Want to be able to focus? Declutter your home!

MY DISCOVERY

It was a few years ago when my family took a trip to Florida during the winter.  I told my husband when we left, “I am having a hard time focusing. I hope this trip helps me to refresh so I will be able to focus better when I get home.” 

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We had a great time sightseeing but we also had some downtown which I was grateful for.  One of the places we went to was a book store in the area.  So I picked out a couple of books to read during vacation.  They were Marie Kondo’s The life-changing magic of tidying up and Courtney Carver’s Soulful Simplicity.

I started reading them and each chapter was refreshing to me and inspired me to keep reading. By the time I came home from the trip I couldn’t wait to start. 

THE REAL ADVENTURE BEGAN

I spent that winter going through each room and getting rid of what I didn’t need.  I told myself whatever I put in the garage was not coming back in the house. 

I started with the bedroom.  I went through my closet and kept only the things I loved.  I then went through the drawers in my dressers.  I started folding items the way Marie Condo suggested amazed at how much I could get in a drawer and how much neater it was. I even went through my jewelry and scarves.  I kept only the things I really wear. 

Then I went to the bathroom.  I went through the cabinets. I kept only the good towels. I got rid of all the expired meds and got rid of the old soaps we don’t use.  I placed what I kept neatly back in the cabinets.

The next big room was the kitchen.  I went through each drawer and cabinet.  I didn’t realize how many utensils I really didn’t use.  I had an old waffle iron that took up a lot of space so I found me a smaller waffle iron that matched my kitchen and was easy to store.  My pans were starting to fall apart so I started researching new ones and shopping for a good set in stores.  I finally found pans I liked and replaced them.  When I was done with the kitchen, my drawers and cabinets were only filled with the things I used and loved and the things I didn’t like I replaced or got rid of. 

Then I went to the Dining room.  The china cabinet was full. I went through that and kept only the things that I use and meant a lot to me.  Surprisingly, it was mostly things that I received from my wedding. Thirty years later and they are still my favorite.  

I went through my foyer closets and then the laundry room.  It was quite an endeavor, but it felt great.  I was focused and I could focus more and more each day.

It took me about 3 months to go through the house.  I was homeschooling and life still happens, but I would try to do at least one drawer or something a day.

THE WAKE UP CALL!

When all was said and done, what wasn’t so great was when I looked in my garage afterwards and realized how much money we spent on things we really didn’t need.  There was a lot of stuff in that garage. It was an eye opener for sure!  You want a wake up call, that will do it! I told myself after that I was only going to purchase things for myself that I really love or needed. My husband and children hadn’t even gone through their things and I didn’t ask them to.  This was my endeavor and I wasn’t going to frustrate myself trying to change their way of thinking just because I was.

By the time I felt like I had successfully gone through the house it was spring.  This was perfect because around here garage sale season starts.  Everything was in the garage now in the perfect place for the sale. Now if you really want to make it easy on yourself, skip the sale and take it directly to goodwill. However, we personally wanted to see if we could get any of our money that we spent back.

So when the subdivision had their annual sale we had ours.  We made some money but not as much as we had spent on all that stuff.  That is what it was to me now stuff.  After the sale was done, we packed everything left over into our vehicles and the next day we took it to Goodwill.  I can’t tell you what a remarkable feeling that was to let it all go! We came home to a garage that would store our vehicles only.

SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT AND FREEDOM!

I walked back in my home and I could sit down and know that I have only what I love in my home.  The clutter was gone. I could focus on my husband, children, hobbies, home life and not worry about how I am going to organize all my stuff.  Cleaning and dusting became so much easier. If we ever have to move I have a lot less to go through and my children will have a lot less to go through if something were to happen to us. I can enjoy lunch and go for walks with my husband and not think I have all this stuff hanging over my head at home. I can focus enough to try to accomplish the goals I feel the Lord wants me to focus on.  That is a big deal!

Once you do this you will be amazed how things keep trying to come in to fill the space.  Be diligent to not let it in and to keep that peace and focus you love. I put the items in my vehicle that I don’t want and drop it off whenever I can.  Even if it is one item. If it’s gone, I don’t have to think about it. And keeping it out a little at a time is a lot easier than having to do a big purge again.

Yes! I can focus a lot better now, I am more relaxed, and maintaining my home is a lot easier. Try it! You will be amazed how it will change your life. 

The money, time, and effort I save to do the things I really love like reading, writing, and spending time with my family and friends is well worth it to me.

I highly recommend these books also…

Things That Matter: Overcoming Distraction to Pursue a More Meaningful Life
By Joshua Becker / WaterBrook

The More of Less: Finding the Life You Want Under Everything You Own
By Joshua Becker / WaterBrook

The Minimalist Home: A Room-by-Room Guide to a Decluttered, Refocused Life
By Joshua Becker / WaterBrook

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Blessings and have a lovely day,

Cheryl

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