We are living in a world of more, more, more and now, now, now!
More gadgets, more entertainment, more stimulation, more stuff. And all of it available at the mere touch of our fingers. (Of course, I'm talking about the Western world).
It's craaaazy!
Before I found out about a concept called Minimalism, my house was full to the brim of stuff.
It didn't feel like it was full to the brim, it just felt, you know, like a normal home. And it wasn't until I decided to really look at what I had and think about whether I really, genuinely needed it, that I realised just how much stuff I (we) had accumulated over the years.
For no apparent reason!
The thing about stuff is, every single item has an effect on you.
Whether it's old papers or books, or crockery, clothes, cleaning items, furniture or anything else.
If you have chosen to have it in your life, it is having an effect on you.
The question is, are the things in your life and your space having a positive or negative effect on you?
Because, as I say, they are having an effect on you one way or the other.
I never realised before just how important it is to actively choose what we have in our lives and actively decide what we allow to be close to us.
It's so important to do this!
I spent a couple of months decluttering my life. And the freedom I feel now, the positivity and the focus I have, is 10X what it was before.
The main method I employed when decluttering my life was using the following three questions:
3 Powerful Questions to Ask Yourself When You Are Decluttering
This is the system I use with Every. Single. Thing. in my life:
I ask these questions:
1. Do I love this?
2. Do I need this?
3. Will this help me to live the life I want to live?
If an item (or anything else) doesn't get a 'yes' answer to at least one of these questions, it is gone.
So what are the most important areas of your life to declutter?
Here they are:
1. Your Home
I'll start with this obvious one. Your home should be a place where you can relax and feel at peace. You should feel joyful when you're in your home. Things should be easy here. Fun, playful, calm... and all kinds of your own personal goodness.
It may take some time to fully declutter your home.
It took me about 2 months (and a lot of work!)
Here are some ways you can start decluttering your home right now...
- Get rid of anything that's out of date - like foods, make up, medicine, toiletries.
- Clear out your junk drawer (everyone has one of these I'm sure!)
- Sort through and organise your photos.
- Donate any books you no longer need to the library.
- Get rid of any chipped crockery.
- Donate DVDs and CDs you no longer watch.
- Get rid of food storage tubs that have lost their lids!
- Donate any jewellery you no longer wear.
- Donate any clothes that are too big, too small or you just don't like.
- Clear out the cleaning supplies under the sink.
- Get rid of any broken toys or incomplete games.
- Get rid of any kitchen gadgets you don't use.
2. Your Thoughts
If you're like me (and most people!), you probably have a gazillion thoughts rushing around your head all the time. Things like 'I must remember to do this', or 'I must remember to say that', or 'Did I remember to do the other?'.
There's so much information coming at us, 24/7, through t.v., radio, the internet, our phones, our emails, bill boards and numerous other ways. Without realising it, our thoughts can be all over the place, unfocused and disorganised, and it can be hard to get focused or get motivated .
Here's how you can start to declutter your thoughts:
Do a brain dump - sit down for 30 minutes and write down every single thing you need to do or want to do, like, ever. Get it out of your head and onto paper.
Find an organisational tool that suits you. I use Todoist for all my projects, my daily to dos and my brain dumps.
Start meditating. Give yourself some time each day to sit without thinking.
Make a decision to turn off all electronic devices for a while. I mean your phone, your t.v. and your computer. Have regular periods of time without the craziness of information overload.
Go hang out in nature. I'm sure I don't need to go into the benefits of doing this!
3. Your Calendar
Is there anything on your calendar that you can cancel or delegate? It's so easy to say 'yes' to things when really we want to say 'no'. Check out all the things you've booked in for yourself over the next few weeks and don't be afraid to cancel if you want to.
Also are there ways you can batch any jobs that are on your calendar so you are planning your time more efficiently?
4. Your Outgoings
Getting on top of your outgoings is a whole other article!
But for now, make sure you have all your outgoings properly organised so you know exactly what payments are going out and when.
Also, take some time to go through your outgoings and cancel those little subscriptions that are ongoing but you don't really use. For example, I was subscribed to both Apple Music and Spotify... completely unnecessarily. I canceled Apple Music (because it's a pile of turd.)
5. Your Goals
We all have many goals, dreams and things we'd like to achieve. Do another brain dump here of everything you'd like to achieve in your life. Multitasking is not optimal when it comes to achieving your goals.
When you've done your brain dump, pick one goal and focus on that goal only until you have achieved it. Then you can move on to the next one.
6. Your Inbox
Ahhh that legendary inbox zero state! You can do it!
Go though all your emails and delete them or save them in folders. Don't save emails unless you really have to! Unsubscribe from anything you're no longer interested in. There's a nifty service call Unroll.me that makes it really easy for you to unsubscribe from things.
When I used it I discovered that I was subscribed to over 100 different emails!!
7. Your Friends
Yeah, this is a big one - but a very delicate one. Do you have any friends that you see or hang out with, even though it doesn't make you feel good when you do? Stop it!
Never be afraid to say no to people - this is your life and your precious time.
Also, go through your social accounts like Facebook and Twitter and cull away anyone who isn't really a friend or someone you'd like to stay in contact with. I repeat, don't be afraid to do this!
You've got better things to do than read about Joe Blogg's lunch or Mary Moany's complaints.
Alrighty!
Those are the essential 7 areas of your life to declutter.
I really hope you enjoyed this and that it's inspired you to take action and start decluttering. It's been an incredibly eye-opening and powerful process for me, and I hope it can be for you too.
"Clutter is not just physical stuff; it's old ideas, toxic relationships and bad habits..." ~ Eleanor Brown
All the best and Steem on!
Johleen :)
Images courtesy of publicdomainarchive.com