Organised Joy London

09/09/2025

Life lately = feeling nostalgic for the present

A UK-centric summer 😎 where we didn't overpack the schedule (we so often do). We departed London for a whole month, disconnecting and enjoying outdoor adventures, less gym/more runs, cooking new dishes, playing new games, watching race across the world first time and with the kids fully into it and now aenquiring the price of every transport and accomodation! Feat. London with a couple of kids holiday camps, a Dublin weekend, camping at Latitude Festival, London zoo for Arya's birthday, gallery trips with my mum and one with H.... then packed for a month in Norfolk, Yorkshire and Longleat Centreparcs 🚴‍♀️ Time with our families and various friendship groups. I also took 2-night citybreaks with each of my girls one-to-one for first time ever which worked very well (Paris with I & Edinburgh fringe with A) Though H and I both worked during several weeks of the LONG 😅 kids summer, it was the first in three years where I had zero niggling essays or dissertations weighing on my time 🎉 I wish I could reassure my 34-year-old self that letting go of a desk/infrastructure-based trading role would be a great call. Working and juggling yes, but matching rather than severely curtailing my husband's hard-earned work autonomy 😂

Back to school with all the tricky re-adjustments and some meltdowns. Straight into a busier schedule of coaching clients and decluttering/organising work! Eventually I'll figure out where that leaves my social media 🤷🏽‍♀️ Tube strike mayhem and hoping to make it on time to docklands tomorrow for my masters graduation ceremony 👩🏽‍🎓

I cannot wait for the final 2.5 months of our 9 month renovation to be over: oh, the rollercoaster of excitement and stress. But also enjoying family life in this magic era and not get overly serious or self-obsessed with feeling "ahead" or "behind" career wise. I feel both at intervals. Everyone told me it flies by, and it does. A blur at times. Hope you and yours are keeping well 😊

30/12/2024

Happy holidays to you and yours ✨

Christmas & Twixmas. Just what I needed to draw 2024 to a close, which upon reflection has been the most personally challenging of recent years packed with glorious highs and some of my toughest lows 💫

Santa excitement, cuddles, movies, baking, feasting, toy construction, countryside dog walks, hot chocs, slow fresh air jogs, lazy days, bit of yoga, lots of family time, friends staying over, and yesterday celebrating the loveliest couple at their beautiful winter wedding with killer dance floor 🕺

P.S. 🐻 I found the Paddington experience by the river👌🏽Not posting pics as generally it's spoilers but went with friends who organised it (my expectations for an overpriced London attraction weren't high) but it's an immersive experience in a brilliant set that engaged our kids aged 4 and 6 (there's little fun group tasks) & rather magical for us grown ups.

02/12/2024

👀➡️ what's your favourite no/low-clutter gift?

If you're susceptible to holiday panic gift buying 🙋🏽‍♀️you might not need to buy "a few more ***insert Amazon item*** just in case" 💖 As my kids get older (I wonder whether we're at peak Christmas excitement 🥰) I find myself getting more drawn into excess one-click buying and I'm having to remind myself more often to be intentional.

My clutter acceptance has increased in this season of life 😅 For example, we've never done toy advent calendars before. As a professional organiser I see firsthand they can be a source of near-disposable plastic c***. But this year my younger daughter was gifted a playmobile one, so I got my elder daughter a Harry Potter stationery one. They are giddy with joy. Clutter trade offs! 💭

Whether you enjoy a mountain of presents or you prefer to keep it simple, here are some ideas that have gone down well last couple of years .joy ✨

12/11/2024

One of my clients last week was quite fresh in the process of making space for a new addition to their family 👶🏻 and part of the session involved toddler toys in the open plan living space.

Tip: if you can, try orienting your furniture so your tv view in the evening is clear of the toys. For many, it can make a difference when it's time to unwind if the toys are behind the sofa or in a corner out of your line of sight. 👀 I forgot to take a picture but we cleared the fireplace area below the tv of toys.

02/09/2024

17/05/2024

Personalise your space by keeping only what you love or need. ✨Whether you prefer minimalist or maximalist interiors, a burst of intentional decluttering & organising goes a long way.

📸 New workspace, new IKEA billy bookcase, old noticeboard, old stuff! In the future, my dream for this white-walled space is more colour, pattern and joinery. Yet already my books, files, practical work items & joy-sparking mementos make it my space. A zone of inspiration that aligns with my business & studies. I decided to store "Organised Joy related" non-fiction here instead of with our books in the living room.

You can make a zone of inspiration for yourself whether or not you have a room for it - a corner, a wall, a shelf. I love helping my clients rediscover and make space for joy and inspiration. Through the process, we learn about their personal style (handy if they are soon to move or renovate), how they want to spend their time, which items are meaningful.

Do you ever see decluttering & organising in this way?

26/03/2024

Ever find yourself getting caught in the perfection trap when decluttering or organising your space? This can sometimes suck all the joy out of the process! I recommend bringing it back to you, your personal motivation for this process/project & YOUR lifestyle 👀✨

11/03/2024

My second conference was packed with learnings and connections with familiar and new faces. 4 takeaways adding to the thesis at the heart of the work we all do: it's never just about the stuff ✨

1️⃣ 2-5% of population are affected by hoarding disorder. Psychological triggers include grief and loss. It is NOT a lifestyle choice. Studies show "clutter blindness" makes piles of stuff invisible to the point where individuals suspect photos of their space have been doctored or their home has been broken into. Though I don't work with HD, I often hear "I hoard X" or "I'm a bit of a hoarder". How to approach working with HD from an expert deepens my knowledge. For example, a reason I encourage before photos is to record and celebrate how far we progress (we forget!) when decluttering. We also may experience clutter blindness.

2️⃣ Digital asset legacy: Have you got a digital will? Do you have any plan for who you want to be able to access your photo library, iCloud, digital FX, spotify, and 100s other digital assets & logins beyond your lifetime? Me neither. First action of mine is to appoint my Apple next of kin.

3️⃣ let's normalise relapse in a cycle of behaviour or habit change. From a psychological perspective, how do we separate our self-esteem from the outcome which may be a 🎢 ride? This is as relevant to our decluttering and organising journeys as to any endeavour to which we hope to apply a growth mindset.

4️⃣ Operations & lifecycle of charity shop donations explained by head of cancer research's head of retail operations. The logistics and scale are truly fascinating.

Also happy & during the conference (my rainbow fairy 🧚‍♀️ & angry unicorn 🦄 just wanted to wear their fave sparkly dresses... easy!)

06/03/2024

⏳ How do you time-box your values? ⌛️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Beyond the introspective work of identifying our values, how do we PRACTICALLY apply them into our life/work? Time-boxing came up with 2 of my coaching clients this week. We zoomed out on their month/week schedule to identify how they can experiment with the way they plan and spend time at work and home.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Nir Eyal and Cal Newport talk about time-boxing your values to avoid getting swept up in a modern sea of distraction or "shallow work". That means scheduling the things that matter most personally and professionally ✨
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
This can be as simple as pre-planning fitness classes or a nature walk, diarising an hour at work to focus on writing project without checking emails, or agreeing a weekly non-work date night with your partner. Left purely to spontaneity, you might not get round to such things. So one idea is to block them in your calendar the same way you would a work meeting or theatre show you've paid for. Even if occasionally you have to cancel, you have committed.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I for one have been here before: I'm busy, there's not enough time for how much I have to get done, I'm not prioritising things that matter most, my most loved ones often get the leftovers of my depleted time and energy. It's the classic story of the professor putting the sand into the jar to illustrate to his students that there's no room left for the big rocks. You have to put in the big rocks first! Can anyone else relate?
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

04/03/2024

Organisation is like high speed internet. You can find what you're looking for fast. Tell you what we NEVER EVER EVER find fast 📚 Children's library books when it's time to return them.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
It's a scramble before our weekly library visit... not to mention school reading books we may or may not be hoarding 👀 We discover long lost "property of Community Library" amidst the bookshelves or behind their beds. You know the drill.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Organised Joy: Create a library books zone (in this case an old unused storage box on it's side & a label 👀➡️📸 )
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
I help clients designate a place for everything but truth is, as we all know, it can take a long time for something to be *mildly* annoying before taking that tiny action. It just got to a point where my 6yo's volume of borrowed books skyrocketed so I finally bothered to spend 5 minutes solving a 2y+ tiny friction. A bowl or tray for keys in the entryway is a classic example if you're always searching for your keys when it's time to leave.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
What zone could you create in 5 mins to help you find what you need fast? ✨
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

29/01/2024

Time to shift your perspective 👀➡️
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Save this post for some practical questions to help you get unstuck when you next declutter. In the Konmari Method®, we focus on what to keep in our life going forward (rather than what to get rid of). We learn to trust our inner wisdom to make decisions with confidence.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Having spent over 1500 hours decluttering with my clients, I notice there's sometimes a particular question or reframe that strikes a chord and unlocks the process. It's not one size fits all.
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Tanya, here to help you declutter & organise with practicality & joy ✨
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀

23/01/2024

✨💻 Decluttering sessions via Zoom & WhatsApp ✨💬

Last week one of my virtual clients decluttered their clothes and books over zoom with me. After our sessions together, in their own time they copy/pasted the same method we had practised on shoes, which previously they had never been able to let go of (78 pairs counted at he start). Then in our zoom session yesterday we discussed 4 pairs she felt really stuck on and with my questions she confidently chose 2 to keep. 2 pairs she realised she wanted to say goodbye to. This is the magic of having practical and extensive experience of the Konmari®️method to draw on (and the psychology of stuff!) and not going through the decluttering and organising process alone.

Sharing this because I used to wonder if we could achieve the same client results when working remotely (after all I'm not there folding clothes with you)

But over the past year of doing more virtual work, it is equally efficient. We are strategic about what we do within the zoom sessions versus what my client does independently. It's a mix of zoom sessions & WhatsApp support which is wonderful 💖

A little glimpse into our back and forth WhatsApp chain (which sparks a lot of joy for me) with my client's permission 😁