How to organise your life and your mind - Part Two

This is part two of two-part blog post. Check out part one posted yesterday.

Life is made up of the internal and the external. The thoughts in your brain create the reality in your life. You need to start organising your mind before you start organising your life; otherwise, the changes will only be temporary. Have you ever spent a bunch of time cleaning something up only to have it get messy again a few weeks later? That’s because you didn’t get to the thought work that’s causing the mess in the first place.

That’s what the thought work we covered yesterday will do. But now, I want to tell you how to get your things in order. Yes. Being organised matters. A lot. It’s all about increasing awareness and living deliberately. And I am bad at it. Really bad! This is an area of my life where there is room for massive improvement. I am a ‘could do better’ girl when it comes to taking control and organising my stuff.

Many people believe that if they keep all the good stuff, it will add up to great; but really, it just adds up to too much stuff.

The beliefs that have led to me having a messy cluttered life are around time scarcity and telling myself I would rather be spending time on what matters. Of course, the irony is, if I spent a little time on creating an organised life and reducing the clutter it would create time for me. I am sure the amount of time I have spent ‘looking for things that must be somewhere’ probably adds up to a week.

Moderation creates mediocrity. A little of everything is just too much. So, we must decide. We have to say goodbye.

The two main places you reside are in your brain (internal) and in your house (external). Your house is usually a direct reflection of your brain. Often people who are overwhelmed and stressed out, live in homes that are cluttered and disorganised.

And I confess, this is me. I used to tell myself that I didn’t want a pristine perfect home, that I wanted a home that was lived in and cosy. I think that maybe I was kidding myself. I think it is totally possible to have a pristine and perfect home that is lived in and cosy.

Think about your house right now. Is it organised? Can you find things? Do you know what you have?

When is the last time you really did a thorough clear out and tidy? Think about the garage. Your wardrobes. The attic. Your storage areas. The cupboards underneath all the sinks.  Are you feeling overwhelmed right now?

I want to help you have a home where everything serves you. That is that you want it, and you like your reason. It serves you and your family members. It’s current—the best version of it for you.

There is nothing in your home that you must keep. Nothing. You don’t have to keep your grandma’s dinner service. Keeping it does not mean anything. It doesn’t make it valuable. It doesn’t make you love her more. It doesn’t make your memory better. Things aren’t people. Things aren’t love. We can keep memories and ideas and still say goodbye to things.

If you aren’t using it, you are wasting it. Just because you keep something doesn’t mean you’re using it. How much waste do you have cluttering up your space right now? Something passes the “Is it serving you?” test if you have used it in the last year or know for sure that you will use it in the coming year. Otherwise, it’s not serving you. Say goodbye.

Follow this process with every space in your home.

It’s the same process we use for our minds, and it is:

1. Become aware.

2. Ask three questions—decide.

3. Say goodbye.

4. Create what you want

Step 1: Take everything out of the area you chose to focus on.

Put everything in a pile. This is the equivalent of a thought download. Give yourself a time frame to get this done. Don’t allow it to take any longer than you have given yourself.

Step 2: Ask the three questions for each item. Do this quickly. Remember that there are no wrong decisions. Based on the answers to these three questions, you will keep the item or let it go. 1) is it serving me? 2) Do I really want it? 3) Is it current or outdated? If you’re keeping it, put it away where it goes.

Step 3: If you’re letting it go, say goodbye. 
My suggestion is that you put it in a box for charity or throw it away. Don’t allow yourself to feel guilty if it’s valuable. It’s OK if you never once used it. Put it in the box and donate it to charity. Give it away for someone else to use and appreciate. It’s been wasted in your home. Let someone else have it. Your relationship with the item is complete.

Step 4: Create what you want.

Now that you have gotten rid of what you don’t want, you have space for what you do want. Look at the area you’re organising. What do you want? What is the purpose of the area? Do you have room in there for the future? Have you made space for more abundance? Allow empty shelves.

Embrace minimalism with clear countertops and or “sparsely filled drawers” Make room for air in your life. Make room to breathe.

Happy Spring cleaning.