Clear Clutter and Improve Your Life!

Clear clutter and improve your life. That's a bold claim. But I can tell you from experience that it's true. When I clear clutter from my home (or my head) I feel more relaxed. I can see possibilities that had been hidden from view.

One of my goals most years is to clear clutter from my home. My plan is always to take a room-by-room approach. Unfortunately, most years I don't achieve that goal because it seems so overwhelming. It is overwhelming!

I'm definitely not a "clear clutter" expert. In fact this is one of my biggest challenges. I love to keep stuff because I may want/need it someday. Sometimes I'm just too indecisive about what to do with something so I just put it down... anywhere! Sometimes I'm just too lazy to clear clutter that has built up. Yes, it is too overwhelming a task.

But I do know, appreciate and even value the practice of clearing clutter from my home and workplace.

Five Benefits of Clearing Clutter on a Daily (or Weekly) Basis

1. Clear clutter and you can reconnect with people, activities, and important information that you may have been neglecting.

Clearing clutter allows you to find those notes you jotted down with important dates or information. Clearing clutter allows you knock those vague "I need to..." out of your mind because you'll have reminded yourself to take action.

2. Clear clutter and you get to spend a few minutes each day evaluating what you have in your life and whether you want to keep it in your life.

Clearing clutter can be very liberating. As you're sorting through piles of unread magazines, letters/e-mail that need to be answered, and clothes that need to be mended you'll have time to reflect on activities or relationships that might be demanding too much of your time and energy. Then you can take action on any changes you want to make (this is another way to clear clutter!).

3. Clear clutter and you will feel less stressed.

Clearing clutter on a regular basis keeps your home, workplace, or mind free of excess stuff. Until you've experienced a clutter free zone, you may not appreciate how liberating this can be. Try it! And once clearing clutter becomes part of your routine, it won't even feel like clutter anymore. In fact, you'll just be putting things in their proper places (didn't our mother's tell us we should do that?).

4. You will have more room in your life for new opportunities and possessions if you keep your life and environment clutter free.

Clearing clutter is more than getting rid of useless things, it's more than putting useful things in their proper places. Clearing clutter is a way to free up space in your life for new opportunities and possessions. Until you clear clutter, you won't have room to bring in anything new.

5. You will experience the joy of knowing you have your life under control.

Clearing clutter allows you to experience a feeling of control over your environment. It allows you to look around and know that everything in sight is there because you want or need it. Everything belongs because you've chosen for it to belong.

Where You Might Need to Clear Clutter

Tips to Help You Clear Clutter

• Make a commitment to spent 5-10 minutes (at least 3 days this week) to clear clutter.
• Start small. Don't let your feelings of overwhelm get you down. Clear clutter from a small corner of your desk, one shelf in a closet, or one drawer in the kitchen.
• Listen to music or an audio book while you clear clutter.
• Set a timer and stop clearing clutter when the bell sounds. If you want to keep working... go for it!
• Use 5 or 10 minute blocks of time while waiting for the coffee to brew, the laundry to finish, or the bathroom to be vacated to clear clutter.
• Share your clutter clearing success with a friend (me!).
• Take before and after pictures.
• Experience the pleasure of small bursts of clutter-free living. Build on the momentum and keeping clearing clutter.
• Reward yourself when a major clutter zone is completed.

A Quotation to Inspire You to Clear Clutter from Your Life

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