Organize Your Closet And Your Life Will Follow

Ruma Tenbrink

What does it mean to be more with less? I’m Ruma Tenbrink and welcome to the “Organize your closet and then your life will follow” podcast. If you feel like you are drowning in things and need to take back your life, you are in the right place. I am excited for you to “move towards minimalism” right along with me! Let’s do this together! First, let’s talk a little bit about the Pareto Principle. It’s otherwise known as the 80/20 Rule and the law of the Vital Few, The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes - the “vital few”. So, if we translate this idea to our closets, really think about your wardrobe. You probably reach for 20% of your clothing 80% of the time. I know for a fact this was so true for me and that realization really hit me! It was the first time I went through all the fancy-wear and business clothing I was holding onto in deeper storage. Meaning, I never, ever, ever used them. I love being comfortable and wearing comfy clothes that feel good on my skin and make me feel good. So, I decided to be bold and just dropped them all off at a consignment shop in a funky little community here known as The Piedmont District in Oakland CA. I made it easy on myself and asked her to do her best and whatever didn’t sell well or fast enough for her, she could add to her donates pile which she took to a local women's shelter. The magic of doing this was I went home to a lighter space that felt a lot less overwhelming and easier to organize. I also did good by providing clothes for someone else to love and use. It’s a win-win-win-win. The consumer creates a small carbon footprint by reusing something and getting a good deal on the item, the shop makes their money for holding and displaying the item, the local charity gets really nice clothes donated to them and I go home to the start of serenity and freedom in my closet.Are you ready to change your life simply by organizing your closet? Could it really be that simple? Actually, yes it can. As a professional home organizer, I have seen the phenomenon take place with all of my clients. Every. Single. One. As you start to change your environment for the better, you inherently change along with it. You simply cannot help yourself. This opens a doorway into the world of positive change and along with that, infinite possibilities to uncover who you really are without all the physical stuff bogging down your home and your mind. Ultimately, your creativity hides deep within you because it is so muffled by the things taking up all of the open space and also things you choose to hide behind. Let’s make this shift right now. By the way, did I mention this will be life-changing? Stay tuned and be ready for it!!!

  1. Season 2 - Episode 5 - Interview with Erin from Goldifarms!!!

    05/01/2025

    Season 2 - Episode 5 - Interview with Erin from Goldifarms!!!

    Send us a text Watch us LIVE here: https://youtu.be/6KHuj7MMYOw Come with me for a visit to a wondrous place known as Goldifarms. The most magical food forest on the Central Coast of the Golden State of California! In this episode, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Erin from Goldifarms, a regenerative permaculture project based on the Central Coast of California (zone 9a), which she co-founded with her partner Gilberto. While Gilberto was off tending to the food forest during our conversation, his passion and presence are deeply woven into the land and the work they’re doing together. Erin shared the beautiful story of how Goldifarms began in January 2020 as a personal and ecological healing journey. Guided by permaculture principles, she and Gilberto have created a thriving space where food, medicine, and community grow in harmony with the Earth. Whether you're new to permaculture or well along your journey, this episode will leave you inspired to reconnect with nature and reimagine what's possible for your space—no matter the size. To learn more, access free resources, and explore their offerings, visit goldifarms.com. 🌿✨🧡 In our conversation, Erin offered deep insight and heartfelt responses to five key questions: 1. What inspired you to embrace permaculture, and how has it changed the way you see the world? 2. If someone wants to start a food forest but has limited space or resources, what’s the most impactful first step they can take? 3. Can you share a moment when you witnessed nature working in perfect harmony within your food forest? 4. What’s one common misconception people have about permaculture, and how would you correct it? 5. How do you see food forests playing a role in the future of sustainable living and climate resilience? --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here's the free pre-book to my e-book! My 30-day Declutter Guide, which you can download here for free - no email needed!!! https://drive.google.com/file/d/1CRi27IDzsPjba-aMHbJ5wfSMA54ZACDf/view?usp=sharing Home Organization, Gardening, Food and Travel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/dmbanddancingtees/ #youtube #youtuber #homeorganization #gardener #childrensbookauthor #voiceover #podcast travel #foodie #california #travel #relaxation #SimplifyYourHome #decluttertips  #minimalistliving Support the show Consume less, live more! https://linktr.ee/rumatenbrink

    2h 15m
  2. Season 2 - Episode 3 - Tid Bits Series Part 5

    12/07/2024

    Season 2 - Episode 3 - Tid Bits Series Part 5

    Send us a text Watch me Live HERE: https://youtu.be/66gDIi-VcFA Big Love and a HUGE thank you to my 6 Irish fans who chose me as their top podcast of the year!!! WOW!!! And the same to my 19 fans who have me in their TOP 10 - I can't thank you all enough. I wish you an amazing year in 2025. To move towards a minimal-ish life try incorporating "Tid Bits", much like Tiny Habits so that you can move towards minimalism at your own pace! Here are Five Tid Bits that you can practice right away: Just Say No - NO is such a powerful and necessary word when you are practicing more self-love  as this year progresses into the holiday frenzy and the New Year 2025. I feel like this is a little bit of a renewal year where we could really all use some deep rest from the antics of the world around us.  We should continue the season of rest through this winter and into 2025. Remember, no pressure on setting New Year Resolutions! I personally love to just set 2 to 3 really meaningful personal goals and do them!!!! Now that feels good and by the end of the year I feel like I have accomplished my top goals that made a difference for me.Low Maintenance - "Everything I think I need always comes with batteries..." you know that line from John Mayer's song - Something's Missing. I don't know about you, but I find so much wisdom about life and living from song lyrics. Specifically my favorite band "Dave Matthews Band" and many others including these lines from the incredible John Mayer:  --I'm dizzy from the shopping mall --I searched for joy, but I bought it all --It doesn't help the hunger pains --And a thirst I'd have to drown first to ever satiateFace the Fantasy - I love those videos people do called "Reality vs. Fantasy." They are super funny and I really applaud people who show it like it is on YouTube. I'm sure you've seen the ones where there are two scenarios. One is absolutely perfect and the other one shows the reality of it all. Super hilarious and you can just search for "Reality vs. Fantasy" to find some good ones! A former, talented co-worked of mine from Vitajuwel has some hilarious ones on YouTube. His name is Lukas Schultz - handsome German dude,there are a few with his name.Enjoy Imperfection - Perfection is truly the enemy of progress. I absolutely love this saying and I repeat it to myself often. One of my mentors has this saying he uses often which is to "move the needle" and he is referring to moving the needle one little mark to the direction you are trying to move into. Embodying this notion is truly the foundation to how I get anything done. I have learned to give myself a lot of compassion when it comes to my own personal productivity and being on the go-go-go hamster wheel of life. I allow myself so much grace and this means that when I'm not making huge strides on a personal project I don't beat myself up about it. I enjoy the state of rest I might need and I mean fully embrace and enjoy it. Then I go back to whatever it is I need to get done and I keep moving that needle!Inhabit the Neighborhood - This honestly just brings to mind Sesame Street or Mr. Rogers neighborhood for me.   I love the depiction of the perfect neighborhood, right down to the crotchety Oscar the grouch. It also somehow brings to mind a favorite old series called "Cheers". I loved when Norm walked in and everyone said hello by yelling out "Norm" to him. I'm a former bartender, so it's easy for me to be the first one to say hello. I like to acknowledge and say hello to anyone that passes me. I always say it first and that's okay. You should try it! I think I get more pleasure oSupport the show Consume less, live more! https://linktr.ee/rumatenbrink

    24 min
  3. 12/28/2021

    Episode 10 - Find Your Simple Pleasures

    Send us a text What are your daily simple pleasures? If you can start writing down your daily simple pleasures, you may actually find so much more to be grateful for in your life. More gratitude brings more feelings of joy, more feelings of joy bring more happiness into your day every day, more happiness can bring more feelings of fulfillment and the cycle continues. You can now share your joy with others and allow it to become a gift that you find yourself sharing daily with yourself and those around you! Enjoying and really noticing these simple daily pleasures can train your brain to find the joy and the positive and the beautiful things that surround us all the time: 1) Lazy afternoons with nothing to do 2) Sitting down in my favorite cozy spot 3) The sound of water 4) New growth on plants 5) Sunrise (blue hour/golden hour) 6) Sunset (golden hour/blue hour) 7) Fresh Air 8) Waking up to a clean kitchen 9) Putting away clean dishes 10) The song my dryer makes as it finishes the cycle 11) The smell of garlic, onions, and ginger sizzling in EVOO 12) Clothes that fit beautifully 13) 3rd-day hair 14) Checking off my to-do list 15) The smell of fresh coffee brewing 16) Watching my puppies at play outside 17) Chamomile tea in bed 18) Alone time woot woot 19) Clean linens and a cozy bed 20) Bowl of fruit salad A few extras I forgot to talk about: 21) The smell of book pages and listening to the sound when the page turns 22) A clean home that smells fresh and feels welcoming 23) Piles of clean folded laundry ready to be put away 24) Watching the birdies outside frolic, play and chirp all day p.s. sorry I messed up the numbering lol lol Consume less, live more!  Support the show Consume less, live more! https://linktr.ee/rumatenbrink

    12 min
  4. 12/24/2021

    Episode 9 - Tid Bits Series Part 4

    Send us a text Please leave a 5-star review and email me at ruma@mylifeinflow.com if you would like to be entered into the "Giveaway Drawing" which will happen monthly as I choose a random 5-star reviewer.  Type the words "Organize Your Closet" in the subject line! If you win, I will reach out to you for your best mailing address and send you a copy of "The Home Edit" by Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplin!!! Moving towards a minimal life can actually be daunting for many people. I can definitely attest to the fact that it is challenging. Try incorporating "Tid Bits", much like Tiny Habits so that you can move towards minimalism at your own pace, but make sure you also challenge yourself when needed! Here are Five Tid Bits that you can practice right away: One Need a Day - Let's get back to single-tasking and really focus on that one thing that really needs to happen today. Do away with the multi-tasking, multi-level, cross-pollinated to-do lists that just make us feel like failures. You only need to do ONE thing today, or maybe even NO-thing! Do what makes you feel good. Do what speaks to your body and spirit. Ask yourself, "What is the one thing I want to get done today that would really make me feel good about myself?" Maybe it's practicing yoga for 10 more minutes than you already do, maybe it's cooking a meal from scratch, maybe it's taking a walk around your block and saying hello to another human being, maybe it's stretching outside your comfort zone and having a deeper meaningful conversation with your neighbor, maybe it's just sitting in the sun feeling the warmth on your skin while cuddling with your fur-baby or loved ones. There are so many things you can do to feed your soul. Whatever those things are for you, please do them regularly!Rituals - As humans, we actually do crave some form of routine as part of our natural circadian rhythm. Routines can keep us healthy and keep our minds engaged when we form self-care rituals that put us and our needs at the forefront. Rituals can be those moments in life at the beginning and end of our day that gives us the time and grace to get into our body/heart-mind/spirit connection which can really feed our souls and make us feel the feelings of accomplishment and success that has nothing to do with your to-do list or your job.Shoulds, Coulds, Woulds! - Are you living your life for yourself or someone else? When you don't live your life for yourself and your truth, your mind/body/spirit actually becomes disconnected and you go into depression because that vital internal alignment is not there. In the words of Martha Beck, "Integrity is the cure for unhappiness. Period."Live Now - Letting go of the past is crucial to living your best life right now. Enough said - you know this in your heart of hearts, no need to elaborate. If you need more tips on how to live now, have a listen to my Episode 4 - What is Hygge, Slow Living and Unloading Baggage? Simple Pleasures under $5 - I really love all the cute suggestions, but I have found that just saving $5 a week has shifted my money mindset into that of saving and not spending and getting caught up in all the consumerism. As soon as I saw how much I could amass with such a small amount, I kept adding to it and went from 5 to 10 to 15 to $20 a week. Try using Stash, Acorns or Fidelity and watch your small potatoes grow into a life-changing full-on spud farm!!!Adapted from "52 Ways to Simplify Your Life", by Lynn Gordon Consume less, live more!  Support the show Consume less, live more! https://linktr.ee/rumatenbrink

    16 min

Trailer

4.8
out of 5
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About

What does it mean to be more with less? I’m Ruma Tenbrink and welcome to the “Organize your closet and then your life will follow” podcast. If you feel like you are drowning in things and need to take back your life, you are in the right place. I am excited for you to “move towards minimalism” right along with me! Let’s do this together! First, let’s talk a little bit about the Pareto Principle. It’s otherwise known as the 80/20 Rule and the law of the Vital Few, The Pareto principle states that for many outcomes roughly 80% of consequences come from 20% of the causes - the “vital few”. So, if we translate this idea to our closets, really think about your wardrobe. You probably reach for 20% of your clothing 80% of the time. I know for a fact this was so true for me and that realization really hit me! It was the first time I went through all the fancy-wear and business clothing I was holding onto in deeper storage. Meaning, I never, ever, ever used them. I love being comfortable and wearing comfy clothes that feel good on my skin and make me feel good. So, I decided to be bold and just dropped them all off at a consignment shop in a funky little community here known as The Piedmont District in Oakland CA. I made it easy on myself and asked her to do her best and whatever didn’t sell well or fast enough for her, she could add to her donates pile which she took to a local women's shelter. The magic of doing this was I went home to a lighter space that felt a lot less overwhelming and easier to organize. I also did good by providing clothes for someone else to love and use. It’s a win-win-win-win. The consumer creates a small carbon footprint by reusing something and getting a good deal on the item, the shop makes their money for holding and displaying the item, the local charity gets really nice clothes donated to them and I go home to the start of serenity and freedom in my closet.Are you ready to change your life simply by organizing your closet? Could it really be that simple? Actually, yes it can. As a professional home organizer, I have seen the phenomenon take place with all of my clients. Every. Single. One. As you start to change your environment for the better, you inherently change along with it. You simply cannot help yourself. This opens a doorway into the world of positive change and along with that, infinite possibilities to uncover who you really are without all the physical stuff bogging down your home and your mind. Ultimately, your creativity hides deep within you because it is so muffled by the things taking up all of the open space and also things you choose to hide behind. Let’s make this shift right now. By the way, did I mention this will be life-changing? Stay tuned and be ready for it!!!