Do you feel overwhelmed by clutter? Get frustrated because you can't find something in your home? Can't work efficiently because there is always some kind of home task that needs to get done? Cleaning up your space is more than just tucking it into your closet to be dealt with later. It's time to get efficient! Think every item must bring some form of value. It's time to break up with the 'things' that are no longer serving you!
First, let's assess our space...
Step into a room in your home, your bedroom, kitchen, living room etc.. While standing in that room ask yourself how you feel. What kind of emotions does it spark? Does it make you feel relaxed, overwhelmed, lively, organized, unorganized, happy? When you look around this room and look at the items that fill it what comes to mind? Does the furniture and decor in this room provide meaning to you? Do they serve a purpose? Now ask yourself is there any area in this room that has been overlooked? Things piled into a drawer or cupboard that you keep saying you will get around to. Dated items that you are still holding onto because you think that you should? Lets dig deep into the walls of each room.
How to start thinking and acting like a minimalist..
To begin this process it's going to get a whole lot messier before it gets organized! The idea is to evaluate every corner of your room. You need to pull everything down off that bookshelf or out from hiding in your cupboard. Now when returning things back into place this is when you need to ask yourself if it's a keep, donate, sell or get rid of. If you are finding it hard to let go of any items try thinking about the last time you used this particular item. Was it in the last 6 months? Last year? That should be enough of an indicator to realize if you need it or not. Now if you are still having a hard time separating from this item put it in a very obvious spot in one of your main rooms for the next month and see if it gets used.
Items with sentimental value, say passed down from a family member or hold a significant memory, we do want to save these items. With that being said, there are storage systems we can create to keep these items safe, but also seen and used! There is no point of holding onto something just because you feel you 'should' and then let it sit in a storage unit gathering dust for the next decade. The true value in minimizing your space is realizing the memories come from the moments and to have less attachment to 'things' as 'things' can not replace your memories of a time or a person! I am all for items of sentimental value but I am specific on what I keep and how I showcase it.
Putting it into action!
Now doing this to your entire home can feel like A LOT! But when you have less clutter, you have less distraction. No more constant to-do's, no more weight of feeling like you cant accomplish anything in your own home. With this process, if it is new to you, we want to start slow! Make it exciting and motivating! I want to encourage you to join me on a 30 day challenge for March. Everyday we are going to take 1 item out of our home! Either to donate, gift, sell or throw away. Once our homes have been de-cluttered from the items that no longer serve us we can get some organizational systems in place!
-Jax
@jaclynrinehart
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