sweater. similar top. jeans. shoes. (also similar here.)
We have moved 12 times in the 16.5 years that we have been married. Yes, twelve. One of the gifts of moving a lot is that when you have to pack your things, move them, unpack them and put them away over and over again you start getting really picky about what you decide to keep. I’ve really come to be quite grateful for the skill moving has helped me develop of letting things go that are not bringing me joy or serving my life any more. I’ve also noticed as I’ve gone through life, how many people have a really hard time with this, which is a really shame, because the clutter in your home can have a seriously negative impact on your life.
I talk about this a lot with regard to your closet, because I am so passionate about what taking control of your closet can do for you physically and emotionally, how it can endow you with confidence and bring you a lot of peace of mind. Today I want to talk about clutter around your home, why it can have a negative impact on your life, and how to get rid of it!
How the clutter in your home is negatively impacting your life:
It steals your peace of mind. Home is meant to be a haven, a retreat, a safe place, but when your home is overrun with clutter it is chaotic and stressful. I once read a book on productivity and the author wrote that there are studies that show our brains keep a subconscious inventory of every single thing we own. Every thing! The more stuff cluttering up your home, the more stuff your mind is trying to keep track of and the more weighed down it becomes. Every time I dejunk a space and get the stuff out of my house, I actually feel a little weight lifted off my mind. The more you edit your things and create a more peaceful clutter-free home, the more space you open up in your mind. By holding onto our clutter we are stealing the opportunity for peace of mind.
It wastes time. When we live in cluttered spaces we spend a lot of time moving things around. Things we’re not really using that don’t have a place. Have you ever fallen into a loop where you’re constantly tidying up and yet your home never feels clean? Think about how many hours get wasted moving things around trying to make it work. Chances are, you have too much clutter, and the clutter is wasting valuable time in your life.
It wastes money. I have learned this so much through teaching my closet course to so many women, we waste so much money on things we don’t really want when we are living in a cluttered, and unintentional way. We buy things to make ourselves feel better, or as a stress relief, instead of intentionally approaching what we want and need. When we buy impulsively we are more likely to waste money on something we don’t really want or need, that will end up cluttering up our space a few weeks or even days later. The best way to curb that impulse shopping is to have the very visceral experience of throwing away your clutter. Every time I clean up/clean out a space I commit again to buying less, with more intention.
How to tackle the clutter in your home:
So let’s talk about how to tackle all the clutter in your home, because I know it can feel daunting, overwhelming even. And when things feel overwhelming, we do what comes most naturally to human, procrastinate. But I am here to tell you today, that dejunking your home can be a simple, highly rewarding and peaceful experience. Even fun… who doesn’t love the feeling of a fresh, clean and organized space?
Change your mindset by understanding why you are holding onto these things. The first step before you even begin to tackle the clutter around you is to understand why your are holding on to these things in the first place. Holding onto things we don’t want or use anymore comes from a mindset of lack and not abundance. This impulse is at it’s core based in fear. There is usually a fear that if we let a piece go we might “need or miss it later.” Try shifting your mindset away from fear and lack and into gratitude and abundance. Thank the item for serving you, forgive yourself for buying something you didn’t need if it was a mistake (none of us are perfect after all) and let it go, knowing that if/when you need something in the future you will have the abundance to get it. I promise you will never miss the pieces you let go. I have helped countless women with this process, and NONE of them have ever regretted getting rid of things they aren’t loving and using. I promise you, the minute you let it go, you will forget about it and feel lighter and more abundant.
Understand the space you live in. I think in a slower time, when it took longer to make and get pieces, people were endlessly more intentional about what went into their homes. But in the age of amazon prime, where you can think you want something and it will literally be on your doorstep 2 days later, it is so easy to forget about what can/should actually fit in your space. We all have different spaces and we need to work within those spaces, not against them.
I once knew a girl who paid a home organization company to help her tackle her very full closet. Because she had so much stuff and not a big area to work with, they ended up filling (literally filling) her 2-car garage with racks and racks of clothes, shelves of shoes, boxes of bags. I don’t know how much she paid those home organizers, but whatever it was it was too much. They failed to do the most crucial part of their job. Anyone can color code a row of shirts, they needed to help her learn to live within the space she had. As you approach decluttering your home, commit to this one simple mantra, if it doesn’t fit, it doesn’t belong in your space. Period. If you don’t have a tidy place for it, then it shouldn’t be in your space. Your garage is for cars, not the overflow of what doesn’t fit in your home. Have an honest conversation with yourself about the space you live in and what can actually joyfully fit in it. It’s liberating, I promise.
Make it manageable. Don’t try to tackle every space or everything you own in one shot. You’ll burn out and get discouraged. Start with one area or one type of item. Editing your bathroom drawer, or your coat closet can be a quick 20 minute job in an afternoon, and little bits of progress like that each day can make a huge difference in the long run. Plus, once you catch the dejunking bug and start seeing spaces becoming more peaceful and enjoyable it will give you the energy to tackle the bigger dejunking jobs.
Start with your closet. Because getting dressed is one of the first things you do everyday, starting this process from an organized, intentional space that is free of clutter, is a huge gift you can give yourself. Starting from here sets the tone for your entire day’s productivity. And I have noticed people who have a tidy, clutter free closet are much more likely to have a tidy, clutter free home. I highly recommend taking my Intentional Closet Course if you need help with this process. It’s a comprehensive course designed to help you shift your mindset towards your clothes, clean out and organize the space you have to work with, and build a really great intentional wardrobe. I’ve had women take the course and then go on to use it in their husband’s and children’s spaces as well. I’m offering a $100 discount right now, and it’s a great time to get started decluttering before spring. use code: PLANNER100
Remove decluttered items fast. When you decided to remove something from your space, remove it completely as fast as you can. I usually try to take a trip to the Goodwill or the dump ASAP after a dejunking session. Do yourself a favor, and lighten your load (literally) as fast as you can. You’ve already put in the work, don’t let the junk incumber you any longer.
I hope you find these tips helpful and that it inspires you to take action and create a more peaceful, clutter-free home. Remember, you deserve to feel light, joyful and abundant in your home.
