discover the joy of decluttering your life

“Letting go is even more important than adding.” Marie Kondo

My father and I had very different views on what decluttering meant. I love to have a clean surface and put everything away immediately whereas his idea of working efficiently was to have everything out on view.  There were papers and catalogues stacked high in his room but if you asked him where anything was, he would know instantly.

For most people, particularly with the new hybrid way of working, it’s very hard to concentrate when there are folders surrounding the desk or there’s washing waving to us from the corner of the kitchen. However, it’s not only the physical elements of home or work that could do with a good sort out, it’s also other areas that will lead to a more stress-free way of living.

So where to begin?

The easiest way is to start by clearing out what you absolutely do not need around you. Singer Alison Moyet once got rid of everything in her home before downsizing and burnt photos, clothes and hundreds of her gold discs, saying as a result that she had never felt better. That’s the bravest level of decluttering we’ve ever heard of so perhaps let’s go for somewhere in between.

What helps with simple decluttering at home?

Labelling and decent-sized storage are key but that’s for when you’ve done the ‘keep, charity, throw away’ steps (otherwise you just end up with empty boxes taking up more space in the home), and keeping an inventory on your phone can really help speed things up when you’re searching for something.

Not to say you have to list every button or pair of scissors you own but the items you spend most of your life looking for - it could be batteries, gloves or birthday cards. Ideally, find a specific safe place for everyday items, such as keys that you habitually use. When starting an inventory just focus on the items that have you pulling your hair out because they are never where you left them and as a result can waste minutes of your day as you try to locate them. 

Then we get to digital decluttering. Our phones are groaning with apps to make our lives easier but generally, we don’t use half of them. Constant notifications are distracting and so take a few moments to run through what you’ve used and if you have not touched it for a year, chances are it’s not for you.

If you’ve paid for an app then be sure to cancel it so that it doesn’t automatically renew. Have a look at all the platforms you are on and who you follow. Do they inspire you? Do they make you laugh? Keep anyone that brings joy into your life and then take off the rest. You can always find them if you really need to. 

Time spent looking for files and computers grinding to a halt is often down too many documents not stored systematically. We’ve all done it: working on something and then having to shut everything down quickly and then the next time we want a document it’s gone. Taking an extra 30 seconds to file things away will help speed everything up in the long run. Have a good scour through your digital files and if you can upload them elsewhere such as a shared drive, so that it’s not kept on your own hardware, you will find much less of your life watching the spinning wheel of doom.

As time rolls on, relationships are another part of our lives that benefit from decluttering.

It is obviously something that takes more thought than throwing out a bag of very old peas you’ve found in the freezer but it’s the same principle…is it out of date? Do current friendships or acquaintances fill you with happiness and positivity? Do you dread their call or email that must be responded to?

If the people, you are surrounded by are not praising your achievements or standing by your side when things turn sour (which they do for everyone at some point) then ask yourself if it’s a relationship worth keeping. If you’re brave enough to approach them and tell them why you feel uncomfortable in their presence, then it’s better for everyone because they are most likely unaware of the effect they are having. As a wise person once said, ‘There are only seven days in the week, so fill them with people you love’.

Finally, be sure to look at how you spend your own time.

Are you cramming your calendar with events that you don’t need to attend or going to meetings that don’t benefit you from being there? There are some brilliant programmes that help you prioritise what is important in your diary, often it’s colour coded and at a glance, you can see if you are taking part in something that is productive for your working or personal life. It takes a few moments to set up but by following the steps you can often get back half a day at least, just by evaluating if you really need to be there or not.

The main thing with decluttering is to not get overwhelmed and look forward to the freedom it brings. Focus on one section at a time and take small steps and by working on one area for a few minutes a day you will be thrilled with how much time and clarity you will get back.

 If you would like further information about the accredited coaching that I offer, how it could benefit you or your business, please get in touch here.