Spring is here and spring cleaning! You’re ready to hit that cabinet, closet, garage, mudroom or any other source of clutter with gusto. That’s all well and good but there’s one thing you need to remove first that will make your decluttering a complete success. Its…

Okay, before telling you, we’ll see if you can guess. It doesn’t take up any space in your home. Yet it’s something that most visitors can see right away upon entering pretty much every room in your home.

Do you know what I’m talking about? How about one more hint?
While you can exchange this for something completely different, this thing will forever be part of any home you live in?

Okay, I might be confusing you at this point. So, we’ll cut to chase. If you truly want your house to be clutter-free now and forever more, before you throw anything out or put one item in the Goodwill bag, you must alter your beliefs.

Let me say that emphasize this point a little more strongly:

ALTER YOUR BELIEFS.

We live in a society that puts out a very strong message that what you own represents success.

Or that if you’re not constantly busy, you’re not productive.

Or the worst one of all, that no matter how much you do or own, it will never be enough.

You are only human. When our culture keeps sending you this message and it’s reinforced by people we know, it’s difficult not to become trapped by those beliefs. Yet recognizing that and seeing how those beliefs have created a recipe for dissatisfaction is the very first step to truly decluttering your home.

Now, you might be thinking, “it took me years to get like this, how can I just turn a switch and decide not to be like this anymore?”. That’s a great question.

A real simple answer to that is, “You can change your beliefs just as easily as you change the linens on your bed.”

Awareness of the trappings of your previous beliefs is a very powerful thing. If you know you have had a thing for things and want to change the best first step is to get rid of something.

If you start to feel guilty about watching a movie on a rainy afternoon instead of cleaning your bathroom from top to bottom, don’t. Clean the sink and make an appointment with yourself to clean the shower the next day.

Your beliefs led you to the clutter you now face. Your new beliefs can lead you out and to a life where you feel happy and at ease rather than guilty or unworthy. It can be that simple.

If you need some help with those beliefs or taking your new beliefs and creating an action plan, give me a call or drop a line.