3 Simple Steps To Declutter Your Life For Good

When I came across Charisse Ward\’s quote \”clutter causes stress and it is one of the main barriers to productivity\” I gave it a lot of thought. It makes so much sense to conclude that our productivity can actually be hindered by the clutter in our lives. It does not matter the type, clutter does indeed rob us of the results we wish to achieve in our lives. Therefore you need to make the decision to declutter your life for good.

In general terms, clutter can be defined as anything that is stopping you from living the life you were created to live. It is that yes you give when the answer should have been no. Those relationships you continue to hold onto when you know it is time to move on. If you are not careful, clutter can take over your life and rob you of your peace of mind as well as the ability to enjoy a fulfilled life.

Types of Clutter & How To Declutter Your Life For Good

In order to combat the evils of clutter, we need to begin by being aware of how it manifests itself. Most people are aware of physical clutter which shows up when you have too much stuff. However there are also other forms of clutter like mental, digital, relationship, emotional, and sometimes spiritual clutter.

Mental clutter consists of the statements you have allowed to take over your life. It is that negative comment your Grade 5 teacher said that continues to ring in your mind. Unfortunately, sometimes it can be the words a parent constantly spoke to you as you grew up.

Digital clutter manifests in the way you handle your emails, computers, phones and so on. We allow our computers to be filled with information that is not organized. This makes it impossible for us to find let alone know what we have. Our emails are overflowing with information we never consume. In spite of this, we still refuse to take the action to let go of the subscriptions that are no longer serving us.

Relationship clutter consists of the relationships that weigh us down instead of building us up. It is those one-sided friendships where you feel like you are always on the giving side. It is the people who have taken it upon themselves to always bring you the news but unfortunately that news is never good news but mere gossip.

Emotional clutter, on the other hand, is those things that cause us to live in anxiety or fear. It keeps us in the past regretting what happened. It also propels us into the future worrying about what may happen. As a result, we are robbed of the benefits of living in the present moment. In my view, Spiritual clutter arises when we do not get rid of emotional clutter. Instead of embracing forgiveness and letting what happened live in the past, we chose to hold onto unforgiveness. We forget that unless we let go, those who hurt us continue to do so except this time it is with our consent.

As I work on my own journey of decluttering my life for good, these are the three simple steps I am following that can also help you arrive at your desired destination.

Step # 1. Define what success looks like for you

I could not agree more with Chuck Palahniuk when he says \”if you do not know what you want, you end up with a lot that you don\’t\”. I am a firm believer in the philosophy that each of us should come up with our own definition of success and then take steps to achieve that definition. [clickToTweet tweet=\”clutter can take over our lives. Clutter can rob us of our peace of mind and the ability to enjoy a fulfilled life.\” quote=\”clutter can take over our lives. Clutter can rob us of our peace of mind and the ability to enjoy a fulfilled life.\”] In today\’s world where there is too much being sold it is easy to fall for something that you may not necessarily need.

When you live life with a clear definition of success, you know what it is that you want to have in your life and how you want to live. Clutter begins when you mindlessly bring into your life things or relationships that you think may be useful to you \”someday\”. Unfortunately, someday never comes but what you brought in stays. It also arises when you chose to live off a script that the world has written for you. You fear to miss out (FOMO) and so you want to conform. This could be the very reason why as Christians we are told in Romans 12:2

\”Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God\’s will is his good, pleasing and perfect will\”.

In my view, the first step to decluttering your life for good is to do the work and define what success looks like for you.

This can be achieved by asking the following questions:

i) What does living a fulfilled life constitute for you?

ii) What kind of environment do you want to have? This should cover both your workspace and your home.

iii) Who are the people you want to have in your life?

Step #2. Two: Begin with baby steps

The thought of decluttering your life for good may seem overwhelming at first. However, if you begin with baby steps you will reach your goal. Think about how we all learned how to walk. First, we stood then put one foot in front of the other. Although we fell down, instead of staying down, we got up and tried again. This is how you need to handle the problem of clutter. Take it a day at a time. If it feels too much, ask for the help of experts. They will know how to hold your hand and help you propel forward. Open up to confidants. A problem shared is a problem solved. The most important thing in this step is to be bold and take action. When you fail do not stay down instead get up and try again.

Like I said above, this is a journey I am embarking on myself. Recently I wanted to declutter my clothes. I watched videos about the Konmari method which require that you remove all the clothes and then handle one item at a time. The thought of all those clothes in a big pile scared me. Instead, I purposed to tackle a small area at a time. By the time two hours were over, I had huge piles for giving away and another for donating. The exercise was not overwhelming for me at all.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Step #3. Always keep your vision in front of you

In order to keep registering success on your journey, keep your clear definition of success before you. You can do this by always maintaining a visual picture of what success looks like for you. You can achieve this using a vision board. In this POST, I shared how you can create a vision board. As you create your board, ensure that you are putting up pictures or words that help you answer the three questions above. Having a vision board is what will help you get back on track when old habits want to set in.

Finally,

You need to always remember that regardless of the type, clutter does not just appear in a flash. It builds up over time. This is the main reason for you to live life with intention. Keep in mind that your life will always be determined by the decisions you make. Although you can get help with dealing with your clutter, only you hold the key to declutter your life for good.

I have designed a FREE 7 Days Organise Your Life Mini-Course and on Day 5 we look at how you can Declutter Your life for good. Sign up for the course and create a plan of action to help you live a fulfilled life.