Decluttering Made Simple
Feeling overwhelmed and unable to get things done? The clutter around you may be the problem. Often people trick themselves mentally by saying the mess around them has no effect on their performance whether at work or at home. Instead of cleaning it up, they cover it up to pretend it's not a problem. Truth is, if you've ever experienced a highly organized space where you can find exactly what you need, it is absolute bliss. If you think it's too exhausting to clean, know that it takes even more energy to ignore the chaos that to address it head on.
Clutter is proven to create a mental obstruction that prevents your creative flow, so it is essential that you keep it at a manageable level. When you are surrounded by too much clutter, it is easy to lose sight of what matters most obtaining your vision and becoming limitless.
Less mess means less stress.
Clutter can be found in an array of places and can be cleared on many levels. Here's a blueprint to help you get focus on all areas of clutter.
Non-tangible Clutter
Start with the trivial things that can be mentally draining such the thousands of emails that aren’t important. Work toward getting your email down to zero. Some people prefer to organize their emails into folders to easily find them however the search feature works just as good if not better. It's a personal preference. Unsubscribe from everything that’s not important to you. Remove the clutter from your phone such as apps you don’t use. If you do use them on occasion, move them to other pages so you only see them when you need them. They are mentally distracting if you don’t use them and could potentially give you a sense of overwhelm. Delete contacts in your phone that aren’t relevant. Remove yourself from groups on Facebook or WhatsApp groups that don't provide value.
Tangible Clutter
Then begin decluttering your home or workspace choosing one area at a time such as a drawer and then move onto the next area such as closets. Get rid of everything you don’t need through selling or donating and organize what you do keep. If you haven’t looked at something in a few months, it’s probably not that important. For all your documents and receipts that you need to keep on file, store them electronically by using a digital scanner. Our recommended scanner is Genius Scan. Get the app here.
Create a Clean-up Project List
The best way to organize the areas of your life that you want to declutter is by treating it as a project with small actions. Create a to-list of all the things you want to clean up and then give them a timeline. Every day, focus on a small task and eventually your living and working area will be decluttered leaving you with tons of energy to focus on goals.
If you prefer a systematic approach to help you clear the clutter, here's a great program CHAOS TO CALM IN 6 WEEKS that launches today from our friends at Finding Sakeenah.
Staying Clutter-Free
Once you've cleared all the clutter in your life, you need to stay disciplined in your cleaning habits. If it can take you just few minutes to handle the mess, do it then. Don't push it off because that's how clutter begins to build up. If you find yourself procrastinating, there's a reason why. Check out this article on Pushing Past Procrastination to help you get things done.
Moving to Minimalism
If you really want a clutter free space that lasts, adopt a minimalistic lifestyle.
On the contrary to popular belief, It doesn't mean there's anything wrong with owning material possessions. It means simply to start living more intentional and not to put material things above your health, relationships, personal growth and desire to create an impact. Consider minimalism as a tool that can assist you in becoming limitless.
Instead of filling your life with stuff you don't need, shift your focus to what you really need and what brings you joy. Everything else is just fluff that collects dust and should not be in your life.
When you shop, ask yourself, how will it enhance my life? If it doesn't serve a purpose, consider it a distraction or something else to clean. At the same time, be mindful of your impact on the environment by purchasing sustainable products. Thankfully, there are environmentally friendly products for everything you need so just research before your next purchase. Immaculate Vegan is a great resource as it provides a wide selection of vegan & sustainable brands.
You'll find that environmentally friendly products will be a touch more expensive, but they last longer and better for our planet.
Everything Worthwhile Takes Time
It's going to take some work to declutter every aspect of your life if you do it the right way. In the end, it will be extremely rewarding. When you have less stuff around, you’ll begin to feel lighter and accomplish more. If you want to live limitless, it's time to lighten the load. Get started today on decluttering your life.