When we live our lives in a simple way, we eliminate the chances for things to overwhelm or worry us. Of course, there will always be the occasional moment when we worry if something will work out the way we hope it will, But more often choosing a simple path means you have reduced your list of life’s to-dos to a smaller, and therefore, more manageable selection of how you will spend your time, with whom and to what end?
There are two little words not many people like to hear, Cleaning Day! Unfortunately, at the start of the New Year, we all need to give attention to some of our long forgotten spaces that have accumulated throughout the year. If you think deep cleaning is only for spring, think again! The New Year starts off strong with a clean slate from which to plan! Unfortunately, the collection of “stuff” we have carries over from December 31st into the new year. Don’t let your stuff hold you back this year.
You have goals, you have dreams and you want to see them realized. You have planned with friends and you intend to keep each other on track. So what’s the next step to seeing your New You Realized in 2016? Declutter and Simplify! Simplification allows you to spend your talent, energy and focus on what matters most, your passions! Don’t let your time be wasted away with the maintenance of “stuff”. When you think about simplification in these terms, “Cleaning Day” doesn’t sound so bad!
4 Areas you should take the time to clean before the end of January.
1. Your bedroom closet. Once again, you may think the bedroom closet clean-out is for after winter has ended and the winter clothes are being put away for the season. But even with the winter wardrobe hanging in its place in the closet, there are plenty of ways to minimize and organize. Start with your outer- wear. You may have a hall closet that stores your winter outerwear. Is it all current, modern style, and sufficient for the average weather you experience in your area? Then move on to your thinner layers for winter wear, and finally your warm weather items.
2. Your garage. We all know the garage tends to be the hidden cave to dump things we don’t want to deal with. Now is the time to deal with it.
3. Your home office. Create a system for papers that allows an immediate chance to file an item or toss it.
4. Central drop zone. This is the place in your home where every member of your family tends to “drop” their arm-load. The purse, the keys, the mail, the lunch boxes, the misplaced hair accessories, the earring missing its pair. This is the place that creates the most displeasing disorder because it is in plain view all day long. Take the time to go through each individual item in this pile. Including the earring that lost its; mate and return each item to its appropriate home. If it doesn’t have a home, create one!
Now is the opportunity to start well! January brings a little momentum with it. Ride the momentum and let it propel you with a clean slate and good habits into 2016! Make Your Days Great with less to maintain and less to occupy your mind.