Clutter Busting Coach

…clearing clutter from your mind, body and space

The Great Paper Declutter 2023

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I don’t know about you, but I have always had too much paper. In fact, it is one of the reasons that I am interested in clutter busting. I have been successful at getting our names off mailing lists, so we only get limited paper mail (mostly donation requests and junk mail), yet I was still suffocating under the piles of reference papers I had in a file cabinet and file boxes. This storage went back to earlier in my career before computers where I kept resources, projects, and papers so I wouldn’t have to reinvent anything.

I recently was honest with myself and realized that I wasn’t using my references and records, and I did a major purge of paper. As I was doing this project, I became aware of how many decisions I made to go through and purge our paper storage. And I wanted to acknowledge that It can be overwhelming. [Read more…] about The Great Paper Declutter 2023

Fall Into Decluttering

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With the leaves beginning to fall from the trees, this time of year is a wonderful time to consider decluttering or letting go of the extra stuff in your life.

This idea also ties in with my word for 2023, release. It is a great point to check in about that.

So, almost nine months into this year and my focus on releasing things has continued. I have been remarkably successful with the “stuff” part. Each month I continue to create crafts using supplies previously in storage or donate ones that I am no longer interested in using. I have also let go of clothes monthly. I continue to release old habits and continue to engage in healthy exercise and eating choices that are leading me toward my goal.

Where I continue to be stuck is releasing old roles and expectations. Now that will be a focus for this last quarter of the year. I have a few SMART goals written down and I am committed to making the changes toward some new beliefs.

What are you attempting to release? Life coaching can help. Contact me to learn more.

Realistic Decluttering Expectations or Progress over Perfection

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What type of expectations have you set for yourself when it comes to tackling clutter?

We can set ourselves up to fail if we expect too much. We think we can declutter our home in one afternoon or one day, or that life will magically be great once we get rid of the extra clutter in our lives. Although decluttering has many benefits, it won’t instantly simplify your home or life overnight. Clutter takes time to build up and, therefore, time to get rid of.

Decluttering is about progress over perfection. It is about consistent, baby steps to get rid of the extra stuff in your life or the chaos. It is not about perfectly decluttering or worrying if you’re doing it right or if you are keeping the correct number of each category of things.

To shift your mindset to one of progress consider:

  • Taking baby steps or setting mini goals to help you slowly leave your comfort zone.
  • Using visualization to set yourself up for success.
  • Celebrating your milestone achievements along the way.
  • Acknowledging that decluttering is not linear and that there may be some stops and resets along the way.
  • Eliminating the temptation to compare your progress to that of someone else.

Now is a good time to look at your SMART goals for decluttering and see if you need to make adjustment such as adding in rewards or taking smaller steps.

Why are you decluttering?

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Are you stuck? Having difficulty being motivated to declutter.

Maybe it is because you are not being clear on why you are decluttering.

Decluttering can be exhausting and challenging. It helps to be totally clear about why you are decluttering. Do you have a vision for your space after decluttering? What do you want your home to look or feel like? Do you have a clear picture of what decluttering benefits you hope to experience? What are the specific benefits for you and your family?

Knowing your ‘why’ will give you motivation and purpose to keep decluttering even if you struggle every now and then.

Here are some benefits to decluttering for you to consider:

  • Create more time for joy.
  • Creates more space.
  • You will be a great role model for your family.
  • Makes it easier to find things.
  • Possibilities
  • Energizes productivity.
  • Relieves anxiety and reduces stress.
  • Sharpens your focus.

Now take action to determine your whys so that they are crystal clear for you. Use a journal or a pad and list for yourself precisely why you want to declutter. And create a SMART goal for getting the next step done.

Solutions for Decluttering Mistakes

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In a previous post I shared some decluttering mistakes.

Here are some potential solutions to a few of those mistakes:

  • Schedule regular maintenance sessions once you have decluttered.
  • Have daily routines to keep clutter controlled.
  • Begin your declutter journey with easy items such as obvious trash and declutter the hard things later such as sentimental clutter.
  • If the clutter belongs to someone else, you need to involve the person in the decluttering process.
  • Do not keep something “just in case” especially if you can repurchase it.
  • Prepare in advance for a decluttering session.
  • Deal immediately with the declutter items.
  • Decluttering means purging not organizing. You must let go of things, downsize and then organize what is left. Even if it is organized it can still be clutter.

So, how can you reframe the way you think about decluttering so that you can avoid some common mistakes?