Letting go of Clutter

There are a lot of things to do around the house, I mean Alot. There's dishes, vacuuming, cleaning, wiping down mirrors, putting shoes away, picking up clothes, doing the laundry, and a myriad of other tasks, that if gone undone, would put your home in a state of disarray.

Don't get down on yourself or think that there's something wrong with you because you can't keep your household in order. With children, significant others, family, dogs, work,  there's a ton of things to take care of. Plus, many of us would like to spend the majority of the time we have, with the ones we love, not organizing.

With all that said think about having less to maintain. Yes you appreciate some things that you own, but do you truly love and use these items? Or, are they just hanging out collecting dust and adding angst to your everyday existence?

I agree that letting go of things we’ve purchased with our hard-earned money, or gifts that have been given to us by people we love, is difficult. But there's barely anything in life that doesn't call for sacrifice and compromise. If you truly want to start on the journey of organization you must first start on the journey of self exploration. Until you figure out for yourself what your values are and what is most important to you, you will never truly know what belongs and what doesn't.

Next time you're struggling with releasing something I want you to think about the time you’ve spent with that item. Have they been happy moments? Or, has it been years since you even given it a second glance? A lot of times we hold onto things because we don't want to forget memories or we don't want to make a decision that isn't perfect.  Dealing with past issues will help you deal with present clutter. If this item has held no joy or use in your recent memories, it is safe to say the item no longer serves value in your life.

Learning to recognize clutter before it becomes an issue is a skill that can be learned.  Just like riding a bike or playing the piano it takes consistent practice.  I challenge you to find five objects in your home today that you can give away or toss.  It may be hard at first but if you push yourself to find things that no longer function in your life, you will find it to become easier and easier.  Plus, your home will become less and less cluttered.

Once you master this skill you will find how much easier it is to maintain your home and possessions.  Letting go of items from the past will free you up to live in the moment. Plus, with less to maintain you will have even more time to spend with the ones you love (or doing more of what you love).