Decluttering your life will take some time but it will be time well spent. As you let go, you’ll begin to really understand what matters to you. You will notice that the stuff that surrounds you, demands your attention and energy and wonder how you might better use that attention and energy.
That’s exactly what happened to me. When we downsized to an apartment less than half the size of our house, I wasn’t ready to let go of some things. I sealed up five boxes of stuff I thought were important. I wrote the following in big letters on the top of each box. “Put in storage. Decide later.” You might be thinking, “wow, procrastination at it’s finest” and that was part of it, but there will be moments in decluttering your life when you want to take your time. I recommend honoring that and going at your own pace.
When we found our new apartment, there wasn’t any storage space so I let those five boxes go. Today, if you offered me one million dollars to tell you what was in those boxes, I couldn’t do it. I don’t remember. The stuff wasn’t important. I realize that stuff and clutter is only one part on decluttering your life but the lessons learned as you let go carry into every other stage and phase.
If you are going to start by decluttering your entire home, you’ll gain some momentum and motivation by having a list of categories to work through. When decluttering your life, create a schedule and a decluttering checklist that includes things like …
- storage containers: junk drawers, bins,
- living room: furniture, accessories, entertainment
- bedroom: dresser, nightstand, blankets
- bathroom: towels, toiletries, makeup
- kitchen countertops, pantry, fridge, kitchen cabinets, small appliances
- paperwork: receipts, junk mail, journals, bills and statements
- kids room: toys and clothes
- other spaces: basement, attic
Have some rules around what to donate, what to sell and what to trash or recycle. Let go of things that don’t have a space in your home or a place in your heart.
Letting go of my stuff (from my closets, drawers and shelves) helped me remember what mattered to me. It wasn’t accessories, shirts or even my favorite jacket or purse. Letting go helped me decide how I wanted to live. If you’d like to let go and declutter your life, these quotes will help.
Decluttering Your Life: 7 little notes to help you let go of your stuff
Print these words or use them as screen savers. Surround yourself with support while decluttering your life and easing your stress.
1. Decluttering your life starts by decluttering your home.
Decluttering your life is the way you rescue your life, create your life and reclaim your life. Start here with less stuff and more love and connection.
2. When defining abundance, let’s move past what we own.
Before you fill your home, ask yourself what fills your heart. P.S. people, pets or plants not included in the quote above.
3. It’s easier to organize less.
You have to organize your stuff over and over again but you only have to let it go once. As @theminimalists say, “No matter how organized we are, we must continue to care for the stuff we organize, cleaning and sorting our methodically structured belongings.” Additionally, if you are like me and aren’t very organized, living with less makes everything easier and less stressful.
4. Some “stuff” does add value.
Decluttering your life doesn’t mean getting rid of everything. Don’t save the good stuff for a special occasion. Life is a special occasion. Use the good dishes. Wear and enjoy your favorite things. Hold on to what matters and let go of the rest.
5. Make space for what matters to you.
When we moved into our house two years ago, we didn’t put anything on the walls. We didn’t know what we wanted. Since then we’ve added a mirror. We love art but we don’t know what we want hanging on our walls. Instead of filling the space just because you are supposed to, we left it alone.
I know it sounds obvious, but time after time, we declutter after the holidays or for spring cleaning, or because we are sick of all of our crap and then what do we do? We fill up all the spaces. Stop filling all the spaces (even if it’s uncomfortable). The next time you make a little space for yourself, fill it with all the ways you really want to do life. And if you don’t know what you want to do with the space, just sit with it. Take your time. Answers will come.
6. Come back to yourself by decluttering your life.
For me those things were clutter, debt, drama, and alcohol. Over many years, I let them go. I traded them for presence, clarity, peace and ease. What will you remove that removes you from your life?
7. Don’t overcomplicate simplicity.
Simplicity = clarity.
I hope these little notes will help inspire you to keep going and to prioritize the good stuff along the way. I’ve learned so much on this journey and I’m still simplifying and removing things from my life when I notice there isn’t room for them anymore.
Decluttering your life isn’t an overnight task and depending on what you include, it could be a process that lasts for years. Don’t let that scare you off. The layers you shed along the way will free you up for the life you desire. And, the good news is that you don’t have to wait until you are clutter-free, debt-free or free of every single thing that weighs you down. You’ll start experiencing more light and simplicity from the moment you take your first tiny step. And with each tiny step, more light, more simplicity and more living the life you want to live will follow.
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