Clutterfly

Clutterfly

Clutter can be alluding. You attempt to follow it, so that it may be captured but the more you follow the more it alludes you. It can be daunting to keep the clutter at bay in the New Year. Purging and organizing will be our slow

and steady stride to a successful outcome.

So "I" have a lot of stuff or should I say "we" have a lot of "stuff." I mean a lot of stuff and I don't want a lot but I have a lot so here goes. I have been diligently purging my home and personal life of things. I didn't quite consider how much mental space "clutter" takes up. From digital clutter to physical clutter life can get really complicated really quickly. For those of "us" who have a lot of "stuff" I think its necessary to begin asking ourselves  four questions that have really helped us to get rid of about 40% of our unnecessary items. 

The Root of the Issue

Do you organize for hours on end only to find that there is more to do? Have you dedicated endless hours and time to organizing only to find that its never enough? Whether you are a serial collector or a curious clutterer- there’s a stunning solution for everyone.

1. Do you have it because you need it or just because someone else does?  Many of the items I have accumulated from shoes, clothes, hair products, bathroom items, etc. I accumulated because someone else had it/recommended it/suggested it on social media, YouTube, at an event I was attending, etc. I find myself like many of you searching for that ideal "whatever" that will make this do this or that do that. Only to find out that it just ended up costing me a lot of money, time, and just space to store the items that I do not nor have I ever used.  2. Do you keep/accumulate things based on the life you have or the life you "think" you have?  I just recently did a humongous purge of my clothing. a purge that included getting rid of blazers, heels, cocktail dresses, and other items that I had when I was preparing and dressing for the life I "thought" I had. Reality is, I am not in a profession that even remotely requires me to dress in this manner about 90% percent of the time. The long sleeved fitted t-shirts, tailored ankle pants, and flat loafers will handle the job I do just fine. Also could you imagine me stumbling over my 4 1/2 inch heels as I run behind my 2 and 6 year old simultaneously.

3. How much time does the maintenance of this stuff take away from life?  Yes I am guilty of sorting and resorting, stacking, accumulating storage bins, containers, drawer separators. I am also guilty of believing that my over 2500 square foot home was just too small and that I needed to search for something that was considerably bigger and more expensive to accommodate my growing family of 5. Boy was I wrong. The solution to my issue was not trading off a great home filled with "clutter" for a shiny and expensive new one but rather to purge all of the unnecessary items that we have. On any given day at any given time I would find myself organizing and cleaning and that "cleaning" and "organizing" would take up the entire weekend. This wasn't because I wasn't cleaning correctly but because I was cleaning and not clearing.  4. How do I feel when I walk into my home? open my email? deal with my clutter?  Now that I am a bit older and wiser. I have come to value emotional health and its importance to overall physical health. If it doesn't make you feel good or serve a specific need why have it or allow it to linger in your space. Items and their  over-accumulation make me feel overwhelmed, preoccupied, unable to concentrate, and very frustrated. I often find when my "dump room" has become a bit to cluttered I don't even want to go in and I often close it off from the rest of the house. Remember it didn't take you an afternoon to acquire too much stuff so it is going to take quite a bit more than an afternoon to undo damage that has been done. We have to learn together to be patient and allow our de-cluttering session to accumulate into a dynamic impact as opposed to continuing to collect things. Ask yourself does this item worthy of being in my space or will its presence become yet another thing that alters the serenity of my environment?

Get Inspired

So lets start the New Year off right. I will be embarking on a journey this year to reduce the "stuff" in my home by 50%. Get your donate boxes prepped and ready to rumble! Lets work together to get inspired to start crafting and creating the life and space we all so desire one of simplicity, mindfulness, and calm. Good luck to us in 2019!