Nicola Lewis - Mind Over Clutter

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First published by HarperCollins Publishers 2019

FIRST EDITION

© Nicola Lewis 2019

Cover layout design Micaela Alcaino © HarperCollins Publishers Ltd 2019

Cover illustrations © Shutterstock

Nicola Lewis asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work

A catalogue record of this book is available from the British Library

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Source ISBN: 9780008344825

Ebook Edition: March 2019 ISBN: 9780008344832

Version: 2019-03-28

‘I’m a big fan of decluttering myself as I really believe it helps tidy the mind. I think what Nicola is doing is truly fantastic and her Instagram brightens up my day.’

Katie Piper

‘TGCO is like having my very own Mary Poppins. She organises the chaos that enters my home on a daily basis and sprinkles her magic, making everything calm and tidy. She’s changed my life …’

Gemma Collins

‘After I got sober, I realised that my house was in a state of barely organised chaos. It felt like the Old Curiosity Shop. Nicola came round, and with the magic that is her mind, reorganised the space I live in, making it look like the easiest thing in the world. Now my home actually relaxes me. I feel like Nicola has got the best out of it … and that, as a result, it gets the best out of me.’

Bryony Gordon

‘Nicola is my superhero, not all heroes wear capes.’

FERNE MCCANN

‘Nicola’s approach is relaxed, kind and, most importantly, in my opinion, achievable and sustainable. Let’s face it, someone telling you to be tidier can get your hackles up, but Nicola’s method is so different that you never feel as though you’re being judged or shamed for having a chaotic knicker drawer or a disorganised bookshelf.’

Emma Gunavardhana

To Lottie, my beloved grandma; to Valerie, my wonderful mum and organising queen; and to Terry, the best dad in the world.

1 Cover

2 Title Page

3 Copyright

4 Celebrity Endorsements

5 Dedication

6 Contents

7 My Journey

8 1: Tidy Home, Tidy Mind

9 2: How to Declutter: Room by Room

10 3: Eco-cleaning Your Home

11 4: Upcycling and Donating

12 5: Decluttering to Go: Planning a Clutter-free Holiday

13 One Last Thing

14 References

15 Sourcebook

16 Acknowledgements

17 Index

18 About the Publisher

Landmarks CoverFrontmatterStart of ContentBackmatter

List of Pages iii iv i v 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 15 17 18 19 20 21 22 2324 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 37 39 4041 42 43 44454647 484950 51 52535455565758 5960 61626364656667686970 71 727374757677787980818283 84858687888990919293949596 9798 99100 101102103 104105106107108109110111112113114 115 117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133 134135136137138139140141142143144 145 147148149150151152153154155156157158159160161162163164165 167 169170171172173174 175176 177178179 180 181182183184185 187188 189 191192193194 195196 197198199200

I grew up in Walthamstow, in east London, but I now live in a village in rural west Essex, and I just adore my life. I love music and lip syncing (ha ha!), kindness and having fun, and living every single day to the full. But what I’m really passionate about – and what makes me tick – is organising and decluttering. In fact, I enjoy it so much that I’ve made it my business and my life’s mission. And now I want to help you transform your life too and enjoy all the benefits that decluttering brings. Because This Girl Can Organise (TGCO) is all about getting stuff done – with a big smile on your face.

It all started eighteen years ago when I got my first job as an FX (foreign exchange) assistant working for an investment bank in London. I was literally over the moon and loved the idea of being a ‘working girl’, just like Melanie Griffith in the movie of the same name. I wanted the tailored suits and designer bags, the big hair, to be independent, earn my own money and, of course, have fun in all the clubs and bars. My career and salary grew over the years and I was proud to work for some of the biggest investment banks in the City of London.

However, it wasn’t all plain sailing and I encountered a few storms along the way, especially when my first daughter was born. Don’t get me wrong, my career was really important to me, but so was becoming a mum and all the changes that brings. Like most first-time mothers, I wasn’t prepared for this transition, and not only were the back-handed comments from some of my colleagues after I returned to work hard to digest, they also made it difficult for me to focus. Holding down a full-time job while being a parent is never easy and it was probably one of the biggest challenges I’ve ever had to face. It was painful and I felt constantly guilty, trying to do the right thing and please everyone, which in reality was never enough, while constantly comparing myself to others. And although everything appeared to be OK on the outside, inside I was hurting.

The worst thing was that there was nobody I could confide in. I worried that if I talked honestly to people about what I was experiencing, I’d be labelled ‘weak’ and ‘overemotional’ and would be penalised accordingly.

I remember how, on some days, I would head into work feeling really positive, fresh and raring to go, only to find within minutes of arriving in the office that I had to choose between my career and my family. I felt guilty about leaving my family at home, but nobody really cared if you had a child in nursery or you’d snatched just four hours’ sleep the night before – you just had to put on a brave face, carry on, accept your lot and be thankful that at least you had a good job. Even now it makes me feel sad writing this part of my story, and I wish I could go back in time and tell the young mum I was then that there was no need to worry and it would all turn out OK. However, I guess we all have to ride these emotions at some point in our lives.

Those first few years were very tough, and I felt as though I was slowly losing my identity and sense of fun. Every morning I would sit on the train on my way to work, writing lists and schedules. This enabled me to get everything out of my head on to paper and to plan ahead for the week, the month and even the year – anything just to help me smile, feel better about myself and give me something to look forward to. Inside, I felt trapped and I knew there had to be a better way to live, but my husband had just changed careers and was starting off as a freelancer in the entertainment industry and we desperately needed my salary to pay the mortgage and the bills. I felt that I had to make some sacrifices to help build a secure future for my family.