It’s everywhere. It’s in our homes, our oceans, our food. And while the organizing industry loves a good plastic bin, it’s never really been my thing. 

But, in spite of my strong feelings about plastic, there’s something I’ve said to clients for years:

Plastic is precious. 

Not because plastic itself is precious.  

But because when something is still in its original wrapping, it suddenly feels elevated. Untouched. Like it needs to be preserved.  

And without even realizing it, that thin layer of plastic becomes a barrier. 

It separates you from actually using the thing. 

I see it all the time…  

• Beautiful bars of soap that never get used
• Candles that never get lit
• Stationery that never gets written on
• Nice items quietly waiting to be used at the “right moment.” 

But that perfect moment you’re saving it for? It usually never comes.  

The item gets forgotten. Or the materials break down. Or it just loses its “specialness” because it was sitting so long.  

And in the meantime, you didn’t get to enjoy it.  

If something is in your home, I want you to use it. 

I don’t want there to be a barrier between you and the things you chose to bring into your life.  

Because those things were meant for you to enjoy, use, and have as part of your day-to-day experience.  

So today, I want you to do one thing for me… 

Pick one thing you’ve been saving for “someday”. And use it.

Draw yourself a bath and use those fancy bath salts. Make dinner feel a little more special by lighting some of the taper candles that have been gathering dust in the drawer. Use the “good dishes” for a regular Tuesday lunch. Write a note to your best friend on the pretty stationary in your desk (it will make their day).

You don’t need a special occasion. Today is the occasion. You’re the reason it’s special. 

Just for today, let yourself enjoy something you’ve been holding onto.  No waiting. No saving. Just living.  

You’re worth it! 

The post Why You Don’t Use the Things You Own (And How to Stop Saving Them for Later) appeared first on Star Hansen.

Now, look…I adore my new apartment. I really do.

I love living in San Francisco. I’m at the top of a 4-story building with a big balcony that overlooks the whole city. Most days, I feel like a princess in a castle.

But my laundry situation has me feeling all kinds of annoyed. 

Usually, I’m an A+ laundry student….

I wash. I fold. And I put things away…all in the same sitting.

But in this house, my laundry keeps piling up. Every weekend, I find some excuse not to do my laundry…until it is stacked so high that it feels overwhelming.

What might be causing this breakdown of laundry flow, you ask?

Well, the root cause of this chaos is the laundry machines. It would be an understatement to say that I really don’t like them.

First, they are located in the basement. I have to walk down (and up) four flights of stairs. There’s no elevator here, and as good as those stairs have been for my cardio, they add a hefty burden to an already less-than-fun activity.

Plus, the washer eat my quarters. The dryer barely dries. And everything takes way longer than it should.

None of these things is a dealbreaker, but it activates my perfectionism and awakens an “if I can’t do it right, I’m not going to do it at all” temper tantrum.

Every time I think about doing the laundry, I feel annoyed. I find myself feeling irritated and not wanting to do laundry at all.

So, I let the laundry stack up. I resist going to the bank for quarters. I sometimes even take my laundry to a friend’s house just to not deal with our machines.

I have total resistance about doing laundry here…so much so that I still haven’t bought a portable hamper to carry my loads down. Instead, I carry everything in my arms like a dizzy raccoon doing a weird obstacle course.

The truth is, my resistance to my building’s laundry room is the real monster.

I am the monster that’s causing the chaos with my laundry. Not the machines. 

Clutter loves this kind of thing. It thrives when something feels annoying enough that you avoid it…so it can quietly grow and expand.

If I’m really honest with myself, the situation “is what it is.” The machines aren’t changing. The stairs aren’t going anywhere.

But my attitude is the one thing I do have control over. I can either keep holding onto my resentment and annoyance, or I can do something about it.

I can accept that this is the situation and make a plan for what I’m going to do about it.

That’s where the monster loses its power…when we name what we’re feeling, accept the circumstances, and come up with a workable game plan (notice I said workable, not perfect).

If I keep focusing on my annoyance that my laundry setup isn’t as good as it was in the past, I feed the chaos that keeps my laundry stacking up.

And once I stop fighting reality, I can actually take care of myself. I can bring extra quarters for when the machines get hungry. I can buy a collapsible hamper so I can stop leaving a trail of socks up the stairs. And I can leave enough time to run the dryer twice.

None of this is glamorous. But there is no better solution than:

• Noticing what isn’t working
• Accepting the truth, and
• Building a game plan around it.

Most clutter monsters don’t start off big and scary.

They start with something small that just feels a little bit off. Something that annoys you enough that you don’t want to fully deal with it.

And then it grows.

So, take a minute look around your home…

Is there a little clutter monster in your home right now? (not an overwhelming monster, just a little annoyance you’ve been side-stepping)

Comment below and tell me about it. Venting is a great place to start when it comes to facing the clutter monster.  

I’ve got your back! 

The post Why My Laundry Keeps Piling Up (and what I finally did about it) appeared first on Star Hansen.

It’s not because you’re “not motivated.” It’s not because you can’t “stick with it.” And it’s definitely not because you’re not capable.

Most organizing goals fail because they’re way too big for the energy/time/focus you have available.

Every January, people tell me their organizing goals. They say:

“I’m finally going to organize all my paperwork.”
“I’m tackling the attic!”
“I’m clearing the whole office.”

And listen…these are beautiful intentions. But they’re also the biggest, hardest, heaviest projects in your home. They’re emotional. They take time. And they deliver the least visual payoff, which makes it really hard to stay motivated.

What you actually need isn’t a giant project.

You need a win. 🏆

A small, doable, confidence-building win. Something you can finish in 20-30 minutes. Something that lets your brain go “Oh, I can do this!”

That’s how trust is built. And that’s how momentum starts.

I explain why big organizing goals backfire (and what to do instead) in this short video. Watch it here:

Now, here’s the other reason organizing goals collapse…

Most of us were never taught how to get organized.

We set a goal…but no one ever taught us the actual steps.

Not the emotional steps. Not the practical steps. And definitely not the steps that work for your brain and your life.

That’s why I created the 10 Steps to Finally Get (& Stay) Organized.

It gives you a clear, repeatable framework so you always know what to do next, how to make decisions without spiraling, and how to organize in a way that actually works for your brain and your life—not some picture-perfect fantasy.

When you take the 10 Steps Class, you’ll get:

• The full 10 Steps framework—the practical and emotional pieces you were never taught
• Live coaching + Q&A with me
• Help thinking through your specific organizing challenges
• Support that helps progress stick (instead of fizzling out a few weeks in)

If you’ve been waiting to get organized but the goals keep slipping…this might be your moment.

You don’t need to white-knuckle your way through organizing. You don’t need to keep setting goals that collapse under the weight of real life. You just need the right-sized steps—and a coach who believes in you. 🙋‍

The post Why Your Organizing Goals Keep Falling Apart (and How to Finally Make Progress) appeared first on Star Hansen.

As we walked into the room, they felt overwhelmed almost immediately. There was a lot to do, the energy felt heavy, and about 20 minutes in they said: 

“Maybe this is too much. Maybe we should switch to an easier project.”

They were feeling overwhelmed and getting ready to abandon the bedroom project altogether.

So, I asked them to pause.

Not because they needed to push harder or do more. But because the bedroom is one of the most important spaces in the house to approach gently.

The bedroom is where we sleep. Where we let our guard down. Where our nervous system is supposed to feel safe enough to rest.  

And because of that, it can be a surprisingly charged space… 

There can be relationship energy activated here. Or body image issues connected to our clothing may arise. We can experience sleep struggles.  

And often, we’re reading, scrolling, unwinding, or overstimulating ourselves without realizing it.  

So, when people tell me they want to “organize their bedroom,” I often slow them down. 

Because sometimes the goal of organizing isn’t to do a full, deep, color-coded overhaul.  Sometimes the goal is much simpler. 

Sometimes the goal is to protect your peace.

Right now, the world is loud. It’s heavy, fast, and overwhelming.  Many people are carrying way more than they realize, and it shows up most clearly at night.

If your bedroom doesn’t feel peaceful, you don’t need to “Marie Kondo” the entire space.

You just might need to remove one thing. 

Something that doesn’t feel right. One thing that disturbs your sleep. Or something that pulls your focus in a direction you don’t want it to go. 

That could look like: 

• Removing a book you’re not reading from your nightstand 

• Clearing the top of your dresser so your eyes can rest 

• Moving your charging cord to the bathroom so you aren’t tempted to scroll at night 

• Unfollowing someone online who activates comparison or stress in you 

• Unsubscribing from an email that hijacks your nervous system 

• Letting go of something, physical or digital, that no longer belongs in this season of your life 

This counts as organizing. 

This counts as self-care.

Protecting your peace isn’t indulgent. It’s essential.

It’s self-regulation.  Its boundaries. And it’s choosing what (and who) gets access to you.

So today, take one small step.

Ask yourself: 

What’s one thing I can remove to protect my peace?  

That’s it. That’s the work.

The post Protecting Your Peace In The Bedroom appeared first on Star Hansen.

• Getting rid of stuff
• Buying containers
• Making systems

And, yes, those things matter. But if that’s all you’re doing, it’s no wonder it feels like you’re stuck on an organizing hamster wheel.

Because organizing isn’t just a task. It’s a life skill.

And that skill goes way beyond clever organizing hacks and folding techniques.

The best organizing results come from cross-training.

Think about athletes… NFL players have been known to train in ballet to improve balance and coordination. Weightlifters do yoga to protect their joints and stay mobile.

They’re not doing it because it’s trendy. They’re doing it because training only one way creates an imbalance.

Organizing is the same.

If the only muscle you’re building is “hands-on decluttering,” you’re skipping the inner skills that make organizing sustainable. You need more than that.

You also need nervous system regulation, decision-making support, patience, creativity, and support.

That’s where cross-training comes in.

Here are a few simple ways to cross-train your organizing projects:

MEDITATE

Organizing requires presence.

Taking a few quiet minutes each day to breathe, be still, and step away from screens will help build your ability to respond instead of react. That pause is what helps you make better decisions when you’re standing in front of a pile wondering what to do.

As Einstein said, “We can’t solve a problem from the energy that caused it.” Stillness is one of the best starting places for facing the chaos in our lives.

RESEARCH

Sometimes organizing stalls because of unanswered questions.

Where do dead batteries go? What about paint? Electronics? Medications?

Taking time outside of hands-on organizing sessions to figure these things out removes friction later. When you already know where things go, actions feel lighter, and momentum builds.

Less friction = more follow-through

BUILD

Support matters.

If something physically blocks you, organizing will stall every time. Heavy furniture, high shelves, limited energy… All of these things have an impact on our organizing progress.

Finding someone to help you move things, having a step stool where you need it, or asking for support isn’t a weakness, it’s smart self-care.

Organizing works best when your environment supports you.

PLAY

Joy isn’t a reward for finishing.

When our homes feel chaotic, many people delay having fun until everything is “handled.” It’s common to feel like we have to earn our rest. But joy is actually fuel. When your system feels nourished, organizing stops feeling like punishment.

Take a walk. Listen to music. Laugh with a friend. Grab an ice cream. Dance in your living room with your dog.

These moments build capacity, and capacity makes change possible.

CREATE

Organizing isn’t just logical, it’s creative.

Movement, art, music, or even doodling activates the part of your brain that imagines new possibilities and helps you invent systems that actually work for you.

Some of the best organizing systems don’t come from books. They come from your own lived experience. You just need to make a little space to express your creativity each day.

Organizing doesn’t only happen in your closet or at the Container Store.

It happens when you pause. When you ask for help. When you make room for joy. And when you trust your instincts.

That’s cross-training. And it’s what makes organizing stick. 

Comment below and tell me one way you can start your organizing cross-training journey this week. 

Cheering you on as you train your way to a clutter-free finish line. 🎉 

The post Cross-Training: The Missing Link to Getting Organized appeared first on Star Hansen.

I’m not just an organizing specialist. I’m a chaos specialist. 🌪️

And the chaos I see in homes mirrors the chaos we’re living in now.

We’re living in a moment where it’s incredibly easy to get flooded.

Being flooded is a state where you’re mentally, emotionally, and physically tapped out.

Your system is overwhelmed and can’t process one more input, so it freezes.

You might feel overwhelmed, scattered, helpless, or numb. Not because there’s something wrong with you, but because there’s simply too much coming at you.

We’ve never lived through a time like this. We have constant access to news, crises, heartbreak, and suffering from all over the world.

And that’s on top of working, parenting, caregiving, managing our health, maintaining relationships, and trying to stay afloat in our own lives.

That’s a lot for anyone to hold.

There’s a very narrow tipping point between being functional and being flooded.

On one side, we’re grounded enough to take action, make decisions, and move forward. On the other side, we’re overwhelmed, frozen, and convinced that nothing we do will ever be enough.

Right now, many people are living on the flooded side of the line…while simultaneously judging themselves for not doing more.

That combination is exhausting. But it’s not impossible to escape from.

Please know this…you do not need to solve every problem in the world today.

But what you do need to do is reclaim your attention.

Your focus is one of the most valuable resources you have. And everything around you right now is competing for it. Social media, news outlets, algorithms, streaming platforms…they’re all designed to keep your attention locked outside of yourself.

When your focus is scattered everywhere, you don’t have access to your full power.

Crossing back over the tipping point doesn’t require you to fix everything. It requires coming back into the present moment.

The present moment is where your power and agency live. It’s where clarity comes from. It’s where action becomes possible again.

For me, getting present often looks like taking a walk in nature. Not an exercise walk, but one where I look around and notice birds, trees, and sunlight.

For someone else, it might be a run. Or taking a deep breath and feeling your feet on the floor. Or singing your favorite song at the top of your lungs in the shower. Or putting your phone down and naming five colors you see in your room.

There is no “right” way.

You don’t need to be present all day. You don’t need to meditate for an hour. You don’t need to be perfect.

One minute counts. Five minutes count. Doing it imperfectly counts.

Because when you come back into the present moment (even briefly), you cross back over that tipping point. You move out of survival and back into choice.

And from there, you can take the next right step. Not all the steps…just the next one.

That’s how we regain our footing from chaos.

That’s how we protect our energy. And that’s how we’re able to care for ourselves (and the world), without burning ourselves out.

You don’t need more information. You need more presence.

And you’re allowed to start small.

The post How To Reclaim Your Focus In A Chaotic World appeared first on Star Hansen.

The impossible, maddening belief that you’re somehow supposed to “get it all done.”

I can’t tell you how many people come to me panicked, overwhelmed, or convinced that something is fundamentally wrong with them because they can’t keep up with their overflowing to-do list.

They want the “secret system” or the magic trick that finally makes everything manageable.

And I hate being the bearer of this truth (but it’s exactly this truth that sets people free).

You’re always going to have more to do than time to do it.

Not because you’re behind. Or because you’re disorganized. And not because you’re doing anything wrong.

But because this is modern life. The world is overflowing with inputs, demands, inboxes, notifications, expectations, and “urgent” everything. No one is keeping up. Seriously, no one.

A hundred years ago? Sure…maybe you finished your list. But today? The finish line doesn’t exist.

And the problem isn’t actually productivity. It’s anxiety.

It’s the anxious feeling of:

What if I forget to do something important?
What if I drop the ball at work?
What does it mean about me if I’m behind?
Why can’t I keep up like everyone else seems to?

Here’s the most loving truth I can offer you about your overflowing inbox and suffocating task lists…

There’s nothing wrong with you. Nothing. Zero. Not. One. Thing.

You’re not supposed to keep up with an unreasonable volume of tasks.
You’re not supposed to fight every fire.
You’re not supposed to run your body into the ground trying to be superhuman.

So instead of trying to “do it all,” here’s what I want you to try:

1-Choose your top 1-5 things you want to get done each day.
Not 25. Not your entire inbox. Just the five things that actually matter. That’s what most of us can realistically give our full energy to.

2-Let the rest go to the “Universal Task List.”
Seriously. Hand anything that doesn’t make your top 5 over to the Universe (Creator, divine timing, your future self…whatever language feels good to you) to handle for you. It’s not all yours to carry.

3-Tend to your Nervous System instead of pushing yourself harder.
Because your body is doing the work. When your anxiety is screaming, productivity crashes. But when your nervous system feels supported, everything changes.

Take a walk in nature. Do some deep breathing. Eat a snack. Watch a funny video. Sing a song you love. It doesn’t have to be complicated; it just has to bring you home to yourself.

4-Let yourself be human.
You don’t owe the world constant output. You don’t have to keep up with an impossible pace. You can choose intention over urgency. And when you do, you become far more effective and far more at peace.

Want more peaceful productivity tools? Watch this short video to learn how to feel calmer, clearer, and productive in your life:

You deserve ease. You deserve calm. You deserve a life that truly supports you.

The post What Actually Makes You More Productive (Even If You Never “Get It All Done”) appeared first on Star Hansen.

The post Don’t Let Those Returns Steal Your Joy (or Your Money) appeared first on Star Hansen.

But before you click add to cart, I want to offer another voice. A quieter one.

Since 2020, I’ve moved seven times. Seven. 

And every single time, I’ve had to touch, pack, and carry every item I own.

And let me tell you…it’s humbling.

I’ve seen just how many things I bought with good intentions that I barely used, didn’t love, or never even opened.

Each move was a reminder that most of what we buy doesn’t end up changing our lives. It just fills our closets, our shelves, and our mental space.

So, this week, while the world is shouting “More! More! More!” I want to whisper something different:

🖤 You don’t have to buy a thing.

🖤 You don’t have to chase every deal.

🖤 You don’t have to prove your love or success through stuff.

There will always be another sale. But your peace of mind (and your space) is worth far more than anything in a shopping cart.

So if you need permission to sit this one out, here it is.

The post You Don’t Have to Buy a Thing: A Black Friday Reminder appeared first on Star Hansen.

Marnie hoards, and she has been documenting her journey publicly on Facebook.

She shares photos, stories, and reflections about her journey with stuff. What each item means, why it’s hard to let go, and what it feels like for her to release something.

It’s brave, raw, and deeply moving. Watching someone share their process like that is a reminder of how emotional this work really is.

During the class, Randy said something that stopped me in my tracks:

People are more willing to let go of things when they tell the story of the object.

Not when someone asks them logical questions. Not when they’re pushed or pressured. When they tell its story.

And it hit me…

This is exactly what I’ve witnessed in my own practice for the past 22+ years. Every single day, clients tell me the stories of their stuff. Where it came from. Who gave it to them. What it meant at the time.

And inevitably, somewhere in that story, they find the clarity and courage to let go.

But here’s what usually happens…

Halfway through their story, they pause and apologize. “Oh my gosh, I’m so sorry. I’m wasting your time. You don’t need to hear all this.”

But I do need to hear it. Because the story is the medicine.

Storytelling is how we make meaning. It’s how we soften the shame and start to understand what our things represent—love, loss, identity, creativity, fear, security.

And when we bring those stories into the light, something shifts. The clutter becomes a teacher, not a judge.

So, let’s call this what it is: Show-and-Tell for the Soul. And yes, it really works.

Here are 5 ways storytelling helps you release clutter:

1. It moves you out of defense and into connection.

When you tell a story, you’re not being interrogated or judged; you’re simply sharing. That shift takes you out of the fight-or-flight mode that clutter often triggers, and into a calmer, more creative space where clarity can emerge.

2. It helps you make meaning.

The act of naming what something represents (ie. “This belonged to my grandmother,” “I bought this when I started my business”) turns a vague emotional attachment into something understandable. Meaning brings peace. And peace brings release.

3. It gives you closure.

Telling the story allows you to finish the sentence, both emotionally and energetically. Once you’ve honored what the item stood for, you can let it go with gratitude, rather than guilt.

4. It invites softness.

Storytelling slows you down. It lets compassion sneak in. You start seeing the tender reasons behind your resistance, and that gentleness opens the door for change.

5. It reconnects you to yourself.

Every story you tell about your stuff is really a story about you—your values, your history, your growth. When you see that clearly, you start filling your life with things (and experiences) that reflect who you are now, not who you used to be.

I recently brought this idea into our Chaos to Calm Organizing Community, and we had a “Show-and-Tell” night. People shared the stories behind their antiques, technology, blankets, and shelves of sentimental treasures. It was pure magic!

Ordinary objects became doorways to reflection, laughter, healing, and closure.

If you want to try it yourself, start small.  Pick one item…something that has been sitting in a drawer or on a shelf for too long. Hold it. Tell its story.

Say it out loud to yourself, comment below and tell me about it, or share it with someone safe (someone who won’t rush you or tell you to just “get rid of it”).

There’s real power in being witnessed. There’s magic in the mundane. And there’s healing in your stories.

If this kind of reflection speaks to you, come join us in the Chaos to Calm Organizing Community. We explore the emotional side of clutter, and the stories, the healing, and the freedom that comes from finally understanding your stuff.  

The post How Storytelling Helps You Finally Let Go of Clutter appeared first on Star Hansen.