Lisa Chang has been my web provider ever since I went professional with my website. Lisa uses her business, especially the inTouch Broadcast email marketing service, to help break the cycle of poverty through the company’s ongoing donation of 10% of the monthly service provider fees to Habitat for Humanity Toronto.
Who: Lisa Chang of inTouch Broadcast and Yenius Interactive
Lisa is the creator of the inTouch Broadcast business to help small businesses run effective email marketing newsletters or campaigns, help Canadian businesses meet PIPEDA - the privacy legislation, and sustain a worthwhile cause - Habitat for Humanity Toronto.
What variety of Someday Syndrome affected you the most? In what way?
I Might Need It Someday - I keep working away at that. It takes discipline to keep chipping away at the clutter. When I’m de-cluttered, I let it go for a bit. But, there are routines I’ve built in that help me maintain my place so it isn’t cluttered. So, routine to keep space de-cluttered is the most important part of becoming more productive. The clutter does take away. I do feel I can accomplish more when things are organized. And, of course, I enjoy my space much better.
How did it affect the rest of your life?
Well, it can slow me down. I can run out of space to work at times. It doesn’t make it possible to make me feel the best about myself. Taking the time to work at it and allocating time to constantly chip away at it can be difficult.
It takes effort to value the time to make space more productive because I often focus my priorities on just getting the job done.
How would you describe your happiness level at that time?
It was definitely far lower.
Did the other varieties of Someday Syndrome appear in your life as well?
I’ll Get Around to It Someday slows me down at moments and identifying it out helps me get on track. Often, I need to organize my day a little more so I don’t forget to do something. Or, prioritizing activities so that the important ones are accomplished helps assure that time is well spent towards my goals. Some days, it’s difficult to pick out important tasks when there are emergencies happening.
What changed? Was it gradual or did it come as an epiphany? Perhaps a mix the two?
It was probably a mix. When I put more focus on the physical, it helped me realize that the physical did impact my emotional world. I was a product of my environment and where I was expected to focus on intellectual pursuits. Physical stuff was always discouraged in favour of much more intellectual endeavours. So, looking after physical space was not encouraged even though it was expected. I just never got to practice it all that much.
What dream are you in the process of realizing?
I’m hoping to make inTouch Broadcast a national business with the ability to sustain ongoing funding for a great cause.
How would you describe your happiness level now?
It’s a lot higher now. I have a greater sense of well being.
What advice would you give someone in the position you were in before?
Physical space & emotional space are intertwined at a psychological level so de-cluttering is a good thing. Build little routines that will help you keep space de-cluttered or get your space de-cluttered.
10 Responses to “Clearing Inner and Outer Space: Lisa Chang Interview”
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Alex and Lisa, great interview and insights. My physical space absolutely mirrors my internal space. If I am feeling stressed and off balance my environment mirrors the disharmony. Interesting for me, if I fix the external it brings calm to the internal. This helps in those times when I feel unable to fix it from within first.
Karen Swim´s last blog post..The Walking Wounded and Socially Fatigued
There’s definitely a connection between my physical spaces and emotional well being. Listing our home for sale this year was a surprisingly delightful experience because of the uncluttered look we had to maintain. I’m also far more productive and energized when my office has plenty of empty desk and table space.
Tom Volkar / Delightful Work´s last blog post..Small Business Startup Checklist
I’m a total tidy freak because I’m completely tied in to the space around me. A messy desk just leaves my brain scattered.
I can work on a project with piles everywhere because I’m focussing on what I’m doing, but if it stays that way for any length of time after I’ll start to get scatter-brained.
I’m sure it must be possible to learn to tune this out, but in the meantime I’m being very inspired to have a clear out of some of the junk hanging around my desk.
James | Dancing Geek´s last blog post..Review: Comfort Queen’s "A Comfort Tele-Experience"
@Karen:
One of the things I used to do when I lived alone and my place became a disaster because of internal chaos, I’d spend a whole day cleaning up, top to bottom, and wow! what clarity I’d end up with!
@Tom
The same thing happened to me and of course I wondered why I waited until the house went on sale before making it look so nice.
@James DG
Scatter-brained is the perfect word for me when I’m surrounded by paper. One of my challenges as a hands-on professional organizer was staying focused when working with my clients’ clutter. I’d want to go off in all directions. Fortunately because it wasn’t my stuff, I could stay focused on the task at hand.
Thought I’d report after following through on my clear out.
I’ve managed to put a bunch of stuff in storage (stuff I’m keeping and will sort later on), some stuff to get rid of (we have half a room full of stuff waiting for us to get around to selling/donating/trashing), moved a few bits around and now have a wonderfully open and fresh space.
I have some papers to organise, but I’m just enjoying the restful high that comes from sitting at your desk and being in a clear and open space
James | Dancing Geek´s last blog post..Heads up on the move
Oh my goodness, intertwined? Surgically attached at the hip! Seriously. When I am stressed my physical space goes to hell in a hand basket. First the bedroom, then the kitchen, then if it is a prolonged stress period, the rest of the rooms quickly follow. However, one of the ways I remove stress is to clean it all up. I’m active and I’ve accomplished something. Goes a long way to breaking the cycle of stress.
Urban Panther´s last blog post..Check that phone at the door
Ah, when the clutter piles on in my physical space, I’m definitely down in my emotional space as well. One of my neighbors rented a dumpster when she moved and threw everything out. She said she never felt better!
Me– I’m slowly but surely donating, pitching and selling my stuff. My goal is to live much more simply.
Karen Putz´s last blog post..A Neat Gift: GiiNii Digital Picture Frame
@James
Yay to the decluttering and organizing. Just one question - do you know when you’ll donate/sell/trash that roomful of stuff? Right now that room is costing you money (mortgage, utilities) for just being a storage room of stuff you don’t want.
@UP
Yes, when I’m feeling chaotic, I order the external and find the internal calm.
@Karen P
Yay to donating/pitching/selling. Re your neighbour, I hope she donated/recycled what she could because when clearing out our clutter we need to remember landfills are to the world what that junk room is to a single family. Someday, someone’s going to have to deal with the clutter previous generations have left behind.
@Alex - oh yes, that room is a big energy suck at the moment. There’s other priorities right now, but the house is a big one for both of us so I have no doubt that we’ll clear it in time. In the meantime other stuff is getting done.
I know that can sound like procrastination, but it’s conscious procrastination rather than avoidance.
That makes sense to me, anyway!
James | Dancing Geek´s last blog post..Heads up on the move
@James
Priorities and planned delays aren’t procrastination - they are part of sensible living. It’ll turn into procrastination if you set a date to clean it out and then pass the deadline two or three times.
Good luck with it!