I’ve had a wonderful day. My desktop is clear (proof attached) and I spent the morning on the beach meditating and doing yoga while my boys surfed. I swam in crystal clear water. Bliss! I got some work done, went for another walk on the beach, had dinner with friends… Nothing felt rushed. Does life get better than that?
I love the decluttering phase of this program. It’s not always easy for me, but it’s habitual now. I’ve been doing it for years and really feel it when the clutter builds up. The negative energy swamps me. So I regularly declutter. Not just in January but throughout the year. (My mum is the ultimate declutterer—it’s hereditary)
The reason we’re starting small is because this needs to be a habit, not just a tri-annual event that overwhelms you. If you habitually clear the clutter, then energy flows easily in your life.
There will always be areas of your life that are less cluttered than others.
My bathroom is never cluttered.
Over the past few years my beauty routine has become very low maintenance. I’m 45… There’s not a cream in the world that will change that. I wouldn’t want it to. I’m happy to age—many people don’t have the opportunity.
But I’m also embracing chemical free—so I use oils like jojoba and coconut oil for everything: cleanser, moisturiser, and my hair. I have the makeup I use regularly and the makeup I use on a night out… and that’s it. I tossed everything out years ago.
- I clear my wardrobe at least three times a year. (I admit to keeping a pair of size two jeans that I wore on the plane to New York thirteen-years ago.)
- I clear my clothes drawers every few months.
- I just tossed out more shoes.
- I just tossed all my costume jewellery.
- I recently got rid of two hundred books.
- I make my sons declutter their rooms regularly. (They bitch and moan but admit the energy does feel different afterwards.)
Decluttering is a regular occurrence in my home. The more I let go of, the more I want to let go of.
But there will always be areas of your life that are more cluttered than others.
My desktop is one such area. I’m so swamped with work that organising my computer usually happens in-between projects.
Another area I struggle with is “the past”… my history. I’m a student of history, but my attachment to history means I lug crap around because it’s irreplaceable… but I’m also the only person who cares about it.
This January… with the support of this group… I’m letting go of my history. My past. Deep breath!
In the meantime… here are a few more decluttering ideas:
- Choose one drawer, anywhere in the house. Clear that one draw.
- Choose another drawer, in the bathroom.
- Clean out your car, including the boot (trunk). (I do this one every couple of weeks while I wait for the boys to finish jujitsu)
- Your makeup bag.
- Your freezer.
- Defriend some people on Facebook. Would you have coffee with them all? C’mon!
Let me know how you go.
I definitely feel that way in my life. When my house is cluttered, my brain feels cluttered and I can’t function half as well as I could if everything was organized. Lately I’ve taken to cleaning whenever I start feeling frustrated. <–My roommate thinks this is just the most fabulous thing ever.
Having moved a couple of times this past year, I've already gotten rid of so much, and it really forces you to stop and go – wait a minute. I don't NEED all this stuff. I mean my giant star wars pez dispenser is an awesome thing to have on my desk, but it's not really NECESSARY, and not worth the shipping costs. I find that I like being able to 'up and go' without a lot of baggage, so I'm not as inclined to hold on to material things.
My desktop may be clear, but my folders hidden AWAY from the desktop might need some work. And by might, that means check in with me in a few hours and make sure I don't need dinner.
We’re definitely twins (you’re just younger and no doubt hotter). I’ve bordered on OCD at times. I love my space being clean and tidy… I need it or I’m not creative. I travelled for so long that I actually owned very little. Even with 2 sons everything was minimal… But now in a blended family with 4 boys and a house… I look around and think how the hell did I end up with so much stuff? Most hidden away… One of my projects this month is my filing cabinet. Woohoo… can’t wait!