Let Go of the Past and Stop Forecasting the Future
Living in an environment full of things that no longer matter to you can be more than consuming. Life can pull us into different directions, spiraling into clutter accumulation. Here are some ways to lift the weight of unnecessary stuff from your shoulders and give yourself the space to enjoy the activities you love.
Where to begin?
Pick a room or space in your home that could use a little or a lot of TLC. Identify a box, container or area that you can easily decide what to do with. It could be an empty box that you were saving to use someday. It could be a set of speakers that no longer work, or it could be a container that just needs to be returned to the garage. Hey, maybe you can put that empty box
to use after all and designate it to gather E-Waste items like those broken speakers. By working through these easily identifiable items, you’ve already made progress and are officially on the road to making a difference in your space.
By focusing on smaller areas of a room rather than the whole room at once, you’ll see sections of progress that will add up over time. Trying to make changes to the whole room all at once can be overwhelming and may lead you to abort ship, allowing your procrastination skills to take over.
I have never liked this. It never fit me. It doesn’t bring a smile to my face. So, why are you keeping it? I have a good guess. Because Aunt Sarah thought you’d like it. Because you thought you’d get back into that pant size again. Give yourself permission to let these things go to another person who will get enjoyment out of them.
I’m keeping this in case I have that big party I’ve talked about. You may have found a party decoration “on sale” at a store while shopping for something else. You purchased it because it was a “good deal,” and you could see yourself using it “one day.” So if you’ve housed it for a number of years and it’s still wrapped in cellophane with the price tag on it, you may be able to let it go. Do you think that party will really happen? Even if you
were to plan a party, would this item still be useful to you? A deal really isn’t a deal if it just adds to the clutter you already have. If it really has potential to be used, even on a rare occasion, you could store it with like items in a protective bin in a storage area, rather than in an area where things are used most often.
Plan time to chip away at organizing projects and get the job done. There are times when you’ll find yourself in the right frame of mind to work on organizing. When you are “in the zone,” you can make a lot of progress. Sustain your positive outlook by keeping the work mood light and stress-free while listening to your favorite music. The outcome of your efforts will give you a sense of freedom, which is a reward in itself. If that’s not enough motivation, reward yourself with a movie or going out for coffee with a friend after you’re done. Trust me; you’ll be motivated to do more!
