Many people utilize intentional statements to incorporate change into their lives. It usually comes in the form of a statement like this:

“Today, my goal is to ____________.”

If you are dissatisfied with the cluttered state of your home, why not create an intentional statement for that endeavor?

“Today, my goaI is to reduce clutter in my house.”

Now, people use intentional statements in a number of ways. It can be something you say to yourself as a meditation. Or you could say it in the shower. Or it could be a reminder you set on a calendar app on your phone or even a 3×5 card or post it (though those can create clutter, too). Most agree it should be something you should start your day with to ensure you act on it.

I recommend the reminder app and set it for first thing in the morning. You also might want to consider setting several reminders during the course of the day. I would also encourage mixing up the message and being extremely specific.

For example, committing to declutter your house is an overall goal describing an end result that’s fairly subjective. What you consider decluttered might not be to others. I’m a bigger fan of specific goals.

“Today my goal is to spend five minutes decluttering the bathroom.”

When you have the bathroom the way you want, create a new reminder for a different room in the house.

You can make that message even more specific if you like:

“Today my goal is cleaning one drawer in my dresser.”

Or…

“Today, my goal is cleaning out my closet for five minutes.”

The beauty of these types of statement/reminders is that if you stick to it, you will see results fairly quickly.

Of course, the real key to any type of intentional statement is compliance: you have to actually do what you say in your statement.

So, how do you do that?

Good question. Make it a point to evaluate your intentional statement on a weekly basis. Be honest with yourself about whether or not you stuck to it for the previous week. If you haven’t had a good week, what will you do to make next week better?

More reminders?

Different, more obnoxious notification sounds?

New and stronger messages?

Perhaps you want to think about what you might be missing out on by not following your statement? Do you really want to invite friends and family over with your house in its current state?

Most who follow this strategy know you created the reminders for a reason: to act. That’s why intentional statements/reminders, especially with the participation of family members, can be an effective decluttering strategy.

Need help clarifying and executing your intentions? Give me a call at 508-246-6120.