Time to jump right into Spring Cleaning our Lives! Let’s start with our homes. I did a lot of work on mine this past weekend since we are expecting guests this summer who will be with us 6-weeks so we want to make them feel welcome and give them their own space. It’s so wonderful to be rid of more stuff! I’m even making a little money selling some things!
Start with the “WHY?”. To make a change in your life that will stick you need to use your pain point or a goal and keep that focus in mind. Some people move towards pleasure, but most move away from pain. So depending how you work, look at your values or find your pain points. Why might you want to declutter or try to live a minimalist life? Here are some reasons you might use:
- You will save money / spend less
- Less stress
- Easier to clean
- Good for the environment
- More freedom
- You gain space to promote or enjoy what you value most
Pick one that resonates with you or something you choose on your own, just make sure to start with a “WHY?”. Decluttering or minimalism doesn’t mean empty walls and no fun. It can fit your lifestyle and taste. It’s more about making a statement with less. It allows you to be different instead of be like everyone else trying to keep up with the Joneses who also have that same “insert item here.”
How do you start? If you have a lot of stuff it might sound overwhelming. You could practice by starting with your car, if it’s cluttered. Take everything out and then see what really needs to be in there. Then you can put back a few things. If you like doing it this way, then move onto a drawer you can never find anything in. Then try your bath or kitchen cabinet. As an organizerthis is fun for me, but I’ve found the areas just go back to the way they were so I’m moving towards Marie Kondo’s way of decluttering to make a big difference.
In her book, The Life-changing Magic of Tidying Up, she talks about visualizing your ideal space and ideal lifestyle. She talks about decluttering by keeping what brings you joy, not playing dispose of things you don’t want/need. I could do the “get rid of one thing a day” game for ever and get nowhere because things keep creeping back in since I don’t have the final goal in mind.
She suggests starting with clothes. She says this is easiest, but I might guess for everyone except someone like a friend of mine who is a personal stylist. So if that is something you value, maybe don’t start there. She then suggests books, then papers (for example, your overflowing letter holder or peg board), then miscellaneous items (which has many categories itself like CDs, make up, household items, etc.) and lastly mementos. Mementos are the hardest, so hopefully by that time you are really on a roll and can do some good work. Collect all the items of the category into one room and get to work.
I’m not saying this will all happen in a weekend. It may take a while, but the faster you get to the end goal the easier it will be to stay there because you are able to enjoy what you have created and less chance of reverting back.
I hope this gives you a little inspiration to get started spring cleaning your home. If you would like a little coaching to help set goals or keep you accountable on the journey, I’m here for you!
