🏅 Stop Waiting for Motivation—Let’s Clean Together | Clutterbug Episode #336

Summary

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Clutterbug Episode #336 Summary

🏅 Stop Waiting for Motivation—Let’s Clean Together
Date: July 27, 2026
Host: Cass (Clutterbug)

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Overview

In this high-energy, practical episode, Cass of Clutterbug delivers a hands-on, real-time approach to bust through procrastination and perfectionism in home organizing. Aimed at listeners who struggle to find motivation—especially those who are neurodivergent or easily bored—Cass shares her signature ADHD-friendly, “tough love” hacks for achieving momentum, defeating overwhelm, and making organization not just possible, but genuinely fun. This episode combines live mini-challenges, science-backed strategies to harness dopamine, and community accountability—so listeners can literally clean along as they hear the show.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Why Simple Tasks Feel Impossible (00:00–04:00)

• Cass normalizes the struggle with “boring, mundane things” like putting away a few dishes.
• “Our brain sees it and we have a big fat nope and we scroll TikTok instead. [...] We are not lazy. We’re just under-stimulated.” (Cass, 00:25)
• Explanation: Our brains crave stimulation (dopamine) and mundane chores feel like “torture” because of under-stimulation—not laziness.
• Suggestion: Use “dopamine hacks”—inject little hits of reward and fun into everyday tasks.

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2. The Timer Challenge: Racing Against the Clock (04:00–13:00)

• Cass invites listeners to set a 10-minute timer and tackle any nagging task—dishes, fridge clean-out, laundry, tossing 21 items.
• Gamification is a dopamine hack: Urgency from a timer creates the “race” feeling and satisfaction.
• Personal story: Timers helped Cass discover that most chores take way less time than imagined (e.g., 3 minutes to unload dishwasher).
• “Urgency creates dopamine. I use timers all the time.” (Cass, 09:23)

Listener Action:

• Join Cass by setting your timer and cleaning together, making it a shared, energizing experience.

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3. Making Mundane Tasks Fun: Stories & Gamification (13:00–17:00)

• Cass tells the story of her town’s “Road Rally”—a decades-old, puzzle-solving race that demonstrates how time pressure unlocks creativity, focus, and fun—especially for neurodivergent brains.
• Parallels drawn between the Rally and everyday cleaning: Adding a timer makes even dull chores more exciting and achievable.
• “You’re going to be a dishwashing genius when you set a timer.” (Cass, 16:39)

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4. Music & Audio Pairing: The Hype Playlist (17:00–24:00)

• Cass introduces the second challenge: Curate a motivational playlist as a go-to tool for instant energy while cleaning.
  • Suggestions: Upbeat songs (e.g., Britney Spears “Work”, “All I Do Is Win”), Spotify playlists like “Girl Boss Energy”.
  • Personal genres include 90s hip-hop and “stripper music” for getting energized.
• “You can borrow the energy from music to get up and get things done.” (Cass, 21:05)
• Audio books and podcasts as alternatives—pairing favorite content with chores makes the time pass effortlessly.

Listener Action:

• Create a 5-song “hype playlist” or list favorite podcasts/audiobooks; only listen to them while doing chores for “pairing effect”.

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5. The “Level Up” Visual Progress Hack (24:00–29:00)

• Track progress visually—Cass introduces her “ta-da board”: a visible place to record and celebrate completed tasks.
• Any visual system counts—charts, star stickers, habit trackers, or simple lists.
• “Yours could be a literal star chart, my friend, because that’s the same thing.” (Cass, 20:17)
• The act of seeing progress helps maintain motivation and breaks the all-or-nothing pattern.

Listener Action:

• Write down 3 goals or habits you want to develop (could be tiny), and start tracking every micro-win with a smiley, a check mark, or sticker.

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6. Immediate Rewards & Bribery (29:00–34:00)

• “Good old-fashioned bribery”: Give yourself immediate rewards for completing hard or boring tasks—relaxation time, a cozy activity, not food or shopping.
• Cass shares her personal favorite: “potato time”—guiltless relaxation after productive bursts.
• “We are training you like we’re training puppies here, okay? It’s like, sit. You do it, you get a treat...” (Cass, 31:50)

Listener Action:

• Decide on an instant, healthy reward for participating in the episode’s challenges (Cass’s is bird-watching with tea). Say your reward aloud to reinforce it.

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7. Social and Community Accountability (Body Doubling) (34:00–36:00)

• Final hack: “Body doubling”—getting things done in the virtual or physical presence of others, even if just through a podcast or online community.
• “We are borrowing [energy] from other people, even if they’re on the Internet...That is the power of body doubling.” (Cass, 34:26)
• Cleaning together virtually with Cass and other listeners boosts follow-through, energy, and reduces isolation.

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8. Bonus Mini-Challenge: 20-Item Toss (36:00–38:00)

• Grab a trash bag and find 20 things to throw out—anything from wrappers to expired food or an unloved item.
• Gamifies decluttering: Specific numbers and a sense of challenge spark dopamine, not overwhelm.
• “Finding just 20 things can do for you...we are training our brain that decluttering is easy.” (Cass, 36:58)

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9. The Power of Momentum (38:00–40:00)

• Momentum—not perfection—breaks the shame spiral and builds lasting change.
• Cass shares her personal journey around decluttering and letting go, especially of items tied to self-identity (e.g., craft supplies, home decor).
• Celebrate every small win to gradually shift self-identity to “a clutter-free person.”

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10. Oh, Hell No! Rant: The Toxic “Sunday Reset” (40:20–41:30)

• Cass passionately calls out toxic productivity culture, especially the trend of marathon “Sunday Resets” seen online.
• “Nobody should be cleaning their house for eight hours a week, and certainly not on one day. [...] A load a day keeps the laundry monster away.” (Cass, 40:52)
• Advocates for doing a little every day to build manageable, lasting habits.

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11. Community Segment: Listener Tips (41:30–45:30)

“Better Done Than Good” from Jenny (41:32–42:50)

• Jenny, a 12-stepper, shares her “do it shitty” mopping shortcut: Wipe only the visibly dirty areas with a towel or cleaning wipe.
• “If it looks like 75 or 80% better...hey, progress is progress.” (Jenny, 42:05)
• Cass riffs: “Wipe that spill with your sock and move on.”

Priscilla’s “Fart Walks” After Meals (45:30–48:00)

• Inspired by Cass, Priscilla uses a walking pad for 15-minute walks after meals to improve health—no need for “perfect” workout setups.
• “Now I set my timer...I put on one of your podcasts...and I get in 30 minutes of walking a day easily.” (Priscilla, 46:53)
• Cass connects: “That’s what we call a fart walk...do I need to buy a walking pad?”

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Most Notable Quotes

• “We are not lazy. We’re just under-stimulated.” (Cass, 00:25)
• “Urgency creates dopamine. I use timers all the time.” (Cass, 09:23)
• “You can borrow the energy from music to get up and get things done.” (Cass, 21:05)
• “Yours could be a literal star chart, my friend, because that’s the same thing.” (Cass, 20:17)
• “We are training you like we’re training puppies here, okay? It’s like, sit. You do it, you get a treat...” (Cass, 31:50)
• “We are borrowing [energy] from other people, even if they’re on the Internet...That is the power of body doubling.” (Cass, 34:26)
• “Nobody should be cleaning their house for eight hours a week, and certainly not on one day. [...] A load a day keeps the laundry monster away.” (Cass, 40:52)
• Listener Jenny: “If it looks like 75 or 80% better...hey, progress is progress.” (42:05)

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Normalizing struggle with boring chores, dopamine and productivity hacks
• 04:00 – 10-Minute Timer Challenge live with listeners
• 09:00 – Science of dopamine, timers, and urgency
• 13:00 – Road Rally analogy for gamifying chores
• 17:00 – Create and use an energizing playlist or podcast rule
• 24:00 – Level Up Challenge: Visual progress boards and trackers
• 29:00 – Instant reward (bribery) as motivation
• 34:00 – Social accountability and the body doubling effect
• 36:00 – Find and toss 20 items for a quick win
• 38:00 – Building momentum and personal decluttering journey
• 40:20 – “Oh, hell no!” rant on Sunday Reset culture
• 41:30 – Listener Jenny’s “do it shitty” mopping tip
• 45:30 – Listener Priscilla’s “fart walk” fitness hack

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Takeaway Actions for Listeners

• Set a timer and clean—win just by starting.
• Begin a hype playlist or audiobook/podcast list reserved for chores only.
• Track any micro-progress with visible marks or a “ta-da board”.
• Pick and immediately give yourself a healthy, non-food/bribery reward for your effort.
• Toss 20 things as a quick, dopamine-boosting declutter.
• Engage with the Clutterbug community—body doubling even virtually raises the odds you’ll finish what you start.

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Episode Tone

Cass is exuberant, relatable, a little cheeky, and endlessly practical. She embraces imperfection, celebrates even laughably small wins, and emphasizes self-compassion, community, and breaking big challenges into tiny, momentum-building steps.

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If you haven’t listened to the episode, this summary will give you the practical tools and encouragement to get moving—right now—without waiting for motivation to magically arrive.

Transcript

[Cass]

If you're neurodivergent or you just have a Pulse in 2026, doing boring, mundane things like dishes can feel impossible. I'm not talking about, like a week's worth of dishes. That's overwhelming. It could be three plates that just need to be put in the dishwasher. Why does this feel so hard? Our brain sees it and we have a big fat nope and we scroll TikTok instead. The reality is we are not built to do slow, boring, mundane things day in and day out. I've talked this before. We are hunters up in here. We're not all farmers, so all of these tasks can feel like absolute torture. We are not lazy. We're just under stimulated. We gotta find the hacks we need dopamine hacks. We need to change our day from, like, drudgery into tiny little, like, poo, poo, poo. Punches of happiness and serotonin and reward so that we actually want to do these things. We feel excited and we keep going. This is how we become super productive people. Today we're going to do a number of little mini challenges. I love reading in the comments. I read your comments about all the things you're tackling and you're doing while listening. And for me, that's the reason I keep showing up to this podcast. It's the reason this podcast is fun. Because I know you're not just listening. You are taking back control of your life. And that energizes me. I feel like together we are unstoppable. I've shared a lot of tips and tricks and advice, and I see in the comments you say things like, that's so good, Cass. I'm gonna try that. But let's be real. If you're anything like me, I listen to a podcast and I'm. I think that's so good. That's such a brilliant idea. Sometimes I even write it down or I save it for later. And Now I have 20,000 tabs open and I never actually do the thing. You know, it's human nature. We're like that. Yes, I'm going to do that tomorrow. And tomorrow never comes. Well, guess what? Today is tomorrow. Not really, but today's the day. All the things in the past that maybe you thought was a good idea, but you didn't actually try it today, you're trying them. Some of the things might not feel like you actually want to do them, but I'm going to ask you to trust me. I'm going to say, like, what's the worst that can Happen. We're going to talk today about tiny little micro changes, and I want you to actually give them a try, because that's how you know what works for you and what doesn't. That's how you actually see, see what resonates with you. You try it. You dip your toe in the crappy water so you might feel uncomfortable, but please have a little faith and trust and pixie dust and let's do this. The first thing you're going to do is set a timer. In fact, I'll set a timer for you. We're going to start a timer for 10 minutes, and I want you to race the clock. I'm going to also try to race the clock and only Talk for exactly 10 minutes while you're doing a thing for 10 minutes. And we'll see how much you get done. This be cleaning out the fridge, just looking for leftovers and expired food, or maybe doing the dishes, putting away one load of laundry, or finding 21 things to throw out. 10 minutes. I'm going to set my timer. You set your timer, and let's race. I am certainly not a scientist, but I do find all of it really fascinating. Like, I spent a lot of time researching why, Because I had to understand what was going on with my brain. Why could I hyperfocus for hours, literal hours, on things like coding a website, even though I didn't know how to do it, like, trying to learn that, but I couldn't load the dishwasher? Like, what is wrong with me? I could hyperfocus on even things that were boring for some reason, but I couldn't fold or put away clothes. What's going on? So I dug deep into why my brain works like this. And it's all about dopamine. And I know I have talked about dopamine a lot, but the reality is it's like motivation molecule. It's this thing in your brain that actually makes you want to do the thing. It's part of the reward center. I mean, I don't really know how it works. I just know that it does. And when we can hack our body's dopamine, that's how we can actually want and have energy and motivation to get stuff done. My brain gets dopamine when I'm figuring something out or when I'm playing a game, when I'm hunting in the forest. And so how can we get that same feeling, feeling while doing dishes? That's where the timer comes in. That is where gamification comes in. We are actually, like, we're racing. We have that energy that we get from fun or play or chasing down a gazelle, but we get it in, you know, a sink full of dirty dishes. The reason a timer works like that is because it's giving me like a deadline, like it's putting pressure on me. The same way when we procrastinate as an adhder till the last minute and we have an assignment due the next morning and then suddenly we can crush. It's because we have this external like we gotta rush this feeling of like energy, even anxious energy is energy that can stimulate your brain to produce more dopamine. And if you have ADHD like I do, we already are starting with chronically low dopamine. That's why we are the way we are. And so if we can add more, if we can make our brains secrete it. That sounds gross, but I'm pretty sure it secretes it by, by tricking it with things like timers, gamification, little tiny micro rewards. We have more of it and it feels, I mean, let's get real. It feels good to do stuff. The timer works because urgency creates dopamine. I use timers all the time. I, I'm trying to remember like the. For you know what? I know when the first time I started introducing a timer was. I must have read it in some self help book. Brain overestimates how long things take. And so I wrote down all the tasks I was like, you know, procrastinating, doing and I guessed how long it would take. And then I actually timed myself doing it. This is when I realized it was three minutes to empty the dishwasher and my mind was blown. And then I was like, can I beat that time? How much faster can I go? And without trying, I kind of stumbled into the fact that I was more motivated when a timer was ticking. Right. Sometimes the timer even bores me and I'm like, can I get this done before the end of a song? Or it's still timing or can I get this done by the time the movie's done or the TV show if it's a big project. All of these things are still using a timer, creating urgency and making it like a fun challenge. I think the most magical part of a timer though is that you don't have to finish to feel that completion. Reward, chemical happiness. Like if I'm, if I do half of a task and don't finish it, I'm not getting any dopamine reward. Like I'm just like meh. What was the point of that. But we don't have to finish when we have a timer, because the end of the timer is the finish. We did it for five minutes. We did it for 10 minutes. We did it for 15 minutes. No longer does it have to be done for us to feel that, like, I did it. Achievement. Timers anchor us. We just need to stay focused, especially if you're neurodivergent and it, like, creates that. It's like, I have to stay here and do it as quickly as possible so you're not getting distracted. You're not wandering away. You are anchored to the task that you started for that set amount of time. Because I gotta talk for a whole 10 minutes, and I need to fill more time. I'm gonna tell you about this really fun thing that we do called the road rally, which is a timed event. So every year, a group of volunteers, a group like, random people from the community for 53 years, dressing, costumes, jump in our cars and drive around solving puzzles all around the town. But it's like a timed thing, and we didn't need it to be timed. But adding that timer makes it even more fun. We're literally trying to beat the clock. We're trying to be the fastest. And our brains, all of us, we say this all my friends, every year. We are so much smarter during this event than any other time in our life because we are solving hard puzzles like we're geniuses. We are. Joe is driving like a. Like a. Some sort of professional NASCAR driver, and he's brilliant at it. We're all at our absolute best. Why? Because we're under pressure, and every single one of us is neurodivergent. It's just a van filled with ADHD and autism. And let me tell you, we succeed when we feel that time ticking away. How do I explain the greatest event that ever existed? In 1974, someone decided, hey, let's grab a group of friends and hide puzzles all over the city. And the first puzzle you open all together at one spot at a church, and it leads you. You have to solve that puzzle, which leads you to where to go to look for the clue. And there's all these clues on the outside of the envelope. And you gotta, like, in costume looking. It could be. It could be a sewer grate. It could be a sticker on a wall. It could be something really small, like the pattern of a brick. And when you find it, you tear that side of the envelope. If you tear wrong, you get added bonus time. The point is. And then there's another puzzle. And there's usually like nine puzzles in total. It takes about two and a half hours. And at the end, we eat chicken and pasta and we take home our trophy because guess what? We won this year. I think the coolest part of this event, though, is the teams who win. The first, second and third place team, they have to run it the next year. One of them. So because we win often, we sometimes don't run it the next year so we can actually play. But this year we are running it, so we won. It's going to be time travel theme, you guys. I'm so excited we're going to have all these timers and time things going on to make it even more exhilarating. And I just think this is such, just a beautiful example of how having a timed event, even if it's your dishes guys, can create that urgency, that fun, that excitement. Even if things aren't that fun, it, like fires up your brain. You're going to be a dishwashing genius when you set a timer. I have to take a second to thank today's sponsor, Cozy Earth. You know, I switched to Cozy Earth bedding years ago and now I'm a sheet snob because Cozy Earth sheets are so soft and they're temperature regulating and I wash them over and over again and they feel even better that anytime I go to a hotel, I'm actually going to a hotel this weekend. I know I'm going to be disappointed and I'm going to crave my sheets at home. It feels like luxury and it doesn't have to have luxury prices. I'm getting older. Treat yourself to a good night's sleep. I deserve it and you do, too. Cozy Earth doesn't just have sheets. They have lots of towels and even clothing. Their pajamas are amazing. Absolutely worth it. Go to cozyearth.com and use my code clutterbug to save up to 20% off right now. Again, that's cozyearth.com and Use the code clutterbug. So we are approaching the 10 minutes. How are you doing even if you didn't get whatever you started done? That's not the point. The point is you worked on something for 10 minutes and if you're, if you have any type of feeling inside where you're not excited about what progress you made, I want you to high five yourself right now. Like, yes. I want you to actually, like celebrate, a mini celebration of the fact that you worked for 10 minutes and it is better than when you started because that's what this is. All about, it's these tiny micro steps. So celebrate, my friend, because you are amazing. You did 10 minutes. Now let's move to the next challenge. This next challenge is going to be so fun. Also, it might be a little weird. Just bear with me here. All we're going to do is create a playlist of songs. Now you're like, cass, I'm listening to you, and maybe you're listening on the device or you're driving in your car and you can't actually do the playlist right now. That's okay. You can listen and still open up another app and maybe just like creating a new playlist in Spotify or Amazon Music or Apple Music, whatever it is you listen to. But if you are like me and you're challenged when it comes to technology, we could just grab a piece of paper and start writing down songs that kind of motivate you. Again, we're not listening to them. We're just creating a fun thing. I've got some Go to songs. Britney Spears work. I hope you bleep that. Britney Spears work that anytime. I don't want to get out of bed and go to work in the morning, I play that song. Also, I have. All I do is win, win, win. You know that hype, that's a. That's a hype song for me. But the crazy thing is I look for playlists. Other people have created playlists for me that have the same energy. Some of my favorite on Spotify are Femme Fatale Girl Boss energy. Girl Boss anthems. You are a bad. I swore again, please bleep that. The point is, you can find playlists that invoke this sense of like. Like this energy. You can borrow the energy from music to get up and get things done. Whatever your music genre is, that kind of gives you that feeling sometimes. For me, it's stripper music. I don't know why, but just go with me here. Or like 90s hip hop. Oh, my. There is nothing that gets me up. Then, like some 50 cents or DMX, you know, I'm like, crushing it. The. The point is here, have some things ready. This is a tool for your toolbox when you're not feeling it. And I want you to have this playlist ready to go for those times that you're sitting on the couch or you're laying in bed or you're just, like, wandering around your house and you feel like, blah. You need a hype. You need a hype playlist, and making this will change your life. So have it ready. Have it locked and loaded again. You could just write songs that make you feel that way. I know we all have them. If you can't think of one, you could borrow some of my playlists. A little Britney. A little Britney work Will, if that doesn't get you moving, you want a Maserati, you want a hot body, you better work. The point of this exercise is to have something to listen to when you're doing things. You know, cleaning in silence is crazy. Decluttering in silence. What are you doing? You're never going to feel the urge to purge. We need that hype in the background. We have to oro energy. And for me, I. I love music to get started, but honestly, I get bored of songs. I start skipping them after about 30 seconds. I need a really good audio book or podcast and maybe you do too. In fact, you should come up with some of those too. You can open your browser right now. You can use the Clutterbug podcast, which you're listening to right now, but maybe there are others too. Listening to the same message from a lot of different people is a brilliant way to rewire brain and stay motivated. And audiobooks, not boring self help book ones. Okay, I'm talking about things that you're like, what's going to happen next? Murder mysteries, crime junkie things. For me, it's romance, sci fi. There's werewolves and vampires and love triangles. It's gross, but I'm invested and I don't want to turn it off. And I think this is why. What the. The power of this is going to zombie land is what I say. We're stimulating our brain. Just like ADHD medication stimulates our brain so that we can stay focused, so that our bodies can do what they know they need to do without our brain revolting and reminding us how horrible and boring the task is because our brain is busy. Our brain is busy finding out which long last love she'll choose. So what I want you to do is pick at least, least five things on your hype playlist. This could be like 20 minutes worth of songs. Maybe a different podcast. Maybe go back and find some of your favorite clutterbug podcasts, an audiobook. Have some things ready, locked and loaded for when you need to quickly pull it out so you can get stuff done. This is so important. We. I talk about it all the time. But have you actually done it? You're doing it right, right now. You're doing a little bit of prep work so that tomorrow is easier. This is actually what organization is all about. You're organizing your energy right now. Good for you. And if you are one of the people who love the Tough Love podcast, I'm going to put a link to the Tough Love, one of my favorites, down in the description below. So there. There's a cheat. That's one of your five. You can just save that now. You can bookmark it or. I mean, technology's hard. I'm not sure how you save it. Save it somewhere and then go to that when you need the energy. So here's a rule that I have. Especially with audiobooks, the ones I really love. I'm only allowed to listen to them while I'm doing the task, while I'm pairing it with something else. The same goes for podcast. Sometimes it's even a movie. Like, if I'm doing something like putting away laundry, I'll watch a movie or watch a TV show, but I'm only allowed to do those certain things while also so pairing it with a boring, mundane task. This means when I'm done, the thing I'm doing and I still want to find out what happens next in my book, I keep going without even realizing it. There has been times where I have spent two hours or more just getting stuff done, and I haven't even realized it. It has felt like two seconds. And I look forward to listening to my book again, or I look forward to watching that show or listening to music or catching up on that podcast. But I know I only do it if I also pair it with something else. So I'm kind of excited about the task, too. Hack number three, are you ready? We're calling it the Level up challenge. I play a lot of video games. I play a lot of games. You know, I'm a big game nerd, and you want to have the most life. Like, you want to see. You want to keep going up. Like, right now in Fortnite, I am level 320, I think. And then Joe's like. Like 380, and I'm like, I gotta get to his level. Or you just want more life. You want more. You want to, like, see the progress. But that works in real life, too. And this is why a lot of people like Joe track their habits. They put a little star every time they do something or they. He has like a whole graph because he's definitely on the spectrum. And he, like, maps everything out and he puts little. Like, he highlights it and he charts how much better he's doing every day, how much more weight he lifts, how much more sleep he's getting. How much better he's eating.

[Priscilla]

I.

[Cass]

That's a lot for my brain. I don't do that. But what I do do is beside my vision board, I have a little ta da board. So anytime I finish and complete something that I'm really proud of, like I finished the roughed copy of my book, I wrote finished book and I stuck it up on the board because it's like I get to track my progress, how I'm leveling up in life. I get to at it and see how much I'm growing as a human. And yours could be a literal star chart, my friend, because that's the same thing. Whether it's just a piece of paper with check marks. There are a million habit trackers that are free out there. You can do it on a paper, you can do it on an app, but you need to be able to see it because it acts as a visual cue and reminder to stay and keep on that new habit. But it's, but it also is a cue of how far you've come and how much you've accomplished. So you get to continually remind yourself to be proud so that you can be like, oh, yeah, look it, I'm doing so good. And if you missed a few days or you like screwed up, that's not the point. We're looking at the overall bar here, okay? Fortunately, life is not a Nintendo game and when we mess up, we don't have to start back from zero. We're always starting at the last level. So this level up challenge is so good. It's about making your progress visual. How can you do that right now? Grab a piece of paper and write down the things you did today and then put a check mark and a smiley face beside it. And I'm going to put a link in the description for some free habit trackers that you can download that I definitely think are a great place to start. So how can you do that right now? Literally grab a piece of paper and write. Write three goals. It could be just a habit you want to start. It could also be a big giant goal. There is no pressure. This is not about perfection. I want you just to pick three goals and now I want you to think about how you can sort of check something off or put a star or reward yourself anytime you make any tiny micro progress towards these goals or new habits. You can have something fancy. We can have like fancy trackers. But that's not what this is about right now. Right now it's about embracing good enough actually putting your three goals somewhere visual where you can see them and then remembering to, even if it's just a little scribble, dot that like, oh, I did five minutes of that today. Or towards that today. That's enough to see how you're leveling up to track your progress. And that is powerful hack number four, bribery. Good old fashioned bribery. I'm such a fan of this because I, I like immediate gratification. I like rewards, I like gifts and presents, even if I'm giving it to myself. So what this looks like is thinking of a few things that you can gift yourself and then pick your favorite for listening to this podcast. Like, how are you gonna celebrate and reward yourself just for getting through this podcast? Because this podcast, you're learning, you're doing stuff. You should be so proud of yourself. You deserve a gold star, my friend. That could be a piece of chocolate. Though I will say rewarding myself with food in the past really was not a great long term strategy. So perhaps the food is not also rewarding yourself by buying things. I used to do that too. That did not work out. Okay, so how do I reward myself now? I reward myself with relaxation. So when I do something like listen to a podcast, even though it doesn't feel particularly hard, then I get, get, you know, 30 minutes of potato time. Potato time means I get to lay there and do absolutely nothing but be a potato. I can scroll the Internet, I can do all sorts of things. And what has happened, it's crazy is I've trained my brain. Now, maybe this is toxic, but I don't care to reward productivity with relaxation. Now this can get, get bad sometimes. If now you're just always working in order to earn your relaxation. It's a fine line, but do you want to be productive or not? You know, we're just. Nobody's perfect. This is what I do. And there are lots of days where I don't earn it and I just take it. But I've kind of paired those together. I've tied it together and it makes me want to again do the crappy thing things. I notice my daughter doing this all the time. I think it's called the Pomandero method. Listen, don't quote me on that. She will set a timer for 20 minutes and study. And then when it goes off, she gets to do something fun for 20 minutes like watch a TV show or just veg on the couch and eat chips. Again, rewarding yourself with food is not a really great option. But I digress. This works. Science proves that this works. The greatest productivity experts of all time. I have proven that this works. So on a piece of paper, it's a lot of writing. In this podcast, write down a few rewards that you can have. Again, food and buying things. Not great. Other things, other ways you can reward yourself for getting stuff done. Here's the most important thing. The reward has to be right now. Reward. Not like later, you know, not. We are training you like we're training puppies here, okay? It's like, sit. You do it, you get a treat, or you, like, do the clicker. You know what I mean? You need to get it immediately to train your brain to have that association. And then before you know it, you're just doing all the things that you're training yourself to doing without needing the reward. But in the beginning, the reward, the treat, is so important, but it has to be immediate. So when you're writing down possible things, it has to be something you can do, like right this second. And if somebody puts go for a walk, I swear that's something you get rewarded for. That's not a reward. So here's what we're gonna do. Think about it. I want you to think about a reward right now, and I want you to say it out loud. In three, two, one. Say the reward. That's what you're going to do at the end of this podcast. For me, I just got a new bird feeder. I'm gonna grab a tea, I'm gonna sit outside and I'm gonna watch birds because apparently I'm now 80. And that's fine. I love it and I'm looking. Are you looking forward to. Not only did you say it out loud, but let me know in the comments below, because the way you can reward yourself immediately, I know, is going to be inspiring for other people who can't think of anything. And this last hack, I want you to actually do for the rest of this podcast, you are doing it without even realizing it. And that is having social accountability, like having someone with you. We are social creatures and we feel so isolated, especially in today's world. And we're in our home and we're supposed to be cleaning and decluttering, and it can feel lonely. And that's the power of body doubling. We are body doubling right now. Not only are you and I doing this together, I am with you. But every single person listening or watching this podcast is with you, too. We're together. We're a community. We're in the comments. We're supporting each other, and that has power. It's why when I want to write. I can go to Starbucks and suddenly get more done because there are people around me. They don't even have to be doing the same thing. You just need that social connection. The social connection not only only gives us dopamine, but it. It fills our soul. It allows us to, like, feel safe and seen and. And, yeah, energized. To get stuff done. We are borrowing it from other people, even if they're on the Internet, even if it's listening to them talk in a podcast and they're not even in the same room. That is the power of body doubling. So for the rest of this podcast, you're going to hear me yammer on, but know that there are are literally thousands of other people right beside you at the exact same time listening. They're struggling to. We're doing it together. We are climbing a mountain. We are harnessed together. And that feels empowering. All right, so as you keep doing what you're doing, you do you boo. I want you to take, like, a quick mini mini break right now, which I know you're going to be annoyed, especially if you're like me and you're ADHD and you're hyper focusing and you're in the zone. I'm going to interrupt your zone for five seconds. I'd love you to grab a trash bag, find 20 things to go. They can be wrappers, they can be expired food. I know you have shampoo bottles in the shower. It can be like open a drawer. If you're driving a car. You probably have food around. Wait till you get home. Okay. And then find 20 things. Things to get rid of, to throw out. If you cannot find 20 pieces of trash, what old thing isn't worth donating? Ooh, this is so tough for you guys. Just like a timer gives you that end, it gamifies it. Giving a number of things to declutter does the same thing. It makes it feel like a challenge. It makes you push yourself, which creates dopamine. It creates urgency. It gives you that goal post that you can then celebrate. And these 20 things can be the most basic mundane. We're not making a huge impact in our home today with 20 things. It's the small little things that we then allow ourselves to celebrate and re reward ourselves. We are training our brain that decluttering is easy. We are training our brain that decluttering is fun. We're. We're training our brain that it's something we can do in just a few minutes. And it doesn't have to be a project. Project It's a process and just part of life. And that's what finding just 20 things can do for you. So like, come on, right now. I'm, I'm serious. Find 20 things to leave. The whole point of all of these exercises is momentum. Momentum is the opposite of that shame spiral or that perfectionism paralysis where we just, just kind of do nothing and beat ourselves up for it. Momentum is where we actually want to keep taking steps. And the only way to build momentum is to stop making everything a big project. To stop making it this whole huge elaborate thing that we need to plan for and instead take one tiny step in front of the other. Tiptoes. Tiptoe towards the goal and celebrate each inch of progress that you make. Because before you know it, you don't have to force yourself to do it. You don't have to put on a podcast. You don't have to wait till you feel motivated. You are motivated all the time. It's a habit. You have become what you want because you become your habits. If every day you find 20 small things to let go of, you are a clutter free person person without realizing, without having to force yourself. That's just your identity. That's momentum. That's what we're going for here, tiny little tiptoes. And for you perfectionists, I know this is hard because your brain is like, what's the point of that? It's not even going to make a difference. And you're like, look at all the stuff I still have to do. That is why you're stuck in this shame spiral. That is why you aren't making the progress you want. It's, it is all about lowering your expectations and doing these tiny little micro wins. So we are going to let go of the shame because the shame is not helping you. The shame is actually your roadblock. Instead, we are going to create momentum. And you do that through little immediate gratification. You do that through these dopamine hacks. You do this through timers and rewarding yourself and little tiptoes of progress that don't even really seem like progress, but then you totally celebrate it. That is how you break through. That is how you finally, you finally start feeling really freaking proud of yourself. Okay, that, that's what I want for you. I want you to feel so freaking proud of yourself. When I started my decluttering journey, everything was hard to let go of in the beginning. But even as I built my muscles identity clut was especially hard for me. And specifically it was like craft supplies because I Saw myself as a crafter, and I was really proud of the fact that I was crafty, but also home decor. And. And the reason is, I think I was homeless for so long, I didn't have anything nice. When I started getting little throw pillows or painting furniture again, I started feeling, like, proud of myself. Oh, this sounds like, so sad to say, but it's true. And so every pillow, every curtain, even the ugly ones, even the ones I didn't like, felt like an extension of myself. And I hoarded it. I had entire closets filled with old curtains and pieces of freaking vases and stuff that I had collected. And I couldn't let it go because I was like, well, how am I going to make my space beautiful without this? But I just. Just picked one thing at a time. I was like, okay, I just need to. I have 20 vases. I just need to find one to go. I have so many throw pillows. What is the ugliest? Like, what is your least favorite cast? You only need to let go of one throw pillow today. And then I celebrated that progress. Now, do I still have a closet dedicated to throw pillows? Yes. But I declutter my home decor stuff all the time, and it no longer feels hard. I've trained my brain that I can do this, and decluttering has became kind of an addiction for me because every time I let something go, I celebrated. I felt proud about that. I stopped feeling proud about my stuff, and I started feeling proud about my ability to control my stuff. And that was a game changer. Now it's time for a fun new segment that I lovingly call oh, hell no. Where I rant for 60 seconds about something that drives me crazy just because I'm too cheap for therapy right now. So I'm treating you like a therapist and I get it off my chest and it feels surprisingly better. So Here we go. 1, 2, 3. 60 seconds. Can we talk about the Sunday reset BS that we see? I see it on Tick Tock. I see it on YouTube. There are people, usually women, spending six to eight hours every Sunday completely doing everything. They do all their laundry on Sunday. They scrub the house from top to bottom like maniacs. Do all the meal prep and the planning, and they do everything. I mean, I do a Sunday reset, but it's like 45 minutes. They are making it a part time job and somehow normalizing this. This is like toxic productivity. Nobody should be cleaning their house for eight hours a week, and certainly not on one day. Sunday is for family, it is for fun, it is for rest. Days. We only get two days a week where we don't have to work. We should not be spending it working. What the heck is happening?

[Jenny]

Happening.

[Cass]

No. I say no. No more to the freaking Sunday reset. Do a load a day, people. Do a load a day. A load a day keeps the laundry monster away a little bit. It's about momentum. Why are people turning things into projects? I hate this so much. Now it's time for my favorite part of the podcast where it involves you. And we're gonna start with Jenny.

[Jenny]

Hi, Cass, this is Jenny. Hey. I. I have something for you. Your do it shitty. First of all, I'm a 12 stepper and I am in codependence anonymous. And I was reading somewhere in an affirmation list and I saw the affirmation, better done than good. Now how's that for a take on do it shitty? Better done than good, my friends. But here, let me share my secret for how to mop your floor here.

[Cass]

Shitty.

[Jenny]

Yeah, so this sounds kind of crazy to me, but this is what I do. If I need to mop my floor very, very badly and I don't have time or I just don't want to do the effort, what I'll do is I'll either take a paper towel and some cleaner or disinfectant wipes and I'll just hand wipe just the worst areas where you see the most muck. Like, you know, like maybe in front of the fridge or just right under a. Right under the, like a high chair or right in front of the trash can. Wherever you get like visible gross stuff, just do that one little part and. And yeah, yeah, yeah. You're not mopping the whole floor, but if it looks like 75 or 80% better. Hey, hey, come on. Is progress. Thanks for what you do, Cass. Love ya. Bye.

[Cass]

I love this, Jenny, and I am right there with you. A chapter in my book is literally called wipe that spill with your sock and move on. Why? Because I've often cleaned the floor with a sock. You know what else I do? I will dump. Like if I have like a kitchen towel or even in the bathroom, I'll just like dump a little water on the floor. Like splashy, splashy, throw the towel. Use my foot. Wipey, wipey. Guess what? We mopped the floor like bosses. Yeah. I loved it. Thank you for sharing. I think it's brilliant. And last, let's hear from Priscilla.

[Priscilla]

Hi, Cass. My name is Priscilla and I have been in love with your YouTube videos for not that long. Actually probably December is when I Found you, you. And I was so inspired by you and everything you had to say about being a perfectionist. And your small phrase of just do it shitty truly changed my life. I've been wanting to work out for a really long time and I didn't because I couldn't find the right gym or I couldn't find the right outfit or the shoes or I just wanted it to be perfect before I started my routine and got my membership. And truly it was just because I just hate working out, just like you. And I even did try pickleball and I did enjoy it, but that lasted maybe a few months. And now what I found the most basically easiest way to get in 30 minutes of working out a day, and that is through a walking pad that my boyfriend bought me on Amazon and he set it up next to my office. So now every time, because I am over 40 and after 40, you're supposed to, according to my doctor, supposed to take a 10 to 15 minute walk after each meal. It helps your digestion. And he says to start small since I'm not a big, you know, fitness person. So now instead of having to worry about the perfect shoes or having to go out or having to go for the walk or after every meal, literally after, after every meal that I have, I set my timer on my walking pad for 15 minutes and I put on one of your podcasts, one of your YouTube videos, and, and I, and I, and I watch and a lot of them I re watched because. But I, and I get. And I have two big meals a day. I have breakfast and I have dinner. Usually I just have snacks throughout the day, but I do a solid 15 minute walk after every big meal. So that's 30 minutes of walking a day easily while watching your wonderful videos. So that is my version of doing it shitty. And I hope that that helps anyone who interviews because honestly, it's changed my, my life. The way that my stomach feels after I've eaten just. It has really, really impacted. And it was inspired by you. So thank you, Priscilla.

[Cass]

That's what we call a fart walk. Everybody says that I got to do fart walks. My doctor also, it's. Maybe that's tmi, but yeah, you're supposed to walk after eating. I do not. But now I'm thinking, do I need to buy a walking path pad? Every time I hear a new shortcut, the first thing I want to do is how can I, how can I shortcut fitness by buying my way there? Do not buy a walking pad cast. But I love it. Thank you so much. Maybe I should get a standing desk and put a walking pad under my desk. I'm going to keep you guys posted. Thank you guys so much. If you want to call in with a question or a comment, I would love to help and connect with you. Go to clutterbug.com talk to Cass and be part of the podcast today. Okay, my friend. Did you get through the timer? Did you do the timer? Did you do the little mini tasks? Did you write down things for a playlist or five things that you're going to listen to those tools for your toolbox so you have like that hype. All these things, did you accomplish them? Let me know. Did you give them a try? At least let me know in the comments below. I love spending time with you. I hope you are so proud of yourself because you got so much done today. Even if it is isn't done. That's not the point. You started, you made progress and that's all that matters. Thanks so much for listening and I'll see you guys next time.