CLUTTER!
We’ve all got some but aren’t you getting tired of it?
I know I was!
It’s funny how you don’t realize how much clutter is affecting your life until the Universe slaps you with a wakeup call.
I didn’t have a clue until the day I felt the immense relief that washed over me when I walked away from all the negative clutter in my life. When that HEAVY burden lifted off my shoulders, I could finally breathe again. And I felt lighter and more ALIVE than I had in years.
It was that day that I realized if you wanna make room in your life for anything new, you’ve gotta clean out the clutter.
Before I tell you my clutter story, I want to make sure you understand what clutter is.
What is Clutter?
Clutter is not just “STUFF.”
It’s anything that negatively changes how you react, feel, and live your life. It’s the unsupportive people, your emotional baggage, even your negative thoughts, emotions, and feelings. And of course, it’s stuff.
Wanna clean up your world?
Get rid of the negative clutter!
Now that you understand what clutter is, I’ll share a little bit about my battle with clutter and how I stopped it from fucking up my world.
My Clutter Story
A lot of people don’t understand my clutter story.
Why?
Because I had the AMERICAN DREAM! My ex and I owned 20 acres of property, a lovely custom-built home, plenty of toys, cars, our own business and so much more. By American standards, we were very successful. We had it all.
I should be happy, right?
BUT I WASN’T!
I was tired, sad, lonely, depressed, used up and stressed out. I didn’t feel successful.
Instead, the toll of juggling an overwhelming debt load, running a business 24/7, friends who were only around when they wanted something, an abusive marriage, an unsupportive family, and keeping up with loads of stuff while trying to keep everyone else in my life happy left me drained and unhappy.
In fact, I was MISERABLE.
So what did I do?
I GOT OUT!
That’s right. I walked away from it ALL.
The day I decluttered, was the most freeing day of my life. Since then I’ve looked forward, carefully working to build my dreams, my life, and my relationships in a much different way.
I had A LOT of work to do with my emotional and mental wellbeing to get back into the right place, but that day was the start of something bigger. Something freeing!
That was the day I finally started LIVING my life for me, not the one expected of me.
Walking away from it all isn’t for everyone.
But that doesn’t mean that you can’t declutter your life.
You CAN do it!
Get started, RIGHT NOW.
Take a long, hard, honest look at what’s cluttering your life and then get to cleaning.
You’ll be surprised at how much better you feel when you get rid of all the negative clutter in your life.
1. Facebook
Do you just feel drained, tired, or upset after spending time on Facebook?
You’re not alone.
I recently spent several hours cleaning up my Facebook fed from all the negative political postings, groups, and anything that wasn’t leading to positivity in my life.
If it didn’t make a good impact, it got canned, including negative, abusive friends.
Our TIME is one of the only things we truly own in life. So, why are we exposing ourselves to crappy people and posts that elevate the stress in our life or possibly even worse issues like addiction, depression, and unhappiness?
Why are putting yourself through that?
Clean out the trash and cut the amount of time you spend on Facebook.
Instead get out and spend your time with people in the “real” world. Postive personal contact is one of the most beneficial things we can do in our lives.
2. People
Surprised?
People can be clutter too!
And it’s hard to get rid of people, even when they are toxic. BUT hanging on to a negative, unsupportive relationship isn’t good for either of you.
It’s OKAY to let go and move on.
Just because it worked once, doesn’t mean it always has to work.
If a person doesn’t support you, your dreams or just spends more time taking; it’s time to declutter and move on to healthier supportive relationships.
Be gentle with it. And DO explain (or try to, it’s not always possible to reason with some people). Don’t leave the person hanging, not knowing why you’ve moved on. Communicate your clear, thoughtful reasons, so that you don’t become negative clutter in someone else’s life.
For more advice on giving up toxic relationships, read Karen Young’s article Toxic Relationships: How to Let Go When It’s Unhappily Ever After.
3. Emotional Baggage
Aren’t you tired of carrying around your past?
It’s time to deal with your shit and let it go.
Emotional clutter drains the very life out of you, leaving you feeling heavy, empty, guilty, angry, upset, depressed and stressed out. It affects not only your mental well-being but your physical one. AND it can keep you forming new healthy relationships.
Until you face your demons, growing and changing is almost impossible. Instead of moving forward, you stay stunted, languishing away in a rut of despair.
If you can’t do it by yourself, then get help. There’s no shame in seeking out the help of a therapist, counselor or life coach to help you let go of your emotional clutter.
4. Competing
Do you find yourself trying to outdo and keep up with your friends, family, and coworkers?
Just stop it!
“Keeping up with the Joneses” won’t do you a bit of good.
Instead, you’ll find yourself broke and unhappy as you dig your way deeper and deeper into debt trying to compete with everyone around you.
It’s time to live your life for you.
Before acting, ask yourself: are you doing this for you? Or are you doing it to prove yourself to someone else?
If the answer is that you’re doing it to prove yourself, it’s time to stop.
It’s NOT worth it!
Instead, live your life for YOU.
Think and be independent.
Be “YOU” and live FREE of the clutter.
5. Inner Critic
Have you ever listened to how you talk to yourself?
If you’re like me, it’s not always pretty. As a matter of fact, my inner critic is often quite unkind.
No one criticizes you as your inner critic does.
BUT it’s time for that to STOP!
STOP being so mean to yourself. STOP talking to yourself in such a negative voice. Instead, turn that negative inner critic into a positive one that reinforces your self-worth.
Start listening to you, being present and gently reminding yourself that you are not what the critic is saying. With a little practice and a short time, you’ll become your own best critic and kick the bad to the curb.
6. Stuff
Did you know that having lots of things makes you UNHAPPY?
Yep, you read that right. Buying and owning lots of stuff doesn’t make you happy.
It’s almost hard to believe because of the materialist and consumerist society we live in. Buy, buy, buy or you’re not a complete and whole person. BUT believe it or not, having your closets, the garage, an extra storage unit or just stuff sitting around piled up does NOT make your life better.
Wanna start feeling lighter, happier and freer?
Then clean out all the extra stuff you have and stop buying more.
Hold a yard sale, put it on Craigslist, donate it, give it away: it doesn’t matter what you do with it except that you get the clutter out of your life.
Ready to start living a life free of the clutter?
Then get off the couch and get to work because YOU are the ONLY ONE WHO CAN.
That’s right. You are the only one who gets to determine what is clutter in your life. No one else can do this for you.
I’m not saying that you gotta do it all right away, but I am saying that you have to get STARTED.
Don’t know where to start?
Make a list.
Look at all the things in your life that are weighing you down, keeping you from feeling entirely happy and like…YOU. If it’s not working, it’s time to try something new.
Getting rid of clutter today means you can live YOUR LIFE and DREAMS tomorrow.
Originally published at www.flyawayu.com