When thinking about Spring Cleaning, we often tend to the house… closets, overflowing papers & magazines, kids toys & clothes, the basement and the ever-dreaded garage.
Spring cleaning is a chance to go through and get rid of things that we no longer need, don’t use or items that have served their purpose and just haven’t made it to the recycle or trash bin.
A chance to lighten the load, air things out and dust things off. Now, we’re just talking physical stuff here.
Crazy enough, we never think about Spring Cleaning our lives from the clutter we collect over the year or the last several years.
Not just the fillers in life that make us so “busy” with too many obligations and distractions pulling us in various directions and most of the time leaving you off-focus. No, there’s clutter on all levels of life.
I found self-proclaimed slob now avid declutterer, Dana White’s book Decluttering at the Speed of Life, to be the best resource I’d read on systematically decluttering. She discusses developing a “decluttering mindset” and coming up with a “Clutter Threshold“.
Everything should have “a container. Once the container is full, you know how much” stuff you can keep. I loved her outlook on it and how she shares the “deslobification” of her own space.
I always go by the “Do I love it? Do I need it? Does it bring me Joy?” type of questioning that Marie Kondo shares in her book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing.
My philosophy like many others… “Hesitate on any item and it immediately goes in the donate or discard pile.”
There are other areas of life that need decluttering that we either avoid or don’t recognize as needing clearing out from time to time. It’s time to take a look and Spring Clean those, too.
So, I’d like to share five powerful spring-cleaning strategies you can use to declutter your life on many levels to improve focus, clarity, space, and freedom to focus on what matters most to you.
1. Declutter Your Home and Office
Physical clearing out of “stuff” can be painful and daunting for some. But along the line of Marie’s mantra, I’ve found a simple rule of thumb to apply to the decision of things in my space after asking the 3 questions above.
Either “Love it, Donate it, or Toss it”.
Sounds simple enough but often we pause thinking we could donate it to a charity, sell it to recoup some cash, or give it to a friend who may need it.
If you have someone or someplace in mind, GREAT!
Everything you collect to donate or give away goes straight to the car and dropped off today. All trash goes straight out the door.
Point is “get it out of your house/office”.
I encourage you to be ruthless in your hunt for clutter.
I know it can be difficult to let go of old things, especially when there are many positive memories around them.
But the memories will always remain. Take a picture and save it on your computer. Thank the time for the happiness it’s brought to you and release it.
Getting rid of the things you don’t need, makes space in your life for the things you do need.
2. Declutter Your Diet
Many of us are guilty of eating or drinking to excess… much more than our bodies actually need to survive.
Plus, much of what we consume has little or no nutritional value at all.
Eating food filled with too much sugar… pastries, desserts, alcohol, and soft drinks… steals your energy, focus, and drive to accomplish your goals.
Take time to evaluate what you eat and see if there are changes you can make to improve your overall physical and mental well-being.
3. Declutter Your Mind
Our physical space isn’t the only thing we clutter with useless items. We also do it in our minds.
Filling our thoughts with worry over things not happened or anxiety over what “might be” robs you of joy and keeps you stuck.
We read too much gossip, hear negative news and take in books, TV, and Tiktoks that aren’t uplifting or teach us anything.
We spend way too much time listening to our “inner critic,” who constantly reminds us what a failure we are. That inner voice who tells us we’ll never be worthy enough or good enough to achieve our dreams.
Our thoughts become so cluttered with pointless, self-limiting beliefs that hold us back from showing up the person we want to be.
Meditation is a great way to declutter the mind.
I must admit I was skeptical at first. But I’ve discovered that by meditating every day, I find I don’t have space for negativity and self-doubt.
I feel more inspired and motivated which makes me more productive in striving to achieve my goals. I find I’m more uplifting not only to myself but to others as well.
4. Declutter Your Friends
While this can be a tough one, we all need to take time to declutter our “friends list”. I’m not just talking about online but in day-to-day life as well.
Take time to look at who are negative influences, always bringing you down, encouraging bad habits or distressing you in their actions, talk (about self or others), and who don’t positively contribute to your life.
Friends should bring something to your life (and you theirs)… not just take from it.
I encourage you to eliminate these people from your life and if you can’t completely cut them out, then at least minimize the amount of time you’re around them.
Getting rid of friends that no longer serve you, your goals and your life makes room for new friends who will encourage and support you in a positive way toward the goals you want to accomplish.
5. Declutter Your Pursuits
Take a look at what you’re trying to accomplish in your life. What are your goals and dreams?
How many are you chasing after at once? Is it attainable that way?
Review your list of goals/dreams… pick one or two to work on at a time. Not to say you won’t work on the others but focusing on one or two makes them more attainable because your efforts are pointed at one goal, not four goals going in four different directions.
Once you accomplish one or two, it makes achieving the next one seem more within reach.
Plus, as Jack Canfield so inspirationally wrote, “Because when you focus your energy and intention toward accomplishing one big goal at a time, you will find it so much easier to attract what you need to achieve that goal, as well as faster than you thought possible.”
So with that, I’ll close and leave you with one final thought.
You have the power within you to create the life you want and dream of. It’s within your grasp… all you need to do is take it.
If you’d like to email me, I can be contacted at brenda@brendabarrows.com or find me on Facebook @brendabhealthandwellness or join my Community Group Unstressing the Busy Woman Through Self-Care.
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