Monmouth County School Nurse Association (MCSNA) was eager to meet during this pandemic due to the coronavirus to reconnect, recharge, and regenerate professional networks and friendships. Gail Hall, MCSNA President, along with the Executive Board’s assistance, formulated a plan to meet virtually for our Annual Dinner meeting. We planned for a few weeks and even secured the speaker, Jamie Novack, scheduled for our in-person dinner meeting to virtually and present that evening. Our members sat down in their kitchens, studies, dens, and wherever “home office” space was created with their dinner table set for a discussion on how to “De-Clutter” one’s life. This is not an easy task as personal belongings have a value of tradition, memories, and sentimentality. We did not realize it would be a way to purge some of our household content with strategic ways to keep memories intact.
Ms. Novack, decluttering humorist and author of “Keep this Toss That,” introduced herself to MCSNA members in a comfortable atmosphere and the discussion began. As she continued to spark our interest in a home and life altering project, we listened with excitement at the thought of great accomplishments during this spring of social distancing. She has outlined the genius behind her strategy and presented ideas to calm the chaos of clutter including the following tips:
For those wishing to purge those long-forgotten items in that closet in the guest bedroom, Jamie Novack’s book, Keep This Toss That, can be found at Barnes and Noble. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keep-this-toss-that-jamie-novak/1119920736.
Some items to keep in mind from Jamie’s One Page Checklist can be found at https://jamienovak.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Keep-Toss-Checklist-from-Jamie-Novak1.pdf.
Her podcast(s) were/was entertaining and motivating and can be found at https://jamienovak.com/the-daily-toss-with-jamie-podcast/. One may find her website intriguing and just what is necessary to reduce anxiety and instill relaxation during this Pandemic.
We thank Jamie Novack for her time and understanding during our planning of this virtual dinner meeting. It was a great success and a pleasure. Thank you to our members for learning Zoom and creating a “Dinner Meeting” environment allowing us all to get together one last time. Our annual dinner meetings are a great way to say hello to colleagues and maintain our professional association connections in a relaxed atmosphere. We hope to see you all in the Fall at our meetings. Please look at membership on our website to become a part of the MCSNA. On behalf of the MCSNA Executive Board, we thank you for a great year and look forward to future professional development meetings for the 20-21 school year.
Ms. Novack, decluttering humorist and author of “Keep this Toss That,” introduced herself to MCSNA members in a comfortable atmosphere and the discussion began. As she continued to spark our interest in a home and life altering project, we listened with excitement at the thought of great accomplishments during this spring of social distancing. She has outlined the genius behind her strategy and presented ideas to calm the chaos of clutter including the following tips:
- Project boxes can curb the pile up of stuff on tabletops and countertops. Gather up items used for a single task, like working from home, schoolwork, a craft, or a hobby. Store them in a single box and don't forget to label the boxes. This allows you to bring out what you need for the task and put it away until next time. Without a system everything is left on tables and you can't find what you are looking for when you need it.
- Make it a challenge. Turn the chore of decluttering into a challenge by setting a timer for 10 minutes. Instead of waiting to work on your organizing project until you have a whole lot of time, try making consistent progress in small blocks of time.
- Remember what CUTE stands for. CUTE = Can't Use This Ever. Pare down the cute stuff; each item takes up a lot of space, your time to clean, and clean around it. Everything you keep you have to care for. Take a photo to keep the memory and let the item go to someone else.
For those wishing to purge those long-forgotten items in that closet in the guest bedroom, Jamie Novack’s book, Keep This Toss That, can be found at Barnes and Noble. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/keep-this-toss-that-jamie-novak/1119920736.
Some items to keep in mind from Jamie’s One Page Checklist can be found at https://jamienovak.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Keep-Toss-Checklist-from-Jamie-Novak1.pdf.
Her podcast(s) were/was entertaining and motivating and can be found at https://jamienovak.com/the-daily-toss-with-jamie-podcast/. One may find her website intriguing and just what is necessary to reduce anxiety and instill relaxation during this Pandemic.
We thank Jamie Novack for her time and understanding during our planning of this virtual dinner meeting. It was a great success and a pleasure. Thank you to our members for learning Zoom and creating a “Dinner Meeting” environment allowing us all to get together one last time. Our annual dinner meetings are a great way to say hello to colleagues and maintain our professional association connections in a relaxed atmosphere. We hope to see you all in the Fall at our meetings. Please look at membership on our website to become a part of the MCSNA. On behalf of the MCSNA Executive Board, we thank you for a great year and look forward to future professional development meetings for the 20-21 school year.