do you know how special your space is?

It’s almost December and if you’re in the northern hemisphere and not in a tropical area or the desert, then it’s cold. Which means you’re probably spending more time inside. Which also means maybe you’ve become more aware of your surroundings.

I’m not a historian, and I don’t have the statistics to speak on this subject, but I do have 17 years of experience working in peoples’ homes and I can tell you your space is special and it is a perfect outer reflection of you.

Not only is it a reflection of you but your space affects your energy and your energy affects your space too!

I thought about doing research on the history of the home, like the mud hut, teepee, and cave, and then I remembered I hate doing research and love writing from the heart.

Your space is special. If it isn’t already, you have the ability to make it so. You may not view it as special, but it is.

Home Love Method was featured in an article by Redfin about storage hacks for a cluttered home and you can read it here.

Their article is full of information on how to achieve a clutter-free living space but I wanted to write something a little more sentimental and for the reader that is wanting help on a deeper level.

First of all, what is clutter?

Merriam Webster defines it as a verb: to fill or cover with scattered or disordered things that impede movement or reduce effectiveness, and as a noun: a crowded or confused mass or collection.

Clutter, in the professional organizing world, is defined as items that are associated with indecision, physical objects that represent attachments to the past, and clutter is considered an accumulation of inanimate objects that represent a person’s life which may no longer have meaning, function, or importance/purpose.

AKA - it’s the $hit you don’t need anymore.

May we also quantify clutter?

It’s heavy, physically and emotionally. It causes stress, it wreaks havoc, it serves as a constant reminder that you have stuff to do and the clutter never shuts up and the to-do list never gets completed. When stuff isn’t put away it stares you in the face and doesn’t allow you to relax. If the kitchen counter is full of clutter, are you really going to be inspired to cook? Can you even find the items in your kitchen that you need to make the meal for yourself or your family? Even worse yet, clutter attracts dirt, dust, pet dander, etc. Then, after a while, the clutter falls into the background and you stop noticing it. That’s where the true danger lies. When you’ve lived this way for some time, you will become one with your clutter, you may gain weight, you may experience depression, you may even become physically ill.

Let’s say you just moved into a new apartment, or maybe you’re a mom of three and you’ve been in your home for a few years, maybe you’re retired and you’ve been in your home for a few decades. It doesn’t matter if it’s brand new or if you’ve been in your space the majority of your adult life, living with clutter can be difficult.

When your home is full of clutter it creates lost time while you’re hunting for the things you can’t find. Not to mention the money that is wasted on lost items you already have but have no idea where they are. Do I need to mention the stress that is experienced when you need something but can’t find it?

It gets worse the longer you live with clutter.

Clutter drains you of your precious energy.

When your home is full of clutter you may experience challenges figuring out what you want from life.

When your home is full of clutter you may not know what decisions to make about a job that is unfulfilling, if you should stay in your current relationship, or if your group of friends are actually the people you enjoy spending time with .

When your home is full of clutter you may not want to get out of bed in the morning.

It doesn’t have to be that serious, but for most of the people I work with, clutter affects all areas of their lives.

Why is this so?

Because they are surrounded by a theme of indecision and by the things they don’t need, and as a result, they aren’t able to effectively make decisions. Isn’t that the definition of irony? You buy stuff to make your life better/easier and instead it adds to the overwhelm.

Imagine being a painter. You love to paint, it’s your favorite thing to do, but your painting studio is filled with clothes, paper, dishes, family heirlooms, dead electronics, unused crafting supplies, trash, broken things you intend to fix, and at the very bottom of that huge pile of clutter are your paints, brushes and canvas.

What do you think will happen to your desire to paint if you have to remove all of that clutter just to get to the things you need? Do you think you’ll still want to paint? Do you think after living with clutter for a long period of time you’ll remember how much you love painting? Here in lies the dilemma. Trade in the word painter for whatever you are passionate about, trade it in for your career, mom, wife, husband, architect, doctor, therapist, etc. Clutter covers up your purpose. The spontaneity and joy that are necessary to live your life? Those are also covered up by clutter.

What is there to do about it?

First and foremost, be kind and loving with yourself. Your space didn’t become cluttered over night and what brought you to this point wasn’t easy. You may have experienced a trauma recently or in childhood. You may be stuck in an emotional place and you’re feeling helpless and hopeless. Maybe you were raised in a cluttered home and never learned how to tidy up.

But, there is light at the end of the tunnel!

If you can buy things and bring them into your home you can reverse this action and remove the things you don’t need.

If you have the budget for it, I highly recommend hiring a professional organizer. It will get the momentum going that you may struggle to find on your own. If you don’t have the budget, call a friend and get on FaceTime, tidy together. This will remove about 80% of the overwhelm!

When you’re ready, you make a plan and get started.

You get up on a Saturday morning and you pull out all of your clothes from your closet.

You completely empty it and make a big pile of all the clothes you own on your bed. You hold one piece of clothing at a time and you ask yourself if it reflects who you are today and who you want to be going forward.

If the answer is an absolute yes, you keep it, and if it’s anything other than an absolute yes, you set it aside.

Once you’ve touched every piece of clothing, and you’ve made all your choices on what to keep, put all of the absolute yes’s back in the closet and drawers.

Look at the rest of the clothing and go piece by piece. Whatever doesn’t inspire you to be put back in the closet, thank it, and put it in the bag for donation.

To make it a little bit easier… if you’re not going to wear it, get rid of it! If you are uncertain, put it on for a day, and if you don’t like it, let it go!

Do this with every category in your living space.

Are you going to use it? Great, keep it and store it in a place you can easily find it. Not going to use it? Great, let it go so that someone who can use it, will.

Life is too short to live in a storage unit. It’s your home we’re talking about, make it special, and take care of it.

Shhh…You can even do this with the people in your life that don’t support you in your goals and dreams.

What are the benefits of removing clutter?

Clearing out clutter is like creating a whole new you!

Once you’ve removed the clutter you will remove the obstacles that are keeping you from the clarity in your life.

Removing the clutter will allow the newly found light to shine on all the spots that were once covered up.

Getting dressed in morning will be easier, you’ll have the energy to take a walk in the evening after dinner, your whole outlook will transform because clearing out clutter is like cleaning the smudges from your glasses. Clearing out clutter will make you feel lighter and more free!

Not sure of your purpose? Removing clutter will assist you in discovering what you are meant to do in the world.

And!!!!

Everything you own will have a place to go when you’re done using it, so when it’s time to use it again, you’ll know exactly where to go to find it.

So, why is your living space a perfect outer reflection of you?

This doesn’t apply to everyone, but, do you like being at home? Do you like spending time with yourself alone in your space? Are there feelings inside of you confirming you’re an amazing human and you love where you’re at?

If you’re engaging in positive self-talk on a regular basis, your daily habits are supporting you in reaching your goals that are bettering you as a person, then you possibly have it all dialed in, and you don’t need to address your living space.

BUT…

For those of you that are missing a step here and there, experience depression more often than you’d like, constantly berate yourself for missing the mark, and aren’t fulfilled in your daily life, then tidying up might be just the stepping stone you’ve been waiting for.

It isn’t going to be easy and it will take all of your effort, fortitude, and perseverance, but if you take it step by step, category by category, and you are patient and loving with yourself, you will come to know what I mean.

Once you’ve removed all of your clutter, your living space will reflect self-endurance, self-love, and self-respect, and it will be the unique launching pad, created solely by you, from where you can start to create the new life you’ve always wanted.

To go a tiny bit deeper, while you’re tidying up, your thoughts and energy will be changing too, which are actually more powerful than your actions. While you’re tidying up, you’re not only discarding the things that no longer serve you, but you’re focusing on the things that do, and you’re energetically washing your living space and painting your new loving and beautiful vibe all over everything you touch.

I’m not trying to offend anyone and I’m not reducing your memories, family heirlooms, collections, etc. to being just things that have no meaning. But as an expert, and I do consider myself an expert, if your quality of life is less than stellar, and if you’re feeling stuck in any area of your life, I urge you to start removing clutter, because words can never convey what you will experience.

I’ve seen it more times than I can count, and I promise you, if you remove the things from your living space, the things that are attached to your past that are no longer serving you, your present and future will become crystal clear, and I dare say you will start to fall in love with your life.

You will have more mental and physical energy and your inspiration towards living life will become shiny and new too.

If you don’t like what you see or how it feels when you come home from work or from being on vacation, that’s a sign that it’s time to change it!

See?

Your space is special.

Thanks for taking the time to read this and happy tidying!