You made it! This is week twelve and our final week of the decluttering series. I am so excited to be a part of your journey to stress free living! Knowing the process, giving yourself grace, and trying to enjoy the journey are important steps in completing your decluttering plan.
Knowing The Process
This series came at the perfect time because my husband and I moved again and are determined to finally finish this long, drawn out process. While each segment of this decluttering series is quite useful, not all of it pertains to my current phase and not all of it will pertain to yours either. That is why having so many examples and ways to get the same end are important.
Each family will have their own process. For example, my husband and I first cleaned and set up the living and family rooms, only to end up using them as staging areas to go through more boxes. Each time, we ended up with several items we could not sort through at that moment, like the 12 boxes of family photos. We could not finish going through all of the boxes in one sitting. Therefore, we got the photos that were already in frames, up and on the walls. Additionally, I got all of my certificates in frames and hung up as well. Then, we put all extra little things that didn’t belong with the photos into one box labeled, “Tchotchkes.”
Part of “our” process was not to allow the leftovers linger in the living room. Create a process, so nothing is left behind in the clean area you used as a staging area.
Give Yourself Grace
Learn to give yourself grace when you do not accomplish as much as you would like. Currently, I have a list of things to work on that includes five boxes of office supplies. The funny thing is that three of them are not full boxes. They should not take long to go through and put away. Because these boxes seem to be the easiest to do, I have not gotten to them. They are not the priority on my list. However, these will be the first I attend to if I need a feel-good result.
There are so many little tchotchkes I do not want to get rid of but do not know where to put. It is not easy to sort these items into specific categories. Once I finally get them all in one location, I will be able to break them down into categories and store them in pretty boxes or plastic tchotchke drawers in the garage.
I would also love the extra cash from selling some things. However, it is not always worth the stress of planning a garage sale. I have given myself until the end of June to gather enough for a garage sale, or I am taking everything to the thrift store or a charity.
In the meantime, there are so many little sections and full areas to work on that I have to be patient with myself. I refuse to beat myself up for not completing a task. If you struggle with more to do than you are able, give yourself grace. After all, life IS a journey, not a race.
Enjoy The Journey
As you declutter sections of the house, garage, and yard, try to enjoy the journey of releasing things that weigh you down. If you are anxious or overwhelmed each time you take on an area or even a few boxes, the act of decluttering may paralyze you or even depress you.
While enjoying the process sounds counter-intuitive, if you focus on the final result, it will make it easier. Also, if you make up your mind that you will enjoy the journey, you will reach completion sooner. The release of things and feelings attached to the things can be a huge weight off of your shoulders when you are done and the accomplishment and time you gain will be your reward. Keep your eye on the prize.
As a bonus, subscribe to my email list here to download the complete decluttering series.
If you enjoyed this decluttering series, you will like these: Are You Goal Focused? and Learning to Live in the Moment. Make sure to share with your friends.
If you have ideas or thoughts, you think would benefit others, share them in the comments below. Then, look around the site for blog posts and products to help you on your journey to stress free living.
Cheers!
Click here for more Stress Free Living:
http://www.wholeliving.com/136439/10-steps-stress-free-home
Declutter Your Mind To Create A Stress-Free Environment Around You https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/254564
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