I’ve been investing pockets of time to clear out my physical and emotional space. At first, the mere thought of giving away my belongings was challenging, especially when I felt like I needed things to make me feel safe. Some items carried sentimental meaning and others items made me feel wasteful. Many items made me question what I was going to do after discarding these items.
I found that the most draining part of the process (both in terms of time and energy) was ‘thinking’ about reducing the clutter. The process of separating the items and putting them into bags went pretty quickly, as soon as I made the decision to part with them.
I felt surprisingly lighter after giving away the things that just didn’t spark joy any more. I parted with clothing that I hadn’t worn in years and donated it to charity. I sold several bags of clothing to consignment stores. I gave away furniture that I didn’t have room for and recycled old electronics.
“Simplifying made me feel lighter and more at peace with myself.”
One of the key questions that Marie Kondo, Founder of the KonMari Method™ and tidying expert asks:
“Does it spark joy?”
https://konmari.com/pages/about
Here are 3 ideas to spark simplifying your life:
1. Mindset Shift
I had to keep changing the thoughts of “How am I going to find the money for new belongings?’” to “I am open to receiving joy, abundance and good things in my life.” I find the most challenging part of this process is getting out of my own way and trusting that better things will come my way. What are small shifts that you can create in your mindset?
2. Finding happiness in the small things
Focusing on the sheer joy of breathing reminds me to stay present. Brené Brown refers to “Box Breathing/Tactical Breathing” in her book Dare to Lead. Breathe in deeply for four breaths, hold for four breaths. Exhale for four breaths. Hold for four breaths.
3. Focus on simply doing the things that bring you joy
What tasks bring you more energy? What are the things that you are most passionate about? Do more of these things, keep taking action and notice how amazing you feel. Bottle this feeling up and come back to it during your most challenging days. If you don’t know what you’re passionate about, take this as an opportunity to experiment and learn more about yourself. Your future self will thank you!