Letting go of Clutter

When I start to de Clutter, I like to refer to it as a "LOVING YOUR HOME SESSION"

3 Steps to begin letting go of clutter
But I love all my stuff; why do I have to let it go? 

You don't. Keep what you love, but do you really love all of it?

When we are surrounded by things that we have carefully (or not so carefully) purchased. When we can see our wonderful collections and memorabilia, it's difficult to reason that we might be living in chaos.

We see it everyday. So, our subconscious mind says this is comfortable and normal. So when we consciously make an effort to clean up, our subconscious mind rejects the effort by sending negative emotions, and all kinds of roadblocks.  

There are tunz of evidences from our past that step in and say, "You're screwing up my normal, STOP CLEANING!"

Then we spend 20 minutes looking for a stupid pair of scissors, and find them in a drawer that we can't re-close because it has come off the track from too much stuff.  And end up abandoning the project we wanted the scissors for because the other supplies are in a box . . .somewhere? 

So, with new resolve we make another attempt at cleaning. Determined that this time we will get it done. Yet the subconscious eventually wins out again, emotion kicks in because of the evidence from our past, and we give up that resolve yet again.

So how can we remove what our subconscious sees as normal and replace it with a new and better normal?

3 steps to get you started.

1.  Pick your spot.
When you are making a decision of where to start it's a good strategy to think first about safety. Then think about clearing out space as permanent homes for things. Books need to go on a book shelf, so the books shelves need to be available. Then consider how much time you have available. Perhaps you can only clear half the stairs today. Maybe you only have time for one box or bag. Even if you only have 10 minutes you can find a spot to work on. 

2. Look at the whole picture.
This is the most important and beneficial trick we can play on our subconscious mind. 

Try to remember when you were looking at your home before you ever moved in. That may be too far back for you to remember but you probably thought about how you would arrange your furniture, how your decorations would look, and you might have imagined what you would be doing in each area of your home. Try to capture a visualization about the area as if it is already free of clutter and perfectly arranged.

Of course it would be overwhelming to consider cleaning the entire area in one fell swoop. 

However, if you pick a box or a bag to work on, and let's say the box or bag has 40 items in it.  If all you see is those 40 items, then all you are really seeing is 40 decisions that have to be made. 40 decisions that your subconscious will want to reject. If you can consciously and continuously be looking forward to the beauty and comfort of the area, then all those decisions become small and easier to make. 

It may still take several days or weeks to finish the area, but if you can visualize the whole picture each time you have a loving your home session, the closer you get to that picture the more motivated you will become. 

3. Keep a journal of your successes. 
Write down the area you worked on and what you accomplished. Then write down a goal for your next 'Loving Your Home Session'. Note down emotions that you felt and the roadblocks that made you want to quit before you reached your goal. Consider keeping a separate note book negative thoughts and roadblocks so that you can brainstorm and remember how you got past them. 

---