Natalie: Hello, everyone. Just to prove to you that this is a live google hangout, we actually had a bit of a technical kafuffle before and so we are restarting the show now. And you know, just as I thought I have experienced every technical glitch there is to have with google hangouts, there is one more that I haven't experienced (laughs). So let me just reintroduce to you my special guest, Kathi Burns. How are you Kath? Kathi: I'm doing fantastic.

N: Now I, Kathi's here because, number 1 she's a good friend of mine but she has some incredible information to share with us tonight about the correlation between how organized our life and our home is, as to how, you know, we can follow our dreams, fulfil our passions and even there is a correlation between the amount of the stuff that we earn and to the weight that we carry. So Kathi, why don't we start first of all with your background and how you got in to what it is that you do.

K: Okay. It started a long time ago, actually, as a sailor. What happened to me when I would sail, I would take long trips out to sea and when I got back to shore, I would realize that all of the stuff that was sitting on my apartment had no value, like it didn't mean anything. So I started creating the active, actually helping and learning on the actively letting go way back when I was captaining ships. (1:28) we have this base of time of a blessing actually, when our business faltered, and that was shortly after the 9/11 tragedy, but for us it was a really big bonus because it allowed us to let go of the company that my husband and I had been working on, and with, and in for years, and we were kind of on the train and just doing, doing, doing and you know, making money, it wasn't really our passion. So we actually have a vacuum of space when everything crashed, to reinvent ourselves and that's how I came up with the idea that I loved the change, I love to help people move forward and move towards our passion and the way that I do it that adds space to your life is that helping other people learn the art of letting go. Because I know that the more that they let go of, the easier is going to be for them to follow and pursue their passion.

N: Yeah. I agree. As you know, personally, Kathi is responsible for my outfits and helps to dress me and helps me do my wardrobe, and with my recent weight loss, I've had, had to create a vacuum in my wardrobe and take all the clothes that don't fit me anymore and give them to Kathi so she can donate them, to make space for new ones to come in. But, I knew I alluded beforehand is, what's really interesting is the correlation to the amount of stuff that we have as to the weight that we carry or all the things that slow us down. So, how does that work?

K: It's really interesting, the more things that you have in your physical environment, there's so many things that happen with clutter, you can't think clearly. Oftentimes, when you have too much stuff in your environment, you can't sleep well. You don't even sleep properly. The more stuff you have, the more stuff that's on your mind. The more stuff on your mind, the less you are able to sleep, you know, your mind's just racing, racing, racing and you couldn't get a good night sleep because of all that what to do's, so what you want to do in your life. And the stuff around you is a definite reminder of the stuff that you want to do in your life. How it relates to weight is very interesting, there have been studies proven the more stuff that you own, the more, if you have excess of stuff, the more likely you have an excess of weight. The only thing I see in the field with my clients that I know to be true is that those who have a lot of stuff are generally overweight, the ones that hire me. And if it goes down to the practicality of what's in their pantry? Some clients have, some people they can't even walk into their pantry. So their life is over-stuffed with all the food that they think they want to eat or all the contraptions and devices for the food they want to eat or cook with that they can't really focus on eating simple and eating healthy. So they get trapped in that mire of not even being able to find the cure, it's because behind all the stuff in fridge that may be the junk food up front.

N: Yeah.

K: It's really interesting, but it's true. I see it all the time with my clients.

N: Yeah, I agree, like I work from home, so for me to have a really clear-thinking day, I need to make sure that the bed's made, that the kitchen's clean, that everything is kind of in its place, so I can see that kind of correlation and I understand the whole with the pantry as well. If you got lots and lots and lots of stuff in there, you know, you open your cupboard and you look into and go, I've got nothing in here, where actually it's packed to the rafters but packed to the rafters with what seems to be mess. So, it's like if there's mess in the house that's causing a mess in our mind. Is that how it works?

K: That is how it works and the more mess in your mind, the less able you are to do what you really want to do. You just mapped out, so to speak with whatever is happening in your environment and is now allowing you to move forward. So, I know, you know, that as part of the inspiration show, it's all about let's get inspired, let's get moving forward and what I can tell your people, most of all is let go, learn the art of letting go. Because the more you can let go of and the more space you have around you, in your environment, in your mind, in your bedroom, in your pantry, in your fridge, wherever it is, the more clearly and the more zest you are going to go forward to do what you really want to do. It's key.

N: Yeah. For someone who recognizes that they like to hold on to things, whether it be, you know, memories or cards or trinkets or whatever it is, how or what's the first step they can step into that whole letting go process, how can they do that?

K: That's a great question and thanks for asking that. Because the art of letting go, I call the art of letting go a muscle, you know, if you have to really learn how to use that letting go muscle, some of us are born with it and (6:28), some of us, it's really hard. So for those of you out there who are listening and finding it really hard to let go, I always start where it's easy. Start with the easiest thing that you can find in your environment. Oftentimes, it's a jump door. Yeah, because you're not really married to any of that stuff in there, so practice the art of letting go by just going into an area that's not hard. I wouldn't say that it's probably going to be your shoe collection, if you're a typical woman. I would say probably it's a jump door or maybe it's the tool den that you really have no marriage to. Whatever you can do just start organizing and letting go of the stuff that doesn't really matter to you. A thing that you also always need to do is to have a donation bin in your house. So, always have one bin that's designated for the stuff that's leaving. That way as you go through your life you find, you know, we do this every day we find something, what is this? I just found something, look at this, it's really strange thing, this is a screen cleaner (shows the thing) for a computer screen. I'm in my desk and going, what is this thing, this is going directly to my donation bin. Why I even have it, I don't know. But I mean, we go through life and we find things all the time that, in our house that, well, number 1, the biggest question I hear all the time is where did that come from? You know, if you're asking yourself where did that come from, you should probably get rid of it. If you're asking yourself what is this for that means you should get rid of it. So the easiest way to start now is just to have a donation bin set up, so that anything that you can find weird little things like this (shows the screen cleaner), you can just immediately throw it in, instead of just putting it aside to get rid of later. But mainly, it's learning how to exercise that letting go muscle by starting wherever it is easiest for you. Whatever area that doesn't have that mental charge, where you are saying, nah, I could never do that. You know, something that you really don't have emotions around is a great place to start.

N: Yeah. And I know why, I remember when we first moved to, made the move from Sydney to the US, and that first year that we came over, we actually rented, like corporate-let our house so we rented our house out while we were here so we can earn some income, because we were paying rent here as well. And that whole process of going through your house, your own house that you've been living in for years and go, I pick something up, and go right, have I used this for the last 12 months? Am I ever going to use it again? Is it worth packing or should I throw it out? In the beginning, the process was really hard. But then, as the time went on, I was like (sound), I was just throwing things out so quickly, so is that what you find with most people like when they start the process and it gets easier as they get along?

K: That is so very true. They start like this (crosses arms across chest), no I can't let go and then at the end they're like get rid of it. Because once you understand, once you feel how it feels to have extra space around you and an environment that feels good, you never want to go back. So that's why it just starts long and do what you can in the very beginning and then your muscle gets warm where to find and your mental capability how to learn to let go gets savvy because your mind then knows how good it feels. So wherever you're going to add space, do it and you'll just thrive on it. You know, it's just what you said, when you were coming over and on top of that, wasn't that great when you got into your new place and you didn't have all the clutter around you? Didn't it feel insanely good?

N: Yeah. Because you have stuff that accumulates and accumulates and you'll like have one cupboard or something that you just throw it all in and go, I'll deal with that later. But then that starts to overflow and honestly, I feel like once you actually go through that process of cleaning things out, it's like weight has been lifted and it is your thinking, your feeling, everything is just so much clearer. So how often do you recommend people do this?

K: You know, I think letting go is an on-going basis. I am constantly throwing stuff on my donation bin and I still have stuff to donate which is just crazy, right? But I'm constantly putting stuff on my donation bin, every week I'm taking a box or two to the donation station to get rid of it. So I don't how these stuff comes in my life, it's really interesting but I do know a way to get it gone and that's the way to do it. I recommend, that at least, it should be at least, definitely, once a month thing. You can do the 10-minute binge trick once a week. Walk to any room in your house with your laundry bin, and just walk in there and remove anything and everything that doesn't have to be with that room (laughs), put it in the bin and go ahead and take it to its home, and as you're putting things in the bin, if you're saying where did that come from, then instead of taking it to its home, you put it on the donation bin. Get rid of it.

N: Absolutely. So, is there any hint that you can give us to say organize a room in the house or (11:29) house study or whether to the kitchen, like a certain system that we can use to make the whole process easier?

K: The first thing that you want to do when you go to any organizing practice is to say it, let's just talk about your desk, okay, so you're going to organize your desk, so you can have clarity, so you can actually have a project done. Number 1, you want 60% of your desk open for business. So you want 60% of it clear and with nothing on it (laughs), and that's a charge right there. So you know, in every process, you want to have space around the area you're working on, ok? 60% open and clear and 40% full of stuff, right? So, if you want it clear, get rid of anything that doesn't have to do with working on your desk, unless, it's something that you just love. You know, there are a couple of things on my desk that I just love. I have my angel, it's inspiring, right? So, it's nothing that I need to do my job but it does give me inspiration. So you want to clear away everything that doesn't have any effect on the project you're working or work at hand. And paper is the normal thing but that's a whole new show, we won't talk about that, but basically clear, anything that doesn't have to do with that zone, so if you're talking about perhaps you're dining room table, what's on the dining room table that's not about eating or dining, right? Clear that off and move it to different area. So that's a great first question, does this really have to do with the task at hand or the area I'm talking about organizing? Because you'll find all sorts of stuff all over the place that has nothing to do with (laughs), you look at your bedside table and it's like, okay, what's this got to do with going to bed or sleeping or being nurtured, right?

N: Absolutely. This is a funny side of us, I had a book on my bedside table that I wanted to start reading but the book was called, better than sex and it actually had nothing to do with sex, it just has to do with awakening coaching by a friend Ajuna Adal, who's actually going to be a guest on the show very soon, from my, better than sex, and I think that shouldn't really belong in the bedroom. (laughs) I think I should put it somewhere else. So is it important to have a place for everything? Or is that just an organic process that you build as you go along?

K: There should be a home for everything. And it's an organizing principle 101, you'll find professional organizers always talking about that. So, everything that you own needs to have a designated place to live and that way you can find it. But most importantly, everything that has a home, so to speak, has to have a yard around it. What that means is, if I'm going to create a space for my blender, I want an area around it, so I can get it in and out of the closet and with anything so you definitely need a home and you need the yard around it. Because the last thing you want to do is try to grab stuff in and out in order to get what you really want. The key thing Natalie, is if you have a home, then take for instance you have a home for your batteries, you know where to find the batteries when it comes the time. And if you have a pre-designated container of the batteries that gives you a little extra room, divide that next 10-pack that you found on sale alright, then your system won't explode and all the batteries would still be in that area. If you've created just a small a small area for your batteries and buy that 10-pack then your whole system is kaput. So you need the proper spacing and sizing for it, which would be called the home, a designated place for it to live at all times and then the yard around it, the room to grow because as we know, with no effort we end up with more stuff than what we ever thought we have.

N: Yeah. It's amazing how we accumulate all that stuff isn't it? It's just crazy. So Kathi, thank you so much for joining me today, we've actually gone through our show which had been awesome, I really appreciate you spending the time here. So thank you so much for joining us.

K: Oh, I really appreciate it. Thank you for having me on Natalie.

N: Now, before you go, I know that if guys click on the banner on the side of this video, you'll actually go directly to Kathi's website but you actually have a special offer that you've put together for our viewers. Can you just explain it a little bit?

K: I do. So I have a course called, home organizing made simple, which takes you from your front door to your back door of your house and it's me and tutorials and worksheets, I just lead you to your whole house, so if you're fired to get that going that's available. What I have for all your inspiration guest is a video called, how to get more for it (laughs), how to get four more hours out of your life and out or your week. So I give you three tried and tested true tips to use to actually add more space and add more time to your life. If we have more fours for the week, we could get more done and really get to where we want to go in life. So that's a free video available for all of your guests and all of your viewers, I mean.

N: Awesome. So guys, if you click on the banner on the side, it goes directly to that website. So, look, I encourage you to share this video. You can do that by clicking on the Facebook and Twitter share buttons on this page. Also download the app if you haven't done so already, so you can watch the show on the go. Make sure you click on the banner so you'll go to Kathi's website and also leave your email out here on this page, on the box provided on the page, because I would to send you the manifesting with the masters video e-course. It's actually valued at $87 and I would love to send it to you for free. So until next time, remember, live large, choose courageously and love without limits. Thank you for joining me live on the show and with Kathi as well and we'll see you next time. Bye for now.

K: Bye.