You’ve got stuff. We all do. And when it comes to living a life you love that “stuff” can often get in the way. It can cause you to feel overwhelmed and fatigued. It can leave you feeling unfulfilled and confused. And it will definitely suck up your perception of time. You will think you have none, when in fact, you have the same 24 hours everyone has.
The bottom line is that the stuff you have that crowds and clutters must be reduced.
You have to let it go if you want to be
on time
productive
energized
fulfilled
content in how you feel daily
someone who can entertain with ease
and someone who feels prepared to catch the many curveballs life will certainly throw.
All of that and more is possible when there is less confusion on your path.
And yet you might still resist because the process of getting to less and having enough, can feel daunting, difficult, or time-consuming.
Here are three ways to make the decluttering process just a little easier.
1. Remember: not all clutter is trash.
Sometimes remembering this can help you see your clutter in a better light. Often, letting go can make you feel like you are losing something. And when you see your clutter as something that can add joy to someone else’s life you can let go more easily. Remember, what doesn’t serve you can be a blessing to someone else. Donate freely what no longer has meaning or necessity for you.
2. It’s not “how”. It is why.
You have read a lot of articles no doubt about how to declutter. I have written a few here and here. What I know for sure is that having an understanding of how to do the actual decluttering is important. But knowing why you are doing it is more so. When you think long and hard about why you want to be uncluttered and what you will gain from it you set in place a necessary anchor. That anchor is what will help ground you when things get difficult or decisions don’t come easy. Determine why you want to live uncluttered. What will you, your family, and your life, gain from being uncluttered? Write it down. Read it often as you do the work. Let it remind you that you deserve to experience what is on the other side of your clutter.
3. Stop thinking of the quick fix.
This work takes time, my friend. You didn’t get cluttered in one hour and you certainly are not going to get uncluttered in one hour. Instead of taking that as a depressing thought, use it to remind you of the power of one step. This is a one scarf-by-book-by-wooden-spoon-by-candle kind of process. If you put two items a day into a box by the end of the month you’ll be 60 things lighter. By the end of the year you’ll be 720 things lighter. One thing at a time adds up and makes a big impact. Always have donation boxes/bags in closets and utility areas so as you go through your day you have a recognizable home for what no longer serves you.
You do deserve to feel good in your daily life. And while that overall feeling can come from many sources it most certainly comes when you lighten the load of the things in your space.
When you create space, in your head, heart, or home, you create a world of possibilities.
