McCarthy has presented clutter-clearing programs to libraries, community groups, and private companies.

Ask about a discount when you schedule a series of three or more presentations.

The most popular topics so far in 2024 are -

Susan McCarthy of ALessClutteredLife.com is a former teacher who became a professional organizer. After the stress of emptying her parents’ home, she took a closer look at her own possessions and began decluttering. That process of discovery encouraged her to begin helping others to clear the clutter from their homes.

Send me an email at Susan@ALessClutteredLife.com describing -

Confused by all the different decluttering methods you see described online?

Are you wondering if there's a best way to declutter and organize your home? And how do you figure out which techniques will work the best for you and your home and which will leave you overwhelmed and frustrated?

We’ll discuss the pros and cons of the most popular methods for decluttering and how to figure out what method will work for you and your home.

As anyone who’s ever tried to declutter knows, decluttering isn’t as simple as walking around your home tossing unwanted things in a trash bag.

Instead, your stuff gets tangled up in thoughts that make it challenging for you to let go of possessions.

We’ll discuss some of the most common reasons people have for holding onto stuff they may not use, need, or even like. Learn the technique for talking back to your clutter-clinging thoughts so you can make your home a functional and pleasant place.

Get control over all the paperwork associated with your kids - from schoolwork to artwork. Create simple systems (that you can keep up with) for dealing with both the current influx of school papers and art projects (and their digital counterparts) as well as memorabilia for each year of your child’s life.

Your keepsakes should remind you of wonderful times without crowding your home and making it difficult to have the space for forming new memories.

Throughout your life, you’ve saved items connected to events, experiences, and people. If you’re decluttering or downsizing, you’re probably finding it a challenge to decide what to keep.

In this program, you’ll work through simple writing activities that help you narrow in on the items that best tell the story of your life. Learn ideas for honoring both the items you keep and those you’ll let go.

Have you ever thought, “I’ll hold onto this just in case I need it someday?” Or held onto the supplies and materials for a hobby or interest you no longer engage in…or for an activity you thought you’d be interested in?

Get a toolkit of techniques that can help you decide what to keep and what to let go. We’ll cover topics like analysis paralysis, FOMO (fear of missing out), and opportunity cost … and how they can help you to make the right decision for you.

Your closet should be filled with clothing that suits your current lifestyle...not who you were years ago! Discover what you can let go of to make an immediate difference to your closet.

Learn four different techniques for decluttering that accommodate different schedules as well as varied levels of mental and physical energy. ​

We’ll also discuss shopping techniques that will save you from buying clothing destined to clutter your closet.

Decluttering isn’t just about randomly getting rid of stuff because you haven’t used it in the past six months. Instead, clearing clutter creates space in your home for the activities you want to do. And creating order in your home also saves you time, money, and stress!

Learn what steps to take…in what order…and eliminate overwhelm and doubt in favor of calm, intentional decluttering.

It’s easy to think that if you put in the time and energy to declutter your home or office then everything will stay tidy. But organizing isn’t the same as maintaining order.

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We’ll go through the process of designing habits that work for you and your life.

Not only can habits help you become an organized person, but they can also help you become more productive by streamlining your actions at home and in the office.

Downsizing to a smaller house or apartment is an opportunity to simplify your life. To enjoy your new home and have space for new experiences, you want to make intentional choices about the belongings you bring with you.

We’ll discuss the decluttering process; ideas for what you can do with the things you let go; and how to display belongings to reflect the story of your life.

Learn how to control and eliminate (or at least, greatly reduce) incoming paper. Determine the types of documents you want to hold onto (and for how long).

Problem-solve your challenges with paper sprawl while learning how to create systems that help maintain order.

Have you ever organized your home only to find yourself saying in exasperation, “I’m so organized that I can’t find anything!” What went wrong? You put things away…but you didn’t organize them!

Getting organized will save you time looking for misplaced items, money replacing items you can’t find, and a whole lot of aggravation! Learn the strategies and tactics that make it possible to retrieve and return items with ease.

This is a non-tech talk about how to organize digital files so you can find them again. The focus here is on organizing techniques that can be applied to any digital device. We'll also talk about organizing email, bookmarking web pages, and other helpful ways to deal with your devices so as to limit information overload and overwhelm.