Simplicity isn’t about what you give up. It’s about what you gain. When you remove the things that don’t matter to you, you are free to focus on only the things that are meaningful to you. Imagine your home, your time, your finances, and your belongings all filling you with joy and helping you achieve your dreams. Own less. Live more.
Here’s some creative ways to get started:
- Take 5 minutes. Set a timer and start moving. You’ll want to sort things into three categories – trash/recycle, donate, and put away. When the five minutes is up, take the donate items to your car, put away the items that belong somewhere else, and take out the trash/recycling. Repeat tomorrow.
- Days of the month game. On the first, get rid of one item. On the second, get rid of two items. On the twelfth, get rid of twelve items. You get the idea. By the end of the month, you’ll see quite the transformation!
- Fill one trash bag. Grab a simple large trash bag and see how quickly you can fill it. While sometimes you’ll collect trash, this could also be used to fill a bag for Goodwill.
- Try the “Oprah Winfrey Closet Hanger” Method. Identify wardrobe pieces to clear out by hanging all your clothes with the hangers in the reverse direction. After you wear an item, return it to the closet with the hanger facing the correct direction. In a few months, you’ll know which clothes you wear and which you don’t. This experiment could also be applied to a number of areas (cleaners, toys, linens, tools, hobbies and craft items).
- Take the 12-12 Challenge. Find 12 items to throw away and 12 items to donate. Remember, to take out the trash/recycling when you are done and to immediately take the donate items to your car. Don’t let stuff linger. It finds a way to creep back in.
You will be amazed at how you can simplify life and bring more peace into it, just by organizing and cleaning out the clutter when you simplify your home.