Have you ever felt confused? If so, you’ll know that it can become very overwhelming at times and because of this there is time wasted in worry and procrastination. I remember when I was confused, I found it hard to focus. After doing some decluttering, I learned that I had much more clarity. In this post I will show you how it will work for you too.
We have all heard of less is more, right?
When I first heard this, I don’t think I fully grasped the idea. It was some years back and back then I thought it was some hippy way of justifying having less or to justify that you can’t afford to have much. Recently I have discovered less is more in a whole new light. I came across a short video on minimalism and decided to implement what was suggested. The idea is to reduce the amount of clutter we have and only keep what brings us joy or what serves a purpose. The people interviewed in the video said they experience a fuller richer life by getting rid of what does not serve them anymore and living on bare minimum.
What does less is more mean?
It means that by reducing the amount of things, possessions and clutter we have that our lives become fuller. Your mind becomes clearer, less fog and confusion gives way to clarity because as we reduce stuff from our lives it frees up space in our minds to focus and let go of what is no longer needed. Reducing the amount of stuff you have allows more time for things that bring you joy, it frees you of all the unnecessary meaningless activities and time wasters. We experience more joy, peace and clarity which allows us to have more time to do the things that we enjoy and to experience life more. Your home feels so much more peaceful and you find your mind becomes calmer as well.
Gaining more clarity
I really didn’t think it would work, I had heard others have so much more clarity by reducing the amount of clutter they had in their homes and lives. So I decided to give it a try. First I started in my bedroom and removed all the items on top of my chest of drawers and bedside tables, I took all the pictures out as well, stored them away with the intention to look at them in a week’s time to see if I missed any of the items and if I did then return them back to my room. What I found was that after a week, I only felt I wanted 3 crystals back in my room and decided to get rid of the other items. What I noticed from the very first night in my emptier room was so peaceful and I was able to have a better quality of sleep. During the days not only did I find I could focus on things better, solutions came for the problems I had, it also started to become very clear to me that I wasn’t going to have anything in my life that did not serve a purpose or bring me joy. This in itself gave me so much clarity and made decisions so much easier.
Increased Productivity
Not only was I gaining more clarity, focus and direction in my life as I slowly sorted through and let go of things, I found that projects I had previously started but was unable to complete due to distractions were now being picked up and worked on again. As I continued to clear out my clutter bit by bit, room by room, I noticed ideas, solutions, focus and direction becoming more and more clearer. My productivity increased because I had less things to distract me and my focus was becoming sharper.
It’s a process..
Decluttering is a process and for me it is not something that can be rushed. We have taken time to collect all the things we have and it will take time to minimise it all too. The trick is to be patient with the process and yourself, take it slow and steady. For me what I have found that works is to allocate a certain amount of time each day or week to work on decluttering your life. I don’t just mean possessions but it also applies to digital clutter, activities, time wasters and people across all areas of your life. You may find like me that you will sort a drawer or bookcase for example and let go of a few things, then later as time goes on you return to the same drawer or bookcase and do another pass and another pass later on of what is no longer required. This is normal and why I say to have patience with the process and with yourself. I find it fun to sort through things and look forward to my decluttering time. To get started you may find it helpful what some people use as a guide “if i haven’t used in the past 90 days and I can’t see myself using it in the next 90 days, then it is no longer needed”. There are a few Facebook groups on minimalism if you find you need support on your journey of less is more.
If you want more clarity, declutter your life
Decluttering your life can lead to a more fuller and richer life. It frees your mind of all the mental clutter and gives way to so much clarity and less confusion. It opens you up to more joy, peace and clarity because the things around you either bring you joy or serve a purpose.
Now that you know why, you’re ready to start to declutter your life and gain more clarity.
Get started today. Go slow and steady sorting bit by bit. If I can do it, so can you.
Robyn Lemsing
4th February 2018