame of mind, it’s common for it to expand to touch other areas of your life—including health. “Am I happy with how my body feels? How do I want to feel? And what do I need to get there?”
JD is the perfect example of this. He began as one of my organizational clients, ready to finally tackle an office bursting at the seams with paper and other stuff. During the project, a discovery prompted a discussion around his health—and as it turned out, he wanted to finally tackle that, too. Building better habits helped him do both.
First, shedding the paper
I had met JD a few times before we worked together; he was a social acquaintance, but not somebody I knew well. Once, after bumping into each other, I mentioned I had been in his neighborhood (a suburb about a half-hour from Seattle) working with a client on decluttering. He called me a couple of weeks later.
JD’s office, I came to learn, had been jam-packed forever. He had been promising for years to go paperless, and even went to four different seminars to learn how to do it, but really never got past that.
Over the course of our consultation, I shared more about the process I went through with the family in his neighborhood, and explained the KonMari method. He talked more about his office space than his home space, and I learned that he spent more time at work than at home—to the point of keeping clothes at the office. So that’s where we began.
A bit of hesitation, but ultimate success
At first, JD didn’t want to let go of his filing cabinets and books; but when he agreed to review it all with me, we cleared out one cabinet in just 2 hours (scanning important documents and shredding the rest). This was the momentum shift he needed. He cleared out the rest of the cabinets on his own, and we made significant progress in other areas, too.
No more clothes are in the office, most of the books have been donated, and today, all of JD’s files are electronic—because he realized that in addition to creating physical room, decluttering and having a system in place creates efficiencies for him and his staff, too.
A bit of help from … COVID?
The pandemic actually helped JD with his health goals—before COVID, he used to eat out once or twice each day. But with restaurants closed or severely limited in 2020, he began cooking at home more. This was easy, because JD is a really good cook who has four different kinds of grills at home!
He also started making smoothies in the morning, and we discussed macronutrients and food combinations: balancing fats, proteins, carbs, and tuning in to how his body was feeling.
The final piece was exercise, and JD began doing that more, too. He would walk every day, which turned into hiking, and eventually he even got back on the Peleton bike that was sitting unused in his home.
In 4 months he lost 40 pounds, and his A1C went to a normal number for the first time in years. Just as with his office, JD built better habits around eating and exercise, with tangible results. The work isn’t done, because during the pandemic’s ups and downs, he has had ups and downs as well—haven’t we all? But he’s on the right path going into 2022, and I can’t wait to see what’s next.
What’s next for you?
Whether you’re facing an office full of paper or tired of inactive days filled with unhealthy meals, you can escape the rut you’re in and build habits that will lead to a more fulfilling life. Kind of like the old saying about planting a tree, the best time to start was years ago—but the next-best time is today. Email me at natalie@natalievanderpump.com to set up your free consultation.