Declutter

Summer 2011

Declutter: clear your mental and physical spaces to achieve well-being and an inspired life.

The amount of “stuff” we accumulate is mind-boggling. As a result, our minds and spaces become overloaded with unnecessary and unwanted items that bog down our lives and leave us swimming in a sea of clutter. Resolve to add simplicity to your life by eliminating the clutter of unintentional living, unfruitful tasks, unrewarding relationships and unneeded stuff.

Greetings! Welcome to the Leap Forward Coaching, LLC newsletter, inspired by clients who have worked with me to achieve greater success and more fulfilling lives. I hope you find at least one suggestion, thought, or idea to energize and encourage you. In this edition, our topic is Declutter: clear your mental and physical spaces to achieve well-being and an inspired life. Melanie Ott, Leap Forward Coaching, LLC.

Inspirational Quotes

The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak. ~ Hans Hoffman

As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler; solitude will not be solitude, poverty will not be poverty, nor weakness weakness. ~ Henry David Thoreau

Declutter What’s Holding You Back

The amount of “stuff” we accumulate is mind-boggling. Our homes are filled with little-used objects, desks piled high with unrecognizable papers, and minds filled with halfhearted goals and unfinished projects. As Will Rogers famously said, we “spend money we haven’t earned, to buy things we don’t want, to impress people we don’t like.” As a result, our minds and spaces become overloaded with unnecessary and unwanted items that bog down our lives and leave us swimming in a sea of clutter.

The “stuff” clogging our spaces is analogous to the mental clutter holding us back in our careers and personal lives. Nagging, unfinished tasks don’t just take up desk space; they add stress and clutter our minds. Partially realized or abandoned goals contribute to feelings of anxiety and insufficiency.

When summer arrives, we instinctively simplify our lives. We exchange winter’s blankets and heavy curtains for bright colors and lighter fabrics in our home, turn to leaner, fresher meals that will energize us even in the heat, and wear less clothing. Summer is the perfect time to lighten your life by getting rid of physical and mental clutter.

As a first step, set aside one or two hours to simplify your physical space. Start at your desk or in your closet and fill a giant trash bag with the excess items adding clutter and detracting peace from your life. Or, begin with mental clutter: create a task list of unfinished projects, goals, and chores, then commit to complete one daily — or call an end to “moldy oldies” no longer inspiring you or adding value to your life.

Whatever your approach, resolve to add simplicity to your life by eliminating the clutter of unintentional living, unfruitful tasks, unrewarding relationships and unneeded stuff.

Declutter: Practical Tips & Inspirational Ideas

• Be inspired. Decluttering can be a challenging undertaking, not just because of the substantial time and energy it can require, but because of our emotional attachments to our belongings. Start your journey with inspiration, like the reminder that clutter clearing is a purposeful undertaking.
• Put first things first. When you have difficulty relaxing, lose patience, or feel anxious and stressed, ask yourself, “Have I let important things go? Do I have unfinished business begging for my attention?” For greater peace and satisfaction in your life, prioritize your to-do list and take care of the most important items first.
• Quiet your home. Calm your spaces by removing everything smaller than a football — then purposefully, intentionally replacing only the most meaningful objects in areas that seem cold or empty.
• Adopt daily habits. Regularly completing simple tasks, like 10 Tips to Beat Clutter in Less than 5 Minutes or Martha Stewart’s classic checklist of 6 Things To Do Every Day, will help you streamlined your spaces and schedule.
• Be ruthless and wary of excuses for clinging to mental and physical clutter. Be aware of items or thoughts that are no longer relevant to your life, do not support who you want to be, and detract from your pursuit of your best life.

Further Reading

• 7 Ways to Spring Clean Yourself (Get Organized Wizard)
• Inner & Outer Clutter (Simple Organized Living)
• Zen Mind: How to Declutter (Zen Habits)
• 6 Ways to Get Organized This Year (Simple Mom)

Focus on the Future …

How can decluttering — your home, office, and mind — improve your life, increase your focus, and help you work towards your personal and professional goals? Clearing out the possessions and thoughts holding you back can lead you to a simpler, more fulfilling life, as you focus on your true intentions.

At Leap Forward Coaching, LLC, we have a process to help you focus and take action on the most important things in your career and life. As we guide you through this process, focusing on a purposeful, intentional life, you will increase your potential to achieve your dreams and goals.