You can see all the little decisions, all the steps, the tasks…all the things you need to research, sell, donate, or figure out. But before you’ve even touched a single thing, you’re exhausted. 

Things just feel too overwhelming to even begin. 

This week on What Are You Making Space For?, we’re heading into Shelby’s garage to tackle her mountain of clutter. 🏔️ 

Shelby is an avid camper, so she’s no stranger to mountains. But this particular mountain has been a little harder to climb.  

Between generations of inherited belongings, unfinished projects, and a whole lot of good intentions, there’s plenty to work through.  

And as much as I wish we could, we can’t organize her whole garage in one session. So instead, we’re going to explore how to make a project that feels impossible start to feel possible.  

Because sometimes the biggest obstacle isn’t the clutter itself. It’s figuring out where to begin.   

Here’s to taking that first step! 

The post Making the Impossible Possible appeared first on Star Hansen.

The post Why The Last Pile Of Clutter Feels So Hard appeared first on Star Hansen.

 This week on What Are You Making Space For?, Cece does just that. 

Cece got her first storage unit during a downsize. A few years later, another life transition led to a second one.   

But after years of rising storage prices, trying to sort through her belongings awkwardly inside the storage units, and an AC leak that damaged some of what had been stored…Cece was done. 

She recently purchased her own home and was ready to get rid of the storage units and bring everything home. 

So, she did! 🎉 

There was just one problem. 

She moved everything into her backyard and covered it with a tarp. Life happened, eight months passed, and the tarp-covered pile was still there. 

With hurricane season in full swing, summer bugs are out, and the possibility of more things getting damaged, it was time to deal with what Cece affectionately calls… 

The Monster Under the Tarp 

In this episode, we explore: 

• What happened after she emptied the storage units 

• How an eight-month-old pile became the “monster under the tarp” 

• Why storage units aren’t inherently good or bad 

• What happens when you’ve already pared down a category, and the remaining decisions get harder 

• How Cece emptied one of the hardest boxes in less than 12 minutes 

 After years of keeping these belongings somewhere else, Cece is finally bringing the pieces of her life back home and deciding what belongs in this next chapter.  

The post Emptying Your Storage Units: Bringing It All Home appeared first on Star Hansen.

I’m not the kind of person who doles out organizing advice to friends and family…unless they ask.

Much like a doctor at a party who has a random rashy wrist thrust in their face asking for treatment advice, I occasionally get asked to “read” someone’s space when I’m out in the world.

I’ve had several dates with guys who wanted me to “get a read” on their house (No, you don’t, my guy, no you don’t…I shouldn’t know that much about you on our third date).

There have been dinner party hosts who are curious about their “room of doom.” And I’ve had many friends who solicited furniture placement advice when they moved into a new home.

I never mind these quick bids for insight. But honestly, I don’t go around “reading” your rooms…unless you ask me to.

It’s a gift I only activate when asked.

So, it’s not often that I get to do a deep dive into a friend’s house.

But this week on the podcast, I get to do just that.

I sit down with my dear friend Kelsey and dive into her office. Along the way, we explore:

• Why beautiful homes can still hide invisible overwhelm.
• The surprising importance of a “dumping ground”
• The missing systems that cause clutter to keep coming back
• Why some people need their house to feel beautiful in order to feel calm
• The pressure to get everything “done” before we let ourselves enjoy our life

Kelsey and I had more fun creating this episode than we probably should have.

But my favorite part might be what happened after our session.

She had such a strong reaction to our session that, within 24 hours, she ripped her entire house apart to put what she’d discovered into action.

Listen to Kelsey’s Office: Making Space for the Messy Middle wherever you get your podcasts.

The post What Happens When You Organize a Friend’s House? appeared first on Star Hansen.

Last week, I asked you a question…

What percentage of your stuff would you have to let go of before you would feel good in your space? 

A lot of you answered…thank you so much for taking the time to reach out and share.   

Some of you named percentages, some of you wrote me paragraphs…and a few of you even told me you haven’t been able to sleep in your own bed in years.  

The percentages were all over the place. From 0% all the way up to 98%. But the most common answer, by far, was 

50%

The post What % Would You Have To Let Go Of Before You Would Feel Good In Your Space? appeared first on Star Hansen.

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.