Getting to the bottom of a clutter pile is so satisfying, isn’t it? I mean, the pile has literally been staring you in the face all week, taunting you. It’s practically boasting about how happy the pile is to just sit there, right in the middle of the way! Finally, you say, “Enough!”, and you start going through it all. Then, in a desperate attempt to stop the taunting, it’s all put away, and the pile is gone – at least for a while!
So why does it keep building up and coming back?
Because though you got to the bottom of that physical pile, you didn’t really get to the bottom of why it’s there to begin with!
Getting to the bottom of the pile is great and satisfying, but if you don’t figure out why the pile is building up, then there will be no way to permanently conquer that pile!
So ask yourself things like, what is it about this moment that made me decide to finally attack that pile? Is there something different about my attitude today? Or maybe my energy? Is there some outside motivating factor, like a friend coming over to visit? Figure out what got you working in that desperate moment. That same desperate thought or action could be your secret to motivating yourself to declutter more of your space!
You could even ask yourself things like, “The pile was there all week. Why was it not enough to take action on it sooner?”
If you really hone in on what motivated you in that moment, it will be easier to manifest the motivation to keep going, even on those days where you just don’t have the energy.
Create a motivation mantra poster!
Make it the first thing you look at in the morning and the last thing you look at before going to bed. Take pictures of your rooms with all the clutter and put them on your poster. Take pictures of your rooms when they are spotless and freshly cleaned and add them to your poster. Create questions to ponder for inspiration, use special quotes, or even your own words to fuel your fire. Write down things you thought of in that desperate moment that finally led to you tidying that clutter pile! Whatever you do, make sure that the things on your poster really speak to you, really charge you up to work at keeping the home the way you want it!
Here are a couple of my favourite quotes that I always tell myself:
My house is a living space, not a storage space! -Francine Jay
Edit your life frequently and ruthlessly. It is your masterpiece after all. -Nathan W. Morris
The more things you own, the more the things own you! -Chuck Palahniuk
Simplifying what’s around you will help you simplify what’s within you -Courtney Carver
The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t! -Joshua Becker
Here are some questions I like to reflect on:
Does this house allow me to easily do the things I want to do?
Do I feel weighed down or uplifted by this room? How can I change it?
Just do it now! Give me one good reason to wait!
Clutter can be debilitating, but only if you let it. Let go of where you think you should be or could be and accept where you are! If you don’t like where you are with your clutter today, make choices that give you control over what you do about it now!
Figure out what motivates and remind yourself of that daily! I know you can finally get to the bottom of it all!
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