Organize Your Life & Home: The Simple System That Gives You More Time, Energy, & Control

Mel Robbins 0:00 Today, on the Mel Robbins Podcast, you and I are getting organized. The Home Edit is here to help you go from chaos and clutter to feeling calm and confident in your life and home. Clea and Joanna, The Home Edit is here-

Clea Shearer 0:21 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 0:21 ... in Boston.

Joanna Teplin 0:22 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 0:23 Welcome to-

Clea Shearer 0:24 Thank you

Mel Robbins 0:24 ... the Mel Robbins Podcast.

Clea Shearer 0:25 It's the best.

Joanna Teplin 0:26 We are so honored to be here.

Clea Shearer 0:28 It's thrilling.

Mel Robbins 0:28 Well, I invited you to the studios in Boston instead of my home in Vermont, because I was too embarrassed- [laughs]

Clea Shearer 0:35 [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 0:35 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 0:35 ... to have you.

Joanna Teplin 0:36 You know, you're not the first person to tell us that.

Clea Shearer 0:38 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 0:40 I have followed you online for years, and I will tell you upfront, I am so excited to talk to you, because I have had a very mixed relationship with you two.

Clea Shearer 0:51 [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 0:51 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 0:52 Because I've seen how beautiful your work is, and it has stirred both inspiration and a bit of, uh, shall I say shaming of myself when I see your beautiful pantries and color-coded stuff. I'm like, "I don't think I'm ever gonna..."

Clea Shearer 1:07 We're gonna erase that.

Mel Robbins 1:08 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 1:09 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 1:09 Erase it?

Clea Shearer 1:10 We're gonna erase your shame.

Mel Robbins 1:11 You are?

Joanna Teplin 1:11 Yes.

Clea Shearer 1:11 We're gonna erase your shame.

Joanna Teplin 1:12 Absolutely. The... It's for inspiration, but it doesn't have to be the, what you absolutely need to strive to become.

Clea Shearer 1:18 Yes. Our Instagram, it's our portfolio. It's, of course, it's gonna show all the beautiful things. You know, we, we like to say that, that the things that we put on Instagram, it's, it's like having a wedding album. It's not the marriage, it's the wedding album.

Mel Robbins 1:30 Oh, my God.

Joanna Teplin 1:30 Yes, and we need to lower everyone's standards for what organization has to become. Yes, uh, Clea's exactly right. It's our portfolio. Of course, we're gonna make it pretty, but this doesn't have to be exactly how you live.

Clea Shearer 1:41 Correct.

Mel Robbins 1:42 I love you.

Clea Shearer 1:43 We want-

Joanna Teplin 1:43 I love you

Clea Shearer 1:43 ... we want people to live in a way that makes them feel good.

Joanna Teplin 1:46 Yes, and that's what-

Clea Shearer 1:47 And that's what organizing's about

Joanna Teplin 1:48 ... it's self-care, and that's what we need to make sure that everyone knows.

Mel Robbins 1:52 Okay, so hold on. You just said so much stuff, I, I, I need to-

Joanna Teplin 1:55 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 1:55 ... like tap the brakes a little bit-

Clea Shearer 1:57 [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 1:57 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 1:57 ... and just make sure. I'm taking my own color-coded highlighter out, and, and just waving it through the air to say there were so many things I wanna make sure that as the person's listening or watching, they got it. You said organization is self-care.

Clea Shearer 2:11 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 2:11 Yes.

Mel Robbins 2:11 You also said your beautiful photos are your portfolio, and so think about the things that you're inspired by online.

Joanna Teplin 2:19 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 2:19 When you think about whether it's interior design or organization, the work that you do at The Home Edit and with, you know, people's houses that are hiring you to come in, that that's your portfolio, much like you look at the wedding album.

Joanna Teplin 2:32 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 2:32 But it's not the marriage.

Joanna Teplin 2:33 Exactly.

Clea Shearer 2:34 It's the, it's the beautiful imagery. It's the inspiration. It's what b- makes you excited, but it's not, it doesn't have to be your life.

Joanna Teplin 2:43 No.

Clea Shearer 2:43 Your life has nuance. And s- you know, a wedding album versus a marriage is the way we think about what organizing should be. And of course, the photos and the imagery is gonna be beautiful.

Joanna Teplin 2:52 Yeah, and it's a snapshot.

Clea Shearer 2:53 But it's a snapshot.

Joanna Teplin 2:53 I mean, it's a still snapshot. This isn't movement and life.

Clea Shearer 2:57 Right.

Mel Robbins 2:58 And so let's start this way, Clea and Joanna. If the person listening takes everything to heart that you're about to teach us about, quote, organization, even if your life feels chaotic, your home feels chaotic, what might change in my life if I, if I follow what you're about to share?

Clea Shearer 3:19 Mental clarity. Having physical clutter is, is a burden, and without it, it brings you mental clarity and, and a, a clutter-free brain. You know, it's not just about the tabletop. It's not just about what's in your cabinet. It is a, a, it is a mental burden to take in things around you that are not organized and don't have systems. It, it is a drain on your energy. And so when people say, "Well, I don't have time to organize, you know, this cu..." You don't have time to not be organized.

Joanna Teplin 3:51 That's right.

Clea Shearer 3:52 Like, you need to be able to take a breath. You need to not be searching for things at, before school drop-off.

Joanna Teplin 3:58 It takes so much more time not to be organized than to be organized. And organizing is not a one and done, and it doesn't have to happen all in one sitting. I think that's the other misconception about it, too, is that people think, "Okay, I have an hour. I'm gonna organize my whole house," or, "I'm gonna organize whatever whole spaces is." No, let's do it in pieces so that it's not so overwhelming, and each piece is powerful in itself.

Clea Shearer 4:17 Organizing should be manageable. It should be maintainable-

Joanna Teplin 4:21 Yes

Clea Shearer 4:21 ... sustainable. It should not give you stress. It should take stress away. And again, we're here to, to remove the shame that everyone has.

Joanna Teplin 4:31 Yeah, no shame.

Clea Shearer 4:32 Because I don't care if, if you organize, you know, one cabinet of mugs, you know? It's something. And it, it, it is just, it brings you immense freedom to know that the things that you have in your home, that you made a calculation. You chose these items to be here, and you removed the things that, that don't belong-

Joanna Teplin 4:53 That's right

Clea Shearer 4:53 ... that don't bring you any happiness.

Joanna Teplin 4:54 It's choosing a- like to be active instead of passive with y- with your belongings, and it changes everything when you have that shift.

Mel Robbins 5:01 I'm sitting here thinking about the fact that you start to feel like you have an avalanche of things-

Clea Shearer 5:07 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 5:07 Yes

Mel Robbins 5:08 ... that you don't know what to do with.

Joanna Teplin 5:10 You don't, and you just feel paralyzed by your stuff.

Clea Shearer 5:12 People, people get paralyzed by it.

Joanna Teplin 5:13 And it's just the worst feeling, which is w- how we both got into this, is because it's the most freeing feeling to free yourself of all of this clutter that's in your mental space but also in your physical space.

Mel Robbins 5:24 Uh, and I'm thinking about the fact that this has been true for me when I lived in a studio apartment-

Clea Shearer 5:30 Mm-hmm, yep

Joanna Teplin 5:30 Yeah

Mel Robbins 5:30 ... in law school.

Joanna Teplin 5:31 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 5:31 It's true now that I have a nice home.

Joanna Teplin 5:34 Absolutely.

Clea Shearer 5:34 Absolutely.

Joanna Teplin 5:35 You can fill whatever space you have. So if it's a tiny studio or if it's a humongous mansion, it doesn't matter. Both things can be cluttered or not.

Clea Shearer 5:42 We have a very important golden rule of organizing, and it's the 80/20 rule. Much like eating- You don't wanna be more than 80% full, because it doesn't feel good. So if you organize the way we're, you know, told to kind of treat our bodies, it's the same thing. 80% full, give yourself that 20% breathing room, and honestly, I don't care if you're not color-coded and, and, you know, make it Instagram worthy. If you keep your home to that level, that 20% gives you so much mental freedom, and it gives you so much peace.

Joanna Teplin 6:17 Ugh.

Clea Shearer 6:17 So-

Joanna Teplin 6:17 It's just, uh, we, we get so kind of-

Clea Shearer 6:19 I know, we're such nerds.

Joanna Teplin 6:20 We get so excited-

Clea Shearer 6:21 We get so excited about it

Joanna Teplin 6:21 ... talking about it, because it is, it's freedom. And the best thing, I, one of the things that we s- so love about organizing is it doesn't even have to be expensive. It can cause this massive shift in your entire life and cost zero dollars. Literally, it's the edit. The edit is the magic. It's where the exhale happens, and it's 80% of the job of organizing.

Mel Robbins 6:41 There's another thing you just said-

Clea Shearer 6:42 Yeah

Mel Robbins 6:42 ... that I wanna make sure you get. So I've always used the word organizing, and from here on out, I'm gonna use the word edit.

Clea Shearer 6:48 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 6:48 Yes. We put it in our name for a reason. The Home Edit. The edit is the single most important thing you can do for your home and yourself, and it costs zero dollars.

Mel Robbins 6:59 I love this, 'cause you're right, organizing, I'm just, like, moving stuff around.

Joanna Teplin 7:02 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 7:02 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 7:02 And it feels overwhelming, and it feels like you're cleaning and all this. No, editing, you're curating the things that you need, use, and love.

Mel Robbins 7:08 This is gonna be one of these conversations where I forget I'm supposed to interview you.

Joanna Teplin 7:12 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 7:13 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 7:14 Because I'm gonna be so up in my own head dealing with myself-

Joanna Teplin 7:17 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 7:17 ... and picturing places in my home and-

Clea Shearer 7:21 We should've done this in Vermont.

Joanna Teplin 7:22 I know. [laughs]

Mel Robbins 7:22 Oh my God. Well, that, well, that'll be act two.

Clea Shearer 7:24 Yeah, let's get on a plane.

Joanna Teplin 7:25 It's a magic trick though.

Mel Robbins 7:26 Well-

Joanna Teplin 7:26 Changing the way that you think about it is half the battle also.

Clea Shearer 7:29 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 7:29 Okay, let's talk about something that we need to change the way we think about, because so many of us think we don't have time.

Clea Shearer 7:36 Yes.

Mel Robbins 7:36 That the ti- that the clutter's not really the problem. The problem is I don't have time-

Clea Shearer 7:41 Yeah

Mel Robbins 7:41 ... to deal with the clutter. What do you say to the person like me who says, "Well, I just don't have time to do this."

Clea Shearer 7:45 There's an old adage, maybe we made it up, I don't know.

Joanna Teplin 7:47 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 7:48 We're old, actually.

Clea Shearer 7:49 That, that, right, that organized people are just too lazy to look for things, because we just want something in one spot.

Joanna Teplin 7:56 Right.

Clea Shearer 7:56 We just-

Joanna Teplin 7:57 We don't wanna look for it

Clea Shearer 7:57 ... I don't wanna search around.

Joanna Teplin 7:58 I don't either.

Clea Shearer 7:59 I don't wanna have to look for my child's favorite water bottle before school.

Joanna Teplin 8:02 Right, or the keys in the morning. Like, what a way to start your day, to look for your keys for 15 minutes. No, let's have a spot for them that they always, your keys are always here.

Clea Shearer 8:10 Every physical item

Clea Shearer 8:11 in your house should, should have some home.

Joanna Teplin 8:14 Right.

Clea Shearer 8:14 I don't care if it... It doesn't have to be, like, in a bin.

Joanna Teplin 8:16 No.

Clea Shearer 8:16 It just needs to live somewhere.

Joanna Teplin 8:18 In the same spot.

Clea Shearer 8:18 So you-

Joanna Teplin 8:18 So every morning, your keys, you know where they are

Clea Shearer 8:20 ... you always know where to go. You always know where to put it away, and it's just, it's that easy. It's, it can be drilled down to being something that simple.

Joanna Teplin 8:27 And it's a system, and it, that's the other piece too, which is, we'll get into later, which is not to overcomplicate the system.

Clea Shearer 8:32 Right.

Joanna Teplin 8:32 You have to have simple, sustainable systems.

Clea Shearer 8:36 Trust us, you, you, it is time well spent-

Joanna Teplin 8:40 Yes

Clea Shearer 8:41 ... to take that small amount of energy and just focus drawer at a time-

Joanna Teplin 8:45 Yeah

Clea Shearer 8:45 ... cabinet at a time.

Joanna Teplin 8:46 Doesn't-

Clea Shearer 8:46 It doesn't have to, doesn't have to be overwhelming

Joanna Teplin 8:48 ... and do not do the house. Like, we would never advise you to even do a room to start with, ever, ever, ever. That's not where you wanna go.

Clea Shearer 8:54 No. You wanna-

Mel Robbins 8:54 Don't even start with a room?

Joanna Teplin 8:55 No.

Clea Shearer 8:55 No.

Joanna Teplin 8:55 Absolutely not.

Clea Shearer 8:56 Absolutely not.

Joanna Teplin 8:56 You'll beget paralyzed in the corner.

Clea Shearer 8:58 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 8:58 Like, it's so overwhelming to start with a room.

Clea Shearer 9:00 Absolutely.

Joanna Teplin 9:00 You need to start so small, and who doesn't have time to just go through, like, one bathroom drawer?

Clea Shearer 9:06 Let's just do a drawer. Let's start with a drawer.

Joanna Teplin 9:08 Everyone has time for that, and-

Clea Shearer 9:10 15 minutes in the morning. Even just the edit.

Joanna Teplin 9:12 Yes.

Clea Shearer 9:12 We don't even have to organize it, just 15 minutes of an edit.

Joanna Teplin 9:14 And then every morning when you get ready, we like to set up something called a daily drawer. It's that one drawer that has, you know, your dental if you wear contacts, if you, you know, Q-tips.

Clea Shearer 9:23 Your daily drawer, things that you know you need every single morning.

Mel Robbins 9:26 Okay, I'm already wrong in my bathroom, 'cause I'm like, "Okay, wait, where is this stuff?"

Joanna Teplin 9:29 Organized people are just too lazy to look for things.

Clea Shearer 9:32 And it's self-care. This is so important that people realize this. It is for your mental and physical wellbeing that you do stay organized.

Joanna Teplin 9:39 Yes.

Mel Robbins 9:39 It's also for my marriage. I mean, I am gonna be celebrating 30 years of marriage this year, but my poor husband-

Clea Shearer 9:44 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 9:45 ... has watched me for decades-

Clea Shearer 9:47 Yeah

Mel Robbins 9:47 ... race around, particularly in the morning-

Clea Shearer 9:49 Yeah

Mel Robbins 9:50 ... looking for things.

Clea Shearer 9:50 Looking for things.

Mel Robbins 9:50 And I have to stop and say to myself, and I'll say this on behalf of you as you're listening and watching too,

Mel Robbins 9:56 we don't have to spend the rest of our lives as this version of ourselves-

Clea Shearer 9:59 No

Mel Robbins 9:59 ... wasting time looking for things that we need.

Clea Shearer 10:01 No.

Joanna Teplin 10:02 Absolutely.

Clea Shearer 10:02 And it's a muscle. Organizing is also a muscle. It doesn't, you don't have to be born good at it. You can learn to have a system that works for you, and you are organized. You can call yourself organized.

Mel Robbins 10:11 All right, well, let me ask you another question, because as you're listening or watching, maybe you feel the way that I feel, which is how can I be successful at work?

Clea Shearer 10:20 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 10:20 How can I raise kids and have them fed? How can I be in a relationship and my dogs get fed? And yet I can't manage my own house or my own closet without having a panic attack.

Clea Shearer 10:36 Well, okay, let's break that up a little bit.

Joanna Teplin 10:38 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 10:39 Okay.

Clea Shearer 10:39 First of all, what you just described, you're a really busy person, right?

Mel Robbins 10:43 You are.

Joanna Teplin 10:43 Man, most of us are. Like, I'm sure all of your listeners are very busy people.

Clea Shearer 10:47 Yes.

Mel Robbins 10:47 Very busy. You are highly functioning, and you simply just need to take something off of your list, which is, again, not racing around the house trying to search for a million things. You actually deserve a break. You deserve to have some peace in your home so that you can deal with all the m- million things you have going on.

Joanna Teplin 11:08 Mm.

Clea Shearer 11:08 If you are a super busy person, again, whether it's kids, and work, and feeding dogs, and, you know, signing homework slips, and all-

Joanna Teplin 11:15 It's a lot

Clea Shearer 11:16 ... all the millions of things.

Joanna Teplin 11:17 It's a lot.

Clea Shearer 11:17 And organizing actually takes something off of your plate.

Joanna Teplin 11:20 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 11:21 It, it is a small amount of energy to put into something that has such a long-lasting effect, and it actually removes, like, a burden.

Joanna Teplin 11:30 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 11:30 It's not, it doesn't add to it. You, people have to rethink and, and shift their-

Joanna Teplin 11:35 Yes

Clea Shearer 11:35 ... their idea of what organizing is. It's not another chore.

Joanna Teplin 11:38 No.

Clea Shearer 11:39 It actually removes so many chores-

Joanna Teplin 11:42 Yeah

Clea Shearer 11:42 ... from your plate, because you just don't have to think about it. It's plug and play.

Mel Robbins 11:46 And I, I'm loving this idea of systems And the edit.

Clea Shearer 11:50 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 11:50 Yes.

Mel Robbins 11:50 Because I've spent-

Joanna Teplin 11:51 The key

Mel Robbins 11:51 ... a lifetime shoving things behind doors-

Clea Shearer 11:54 Yeah

Mel Robbins 11:54 ... putting things in baskets-

Joanna Teplin 11:56 And that's overwhelming

Mel Robbins 11:56 ... like, just trying to contain it all-

Joanna Teplin 11:58 Of course

Mel Robbins 11:59 ... and just, like, make it go away.

Joanna Teplin 12:00 Well, and what's more overwhelming than opening a cabinet and having things tumble on you? That, I mean, what a way to start your morning. It's terrible.

Mel Robbins 12:06 Yes. But I have this question, because I wonder, you know, there are so many of us that feel like if we were just smarter or more disciplined, somehow our house would be more organized. Why do you think we tie clutter to our self-worth?

Clea Shearer 12:24 Well, first of all, we need to, let's break that apart completely, okay?

Mel Robbins 12:28 Okay.

Clea Shearer 12:28 Clutter does- is not a character flaw, okay? It is not.

Mel Robbins 12:32 Why does it feel like one?

Clea Shearer 12:34 Because I think we shame ourselves.

Mel Robbins 12:36 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 12:36 Mm.

Clea Shearer 12:36 And it, we are here to literally remove the shame from everyone's mind and body. This is not something we have to hold onto.

Joanna Teplin 12:44 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 12:45 We just, all, all it takes is a little bit of time and effort at the beginning for the longest reward.

Mel Robbins 12:52 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 12:52 We are not the clutter that we see, right? We can fix that. We can do something about that. And again, it, all it is is an edit. We don't even need to get into the tenants of organizing.

Joanna Teplin 13:01 Mm-hmm.

Clea Shearer 13:02 Clutter is a very solvable problem-

Mel Robbins 13:04 Mm

Clea Shearer 13:04 ... which is so, like, exhilarating. Like, how, what an amazing thing. It's like we struggle through so many things in life, clutter just doesn't have to be one of them. Clutter's just, that's easy, you know? Let's just remove it.

Mel Robbins 13:17 And we can solve it with the edit that you're about to do.

Clea Shearer 13:19 And we can solve it-

Joanna Teplin 13:19 You can

Clea Shearer 13:19 ... with the edit.

Joanna Teplin 13:20 Now, I will add one thing, too. I think the spaces that you decide to start first, we wanna start with the simplest, least, what we call, like, a landmine space.

Mel Robbins 13:29 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 13:29 Because what happens, a closet is the perfect landmine space. And one of the reasons that people h- I think don't even realize that they resist organizing is because they are afraid of what they might find in their brain of landmine issues. Let me give you some examples of what those landmine issues could be. Will these jeans ever fit again? I don't know. I ha- I wish I could lose more weight. I always thought I would be a different size. I always thought I would go back to this old size. Oh my God, I just, I, I don't know if I should keep these jeans. Am I gonna ever? Now I feel bad about myself. Okay. Am I gonna have another baby?

Joanna Teplin 14:02 Well, if I have another baby, I spent so much money on these maternity clothes and I only wore them once. I would ha- it would be a shame to have to have another baby and now I have to buy the maternity clothes. God, do you think I should talk to my husband? Are we gonna have another child? Oh, my-

Clea Shearer 14:14 Or, or just even the, the thought of, "You know what? I spent money on that."

Joanna Teplin 14:19 I spent money on that-

Clea Shearer 14:20 That, that is the biggest thing

Joanna Teplin 14:20 ... and I never wore it. Or my grandmother gave it to me and I never liked it. So there's guilt associated with all these decisions, too, and so that, I think, comes into play a lot of times with people having this, like, aversion to organizing because they're afraid to confront these bigger existential issues going on in their minds.

Clea Shearer 14:35 And I think that that, Joanna's exactly right. I think that it, those are the real issues why people resist it-

Joanna Teplin 14:41 Mm

Clea Shearer 14:41 ... but they use the fact that they don't have time.

Joanna Teplin 14:43 Mm.

Clea Shearer 14:43 And I think that we all have a little bit of time. You spend a lot more time looking for things. You could spend very little time just being like, "I actually don't like that."

Joanna Teplin 14:51 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 14:51 You know?

Joanna Teplin 14:51 I don't like that mug. It has a chip and I'm never gonna get it fixed.

Clea Shearer 14:54 It doesn't match the others. Whatever it is, it's so much easier, actually, to just make decisions about things. We, we have to go through life making good decisions all day, every day, so why not let this be one of them? And again, start extremely small. Start in a space, like Joanna said, without landmines.

Joanna Teplin 15:11 Yes.

Clea Shearer 15:11 Like-

Joanna Teplin 15:11 No landmines. A junk drawer has very few.

Clea Shearer 15:13 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 15:13 That's why we love a junk drawer. You're not that attached to a paper clip.

Clea Shearer 15:16 Right.

Joanna Teplin 15:16 Like, let's be honest. And if it's bent out of shape and it's not gonna work, it can go. Like, so we wanna start with the small wins, and then you kinda get your muscle memory and you kind of buil- build your confidence, and then you're like, "Oh, wait, you know what? I can actually do a cabinet, too."

Clea Shearer 15:28 Mm-hmm.

Joanna Teplin 15:29 Because maybe that mug is sentimental from college, or maybe it's not, but you start getting the muscle and you're like, you feel the reward and the endorphins start kicking in, and you're like, "I can actually do this."

Clea Shearer 15:36 And then you're off to the races.

Joanna Teplin 15:38 Boom.

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Clea Shearer 16:46 Yeah

Mel Robbins 16:46 ... my house.

Clea Shearer 16:47 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 16:47 From the garage to the, if you're lucky enough to have an entry or a mudroom-

Clea Shearer 16:50 Sure

Mel Robbins 16:50 ... to the kitchen, to the... And all you see is like, oh my God, what's the first step?

Clea Shearer 16:57 Okay. Okay.

Mel Robbins 16:58 So-

Clea Shearer 16:58 The very first step, let's just talk about a mudroom, right?

Mel Robbins 17:01 Okay.

Clea Shearer 17:01 Let's just say.

Mel Robbins 17:01 Okay.

Clea Shearer 17:02 A mudroom or an entry, whatever you have, especially if you have kids-

Mel Robbins 17:05 Uh-huh

Clea Shearer 17:06 ... it is what one of the places that we call ground central. It is where everyone comes in and out of, and it's where things get dropped and things get left. And it's like, well, this is my project pile and this is where the kids' backpacks are.

Mel Robbins 17:19 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 17:19 And so the first thing you need to do is assess, does everything belong here?

Mel Robbins 17:24 Yes.

Clea Shearer 17:24 You know? Like, are there things here, like, that-

Joanna Teplin 17:27 Dirty socks. What, no, why are those there?

Clea Shearer 17:29 Because I have a 21-year-old son-

Joanna Teplin 17:31 All right. Well, that-

Clea Shearer 17:31 ... who, like, walks in the door and drops them on the floor

Joanna Teplin 17:33 ... and that's, and we'll get into what to do with family members too.

Clea Shearer 17:35 We'll get into that.

Joanna Teplin 17:36 We'll get into that.

Mel Robbins 17:36 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 17:36 And we're gonna come back. We're gonna stay on task.

Joanna Teplin 17:38 Yes, we're gonna stay on task.

Clea Shearer 17:38 The, the very first thing you do is, is say, does all this belong in this space? And many, many times they don't. Things go, they should be in the garage. They should be up in someone's bedroom. They should, you know, if there's a project pile, let's make a spot for that. So first just assess Quite simply, what belongs here, what doesn't? That, that would be considered the entry.

Mel Robbins 18:01 I'm already picturing, and I bet as you're listening you're doing the same thing, I'm in my Grand Central-

Clea Shearer 18:07 Yep

Mel Robbins 18:07 ... in my house.

Clea Shearer 18:07 Yes.

Mel Robbins 18:08 And I am mentally inside my grandmother's cabinet that-

Clea Shearer 18:11 Mm-hmm

Mel Robbins 18:11 ... sits next to the door, and I am mentally inside there going, "Why do we have the dog food in a-

Clea Shearer 18:18 Exactly

Mel Robbins 18:18 ... Igloo cooler?"

Clea Shearer 18:19 Right.

Mel Robbins 18:19 Why is there a, like-

Clea Shearer 18:21 Exactly

Mel Robbins 18:21 ... kind of vice thing that-

Clea Shearer 18:23 Yeah

Mel Robbins 18:23 ... belongs in the g-

Clea Shearer 18:24 That's right

Mel Robbins 18:24 ... like, you are literally walking me mentally through-

Clea Shearer 18:27 That's right

Mel Robbins 18:27 ... the fact that half the stuff in that entry-

Clea Shearer 18:29 Just doesn't belong

Mel Robbins 18:29 ... doesn't belong there.

Clea Shearer 18:30 It doesn't belong. And you know what? And a lot of times people don't do the organizing is because there's too many steps to put something away, and that's something we get into later too, which is, like, removing the barriers to entry and having simple systems-

Mel Robbins 18:41 Yes

Clea Shearer 18:41 ... so that things make sense.

Mel Robbins 18:43 That is also-

Clea Shearer 18:43 Okay

Mel Robbins 18:44 ... that is exactly what I was gonna touch on next.

Clea Shearer 18:46 So as we're in, though, your version of Grand Central-

Mel Robbins 18:48 Yeah

Clea Shearer 18:49 ... whether you have a studio apartment or-

Mel Robbins 18:50 Yeah

Clea Shearer 18:50 ... you have a big mansion.

Mel Robbins 18:51 Exactly. Right. And you're visualizing this and you're asking, does all of this belong in this space?

Clea Shearer 18:56 That's right.

Mel Robbins 18:57 What am I doing with it?

Clea Shearer 18:58 So okay, so let's say now we're removing the things that don't belong, but there are still plenty of things that do belong, and why are they all on the floor?

Mel Robbins 19:06 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 19:06 Okay. Now, we believe very simply just you can't fight the tide, right? If people come in through this door, people, if your kids come through this space, they are going to put their shoes here. Their backpack is going to go here. You're never gonna get them to carry it to their room, right?

Mel Robbins 19:22 That's true.

Clea Shearer 19:22 We know that. So don't fight the tide. Create a home where it's going to end up. For instance, if shoes are gonna come off, all you need to do, put a sh- put a shoe bin there.

Mel Robbins 19:32 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 19:32 At least it's contained. It's not all over the floor to trip all over.

Mel Robbins 19:36 If jackets need to stay there, then put, put hooks on the walls.

Clea Shearer 19:38 Put hooks.

Mel Robbins 19:39 Let's work vertical. Let's use the storage space vertically, especially in a small space. We are always hunting for spaces, and looking up is usually one of the best spaces.

Clea Shearer 19:47 Exactly. Always look up. Add hooks. Add a floating shelf. A- there are external-

Mel Robbins 19:52 External storage opportunities

Clea Shearer 19:53 ... exactly.

Mel Robbins 19:54 Carts and l- credenzas and all kinds of things that you can bring in that add storage opportunities.

Clea Shearer 19:58 And very simply, again, on, very inexpensively, adding hooks and a bin for shoes can take up s- it, it can be such a solve for an entry, for a mudroom, for anything like that.

Mel Robbins 20:10 Right.

Clea Shearer 20:10 The, the goal, I don't ever wanna see things just laying on the ground.

Mel Robbins 20:13 No. Nothing goes on the ground, in fact. Unless it's a rug, it should not be on the ground.

Clea Shearer 20:16 Right. Or, or a f- a shoe bin.

Mel Robbins 20:18 Right.

Clea Shearer 20:18 You know, a basket. But, but again, their, the shoes are in the basket.

Mel Robbins 20:21 That's right.

Clea Shearer 20:22 It can be a very, very inexpensive thing. I don't care if you live in a studio apartment. In fact, if you do-

Mel Robbins 20:28 You probably find something for free on [laughs] Facebook Marketplace, right?

Clea Shearer 20:30 That's right.

Mel Robbins 20:30 Right.

Clea Shearer 20:31 There's tons of options there. And I'll back up one second. If you're walking in and there's 12 backpacks and you have two children, let's talk about that. Why do we need 12 backpacks here? H- have we just been keeping them is the child getting a new backpack every single year? Okay, that's fine. Again, we're not gonna focus on you bought... Now, don't get into your head with the landmine, why did I buy a backpack every single year when they could've... Let's not go there.

Mel Robbins 20:51 'Cause they pressured me, and everybody else got one-

Clea Shearer 20:52 That's right. And you know what?

Mel Robbins 20:53 And then they're, like, crying in Staples-

Clea Shearer 20:55 You know what?

Mel Robbins 20:55 ... and then like, "What is happening?"

Clea Shearer 20:55 And you did your best.

Mel Robbins 20:56 Yes.

Clea Shearer 20:56 You did your absolute best at the time. But why are we doubling down now on, on them having two backpacks or 12 backpacks? Okay, let's remove that. Let's decide which backpacks do they actually use. Is there ones with holes? Let's get rid of those. Is there ones to donate? Let's have a donation. I was gonna say, donation is a huge part of taking away the guilt, taking away the guilt in what you bought your kids-

Mel Robbins 21:15 Yeah

Clea Shearer 21:15 ... in what you bought yourself. If, I mean, even in a junk drawer if you're like, "Oh, God, but, like, all these markers, I don't know," you know what?

Mel Robbins 21:21 Schools would use them.

Clea Shearer 21:21 You know who would use them?

Mel Robbins 21:22 Love them. Teachers would love them.

Clea Shearer 21:24 Schools. Schools. Kids need back- it is one of the essentials that they need to be able to go to school. There are so many things we can do with the items that we feel guilty about-

Mel Robbins 21:34 Yes

Clea Shearer 21:34 ... quote, "getting rid of."

Mel Robbins 21:35 Let's not have the guilt on top of everything else.

Clea Shearer 21:38 You don't need to do it.

Mel Robbins 21:39 We all have too much guilt. Um, I wanna make sure I'm tracking, because where we're starting is you pick a place that's not a mental landmine.

Clea Shearer 21:47 That's right.

Mel Robbins 21:47 Mm-hmm, which really narrows the focus for me in my house.

Clea Shearer 21:50 Okay.

Mel Robbins 21:51 'Cause I think [laughs] there's a lot of mental landmines.

Clea Shearer 21:53 Okay, that's fair. That's fair.

Mel Robbins 21:53 But I love that we're just gonna start with Grand Central.

Clea Shearer 21:55 Yep.

Mel Robbins 21:56 Okay, we're just gonna start there.

Clea Shearer 21:57 Okay.

Mel Robbins 21:57 And I love that you're basically saying a couple rules I wanna make sure I'm following. Does all this belong here?

Clea Shearer 22:03 Right.

Mel Robbins 22:03 And if it doesn't, then remove it-

Clea Shearer 22:07 Yep.

Mel Robbins 22:07 Yes

Clea Shearer 22:07 ... or donate it.

Mel Robbins 22:08 Yep.

Clea Shearer 22:08 You also said nothing belongs on the floor except for the rug or your dog.

Mel Robbins 22:13 Right. [laughs]

Clea Shearer 22:13 And so if you're-

Mel Robbins 22:14 That's right

Clea Shearer 22:14 ... looking for places,

Clea Shearer 22:16 bin's where it goes. Look up. Vertical storage is-

Mel Robbins 22:19 That's right

Clea Shearer 22:20 ... always an option.

Mel Robbins 22:20 Behind a door, over a door.

Clea Shearer 22:21 Behind a door, over a door.

Mel Robbins 22:22 Yep.

Clea Shearer 22:22 Hooks are super cheap.

Mel Robbins 22:24 Yep.

Clea Shearer 22:24 And, uh, don't fight the tide.

Mel Robbins 22:28 That's right. You got it, Mel.

Clea Shearer 22:29 Stop turning Grand Central into an Architectural Digest photo shoot.

Mel Robbins 22:35 Yes.

Clea Shearer 22:35 Exactly.

Mel Robbins 22:36 And just embrace Grand Central.

Clea Shearer 22:38 Yep.

Mel Robbins 22:38 Embrace it. Got it.

Clea Shearer 22:39 If, if you know that every day, whether it's you or a partner, whatever, everyone gets the mail, and the mail always goes right down on the counter.

Mel Robbins 22:47 Oh, my God. Can we talk about this?

Clea Shearer 22:48 All we need is a simple basket.

Mel Robbins 22:50 Tray. You need a tray.

Clea Shearer 22:50 That's it. A tray.

Mel Robbins 22:51 Or a basket.

Clea Shearer 22:52 A basket. That's it.

Mel Robbins 22:53 Th- let's talk about paper clutter. Why do the entryways, the kitchen-

Clea Shearer 22:58 Yeah

Mel Robbins 22:59 ... like, why do the counters-

Clea Shearer 23:00 Flat surfaces. Because it's just asking. You're just like, "Oh, this is a space I can put things on top of." So we also try, when it's possible, to not have additional flat spaces for things to get cluttered.

Mel Robbins 23:10 Like open flat spaces.

Clea Shearer 23:11 Yes. Just asking.

Mel Robbins 23:12 A, a flat space is fine, but just an open, empty spot-

Clea Shearer 23:15 Yeah

Mel Robbins 23:15 ... is asking for clutter.

Clea Shearer 23:16 No, that's where you put a tray, and you have the tray designated for mail, for keys, for wallets. Whatever it's for, it's a home for something. It's not just an open, endless sea of whatever wants to go there.

Mel Robbins 23:27 What do we do about the kitchen island? 'Cause th- what drives me crazy-

Clea Shearer 23:30 Yes

Mel Robbins 23:30 ... and maybe it drives you crazy as you're listening, is, okay, we've gone through Grand Central.

Clea Shearer 23:34 Yep.

Mel Robbins 23:35 You enter into the kitchen, and I swear to God, I spend-

Clea Shearer 23:39 Ah

Mel Robbins 23:39 ... an hour every day picking up my husband's glasses-

Clea Shearer 23:42 Yep

Mel Robbins 23:42 ... my son's keys, the mail that somebody just put there.

Clea Shearer 23:47 Yep, yep. Yep.

Mel Robbins 23:47 The other, like, th- they've emptied their pockets.

Clea Shearer 23:50 It's the, it's the second Grand Central.

Mel Robbins 23:51 That, that kitchen island is?

Joanna Teplin 23:53 Yes, it is

Clea Shearer 23:53 The kit- the kitchen in general.

Joanna Teplin 23:54 That's exactly right.

Mel Robbins 23:55 It, it's also-

Clea Shearer 23:55 So am I supposed to embrace that it is?

Joanna Teplin 23:57 So the same rules apply here

Clea Shearer 23:58 Or like...

Joanna Teplin 23:58 That's the good thing is-

Clea Shearer 23:58 Oh

Joanna Teplin 23:58 ... the rules are the same.

Mel Robbins 23:59 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 23:59 Okay, so now we're gonna see what doesn't belong here. Keys don't belong on the kitchen island. They sure do not. Or-

Clea Shearer 24:03 But they, but they could belong in a tray or something.

Joanna Teplin 24:05 That's exactly right.

Mel Robbins 24:06 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 24:06 They don't just belong on the kitchen island.

Clea Shearer 24:07 Basically, here's, here's one rule that we just really embrace. We do not like a free-floating item. It should have a home. If you, if this pen is just, like, right there.

Mel Robbins 24:20 Well, now it's on my kitchen island right now.

Clea Shearer 24:22 It doesn't belong there. No.

Joanna Teplin 24:23 I guarantee it. [laughs]

Clea Shearer 24:23 It doesn't belong there. Have a pen cup.

Joanna Teplin 24:25 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 24:26 Have b- have a tray.

Joanna Teplin 24:27 Have a drawer.

Clea Shearer 24:27 Have a drawer.

Mel Robbins 24:28 You know what I just realized? Is I just realized that I have an opinion [laughs] about where my husband's reading glasses belong.

Joanna Teplin 24:38 Okay.

Clea Shearer 24:38 Great.

Mel Robbins 24:39 Like, you just said it doesn't have a home.

Clea Shearer 24:40 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 24:40 And I'm like, well, it's because I think the home is on his face.

Joanna Teplin 24:44 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 24:45 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 24:45 [laughs] That they do not belong at home on the kitchen counter.

Clea Shearer 24:50 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 24:50 Same with Oakley's keys. I think they belong in his car or up in his room.

Clea Shearer 24:54 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 24:55 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 24:55 But they end up on the kitchen counter.

Joanna Teplin 24:57 Okay.

Mel Robbins 24:57 And now I'm... Okay.

Joanna Teplin 24:57 You can't... You're fighting the tide.

Clea Shearer 24:59 You're fighting the tide.

Mel Robbins 24:59 You're fighting the tide.

Joanna Teplin 24:59 Yeah. So they, this is the tide. This is exactly what we're talking about. We're not gonna fight it, because that's just gonna make everybody-

Clea Shearer 25:05 It's gonna make you crazy.

Joanna Teplin 25:06 It will.

Mel Robbins 25:07 It, it, it has made me crazy.

Joanna Teplin 25:08 And we talk about-

Mel Robbins 25:08 I am crazy

Joanna Teplin 25:09 ... this i- well, this is what we also talk about. A, a me problem and a them problem. So this is something we really talk about, and it's easy in w- oh, we'll give the example of both of our children's bedrooms.

Mel Robbins 25:19 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 25:19 Okay. We ask our children separately, we don't live together. We are married with-

Clea Shearer 25:22 Shockingly

Joanna Teplin 25:22 ... with, with kids. [laughs]

Mel Robbins 25:23 We are married to other people with children.

Joanna Teplin 25:25 And with kids.

Clea Shearer 25:25 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 25:26 But separately, we both ask that our children make their beds. Well, okay, they m- most of the time do. It turns out both of us hate the way our kids make the beds.

Clea Shearer 25:34 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 25:34 So now I go back and remake the bed the way that I want it. That's a me problem. They did their best. They made the bed, but I don't like how they made the bed 'cause it's not up to my standard. That's a me problem.

Clea Shearer 25:44 For instance, you put a basket down for shoes in the mudroom or entryway. Well, they might just toss them in, and it looks a mess and whatever. I want them lined up nicely. That's a me problem.

Joanna Teplin 25:55 That's right.

Clea Shearer 25:55 It's a them problem if the shoes are on the floor, not in the bin.

Joanna Teplin 25:59 That's right.

Clea Shearer 25:59 So you have to set up systems that your family, your household, whoever you live with, that it's really simple and that everyone can follow and understand.

Joanna Teplin 26:08 That's right.

Clea Shearer 26:08 Because if it's,

Clea Shearer 26:09 if they leave the keys or the glasses not in the home that you helped create-

Mel Robbins 26:14 Yes

Clea Shearer 26:14 ... that's-

Joanna Teplin 26:15 That's a them problem

Clea Shearer 26:15 ... that's a them problem.

Joanna Teplin 26:16 And that's something-

Mel Robbins 26:17 Got it

Joanna Teplin 26:17 ... that needs to be worked on.

Mel Robbins 26:17 So I don't have a home for those things.

Joanna Teplin 26:19 Right.

Mel Robbins 26:19 Which is why they keep ending up.

Clea Shearer 26:20 That's why-

Mel Robbins 26:21 And that's a me problem.

Joanna Teplin 26:22 That's right.

Mel Robbins 26:22 So I gotta create a home.

Joanna Teplin 26:23 That's the thing.

Clea Shearer 26:23 Then you create the home, and then it's a them problem if they don't follow it.

Mel Robbins 26:25 Oh my God, I love this.

Clea Shearer 26:27 Yeah. It's a, it's a me and a them problem.

Mel Robbins 26:28 Got it.

Clea Shearer 26:29 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 26:29 This is actually kinda simple.

Clea Shearer 26:31 It is.

Joanna Teplin 26:32 It is.

Clea Shearer 26:32 Organizing is simple.

Mel Robbins 26:33 Wow. Okay, let's talk about editing.

Joanna Teplin 26:34 Okay.

Clea Shearer 26:35 Okay.

Mel Robbins 26:35 Because when you said, "Okay, we're not even gonna talk about organizing. Let's just talk about first this editing."

Clea Shearer 26:40 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 26:40 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 26:40 'Cause editing will free-

Joanna Teplin 26:42 Free

Mel Robbins 26:42 ... you.

Clea Shearer 26:43 It will.

Joanna Teplin 26:43 It's magic.

Mel Robbins 26:44 And I also assume editing is how I implement the 80/20 rule.

Clea Shearer 26:48 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 26:48 Yes.

Mel Robbins 26:49 Okay?

Joanna Teplin 26:49 Absolutely.

Mel Robbins 26:49 That any space only 80% full.

Joanna Teplin 26:52 Yep.

Clea Shearer 26:52 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 26:52 That the 20% allows me to breathe, and editing is the thing that will set me free.

Clea Shearer 26:56 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 26:56 You're right. It will.

Mel Robbins 26:57 So I'm assuming editing means decide what to keep and decide what to trash. So how do you edit?

Clea Shearer 27:03 Yes. So the, the rules for editing.

Mel Robbins 27:06 Okay.

Clea Shearer 27:06 Okay. An item has to fall into one of these buckets in order to keep it. All right? You either need it, a toilet plunger. You use it, you know, a toaster, spatula, you know.

Joanna Teplin 27:19 Right

Clea Shearer 27:19 ... w- whatever it is. You use it, you know? And you love it. You actually just, you like, you're attached to it. You just love it.

Joanna Teplin 27:26 It brings you joy for whatever reason that that might be. If somebody gave it to you that you love. It, it's represents something to you that you love. Whatever reason, you don't have to justify it, you just, you just know you love it. It makes you happy.

Clea Shearer 27:36 You need it, you use it, or you love it. Aside from need, use, and love, there's one other bucket, and that is sentimental. And sentimental, you might say, "Well, I love the things that are sentimental," but that's not always true.

Mel Robbins 27:48 Sentimental.

Clea Shearer 27:48 Sometimes it's just, it's a special item that you just feel-

Joanna Teplin 27:52 You can't get rid of

Clea Shearer 27:52 ... like, you can't get rid of. Now, there are two rules within sentimental.

Joanna Teplin 27:56 Okay.

Clea Shearer 27:56 Okay? You either need to use it or store it appropriately. When people tell us that this, whatever sweater from their grandma is really important or whatever it is, that it's sentimental, and it's just shoved in a back shelf, I question how special it actually is to them. Because you are not honoring the item. If it actually is special and sentimental, you need to either be like, "I am gonna put this in a keepsake box at the top of the closet."

Mel Robbins 28:25 Mm-hmm.

Clea Shearer 28:25 "Or I'm gonna have it framed." You have to honor whatever it is.

Mel Robbins 28:28 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 28:28 But if it's something that you're like, "I just can't get rid of it."

Mel Robbins 28:32 Yes.

Clea Shearer 28:32 It's like, then you need to honor it and, like, display it or honor it and store it.

Joanna Teplin 28:37 Now, there's a rule with the storing it.

Clea Shearer 28:39 [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 28:39 Because some people, and everything can fall into sentimental. It, it-

Clea Shearer 28:42 Of course

Joanna Teplin 28:43 ... it can become a very slippery slope. So what you have to do is put up a little bit of a guardrail and decide, "I, in my house, my studio apartment or my huge house, doesn't matter, this is how much space I want to allot to my sentimental value of stuff." So I, whether it's the si- maybe you have six bins and they're the size of this table. Maybe it's a whole garage full. But you have to assign a value of how much all the stuff means to you, and then decide what's worth keeping, and going through that stuff and making sure that it really has value to you. Because there's also a dollar amount tied to the sentimentality. People, think about how much you pay in a mortgage or how much you pay in a rent. How much stuff are you just holding on for the sake of holding on that's taking up so much valuable real estate in your house that you could be otherwise have other things or just breathing free air there.

Clea Shearer 29:26 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 29:26 So these are all, like, decisions to kind of think through and other ways to make the value seem more rational.

Clea Shearer 29:32 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 29:32 So when I go through this edit list, need, I need it.

Clea Shearer 29:36 Yep.

Mel Robbins 29:36 I use it. I love it.

Clea Shearer 29:37 That's right.

Joanna Teplin 29:37 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 29:37 And then we've got this little subcategory-

Joanna Teplin 29:39 Yes

Mel Robbins 29:39 ... with a giant red flag called sentimental.

Joanna Teplin 29:41 That's right.

Clea Shearer 29:42 Yes.

Mel Robbins 29:42 'Cause this is where we fall into starting to hoard and keep things.

Joanna Teplin 29:45 That's, that's right.

Clea Shearer 29:46 Absolutely.

Joanna Teplin 29:46 It's a slippery slope.

Mel Robbins 29:46 Okay. 'Cause you can justify, well, da, da, da, da, da.

Joanna Teplin 29:48 Absolutely.

Mel Robbins 29:49 And so we can correct ourselves by going, "Okay, well, am I actually honoring it?"

Joanna Teplin 29:53 Yep.

Clea Shearer 29:53 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 29:54 Or Is it on display?

Clea Shearer 29:56 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 29:56 Is it just shoved in the back corner?

Clea Shearer 29:58 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 29:58 Doesn't seem special to me.

Clea Shearer 29:59 Then it's really not that sentimental.

Mel Robbins 30:00 Right.

Clea Shearer 30:00 But here's what I didn't hear. Should.

Mel Robbins 30:04 Right.

Clea Shearer 30:05 I should hold onto it. Well, the thing is, we don't believe in that.

Mel Robbins 30:10 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 30:10 We, we, we just don't. If it should, that does, that to me does not equal, um, a desire, a want, a need. It's, it's like putting this, like, imaginary, "Well, I should." Shoulds are not powerful.

Mel Robbins 30:25 Mm.

Joanna Teplin 30:25 And they feel powerful. That's the thing.

Clea Shearer 30:27 I should keep it.

Joanna Teplin 30:27 They feel so powerful, but they're ... What are they? It's not that you want to or that you need to, it's just that you should.

Clea Shearer 30:35 You should. I c- I would always question, well, why? Tell me why you should. Is it because you think that someone's really gonna come over and look for that tea towel? Because they're not. Like, no one is.

Mel Robbins 30:45 I can't believe you just said tea towel.

Joanna Teplin 30:47 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 30:47 Because we know.

Mel Robbins 30:48 I just was sitting here thinking, y- 'cause I- you can't help but listen to you two and start to mentally go through your things.

Clea Shearer 30:56 Sure, of course. [laughs]

Mel Robbins 30:57 And so as I'm going to-

Joanna Teplin 30:58 Yeah

Mel Robbins 30:58 ... edit, I'm like, okay, need, use, and I was standing in my kitchen, I'm, and I thought sentimental, and I have my grandmother's-

Joanna Teplin 31:06 Okay.

Clea Shearer 31:07 Okay

Mel Robbins 31:07 ... china.

Joanna Teplin 31:07 Great.

Clea Shearer 31:08 Absolutely.

Mel Robbins 31:09 Beautiful harvest pattern.

Clea Shearer 31:11 Yep.

Mel Robbins 31:11 And it's on display-

Joanna Teplin 31:12 Great

Mel Robbins 31:13 ... in a cabinet.

Clea Shearer 31:13 That's perfect.

Joanna Teplin 31:14 That's great.

Mel Robbins 31:14 I never use it, but I love seeing it.

Joanna Teplin 31:16 That's okay. That's-

Clea Shearer 31:16 That's perfect

Joanna Teplin 31:17 ... that's exactly right.

Mel Robbins 31:18 Do you know how many doilies and broken pieces of costume jewelry I have jammed-

Joanna Teplin 31:22 No

Mel Robbins 31:22 ... into a door in my closet-

Joanna Teplin 31:23 Okay

Mel Robbins 31:23 ... because a door in my clo- 'cause I c- I, I should hold on to it-

Joanna Teplin 31:26 No, but let's talk about it

Mel Robbins 31:26 ... and then I'm like a bad granddaughter if-

Joanna Teplin 31:28 No, let's talk about that

Mel Robbins 31:29 ... I don't want this stuff.

Clea Shearer 31:30 No.

Mel Robbins 31:30 Even, like, I didn't even know my great-grandmother. Like, I-

Joanna Teplin 31:32 No.

Clea Shearer 31:32 Right

Mel Robbins 31:32 ... the, the, the, the, the plates mean a lot to me.

Joanna Teplin 31:35 Yes. That's right. And that's-

Clea Shearer 31:37 That's the difference

Joanna Teplin 31:37 ... and that's the difference

Clea Shearer 31:38 ... when we question, we have to push back on people, right?

Mel Robbins 31:41 Well, I feel like a bad person-

Clea Shearer 31:43 No

Mel Robbins 31:43 ... if I'm ditching-

Clea Shearer 31:44 Nope

Mel Robbins 31:44 ... broken costume jewelry-

Joanna Teplin 31:45 Oh

Mel Robbins 31:45 ... from the 1920s.

Clea Shearer 31:46 Absolutely not. Absolutely not. And we always push back. When someone says it's special, I wanna know why, and I wanna know if, again, your china on display is-

Joanna Teplin 31:57 Look how you lit up when you were talking about the china on display.

Mel Robbins 31:59 Oh, I love it. And I have some vases from her-

Joanna Teplin 32:01 Yes

Mel Robbins 32:01 ... that are cut glass.

Joanna Teplin 32:01 Look how that-

Clea Shearer 32:01 They're incredible. I use them

Joanna Teplin 32:02 ... look, look how you lit up, and now-

Mel Robbins 32:04 I love them

Joanna Teplin 32:04 ... this doily brings you down.

Clea Shearer 32:05 Oh my God, there's a doily next to the broken jewelry.

Joanna Teplin 32:07 Yes. And let's talk about this, too, 'cause this is-

Clea Shearer 32:09 That doesn't mean anything

Joanna Teplin 32:10 ... this is another way-

Mel Robbins 32:11 Means nothing

Joanna Teplin 32:11 ... to know what means something and what doesn't mean something. Okay. So what, in part of our process, we like to categorize things. So what this does is allow you to see the totality of w- of a category. So say it's all your great-grandmother's or your grandmother's stuff. What if you brought all of the things that your great-grandmother has ever given to you and put it all in one space, and you're able to see, okay, all of that stuff takes up this table. Well, actually, I love these dishes, and the, the rest of it means nothing to me. Well, you're representing your great-grandmother through the stuff that you love.

Clea Shearer 32:40 Mm.

Joanna Teplin 32:40 Why are we holding onto-

Mel Robbins 32:41 She wouldn't want you to have a bunch of broken costume jewelry.

Clea Shearer 32:44 Junk in a drawer.

Joanna Teplin 32:45 Look how much you are honoring her, and you lo- this makes you so happy.

Mel Robbins 32:48 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 32:48 And this brings you down. And what, what are we doing here?

Mel Robbins 32:51 And she's dead anyways.

Clea Shearer 32:51 Taking up space.

Mel Robbins 32:51 So what does it...

Clea Shearer 32:52 Right, exactly.

Joanna Teplin 32:52 There you go.

Clea Shearer 32:53 She's sh- and she wouldn't want this. I know. I know her.

Mel Robbins 32:56 Well, she might.

Clea Shearer 32:56 I know her.

Joanna Teplin 32:56 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 32:57 Uh, but you know-

Joanna Teplin 32:57 Maybe somebody else wants it, then you donate it. Okay. That gets into another co- conversation. But I mean, thinking about it, seeing it all together, which is part of our process, even with not just sentimental stuff, but, like, anything. You have 40 pens. What, do we need all 40? Can you have 10?

Clea Shearer 33:11 Right.

Joanna Teplin 33:11 You know, like, let's see the totality of something to really make those decisions easier.

Mel Robbins 33:15 Now let's talk about the crap-

Joanna Teplin 33:17 Mm-hmm

Mel Robbins 33:17 ... that does not fall into that category, and I have wrestled myself to the ground.

Clea Shearer 33:24 Uh-huh.

Mel Robbins 33:24 And I've got some things.

Clea Shearer 33:26 Okay.

Mel Robbins 33:27 I've got, let's use the example of pens.

Clea Shearer 33:28 Okay.

Mel Robbins 33:29 I've got 20 extra pens. [laughs]

Clea Shearer 33:31 Okay.

Mel Robbins 33:32 That I do not need.

Clea Shearer 33:33 Okay.

Mel Robbins 33:33 I have clothes that don't fit. I have other things over here. Now I've created piles.

Joanna Teplin 33:38 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 33:38 Yes.

Mel Robbins 33:39 And I have piles that are like, okay, get rid of this, donate this.

Joanna Teplin 33:42 Okay.

Mel Robbins 33:43 Am I reselling that?

Joanna Teplin 33:44 We have a lot of-

Mel Robbins 33:45 But now I'm super complicated

Joanna Teplin 33:46 ... thoughts about this, as you can imagine.

Clea Shearer 33:47 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 33:47 To start, if the piles are categorized and they're all jeans, that's a, that's a, you're starting the organizational process.

Clea Shearer 33:52 Right. You're, you're really two-thirds of the way through. Then we talk about containment, and containment doesn't have to be a bin. It doesn't have to be drawer inserts. I mean, obviously we like to operate that way. But again, you can do this for free without.

Mel Robbins 34:06 Okay.

Clea Shearer 34:07 You need to have guardrails for any item that you're keeping, any. So if it's, if it's denim, whether you hang it or fold it or whatever it is, you only have X amount of space. I don't care if you live in a humongous mansion or a studio apartment, you only have X amount of space.

Mel Robbins 34:21 That's right.

Clea Shearer 34:21 So your items that you keep cannot exceed your space. It's the 80/20 rule. So if you have 20 pens, 20 extra pens in your drawer, you're taking up now too much space.

Joanna Teplin 34:32 And now you can't fit a pair of scissors because you have too many pens.

Mel Robbins 34:34 Well, I can't open the drawer 'cause the scissors are jammed in there-

Clea Shearer 34:37 That's exactly

Mel Robbins 34:37 ... because there's too many pens, and they're like heaped in the corner.

Clea Shearer 34:38 That's right. It's always the scissors and the rolling pins. It's always those two things.

Mel Robbins 34:41 Right.

Joanna Teplin 34:42 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 34:42 Um, and the potato masher.

Joanna Teplin 34:44 Always.

Clea Shearer 34:44 Potato masher always gets in the way.

Joanna Teplin 34:45 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 34:46 But it's, it's about, you have to think about containment, and if you're not using drawer inserts or things like that-

Mel Robbins 34:51 Yeah

Clea Shearer 34:52 ... then you have to just assign a containment kind of in your brain-

Mel Robbins 34:55 Mm-hmm

Clea Shearer 34:56 ... for, like, this is where pens go. I can only fit X amount, which means I have to actually get rid of some.

Mel Robbins 35:01 Right.

Clea Shearer 35:02 And it's, it, it's the 80/20 rule.

Joanna Teplin 35:03 And that, and the containment goes back to

Joanna Teplin 35:05 the categorization because if you can see that you have 20 pens, when they're all, when things are all scattered all over, you have no idea what you even own, and then you end up wasting money because you're buying it over and over again.

Mel Robbins 35:13 Oh, my gosh, that's so true.

Joanna Teplin 35:14 But if you-

Mel Robbins 35:14 And then I have 40 pens-

Joanna Teplin 35:15 That's right

Mel Robbins 35:15 ... not 20 pens.

Joanna Teplin 35:16 But if you see them all together, again, this comes back to you don't have time to not be organized. Like, once you're organized, you save so much time and so much money.

Clea Shearer 35:23 Right.

Mel Robbins 35:24 All right. Well, we'll come to the, into the details of the organization and containment-

Clea Shearer 35:29 Yes

Mel Robbins 35:29 ... in a little bit. First, I wanna make sure we understand editing.

Clea Shearer 35:32 Yep.

Joanna Teplin 35:33 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 35:33 And we talked a little bit about pens and scissors. Let's talk about the junk drawer that we all have that gets out of control, and I would love for you to walk us through a zero-cost way-

Clea Shearer 35:44 Yep, let's do it

Mel Robbins 35:44 ... to take the disaster in a drawer and edit and organize.

Joanna Teplin 35:49 Well, someone brought us your drawer, Mel.

Clea Shearer 35:50 Yep.

Mel Robbins 35:51 Wait.

Clea Shearer 35:51 We actually, I'm so sorry to tell you-

Joanna Teplin 35:53 Yeah, at this late stage, but we'll-

Clea Shearer 35:55 ... and to put you-

Mel Robbins 35:55 Did you call Clea? [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 35:56 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 35:56 I am so sorry to put you on blast like this.

Joanna Teplin 35:58 We have your junk drawer.

Clea Shearer 35:59 You know, I know this is your show, and this-

Mel Robbins 36:01 Oh, my gosh

Clea Shearer 36:02 ... this is your, this is your junk drawer.

Mel Robbins 36:04 It is.

Joanna Teplin 36:05 Okay. Show it to the audience so everyone can see.

Clea Shearer 36:06 No, they don't need to see.

Joanna Teplin 36:07 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 36:07 Oh, my God.

Joanna Teplin 36:08 So let's, let's, this is perfect because we can go through all the steps right now with you. We're gonna-

Clea Shearer 36:12 Okay

Joanna Teplin 36:12 ... this is gonna be the edit

Clea Shearer 36:14 The first step with an edit is you have to take it all out

Joanna Teplin 36:17 And there's no way around it.

Clea Shearer 36:18 There's no way around it.

Joanna Teplin 36:18 There's no pretty way.

Clea Shearer 36:19 Because, and let, let me explain why.

Joanna Teplin 36:20 Oh my God.

Clea Shearer 36:20 Okay?

Joanna Teplin 36:21 And I'm gonna start just going.

Clea Shearer 36:22 There's, there's no way around it, because if you just looked in here, whether it's a closet, a drawer, whatever, it's very easy to say, "Uh, this all belongs. This all stays." But when you pull it out, you actually have to make a conscious decision about putting it back.

Joanna Teplin 36:35 It's active versus passive.

Clea Shearer 36:36 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 36:36 Oh my gosh, you know what I've done with our junk drawer drawer? W- I'm glad you're doing this so now I don't have to do it.

Joanna Teplin 36:41 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 36:41 But what I love, at least I have a rubber band ball.

Joanna Teplin 36:44 You do have a-

Mel Robbins 36:44 I now have rubber bands everywhere

Joanna Teplin 36:45 ... you, that's right. You do.

Mel Robbins 36:47 I, I will arrange one little bit of it-

Joanna Teplin 36:51 Yes

Mel Robbins 36:51 ... like one little side tray thing of it, and I might pick out the fuzz or somehow-

Joanna Teplin 36:55 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 36:55 ... the dog hair or the old Band-Aid is in there.

Joanna Teplin 36:57 Yes.

Mel Robbins 36:58 And then I'm like, "Okay, uh, God. Okay, just shut this thing."

Joanna Teplin 37:01 Right, 'cause you have, you have to do the edit.

Mel Robbins 37:02 Look at how much stuff is in there. If you're listening-

Clea Shearer 37:06 It's always amazing how much comes out.

Mel Robbins 37:07 Oh my gosh.

Joanna Teplin 37:08 I know.

Mel Robbins 37:08 Duct tape, glue stick-

Joanna Teplin 37:10 So then-

Mel Robbins 37:10 ... on air. Oh my God, the card that was missing from the cribbage game last night.

Joanna Teplin 37:14 There you go.

Mel Robbins 37:14 The joker. Like, why is this in here? I don't know.

Joanna Teplin 37:17 You don't need one card is not happening.

Mel Robbins 37:17 Oh, I know, because we didn't need it for the game.

Joanna Teplin 37:21 Okay.

Clea Shearer 37:21 Okay.

Mel Robbins 37:21 So somebody put it on the freaking kitchen island.

Joanna Teplin 37:24 Okay.

Clea Shearer 37:24 Okay.

Mel Robbins 37:24 And then I got frustrated when I was cleaning.

Joanna Teplin 37:26 Yeah. Right.

Mel Robbins 37:26 So I then put the card in the junk drawer because I didn't wanna see it. Oh my G- look at the receipts in there.

Joanna Teplin 37:32 Yeah, so let's-

Mel Robbins 37:33 Oh my God, all those cords-

Clea Shearer 37:35 But like there are, there are a few things-

Mel Robbins 37:36 ... and the broken-

Clea Shearer 37:36 ... that we can just, like this-

Mel Robbins 37:37 What is that? I don't even know.

Clea Shearer 37:40 I don't even know what it is.

Mel Robbins 37:40 It's like a part to something that I don't know.

Clea Shearer 37:42 Okay, we don't even know.

Mel Robbins 37:42 But we're holding onto it in case we need to find the other part.

Joanna Teplin 37:44 We don't even know.

Mel Robbins 37:45 I don't know.

Joanna Teplin 37:45 One stone matches.

Mel Robbins 37:45 Nail polish.

Clea Shearer 37:46 And this, this coffee cup lid.

Mel Robbins 37:48 Oh.

Clea Shearer 37:48 This doesn't belong in here.

Mel Robbins 37:49 No.

Joanna Teplin 37:50 No.

Mel Robbins 37:50 So, and I've got the bracelets.

Clea Shearer 37:51 Oh my God, the bracelets. I don't even know who those are.

Joanna Teplin 37:52 Okay. So, like already you're seeing, but see, what we're doing right now is we're categorizing this stuff so you can see even in the little drawer-

Clea Shearer 37:59 Like-

Joanna Teplin 37:59 ... the totality of each thing

Clea Shearer 38:00 ... these are like your little erasers.

Joanna Teplin 38:01 So like we've got a few highlighters.

Clea Shearer 38:03 These are your little...

Mel Robbins 38:03 I hate half of those style of pens.

Joanna Teplin 38:04 Okay.

Mel Robbins 38:04 Like I would not use that pen.

Joanna Teplin 38:06 Okay. Let's, let's, yeah.

Mel Robbins 38:07 Well, I've got one chopstick.

Joanna Teplin 38:09 Okay. Yeah, one chopstick is [laughs]

Mel Robbins 38:10 One, one chopstick.

Joanna Teplin 38:11 All right, we've got some sunscreen. Okay.

Mel Robbins 38:13 Oh my gosh.

Joanna Teplin 38:13 So there's some office supplies in here.

Clea Shearer 38:15 Yep, here I-

Joanna Teplin 38:15 Which I-

Clea Shearer 38:15 Here's a little office supply section-

Joanna Teplin 38:17 Okay

Clea Shearer 38:17 ... that I'm putting together.

Joanna Teplin 38:17 All right. And then we've got some laundry s- like, okay, that could, I, I would make a case for this.

Clea Shearer 38:21 Yeah, so even before-

Mel Robbins 38:23 A Tide pen. Yeah

Clea Shearer 38:23 ... even, even before we get into like do you want these pens or this pen, I think it's just a very even cursory look at being like, okay-

Joanna Teplin 38:30 The bracelets don't belong here

Clea Shearer 38:31 ... like nail polish does not need to be in a junk drawer.

Joanna Teplin 38:35 Right.

Clea Shearer 38:35 Tea bags-

Mel Robbins 38:35 But where el- oh my God, you're right

Clea Shearer 38:36 ... do not need to be in a junk drawer.

Mel Robbins 38:37 You're right. You're right.

Joanna Teplin 38:38 You're right. These are office supplies.

Mel Robbins 38:38 But, but I feel so conflicted because I'm like where else am I gonna put it? I'm gonna put it-

Joanna Teplin 38:41 No, that's, but that's where it-

Clea Shearer 38:42 Wait, hold on. Let, let's a- actually ask a question. Do you paint your nails in a place that's next to this junk drawer?

Mel Robbins 38:48 [laughs] No.

Clea Shearer 38:49 No.

Joanna Teplin 38:50 Okay.

Clea Shearer 38:50 Okay. Where would you paint your nails?

Mel Robbins 38:52 My bathroom.

Joanna Teplin 38:52 Okay.

Clea Shearer 38:53 After I take a bath-

Mel Robbins 38:53 Then it belongs in your bathroom

Clea Shearer 38:54 ... I would sit on the floor of my bathroom.

Joanna Teplin 38:55 That, that's where it goes.

Clea Shearer 38:56 That's where it goes.

Joanna Teplin 38:56 This goes in the bathroom.

Mel Robbins 38:57 'Cause I can only do a good job on my toenails if I'm sitting.

Clea Shearer 39:00 That's where it goes.

Joanna Teplin 39:00 There you go. That's where it goes, the bathroom.

Mel Robbins 39:01 On the floor.

Clea Shearer 39:02 But here's the truth.

Joanna Teplin 39:03 Okay.

Clea Shearer 39:04 I...

Joanna Teplin 39:07 Say it.

Mel Robbins 39:07 Say it.

Joanna Teplin 39:08 Say it.

Mel Robbins 39:08 [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 39:09 Say it.

Mel Robbins 39:11 I don't even know why I have nail polish, because I'm-

Clea Shearer 39:15 Do you, you paint your nails?

Mel Robbins 39:16 I don't often get a manicure. I only get a manicure or pedicure when we're taping episodes in Boston. Otherwise, I live in Vermont.

Joanna Teplin 39:23 Okay.

Mel Robbins 39:23 Like I don't know wh- and I bet I have eight bottles of nail polish-

Joanna Teplin 39:26 Okay

Mel Robbins 39:26 ... lying around in different drawers.

Joanna Teplin 39:27 Would you want to have nail polish in your house, or do you, would you never choose-

Mel Robbins 39:31 No.

Joanna Teplin 39:31 Okay, then we don't even need this.

Mel Robbins 39:32 I wear the same, I need nail polish remover.

Clea Shearer 39:34 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 39:34 Okay.

Clea Shearer 39:34 Great.

Joanna Teplin 39:35 Great.

Mel Robbins 39:35 Perfect.

Joanna Teplin 39:35 So never buy nail polish again.

Mel Robbins 39:36 So what do I do? 'Cause those are full.

Joanna Teplin 39:38 Then you can donate it to someone.

Mel Robbins 39:39 Yeah. Okay.

Joanna Teplin 39:40 Or like the daughter or anyone.

Mel Robbins 39:41 Just donate. Okay, we're gonna talk about how we do that, 'cause I have a hard time moving from the pile of donate to the-

Clea Shearer 39:45 Oh, okay.

Joanna Teplin 39:45 Oh, we'll, we'll talk about that.

Mel Robbins 39:47 Okay, we'll come back to it.

Clea Shearer 39:47 I'll put a pin in that.

Joanna Teplin 39:47 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 39:47 But okay, like for instance, this is, was a list-

Mel Robbins 39:50 That's-

Clea Shearer 39:50 ... at some point that has been spilled on, and you can't even read it because of the water stains.

Mel Robbins 39:54 It was probably something that Chris asked me to do, and then I spilled on it and I put it then in the drawer because I would come back to it later.

Clea Shearer 40:01 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 40:01 Okay.

Clea Shearer 40:02 I'm, I'm guessing you either did it or you didn't do it.

Mel Robbins 40:04 Okay, throw that out. No, that's dated February.

Clea Shearer 40:05 But okay, yeah.

Joanna Teplin 40:05 All right.

Clea Shearer 40:06 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 40:06 And this-

Clea Shearer 40:06 So we're gonna take that out. Tea bags can move to the kitchen.

Mel Robbins 40:09 I don't even like Irish breakfast tea.

Joanna Teplin 40:10 Okay, amazing.

Clea Shearer 40:11 Oh, I do.

Mel Robbins 40:11 I don't know what those are doing in here.

Clea Shearer 40:11 Look, I'll take them.

Joanna Teplin 40:12 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 40:12 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 40:13 All right.

Clea Shearer 40:13 You know? See, you're donating.

Mel Robbins 40:14 That belong, d- duct tape belongs in the garage.

Joanna Teplin 40:16 Okay.

Clea Shearer 40:16 Right?

Joanna Teplin 40:17 So this is, so this is a keep, but it doesn't belong in the junk drawer.

Mel Robbins 40:20 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 40:20 And look how much space this takes up.

Mel Robbins 40:21 But what belongs in a junk drawer?

Joanna Teplin 40:22 Well-

Clea Shearer 40:22 I'll tell you

Joanna Teplin 40:23 ... well, let's ask you. Okay, so is this drawer from your office, or is this from the kitchen?

Mel Robbins 40:27 This one is for the kitchen.

Joanna Teplin 40:28 Okay. So in a kitchen, let's talk about the things that you would need. We, you don't need this in the kitchen.

Mel Robbins 40:33 No, I don't.

Clea Shearer 40:33 No.

Joanna Teplin 40:34 Okay. You, would you use, if you spill, would you use a Tide pen in the kitchen on like-

Mel Robbins 40:38 Probably not.

Joanna Teplin 40:38 No.

Mel Robbins 40:38 I'd probably run upstairs.

Joanna Teplin 40:39 Okay, so this is not living here.

Clea Shearer 40:41 Or I would take a little bit of the, the Dawn, like dish soap-

Joanna Teplin 40:43 Right, totally

Clea Shearer 40:43 ... so that goes in the laundry room.

Joanna Teplin 40:44 This is trash.

Mel Robbins 40:45 Yeah, that's trash. That's a coffee lid.

Joanna Teplin 40:46 Here, I have a trash pile over here.

Mel Robbins 40:48 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 40:48 Does a keychain belong in the kitchen? Where-

Mel Robbins 40:50 It doesn't even have keys in it.

Joanna Teplin 40:51 No.

Clea Shearer 40:51 No.

Mel Robbins 40:51 I don't even know where the hell that came from.

Joanna Teplin 40:52 Does this matter to you at all?

Mel Robbins 40:53 No.

Clea Shearer 40:53 No.

Joanna Teplin 40:53 No, it goes.

Mel Robbins 40:54 I don't even know what that is.

Clea Shearer 40:55 It goes. No, it goes. It goes in the donate pile. Um, d- now twine could belong in a kitchen, but do you use it as such?

Mel Robbins 41:00 No, because I have a drawer that has, uh, twine, wrapping paper, and my scissors for cutting flowers that's separate-

Clea Shearer 41:08 Okay, so this goes-

Mel Robbins 41:09 ... and it's beautifully organized, which I love

Clea Shearer 41:10 ... this goes into that bin. What about these headphones?

Mel Robbins 41:13 Yeah, they, they're broken.

Joanna Teplin 41:14 Okay, they go.

Mel Robbins 41:15 They, they must, I blame Oakley.

Clea Shearer 41:16 This goes-

Mel Robbins 41:17 Okay

Clea Shearer 41:17 ... we don't have to donate everything. If it's broken, it's trash.

Mel Robbins 41:19 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 41:20 Okay. Now bracelets and hair ties.

Mel Robbins 41:22 Hair ties I would need in a junk drawer.

Joanna Teplin 41:24 Okay, great.

Clea Shearer 41:24 Okay, great. Perfect.

Joanna Teplin 41:25 And the bracelets?

Mel Robbins 41:26 I don't know who those belong to.

Joanna Teplin 41:27 They can go.

Mel Robbins 41:28 They can go.

Joanna Teplin 41:28 All right.

Mel Robbins 41:29 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 41:29 Now, like what is this, like a-

Mel Robbins 41:30 I don't know what that is

Joanna Teplin 41:31 ... white out? Okay, so you don't e-

Mel Robbins 41:32 I'm not looking for that in the junk drawer.

Joanna Teplin 41:33 Okay, and-

Clea Shearer 41:33 This is cuticle cream.

Mel Robbins 41:35 No. No. I am, I do not need cuticle cream.

Joanna Teplin 41:37 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 41:37 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 41:37 Do you, do you sharpen pencils?

Mel Robbins 41:39 Not in the kitchen.

Joanna Teplin 41:40 Okay. So it can go in-

Mel Robbins 41:42 Okay

Joanna Teplin 41:42 ... like somewhere else.

Mel Robbins 41:43 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 41:43 All right.

Mel Robbins 41:43 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 41:44 I agree.

Mel Robbins 41:44 I need a tape measure in the kitchen.

Clea Shearer 41:45 Absolutely.

Joanna Teplin 41:46 Okay.

Clea Shearer 41:46 And that is an appropriate thing. A pair of scissors you need in the kitchen.

Mel Robbins 41:49 Yes, I need those.

Joanna Teplin 41:49 Yes. Do you need sunscreen in the kitchen?

Mel Robbins 41:51 No.

Joanna Teplin 41:51 Sometimes. Okay. No.

Mel Robbins 41:52 No.

Joanna Teplin 41:52 So this can go somewhere else. The, the nail polish is-

Mel Robbins 41:55 If I weren't donating the nail polish, I would go put it with the sunscreen, 'cause it would probably go in my bathroom.

Joanna Teplin 41:59 Okay.

Clea Shearer 41:59 Right.

Joanna Teplin 41:59 Well, let's put that, this is donate, but she'll keep the sunscreen.

Mel Robbins 42:02 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 42:02 Okay.

Clea Shearer 42:03 And now we have-

Joanna Teplin 42:04 A random spoon

Clea Shearer 42:04 ... four birthday candles.

Mel Robbins 42:06 Oh, God. Th- birthday candles are tough.

Clea Shearer 42:08 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 42:08 Okay.

Mel Robbins 42:09 Because you kinda feel like you might need them at some point.

Joanna Teplin 42:12 Okay.

Clea Shearer 42:12 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 42:12 Do you have an entertaining area?

Mel Robbins 42:13 A who?

Joanna Teplin 42:14 Like an entertaining little drawer?

Clea Shearer 42:15 Okay, I'm gonna take that as a no.

Mel Robbins 42:16 No.

Joanna Teplin 42:16 Okay.

Clea Shearer 42:16 But you know what you do have right here is an empty box.

Mel Robbins 42:19 Yes.

Clea Shearer 42:19 So let's at least put, so that they're not free floating. Candles are kind of something that I feel like would just be like rolling around your drawer. So let's actually use the lid.

Joanna Teplin 42:27 But does she want them in the kitchen?

Clea Shearer 42:29 I guess so. Okay, fine

Mel Robbins 42:30 That makes sense.

Clea Shearer 42:31 Okay. All right, all right.

Mel Robbins 42:32 Okay.

Clea Shearer 42:32 Okay. So-

Mel Robbins 42:33 I would put the matches, you have matches on the table-

Clea Shearer 42:35 Yep

Mel Robbins 42:35 ... put the matches in with the box of matches.

Clea Shearer 42:36 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 42:36 Great. There we go.

Clea Shearer 42:36 See? Okay.

Joanna Teplin 42:37 Now you have a little birthday celebration-

Clea Shearer 42:39 Great, great

Joanna Teplin 42:39 ... bin. You have some erasers. You have another thing of matchsticks. Let's-

Clea Shearer 42:43 Okay

Joanna Teplin 42:43 ... put all the matchsticks together.

Clea Shearer 42:44 Right. Random spoon.

Mel Robbins 42:45 No.

Clea Shearer 42:45 Does this belong to anything?

Mel Robbins 42:47 No. I mean, it'd be cute in a sugar bowl, but-

Joanna Teplin 42:48 Would you use it?

Mel Robbins 42:49 I don't know.

Joanna Teplin 42:50 Would you be happy to see this?

Mel Robbins 42:52 You can move it to where your-

Clea Shearer 42:54 I don't know

Mel Robbins 42:55 ... um, utensils are.

Clea Shearer 42:56 Uh, I feel like I should keep it.

Joanna Teplin 42:57 Okay.

Mel Robbins 42:57 Okay, fine.

Joanna Teplin 42:57 But, but-

Clea Shearer 42:58 But I didn't do the edit.

Joanna Teplin 43:00 Oh, you should.

Clea Shearer 43:00 I didn't, I didn't.

Joanna Teplin 43:01 No, you should.

Mel Robbins 43:01 You should.

Clea Shearer 43:01 I don't love it. I haven't used it. I don't love it.

Joanna Teplin 43:03 Okay.

Mel Robbins 43:04 Great.

Joanna Teplin 43:04 Then it can go.

Mel Robbins 43:04 Donate. See how perfect?

Clea Shearer 43:06 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 43:06 And that, take the word should out of your vocabulary.

Clea Shearer 43:09 Yeah. Okay, this charger, we don't know.

Mel Robbins 43:11 That one I could use, 'cause it's a C.

Clea Shearer 43:13 Okay.

Mel Robbins 43:13 Okay, great.

Joanna Teplin 43:14 Rubber bands you use?

Mel Robbins 43:15 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 43:16 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 43:16 I can go in the junk drawer.

Clea Shearer 43:16 I, I don't know the last time I looked for a r- a rubber band, honestly.

Joanna Teplin 43:19 That's what I'm... What is this rubber band?

Mel Robbins 43:19 Who brought... I don't know. You took the time to make a ball out of it. [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 43:22 No, no, that's how they come.

Clea Shearer 43:23 Oh.

Joanna Teplin 43:23 That's how they come.

Clea Shearer 43:24 Clearly I don't use rubber bands.

Joanna Teplin 43:25 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 43:25 Okay, so we'll take that away. Right. We-

Mel Robbins 43:27 That can go in the garage with the duct tape. I don't know.

Clea Shearer 43:28 Okay, yeah.

Joanna Teplin 43:29 Fine.

Clea Shearer 43:29 That's fine.

Joanna Teplin 43:29 That's fair. That's fair.

Clea Shearer 43:30 It's, like, a useful item, I guess.

Joanna Teplin 43:31 Yeah, but, like, none of us use it. There's three of us sitting here that-

Clea Shearer 43:33 I know

Joanna Teplin 43:34 ... none of us use rubber bands. So, okay.

Clea Shearer 43:35 Okay, so I, you seem to be a list maker, so let's keep the pad.

Mel Robbins 43:38 Oh, God. Just k- just rip the thing off the top.

Joanna Teplin 43:40 All right.

Mel Robbins 43:40 I don't even know where any of that list-

Clea Shearer 43:41 Let's start over with the list

Mel Robbins 43:42 ... yes.

Joanna Teplin 43:42 Now, with all your flowers and stuff-

Mel Robbins 43:43 Now, can I just say something about that list right there?

Joanna Teplin 43:45 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 43:45 That pad is too small.

Joanna Teplin 43:47 Oh.

Mel Robbins 43:47 I don't like that pad.

Joanna Teplin 43:47 You don't like the pad.

Mel Robbins 43:48 Let's get rid of that pad.

Joanna Teplin 43:48 Okay.

Mel Robbins 43:49 Yeah, I'm starting to feel freed up.

Joanna Teplin 43:50 Right?

Clea Shearer 43:51 You see?

Joanna Teplin 43:51 This, isn't this addicting?

Mel Robbins 43:51 Yes, just wait.

Joanna Teplin 43:52 Okay, this sounds like it goes with your flowers and the stuff that makes you happy.

Mel Robbins 43:55 Oh, I actually, yes, I need a place for thank you cards.

Joanna Teplin 43:58 Now, do you want that in your desk drawer or, or your kitchen drawer, or do you want it with your flowers-

Clea Shearer 44:01 In the gift drawer

Joanna Teplin 44:01 ... and the twine and all that stuff?

Mel Robbins 44:03 I don't think I have room there, 'cause I gotta contain it.

Clea Shearer 44:05 Mm.

Joanna Teplin 44:06 Okay. Now, but where would you go to look for it in your, in your head? Like, if you had the room, where would it make more sense?

Mel Robbins 44:11 I'd probably put it in the junk drawer because-

Joanna Teplin 44:13 Okay

Mel Robbins 44:13 ... I've got pens in there.

Clea Shearer 44:14 Great.

Joanna Teplin 44:14 Okay, let's-

Clea Shearer 44:14 That's fine. And you know what? That's fair.

Mel Robbins 44:16 If it makes sense to you, it's okay.

Joanna Teplin 44:18 That's right.

Clea Shearer 44:18 Absolutely.

Joanna Teplin 44:18 Absolutely, and it doesn't have to make sense to us, it has to make sense to you. You live there.

Mel Robbins 44:21 Okay. Yes.

Clea Shearer 44:22 The smartest system, bar none, is what works for you, period, the end. Not what works for us-

Joanna Teplin 44:27 No

Clea Shearer 44:27 ... what works for you. So, and this one chopstick I'm gonna put on the chopping block, quite literally.

Mel Robbins 44:31 You know what the most valuable thing of this whole thing is? That you actually pulled everything out.

Joanna Teplin 44:35 Yes.

Clea Shearer 44:35 Yes, you have to. Because otherwise it's too passive. It's so easy to be like-

Joanna Teplin 44:39 Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah

Clea Shearer 44:40 ... "I, I, I use all that."

Joanna Teplin 44:40 Especially with clothes, too. "Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, I'll wear that." No, no, no. It all has to come out.

Mel Robbins 44:45 Oh, God.

Joanna Teplin 44:45 And that's why we don't do that with it.

Mel Robbins 44:45 We're, we're gonna do that as a separate conversation.

Joanna Teplin 44:47 That's a separate conversation. Okay.

Clea Shearer 44:48 That's already overwhelming.

Joanna Teplin 44:48 Can't, will you put this back? Do you know which card-

Clea Shearer 44:52 Deck of cards

Joanna Teplin 44:52 ... yes, that it goes to? No.

Mel Robbins 44:55 I feel like I should put that back.

Joanna Teplin 44:58 Okay. Would, will you, or is it gonna be a, it's a should?

Clea Shearer 45:00 It's gonna be a chore.

Joanna Teplin 45:01 And if the barrier to entry is too high, sitting in here and taking out-

Mel Robbins 45:04 I don't play a single card game that requires a joker.

Clea Shearer 45:07 No.

Joanna Teplin 45:07 Okay.

Clea Shearer 45:08 None of them do.

Joanna Teplin 45:08 Then it, then it, we do not need it.

Mel Robbins 45:10 Okay. Okay, great.

Joanna Teplin 45:10 If you took the card out and there's not a single game that requires it, let's lose it.

Mel Robbins 45:14 Okay, great.

Clea Shearer 45:15 Um, okay, you have a couple coupons. Um-

Mel Robbins 45:17 I don't even know what they're for.

Clea Shearer 45:18 Uh-

Joanna Teplin 45:19 Cat food.

Mel Robbins 45:19 Cat food. He doesn't eat it, so throw it out.

Joanna Teplin 45:21 Okay.

Mel Robbins 45:21 Like, good noodle eats it.

Joanna Teplin 45:22 Mel, can we just celebrate, like, what you've already done in five minutes?

Clea Shearer 45:25 Look at what you're down to.

Joanna Teplin 45:26 Wow.

Clea Shearer 45:26 You're down to things that actually just work in this drawer.

Joanna Teplin 45:30 Need, use, or love.

Clea Shearer 45:31 That's it. It's so simple.

Joanna Teplin 45:33 Wow.

Mel Robbins 45:33 Wow.

Joanna Teplin 45:33 And now, now watch. We're not gonna spend any money.

Mel Robbins 45:35 Okay, and you know what? I can do more.

Joanna Teplin 45:37 Okay.

Mel Robbins 45:37 I only like the black pen, the blue pen, and the green pen. Get rid of the rest of those pens.

Joanna Teplin 45:41 Okay.

Mel Robbins 45:41 I don't like that stuff.

Joanna Teplin 45:41 Here we go. They go to a teacher.

Mel Robbins 45:42 Geez, that was a little aggressive.

Joanna Teplin 45:43 All right.

Clea Shearer 45:43 There you go.

Joanna Teplin 45:44 Okay.

Mel Robbins 45:44 But okay, yeah.

Joanna Teplin 45:45 All right. And do you use these?

Mel Robbins 45:47 What are these?

Joanna Teplin 45:47 The little Post-it tabs? They're pr- kinda-

Mel Robbins 45:48 Oh.

Clea Shearer 45:48 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 45:49 She uses these.

Mel Robbins 45:50 I use those.

Joanna Teplin 45:50 She loves these.

Mel Robbins 45:50 I use those.

Joanna Teplin 45:50 Okay.

Clea Shearer 45:50 Okay. All right. So, and do you, do you use-

Joanna Teplin 45:53 Oh, the mail

Clea Shearer 45:54 ... little panda erasers?

Joanna Teplin 45:54 Are these, are these just envelopes?

Mel Robbins 45:55 I do not use erasers.

Joanna Teplin 45:57 No, there's a... Oh, okay.

Clea Shearer 45:57 You do not use erasers?

Mel Robbins 45:58 No.

Joanna Teplin 45:59 Okay.

Mel Robbins 45:59 I don't need an eraser.

Joanna Teplin 46:00 Okay. This is, this is empty.

Mel Robbins 46:01 Somebody else put them. Oh, my God.

Joanna Teplin 46:02 So-

Mel Robbins 46:02 Okay

Joanna Teplin 46:02 ... and where does the mail typically go?

Mel Robbins 46:05 Um, I typic- it m- it typically ends up on the kitchen island-

Joanna Teplin 46:09 Okay

Mel Robbins 46:09 ... and then I passive aggressively drop it on Chris's desk.

Joanna Teplin 46:11 Okay, that's fine.

Mel Robbins 46:12 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 46:12 So it goes there, passive aggressively or not, doesn't matter.

Clea Shearer 46:14 We'll, we'll find you a new tray.

Mel Robbins 46:15 Well, he's home more than I am.

Joanna Teplin 46:15 We don't have judgment about passive aggressive behavior.

Clea Shearer 46:17 Yes. No, I-

Joanna Teplin 46:18 That's not our, that's not our segment.

Clea Shearer 46:19 Yeah, that's not our brand.

Joanna Teplin 46:19 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 46:20 The mail belongs on Chris's desk-

Joanna Teplin 46:22 That's right, so that can go-

Mel Robbins 46:22 ... because he sits at it five days a week.

Joanna Teplin 46:24 There you go, Chris.

Mel Robbins 46:24 And then it'll actually get opened, and the bills will get paid, and-

Joanna Teplin 46:28 That's amazing.

Clea Shearer 46:28 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 46:28 Fantastic.

Clea Shearer 46:29 Yeah. No, we love Chris.

Joanna Teplin 46:29 And you have a pack of batteries that are contained, so, and I'm sure you need batteries.

Mel Robbins 46:33 I have a different drawer that has batteries in it.

Joanna Teplin 46:35 There you go, so it does not-

Mel Robbins 46:36 But I don't know, now that I'm realizing this, I need to do this with every drawer in my kitchen, because I've got a bunch of drawers-

Clea Shearer 46:41 'Cause you have stuff that's-

Mel Robbins 46:42 ... where there's stuff that's mismatched

Joanna Teplin 46:43 That's where, that's where the corralling and categorizing comes into play. And I-

Mel Robbins 46:46 But you know what? I don't need to spend a whole weekend doing this. I could just do one drawer at a time.

Joanna Teplin 46:50 That's, right.

Mel Robbins 46:50 One drawer at a time.

Joanna Teplin 46:50 And that's why the barrier to entry is so low, and that's why it's so freeing. How free do you feel now? Look, wait until you just put this all back.

Mel Robbins 46:57 I feel even better knowing you did it.

Joanna Teplin 46:59 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 46:59 Like, I, no, I, I, I, I know I can do this.

Clea Shearer 47:04 It, you can.

Joanna Teplin 47:05 You just did.

Mel Robbins 47:06 Okay, and then you've got these old box lids that you're using.

Joanna Teplin 47:08 Yeah, we are.

Mel Robbins 47:08 And that way you don't have to buy drawer dividers.

Joanna Teplin 47:10 No, right.

Mel Robbins 47:11 You just use box lids.

Joanna Teplin 47:11 You absolutely can. Now you have extra-

Mel Robbins 47:13 That's genius

Joanna Teplin 47:13 ... you have extra envelopes. Would you, are you ever-

Mel Robbins 47:15 No, get rid of the envelopes.

Joanna Teplin 47:15 Okay. We just need one.

Mel Robbins 47:16 I'm starting to feel like you kinda get on a roll here.

Joanna Teplin 47:19 Oh. That's the endorphins kicking in.

Clea Shearer 47:21 That's the thing.

Joanna Teplin 47:21 It's so freeing. It's like shopping, but the opposite. It's so, it's so exhilarating.

Mel Robbins 47:26 [laughs] Shopping, but the op- you know what we're shopping for?

Joanna Teplin 47:28 Space.

Clea Shearer 47:29 Space. You're shopping for space.

Mel Robbins 47:31 I can see what you mean now about you can't afford not to do this.

Clea Shearer 47:35 Exactly.

Joanna Teplin 47:35 Yes.

Clea Shearer 47:36 And another thing that I just recommend, this is what I would do if I-

Joanna Teplin 47:39 Yeah

Clea Shearer 47:39 ... especially if, like, things need to now move to other places, just have a little basket with you so that all of these things-

Joanna Teplin 47:45 Oh

Clea Shearer 47:45 ... just go in the basket, and then you just walk around your house. You put it in the garage. You put it in your bathroom.

Mel Robbins 47:50 I literally wanna run out of here and be like-

Joanna Teplin 47:52 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 47:52 Throw away that mug. Get rid of this.

Joanna Teplin 47:54 No, it's, it's, it's powerful.

Mel Robbins 47:55 And, like, put this where it needs to be.

Joanna Teplin 47:55 It is, and this is, this is so manageable, and this is why we always say start with a drawer, because see how, see how excited you are?

Mel Robbins 48:01 I, I really do feel excited.

Joanna Teplin 48:03 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 48:04 And I, I r- I, what I also like about this is I've always made the mistake of thinking that, okay, I gotta, I gotta take the whole weekend.

Clea Shearer 48:15 No.

Mel Robbins 48:16 I gotta take the whole weekend.

Clea Shearer 48:17 No.

Mel Robbins 48:18 And, and the whole, I'm gonna tear apart the kitchen.

Clea Shearer 48:19 No, no.

Mel Robbins 48:19 I'm gonna redo all that stuff.

Clea Shearer 48:21 30 minutes. Take 30 minutes.

Mel Robbins 48:23 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 48:23 Holy cow.

Clea Shearer 48:24 Yeah. And it's, it's as simple as that. One other important rule for someone wanting to start this process.

Mel Robbins 48:30 Yes.

Clea Shearer 48:31 Just like we did here, do not T- do not start an edit, do not take out more than you can put away in the same day. Meaning, don't just take everything out of your closet.

Joanna Teplin 48:41 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 48:41 And then what? The reason why we also love a drawer, you can go from A to Z with a very, you know,

Clea Shearer 48:47 in, within 30 minutes, and the great thing is going from A to Z in a small space is the same thing as going A to Z in a big space.

Joanna Teplin 48:54 Mm.

Clea Shearer 48:54 The rules are the same.

Joanna Teplin 48:55 That's right.

Mel Robbins 48:55 Got it.

Clea Shearer 48:55 It just takes more time.

Mel Robbins 48:56 That was so helpful, and the edits, easy.

Clea Shearer 48:59 Easy.

Mel Robbins 49:00 Do I use it? Do I need it? Do I love it?

Joanna Teplin 49:01 That's right.

Clea Shearer 49:02 Easy.

Mel Robbins 49:02 Awesome. All right, I have more questions.

Clea Shearer 49:04 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 49:04 Okay.

Mel Robbins 49:04 Now we've gone from drawers-

Clea Shearer 49:04 I'm gonna take the drawer away

Mel Robbins 49:05 ... all right, let's take all this stuff away.

Joanna Teplin 49:06 All right, all right, good.

Clea Shearer 49:06 I'm gonna take the drawer away.

Mel Robbins 49:07 'Cause I wanna go from drawers to other parts of the house.

Joanna Teplin 49:09 Okay, let's do that.

Clea Shearer 49:11 Okay.

Mel Robbins 49:11 So let's talk about the big mistakes and traps.

Joanna Teplin 49:13 Okay.

Mel Robbins 49:14 It's a Saturday morning.

Joanna Teplin 49:16 Yes.

Clea Shearer 49:16 Okay.

Mel Robbins 49:17 Kids are out, partner's gone.

Joanna Teplin 49:20 Okay.

Clea Shearer 49:20 Sounds amazing.

Mel Robbins 49:21 I got a burst-

Joanna Teplin 49:22 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 49:22 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 49:22 ... of motivation.

Joanna Teplin 49:24 Yes.

Mel Robbins 49:24 And now I decide-

Joanna Teplin 49:26 Okay

Mel Robbins 49:26 ... I'm gonna declutter-

Joanna Teplin 49:27 We are

Mel Robbins 49:27 ... and organize and edit.

Clea Shearer 49:28 That's right.

Mel Robbins 49:28 So what's the big mistakes-

Joanna Teplin 49:30 Okay, you-

Mel Robbins 49:30 ... that I'm about to make?

Joanna Teplin 49:31 Well, you started saying them all together. Organize, declutter-

Clea Shearer 49:34 [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 49:34 ... and edit all at the same time. Let's just start with an edit. Let's start there, and let's pick a reasonable space to start with, which are the drawers. So they could be bathroom drawers, they could be kitchen drawers. Let's start with drawers. If this is your first big go at it, let's get you really comfortable and feeling good about yourself. And once you finish that drawer doing the edit, go to the next one if you still have energy. But one by one. We're not gonna take apart the entire kitchen all in one Saturday morning when you think you have a burst of energy that's gonna last all day. It won't. We'll just spare you the [laughs] spare you the good news, it will not last all day. It will last an hour until you're in the fetal position in the corner, 'cause it's too overwhelming.

Clea Shearer 50:09 It's too overwhelming. The, th- again, this whole experience should make you feel good-

Joanna Teplin 50:14 Yeah

Clea Shearer 50:14 ... not bad. You don't want, you should not have any shame. You should not have any guilt.

Joanna Teplin 50:18 No.

Clea Shearer 50:19 You should not be, uh, you know-

Joanna Teplin 50:21 Put on some good music-

Clea Shearer 50:21 ... overwhelmed and exhausted

Joanna Teplin 50:22 ... and just get excited about this, because it's an opportunity, it's not a chore.

Clea Shearer 50:25 Bathroom drawers, also a great place to start.

Joanna Teplin 50:27 Oh, love a bathroom drawer.

Clea Shearer 50:29 Great place to start.

Joanna Teplin 50:29 So satisfying. Also, it's like the last thing you see and the first thing you see in the morning, and the last thing before bed, and so to start your day and end your day that way feels so satisfying.

Clea Shearer 50:38 I am guilty of holding on to like makeup products or samples. It's still like, well, like what if I run out? Or m- I might want that color. Or, you know, like maybe I'll learn how to use eyeshadow one day.

Joanna Teplin 50:50 You won't.

Clea Shearer 50:50 I don't know.

Joanna Teplin 50:51 You won't.

Clea Shearer 50:51 I won't. I think that-

Joanna Teplin 50:52 No

Clea Shearer 50:52 ... ship has sailed. But makeup products, they're just so small that you're like, well, I can fit it.

Joanna Teplin 50:57 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 50:58 Doesn't mean that you should fit it.

Joanna Teplin 51:00 How much more would you rather have the clear space than a peptide lotion you don't know how to use?

Clea Shearer 51:04 It's just-

Joanna Teplin 51:05 Like-

Clea Shearer 51:05 It's true. It is true

Joanna Teplin 51:06 ... that's, and that's the thing to think about. Do I want the item or do I want the space?

Clea Shearer 51:09 That's both.

Joanna Teplin 51:09 And if you get stuck, that the, that binary decision is the best way to get out of being stuck, especially in a closet. Like, oh, I can't decide. Well, do you want the space? Do you want the breathing space? Do you want the extra hanger, or do you want that pair of jeans?

Mel Robbins 51:22 Oh, I am going to be repeating that as my mantra-

Joanna Teplin 51:26 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 51:26 Mm-hmm

Mel Robbins 51:27 ... for the rest of my life.

Clea Shearer 51:29 It's, it really holds true.

Joanna Teplin 51:30 Because it's binary, and there's no gray area.

Clea Shearer 51:32 Right.

Mel Robbins 51:33 Wow.

Clea Shearer 51:33 It's just you have to follow those rules. You only have so much space.

Joanna Teplin 51:38 That's right.

Clea Shearer 51:38 And I, myself, again, I am ruthless with everything in my house. I, but I love to shop. I just do. I love, I love shoes, I love handbags, I love clothes.

Joanna Teplin 51:50 Technology.

Clea Shearer 51:50 But I will get rid of-

Joanna Teplin 51:52 She will

Clea Shearer 51:52 ... other items.

Joanna Teplin 51:53 She is ruthless.

Clea Shearer 51:53 So ruthless.

Mel Robbins 51:53 So do you have like a one in, one out rule?

Clea Shearer 51:55 I kind of do.

Joanna Teplin 51:57 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 51:57 She kinda doesn't, I can tell.

Clea Shearer 51:58 No, no, no, no, no.

Joanna Teplin 51:59 No, she does.

Clea Shearer 51:59 I, no.

Joanna Teplin 52:00 She has to get rid of, it's usually three at, three in, three out. It's like it comes in.

Clea Shearer 52:04 Right, right. I'm not quite-

Joanna Teplin 52:05 She loves to shop

Clea Shearer 52:05 ... at a one in, one out, because I do believe in having space in the closet. Here's a rule I have

Clea Shearer 52:10 for myself. I will not buy new hangers. I don't need any more.

Mel Robbins 52:14 Ooh.

Clea Shearer 52:14 The hangers are, they completely match the space I have. If I need to add hangers, then I'm shoving things into my closet.

Mel Robbins 52:22 Oh.

Joanna Teplin 52:23 Mm.

Clea Shearer 52:23 So if I'm, if I get into a one in, one out, that means like I'm not adding a hanger to accommodate my new clothes. I will purge.

Joanna Teplin 52:30 She, and she's an excellent, she is ruthless.

Clea Shearer 52:32 I'm hardcore.

Joanna Teplin 52:33 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 52:34 Wow. Why does mess always come back?

Clea Shearer 52:37 It really comes down to putting systems in, in like a situation that is so sustainable and easy and simple. So when a mess comes back, I generally think it's like, okay, Joanna and I obviously organize, we spend the time organizing our homes. If we create a system that's too complicated or don't put in a system at all, the mess will come back. If you're only tidying up a space-

Joanna Teplin 53:01 Mm-hmm

Clea Shearer 53:01 ... and not truly organizing it-

Mel Robbins 53:03 Oh

Clea Shearer 53:03 ... the mess comes back. It's, a- all organizing is, if you really wanna keep it as organized as the day you did it, you just have to create simple, realistic systems and set realistic expectations. A lot of it comes down to a me versus them.

Joanna Teplin 53:17 Mm.

Clea Shearer 53:17 Is it a me problem or a them problem?

Joanna Teplin 53:19 Uh-huh.

Clea Shearer 53:19 If I... I don't even care if it's a kids' playroom. You just put big floor bins for like blocks.

Joanna Teplin 53:27 That's right.

Clea Shearer 53:28 For dolls. If you start-

Joanna Teplin 53:28 Don't have Disney doll, or-

Clea Shearer 53:30 No

Joanna Teplin 53:30 ... princess dolls here.

Clea Shearer 53:31 Oh my God, I get that.

Joanna Teplin 53:32 But people, but people do go down the path, 'cause it's easy to do, and because you do it one day and you get excited.

Clea Shearer 53:36 And they get excited.

Joanna Teplin 53:37 And then the thing is, it's too hard to maintain, and then all the wheels fall off the bus.

Clea Shearer 53:40 Like okay, for instance, for a pantry. We love pantries.

Joanna Teplin 53:44 Love.

Clea Shearer 53:44 We could talk, we could do a whole episode on pantries.

Joanna Teplin 53:45 Oh my God.

Clea Shearer 53:46 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 53:46 Nothing's more fun.

Clea Shearer 53:47 Every pantry could be organized and look great by just having six categories, just bins. A simple bin.

Mel Robbins 53:57 What are the six categories?

Clea Shearer 53:58 It's breakfast, dinner-

Joanna Teplin 53:59 Uh-huh

Clea Shearer 54:00 ... snacks, baking, cooking, dessert.

Joanna Teplin 54:03 That's it. Thank you.

Clea Shearer 54:05 That's it.

Joanna Teplin 54:06 And unli- again, if you have the space and y- this is fun for you to have micro categories, have at it.

Clea Shearer 54:11 Right.

Joanna Teplin 54:11 It looks, it can look beautiful. It's so fun. But if you are a busy professional or a busy

Joanna Teplin 54:16 person just in general, just the six categories and you are off to the races with organization.

Clea Shearer 54:20 Just simple systems. And one of the keys to maintenance is a label.

Joanna Teplin 54:25 Yes.

Clea Shearer 54:25 And again, that, that feels like it's just an aesthetic situation, and it is not. Labels are a set of instructions for the household.

Mel Robbins 54:34 I love this. Oh my gosh, I am gonna have so much fun this weekend. What is the hardest thing That people seem to have trouble getting rid of.

Joanna Teplin 54:45 Denim.

Mel Robbins 54:45 Denim?

Joanna Teplin 54:46 We have had to make many, many aspirational denim categories in a closet, because people feel like they're always gonna be able to fit in to their old jeans.

Clea Shearer 54:55 And I would say just generally clothes. Clothes are so-

Joanna Teplin 54:58 Clothes are really hard

Clea Shearer 54:59 ... because it's the emotional piece that goes with clothes.

Joanna Teplin 55:01 There's so many triggers in a closet that it's so hard. So going, once you are ready for the closet, just give yourself grace, and know that you may come across things that are hard for you to face, and be patient with yourself.

Mel Robbins 55:15 And-

Joanna Teplin 55:15 Because it is hard

Mel Robbins 55:16 ... okay. You were masterful in walking us through the drawer. If somebody-

Clea Shearer 55:23 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 55:23 Yes

Mel Robbins 55:24 ... starts with the drawers-

Clea Shearer 55:25 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 55:25 Okay

Mel Robbins 55:26 ... we're doing one drawer at a time.

Clea Shearer 55:27 Yep.

Mel Robbins 55:27 We're getting good-

Clea Shearer 55:28 Yep

Mel Robbins 55:29 ... with the pens.

Clea Shearer 55:29 Yep.

Mel Robbins 55:30 We are really starting

Mel Robbins 55:32 to feel motivated.

Clea Shearer 55:32 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 55:33 We got the six different items in the pantry.

Clea Shearer 55:36 You got it.

Joanna Teplin 55:37 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 55:37 We have handled grand central.

Clea Shearer 55:39 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 55:39 You're working through the house.

Clea Shearer 55:41 Cruising.

Mel Robbins 55:41 Yes, we're working through the house.

Clea Shearer 55:42 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 55:42 I'm, I'm realizing my systems-

Clea Shearer 55:45 Yeah

Mel Robbins 55:45 ... are simple. I'm able to get things where they're supposed to be. I'm not buying more stuff. I'm starting to feel like, "Oh my God, I've got more space." I'm feeling good about this.

Clea Shearer 55:54 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 55:54 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 55:55 Now I'm ready for the closet.

Clea Shearer 55:56 Okay.

Mel Robbins 55:57 How do you want us to think?

Joanna Teplin 55:59 You still need to start super small.

Mel Robbins 56:01 Do I have to empty the whole thing out?

Joanna Teplin 56:02 Not at once. Do not do that at once.

Mel Robbins 56:04 So just one drawer?

Clea Shearer 56:05 Or one category, so like-

Joanna Teplin 56:06 Or like one, you know, bank of clothes or whatever

Mel Robbins 56:08 ... and are there categories, I know this is a weird question-

Clea Shearer 56:12 Yeah

Mel Robbins 56:12 ... like in the pantry-

Clea Shearer 56:13 Yeah

Mel Robbins 56:13 ... is there a ca- or-

Joanna Teplin 56:14 Pajamas, workout.

Mel Robbins 56:15 Okay. Well, c- give me the categories in a closet.

Joanna Teplin 56:17 Yeah. And again, I was generally speaking-

Clea Shearer 56:18 The categories, like represent themselves.

Joanna Teplin 56:20 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 56:20 You know?

Joanna Teplin 56:20 So it's like pajamas, exercise, work, leisure, um, you know, like all of those, swim, whatever those are, summer, winter. We have seasonal categories.

Clea Shearer 56:29 But, but you don't need to get so granular-

Joanna Teplin 56:32 No

Clea Shearer 56:32 ... with categories.

Joanna Teplin 56:32 I would just, if it was me, I would just take all pajamas and throw them on the bed and start matching them and seeing what, what I like and what I don't like anymore.

Clea Shearer 56:39 Right. Just start with r- really small, simple steps. A closet, take one day a week and-

Joanna Teplin 56:46 Yeah

Clea Shearer 56:46 ... and just do little small bits.

Joanna Teplin 56:48 Do not do the whole thing at once.

Clea Shearer 56:49 And it, it adds up to really, I mean, editing out your closet, I think is actually the most freeing thing.

Joanna Teplin 56:55 It is.

Clea Shearer 56:56 Imaginable.

Joanna Teplin 56:56 Because that's the hardest one, and once you do that, again, it's, it's, but acknowledging on the front end this may be challenging because I'm gonna confront certain emotions.

Mel Robbins 57:03 Let's just say I'm gonna tackle shirts that are hanging.

Clea Shearer 57:05 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 57:05 Okay, great.

Clea Shearer 57:06 Hanging shirts, its own category.

Joanna Teplin 57:07 That's great. That's great.

Clea Shearer 57:07 Hanging shirts.

Joanna Teplin 57:08 Great.

Clea Shearer 57:09 I pull them all out of the closet.

Joanna Teplin 57:10 All, all of them.

Clea Shearer 57:11 Yep. Throw them all on the bed.

Joanna Teplin 57:12 That's right.

Clea Shearer 57:13 Pull it out, just look at it. Do I actually, do I wanna take the .5 seconds it's going to take to actually put this back on the rod? Like, do I actually love this, or do I, am I never gonna wear this kinda tank top ever again?

Joanna Teplin 57:26 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 57:27 You know?

Joanna Teplin 57:27 And if something creeps up, oh gosh, I've, it cost so much, and I've never worn it, and now-

Clea Shearer 57:33 Sell it, donate.

Mel Robbins 57:34 Okay, let's talk about the selling, donate. Selling is a whole-

Clea Shearer 57:38 That's right

Mel Robbins 57:38 ... nother thing.

Joanna Teplin 57:38 And that's a barrier to entry, and so we don't want you to get stuck with the selling.

Clea Shearer 57:43 There are a few things that if you wanna sell your items that are, you know, that you spent money on, that you feel like, you know, I spent, I spent some money on this. Y- there are resellers that do the work for you. You know? There are people who do the Poshmarks, that do the RealReal, that do-

Mel Robbins 58:00 Really?

Clea Shearer 58:00 Oh, yeah.

Joanna Teplin 58:00 Mm-hmm, yeah.

Clea Shearer 58:01 All s- there are people who do these things. It's their job.

Mel Robbins 58:03 And they just take a commission?

Clea Shearer 58:04 Uh-huh.

Joanna Teplin 58:04 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 58:05 And they market it, and you drop-

Clea Shearer 58:06 Yep

Mel Robbins 58:06 ... your stuff off with them?

Clea Shearer 58:07 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 58:07 Yes.

Mel Robbins 58:07 Oh.

Clea Shearer 58:07 They do, they pick it up. They do the whole thing. And I would guarantee there's always an exception to a rule here, but I can't think of anyone we've worked with, a single client, that has missed what they have purged from their closet.

Mel Robbins 58:25 Ooh.

Clea Shearer 58:25 They make the decision, and once it's gone, it's gone.

Mel Robbins 58:29 You also have these rules in here in your-

Clea Shearer 58:31 Oh, we have a lot of rules

Mel Robbins 58:32 ... best sell.

Joanna Teplin 58:32 A lot of them. [laughs]

Mel Robbins 58:33 No, but I love these rules, 'cause I never thought about it. You say invest in matching hangers.

Clea Shearer 58:37 Yep.

Joanna Teplin 58:37 Yes.

Mel Robbins 58:37 And you also say, "When you remove an article of clothing from a

Mel Robbins 58:42 hanging rod, put the empty hanger back at the end of the rod."

Clea Shearer 58:47 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 58:47 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 58:48 I never do that. I stick it in the middle.

Clea Shearer 58:49 No.

Joanna Teplin 58:49 No.

Clea Shearer 58:50 You can't find it. And sometimes, like if I do a real big, like a major purge, like from all the different sections, I won't take all of the hangers and put them on one rod-

Joanna Teplin 59:00 Yeah

Clea Shearer 59:00 ... at the end. I put it in their section.

Joanna Teplin 59:02 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 59:02 So that way it's not, doesn't take up so much space on, on one rod.

Mel Robbins 59:07 So what if you live in a really small place?

Clea Shearer 59:08 Okay.

Joanna Teplin 59:09 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 59:09 Okay? And do you have, uh, suggestions for, like where do you put things like clean laundry-

Clea Shearer 59:17 Mm-hmm

Mel Robbins 59:17 ... before it's folded? Where you put your work laptop when it's the weekend?

Clea Shearer 59:21 So this goes back to external storage.

Mel Robbins 59:24 Mm-hmm.

Clea Shearer 59:24 Like we talked about with hooks, o- over the wall unit, things like that. A cart-

Joanna Teplin 59:29 Mm

Clea Shearer 59:29 ... is a miracle.

Joanna Teplin 59:30 It's amazing.

Mel Robbins 59:31 What do you mean by a cart?

Clea Shearer 59:32 A three-tier cart.

Joanna Teplin 59:33 Ugh.

Clea Shearer 59:33 They sell them at the con- they sell them all over the place, but we, we made one at one point-

Joanna Teplin 59:37 Yeah

Clea Shearer 59:37 ... at The Container Store. The Container Store has tons.

Joanna Teplin 59:40 Yep.

Clea Shearer 59:40 Target has tons.

Joanna Teplin 59:41 Yep.

Clea Shearer 59:41 And it is simple.

Joanna Teplin 59:42 Ugh.

Mel Robbins 59:42 Like a three-tier cart on wheels?

Clea Shearer 59:44 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 59:44 Yes.

Clea Shearer 59:44 A three-tier cart on wheels.

Mel Robbins 59:44 Oh my gosh, I bought one of those for my son's dorm room.

Clea Shearer 59:46 It's three-tier cart on wheels.

Joanna Teplin 59:47 They are the best investment. They can go anywhere. Sometimes they can go in a bathroom, they can go in a kitchen.

Clea Shearer 59:51 They can have towels, they can have bath supplies, they can have, uh, you can get the, the wooden lid that goes on top for your laptop.

Joanna Teplin 59:58 It's, uh, they are a ma- they're your best friend.

Clea Shearer 1:00:01 Best friend.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:01 And then-

Clea Shearer 1:00:01 And you can, you can put clean clothes in them while you're waiting, and you can literally push the cart from the-

Joanna Teplin 1:00:06 Yeah

Clea Shearer 1:00:06 ... from the laundry room to your closet.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:07 It's amazing. And then the back of the doors, there are some amazing, there's Elfa at The Container Store, which goes over

Joanna Teplin 1:00:12 the back of the door. It's clean looking. You can put shoes on the back. You can put-

Mel Robbins 1:00:16 Oh, that's true. This is your look up thing, so you're using-

Clea Shearer 1:00:18 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:18 Yes

Mel Robbins 1:00:18 ... vertical surfaces.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:18 We're always looking for vertical space.

Clea Shearer 1:00:20 Vertical space and, uh, and external storage. A cart is-

Joanna Teplin 1:00:23 Ugh. It's-

Clea Shearer 1:00:24 But see, when you said external storage, I thought you meant outside.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:27 Oh, no, no, no.

Clea Shearer 1:00:27 And I'm like, oh, sorry. Sorry, sorry. Um, additional storage-

Joanna Teplin 1:00:30 Yeah

Clea Shearer 1:00:30 ... that, that doesn't exist already. It's prebuilt.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:32 It's not like built into the house.

Mel Robbins 1:00:33 Got it.

Clea Shearer 1:00:34 Yes.

Mel Robbins 1:00:34 Okay, that makes sense.

Clea Shearer 1:00:35 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 1:00:36 So how do you know when you've edited and organized and contained enough?

Clea Shearer 1:00:41 Okay.

Mel Robbins 1:00:42 Whenever it works.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:44 Oh.

Mel Robbins 1:00:44 That's how you know. If it works, you've done it.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:47 You did it.

Mel Robbins 1:00:48 If it's falling apart, you need to rethink your system.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:50 And let me say this, though. It's not just falling apart. There is a level of maintenance that's required.

Mel Robbins 1:00:55 Yes.

Joanna Teplin 1:00:55 Organizing is not a one and done. It's akin to exercise. You can't go to the gym one time. Like, that is not how it works.

Mel Robbins 1:01:01 Right.

Joanna Teplin 1:01:01 You don't do anything one time. You invest in your relationships. You have to constantly maintain things that matter to you, and organizing is unfortunately no different.

Mel Robbins 1:01:09 The thing I think people make... I mean, people make mistakes in a lot of different ways, but I think that one thing that is a mistake is thinking about your organizing as a snapshot in time.

Joanna Teplin 1:01:19 Mm.

Mel Robbins 1:01:19 It is a living space.

Joanna Teplin 1:01:21 Yes.

Mel Robbins 1:01:21 Right? You, it lives and breathes in your home. You add to it. If you organize your pantry, that's why we think we always wanna think about, like, what, what

Mel Robbins 1:01:31 is the easy solution? What is a system that's simple to maintain?

Joanna Teplin 1:01:34 Mm.

Mel Robbins 1:01:34 Because it, it, that's when things go off the rails. If it, if you put in a system that's, like, kinda too complicated, it's not gonna work.

Joanna Teplin 1:01:41 It's like exercise. If you, something falls off, somebody puts in the steak knives into the junk drawer in your, in your kitchen, it's not like, oh my God, it's over. No, no, no. It's exercise. Like, you... Okay, so you wor- you missed two days of working out. Just get right back up there and do it again.

Clea Shearer 1:01:55 Um, we talked a little bit about the low-bar method-

Mel Robbins 1:01:59 Mm-hmm

Clea Shearer 1:01:59 ... for closet.

Mel Robbins 1:02:00 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 1:02:00 But is there any other examples of low-bar editing?

Joanna Teplin 1:02:03 Our whole life is low bar.

Mel Robbins 1:02:04 Our whole life. So-

Joanna Teplin 1:02:05 Yeah. [laughs]

Mel Robbins 1:02:06 I, we, we have something called a low-bar lifestyle.

Joanna Teplin 1:02:08 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 1:02:08 Which means if you set the bar low enough-

Joanna Teplin 1:02:10 You will achieve it

Mel Robbins 1:02:10 ... you'll be able to get over it.

Joanna Teplin 1:02:11 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 1:02:12 So if you, if the bar is on the floor, you're gonna be able to-

Joanna Teplin 1:02:14 That's right

Mel Robbins 1:02:15 ... to walk over it.

Clea Shearer 1:02:15 Except for nothing's supposed to be on the floor.

Joanna Teplin 1:02:17 Well, that's right.

Mel Robbins 1:02:17 Except for the rug.

Clea Shearer 1:02:18 Except for the rug and the bar.

Joanna Teplin 1:02:19 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 1:02:19 The rug and the bar. Um, but if you set the bar low enough, basically what we just want people to understand is that any amount of effort that they put in is enough. Any amount of energy, of effort, of, of financing, of whatever is enough, and you don't need to beat yourself up. Like-

Joanna Teplin 1:02:40 Yeah

Clea Shearer 1:02:40 ... the low-bar lifestyle is about giving yourself a gold star-

Joanna Teplin 1:02:42 Yeah

Clea Shearer 1:02:43 ... for literally... It, like, we always say, "If all you do in the day is make your bed, you've, you've achieved something."

Joanna Teplin 1:02:48 Yeah. You s- you started off, and you did something today.

Clea Shearer 1:02:51 You did something.

Mel Robbins 1:02:52 So for the person who's listening, who is sitting here just thinking about the state of their home, 'cause as you-

Clea Shearer 1:02:58 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 1:02:58 ... talk you can't help but, like, do a little fly by.

Joanna Teplin 1:03:01 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 1:03:01 Yeah, sure.

Mel Robbins 1:03:02 And imagine drawers and particular places that you wanna start, but you still feel a little ashamed and overwhelmed, and maybe you're judging yourself-

Joanna Teplin 1:03:15 Mm-hmm.

Clea Shearer 1:03:16 Yeah

Mel Robbins 1:03:16 ... a bit.

Clea Shearer 1:03:16 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 1:03:17 What do you want them to remember most?

Clea Shearer 1:03:20 I want them to remember that we three sat here and went through one drawer within 10 minutes, and we didn't do the work, you did. And you probably have the same feeling that they're having right now, that you thought, "Oh my gosh, this drawer looks awful. I can't believe the way it looks. It's so horrible. I can't do this." You did it, not us. We just talked you through it.

Mel Robbins 1:03:43 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 1:03:44 And they can do it, too. And it is not, this is not meant to be overwhelming. It is meant to be freeing. It is meant to relieve yourself of the, the mental clutter as much as-

Joanna Teplin 1:03:56 It's not one more thing to do. It's w- it's the way to save yourself, and to give yourself what you deserve, and it's self-care.

Clea Shearer 1:04:05 It is self-care. It is wellness. It's mental wellness.

Joanna Teplin 1:04:07 It is, and physical wellness. It's all, it's so valuable, and there's, the payback, the payoff is so much greater than the, than the energy that's required to do it.

Clea Shearer 1:04:17 Yep.

Joanna Teplin 1:04:17 And don't tie being disorganized with your self-worth. Like, don't do that.

Clea Shearer 1:04:21 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 1:04:22 You are busy. There are so many competing, uh, things for your time, energy-

Clea Shearer 1:04:27 And your attention

Joanna Teplin 1:04:28 ... and this is only an opportunity to help yourself. That's it. It's not another chore. It's truly an opportunity.

Clea Shearer 1:04:35 Yeah. That's... Absolutely.

Mel Robbins 1:04:38 Joanna and Clea, what are your parting words?

Clea Shearer 1:04:40 My parting words would be to just start, you know? You, you can't, you can't finish anything if you don't start it. And even if you start super small, I think that it's just doing something, and all of a sudden you're like, "Oh my God, I feel like I can tackle this."

Mel Robbins 1:04:57 Yeah.

Clea Shearer 1:04:57 "I can do it." But you, you won't get that feeling if you don't start at all. So just start.

Joanna Teplin 1:05:02 I would just say the edit is free, and you can, you get out whatever you put in.

Clea Shearer 1:05:07 Yep.

Joanna Teplin 1:05:07 And so if you have five minutes, you will edit for five minutes, and if you have an hour, edit for an hour. But that is so powerful, and it gives you such a lift, and it will carry you through all the other parts of your house. If you can start with something that's for you-

Clea Shearer 1:05:20 Mm

Joanna Teplin 1:05:20 ... that way you can see how you maintain it yourself. I sometimes think that gives you more confidence to go for the next thing, whereas if you do it in a big space that's a sh- a very shared space, it can be very frustrating when people aren't following your systems right away. So if you did your, your own bathroom drawer first-

Clea Shearer 1:05:36 Yeah

Joanna Teplin 1:05:36 ... that is really powerful, 'cause you're like, "This is mine, and I'm taking care of it myself," and you have the ownership over it, and so you can see it through, and you can see the maintenance through. And then start implementing it through other drawers where it's shared spaces.

Mel Robbins 1:05:48 Well, I haven't even started, and I already feel better. [laughs]

Joanna Teplin 1:05:51 You did. You did. We did a drawer.

Mel Robbins 1:05:52 I, I, I agree, and I, I cannot thank you enough.

Joanna Teplin 1:05:55 Thank you.

Clea Shearer 1:05:56 Oh, gosh, thank you.

Mel Robbins 1:05:56 I mean it. I cannot thank you enough. I love that 99.9% of everything that you said I can do.

Clea Shearer 1:06:05 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 1:06:05 It's not gonna take a lot of time. In fact, it's gonna take less time, the amount of time that I am wasting and the person who's listening is wasting, racing around, feeling overwhelmed-

Clea Shearer 1:06:15 Yeah

Mel Robbins 1:06:15 ... and trying to find the things you can't find, and wasting money. And you did something really important. You not only gave us the simple steps, but you infused it with such belief and enthusiasm that I know that this will work-

Clea Shearer 1:06:31 Yeah

Mel Robbins 1:06:31 ... if I actually do it.

Clea Shearer 1:06:32 It will. That's why you just have to start.

Mel Robbins 1:06:34 Well, here's what I wanna tell you. You're fantastic.

Clea Shearer 1:06:38 Well, thank you.

Joanna Teplin 1:06:39 That's very kind. [laughs]

Mel Robbins 1:06:39 And what I appreciate most about this conversation is it wasn't about editing or organizing or decluttering at all You gave us a roadmap to have the single most powerful resources that we have in our life-

Clea Shearer 1:06:56 Mm-hmm

Mel Robbins 1:06:56 ... which is energy and time-

Clea Shearer 1:06:57 Yep.

Joanna Teplin 1:06:57 Mm-hmm

Mel Robbins 1:06:57 ... back.

Clea Shearer 1:06:58 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 1:06:59 And I really understand what you mean now that we've had this conversation, that this is not one more thing that you need to add to your to-do list.

Clea Shearer 1:07:08 Right.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:09 Mm-hmm.

Mel Robbins 1:07:09 This is your way to get time back.

Clea Shearer 1:07:13 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:13 Uh-huh.

Mel Robbins 1:07:13 To get peace back, and I cannot thank you enough-

Clea Shearer 1:07:17 Ugh

Mel Robbins 1:07:17 ... for hopping on a plane-

Joanna Teplin 1:07:18 Oh

Mel Robbins 1:07:18 ... and for being here, and for doing this work, and teaching us how to do this for free.

Clea Shearer 1:07:23 Well, we are so honored and so happy to be here.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:26 Truly, what an honor. Thank you.

Mel Robbins 1:07:27 And we are coming to Vermont next.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:28 Yeah, we sure are.

Clea Shearer 1:07:29 [laughs] So.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:30 We sure are, ready or not, here we come.

Mel Robbins 1:07:32 Yeah.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:32 Be warned.

Mel Robbins 1:07:32 I'm gonna be, I'ma be, I'ma go declutter now thinking about that. No, seriously, thank you, thank you, thank you.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:37 Thank you so much.

Clea Shearer 1:07:37 Thank you so much.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:38 This was such a pleasure and such an honor.

Clea Shearer 1:07:39 Yeah.

Mel Robbins 1:07:39 I learned so much, and I'm so excited to go home and to edit.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:43 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 1:07:43 That's what I'm gonna do.

Clea Shearer 1:07:43 I'm so excited for your daily drawer.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:44 I know. Please send us a photo.

Mel Robbins 1:07:45 I'm gonna take you a photo of it.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:46 Please.

Mel Robbins 1:07:47 And, Mac, when you do a daily drawer, I want you to post a photo of it and tag The Home Edit-

Joanna Teplin 1:07:53 Please tag The Home Edit

Clea Shearer 1:07:54 ... and tag The Mel Robbins Podcast.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:54 We get so much satisfaction about seeing other people's work and seeing that it's working.

Clea Shearer 1:07:58 Yes.

Mel Robbins 1:07:58 Let us celebrate you.

Joanna Teplin 1:07:59 Yes.

Mel Robbins 1:08:00 Yes, yes. I love that, so thank you.

Clea Shearer 1:08:02 Thank you.

Mel Robbins 1:08:02 And I also wanna thank you, thank you for taking the time to listen to this episode, and I think you probably started it thinking you were gonna get one thing, and now that the conversation's over, I know that you got what I got, which is this deep sense of confidence that, yes, you can do this. And I also feel the lift of pressure and shame that I've been putting on myself, like something's wrong with me. This isn't one more thing that you have to do. It's one thing that you get to do and that you can do to get back what you really deserve, which is time and space, and to feel good about yourself. So I can't wait to see your photos. And in case no one else tells you, I wanted to be sure to tell you as your friend that I love you, and I believe in you, and I believe in your ability to create a better life. And holy cow, when we edit...

Joanna Teplin 1:08:52 [laughs]

Clea Shearer 1:08:53 [laughs]

Mel Robbins 1:08:53 When we edit, we will create a better life, and we'll feel better in that life, too. All right. I'll see you in the next episode. I'll welcome you in the moment you hit play. And thank you for watching all the way to the end on YouTube. Didn't you freaking love this? Thank you also for being generous and sharing the gift of these two with people in your life. Heck, if you can't get the people that you're living with to help out, send them this episode and let Clea and Joanna motivate them. Okay. I know you wanna watch another episode. This is the episode you're gonna love, and I will welcome you in the moment you hit play. [outro music]