I’ve been traveling the last few days and so I haven’t been able to work on my Clutter Countdown Challenge, but I’ve been giving it a lot of thought.
As I slowly declutter areas of our home, my desire is to halt the habits that have been continually sabotaging my progress.
I’ve also reminded myself that this is a journey, not a destination. This is not a crash diet. It will not happen all at once. I didn’t get here overnight and I can’t get out from under it overnight either, but my desire is to become accountable for my progress and stick with it.
That’s why we are taking 15 minutes a day. The secret is slow and steady. Let’s capitalize on our success and keep motivated. Let’s clear the clutter and then figure out the routine to keep the space organized because as we eliminate, we begin to exert control over our situation.
It feels so amazing, doesn’t it? As I clean each space, it relieves a bit of congestion and I just can’t wait to do a bit more.
I love Barbara Hemphill’s truth: Clutter is just postponed decisions.
In her studies, The Clutter Factor™:
Research shows that 80% of what we keep we never use, and ironically, the more we keep, the less we use.
As I spend more time getting rid of things, I realize the truth of this statistic, so why do I always hold onto things I don’t use?
To decide whether to keep something, ask yourself,
“Does this ________ help me accomplish my work or enjoy my life?”
If not, it’s clutter!
Be prepared to be brutally honest with yourself.
Barbara also reminds me that there’s a COST FACTOR: You can keep everything you want as long as you’re willing to pay the price—in space, time, energy and money.
Well, I don’t have extra space, extra time, extra energy or extra money to give, so I need to GET RID OF IT!!
Let’s do this, my friends!
How have you been doing the last few days?
Remember, challenge yourself to just 15 minutes today and by the holidays, we’ll have a new home to enjoy.
Join me for more of the Clutter Countdown Challenge by clicking here.
I agree completely! It seems easier just to keep something rather than to deal with the WHY we have kept it. Because if we really gave the WHY much thought, our justification might seem pretty lame.
The more layers of stuff/clutter I get rid of, the less I want, as a whole. I have even stopped my yard sale adventures. Because there is truly nothing I need! I love to garden, so my energy and a small amount of money will go into that. And most of the money that goes into my gardening, has been via gifted money and gift certificates. The joy I experience being out in my garden, and enjoying God’s Creation, is the gift that keeps on giving.
As I go through my items, I’m really taking a hard look at each item. If it has not been used within the last year, other than my limited seasonal items, of course, out it is going.
The trick of course, is as we empty our spaces down to what we actually use, we quickly realize there are very few items we actually need. There may be many we want, but very few we need. We can get by with a very small percentage of the items that adorn our shelves (and closets, and drawers, lol!).
I have a post started about the “Why” we keep them. It’s such a range of reasons, isn’t it? Some very emotional, others just “this cost xyz,” which waas the most prevalent for me. SO much good stuff, I just didn’t want to give it away, but I’m there.
I’m older (probably) than most of your readers but your younger words of wisdom are wise beyond belief but today’s really struck home. My mother was a hoarder and I recognize a few of those tendencies in myself when it comes to certain “things”- sentimental attachment, meanings, memories, etc. I never thought about the amount of things we save actually being a deterrent to using those things but it is absolutely true! The more (quantity) we have the harder it is to remember, locate and use …so I am clearing out, ruthlessly clearing out, purging! My church is having their annual rummage sale next week and I may be their biggest donor – of stuff! I am determined not to let my “things” be a burden to my kids when I am gone. De-cluttering is liberating!
Yes, Judy, we are in it together. I am having to do that in my attic, but trying to weed through the downstairs areas first. We’ll get there. 🙂
This quote is fabulous it should me sent to all working single moms, senior grandmothers, moms with illnesses. When a lack of residual strength or life crisis occurs and things pileup. You struggle for months or years to catch up no less try to figure out what the hell happen. A a splash of menopause and you are done. You feel hopeless although you have a resolve.
Just thinking of clutter as delayed decisions is a way to solve to move in the right direction. You can make decisions to change moment by moment. Examine your decisions and tweak.