Simplify your life
Yet still, I seem to continually accumulate “stuff” that I don’t need despite my best efforts not to do so.
The “perfect” gifts once received with delight, the kitchen thingamabob that was exactly what I’d been looking for; all taking up space in my home, now that they have lost their seductive hold.And then it becomes just more stuff to move as we dust and clean, or things stuffed at the back of a closet that need a home ~ and preferably not ours! We don’t really want it, but we can’t seem to quite let it go either. And sometimes it all feels too much to deal with!
The reason I write today is because as an avid and regular de-clutterer I do understand and appreciate the payoff from a great clear-out. Yet, It took the results of a clean out a few weeks ago when I did a mad purge of my kitchen that I realised this time was unexpectedly different. Not only did I feel better emotionally but, there were surprising physical effects.
Many of you have experienced getting rid of stuff and dramatically improving your mood and energy. After literally feeling as if we are drowning in too much “stuff”, and that includes our “to do” lists; the increase in our energy can noticeably improve our ability to effectively deal with problems and people; leaving us feeling much lighter and happier in ourselves
After my purge, the room felt more spacious, I felt relieved, lighter and I was happy for days. I felt inspired to cook healthier more tasty meals for myself, (less choice is always an incentive to creativity anyway!) Then, over the next few weeks I noticeably began to loose weight; all of a sudden here I was effortlessly not only feeling lighter ~ I actually was lighter!
Symbolically I know that our “outer clutter” reflects what is going on in our “inner world” ~ in other words, the nature of our thoughts and feelings and how overwhelmed we can become with them. And of course how we think and feel affects the actions we undertake.
But, I suppose I never noticed such dramatic results before.
In the past my intention was generally focused towards getting rid of stuff. This time I remember thinking consciously about how I would be able to find things easily and what I’d love to cook when it was all in order.
So I repeated the process with my bedroom a couple weeks ago… and the result was a dramatic change in my sleeping. Whereas I had been waking a couple times in the night for months, now I go out like a light till morning.
Now if only I can truly purge the “information” I hoard in my office and computer … what wonders might I experience there?
So here are my favourite 5 ground rules ~ for having less stuff, loving the stuff you have, and feeling more at home and at peace in your life.
Note to Self #1: I invite you to attend to the first three things in the list before even opening a door. Take a moment to think and feel why and how you’ll sort things, or you’ll spend more time wavering and there will be little accomplishing.
We mistakenly think we are getting rid of our stuff. The truth is that is rarely what we are doing. We have an infinite gift for self deception and this stuff we hold onto is about the weight we didn’t loose, the money we spent hoping for something to be different or better, it’s about lost dreams, wishful thinking, stuff we haven’t finished or stuff we never quite started, because for whatever reason we didn’t or couldn’t put the effort in.
De-cluttering is about taking a trip into the dusty corners of unresolved business from the past. And, while this seems harsh, when you know this is part of the experience, it becomes a much easier task to deal with. Lots of kindness, a dash of humor, a little self forgiveness and acceptance go along way too…plus plenty of tea breaks!
1. I asked myself “what is my vision for this room?”
(You can do this for a closet, a drawer or the boot of your car)
and “how do I want this space to feel?”
2. I asked myself
- Does keeping this feel good to me? How will this item help me feel better about myself or the life I would like to be living?
- Does it have a value to me, is it functional or beautiful and do I really love this?
If none of the above were true, and I still had trouble letting it go I asked … Then what is it doing in my life?
3. You’ll need:
a) garbage bags
b) a box/container to put things in you are giving away
c) and boxes to group things into. For instance if you don’t have time to put your photos in an album or scrapbook, it’s perfectly okay to stop pretending you’re going to do it. Put them all into one or two boxes, label them, and put them away somewhere you’ll see it in the near future! ~ not behind the furnace!
Give yourself a break and know that you don’t have to get rid of everything at once. I have a drawer still of clothes that I might get into! I know that’s not the accepted way but it’s a drawer not ½ a closet full …that’s a grand achievement.
4. Focus on ONE area only that you know you have time to sort through…Its no good saying you’ll clear out a whole room if you only have 2 hours. Choose one area and put the kitchen timer on for say, ½ hour at a time. If you are really “de-cluttering challenged”…do it for 5 minutes! Remind yourself of the pleasure you’ll feel when this one area is more organized.
5. Whatever you choose to keep, put it away now in the place you want to keep it. You’re trying to simplify your life, so simplify your approach to getting organized. The things in the box or bag you want to give away, decide when you can do this. Take the garbage out.
Note to Self #2: Be gentle with yourself while you are tidying and purging, take breaks and consider that being organized isn’t about getting rid of everything you own. Neither is it about trying to become a different person. It’s about finding a way to live that feels good to YOU. It’s about feeling better about you, your things and the space in which you live.
There are so many things in the world that we can’t control but, what we can do with a little effort and determination is to bring order and beauty into our homes and our daily lives.
Are you ready to take that step towards creating positive change in your life?
You may not know exactly what it is you actually want, but you do know you’re looking for the next steps and some support and guidance to help you improve your life and accomplish more of what you truly desire!
Let’s just talk and see how we can work together to get you clear, confident and back in the Game
