New Decluttering Challenge, Soul Decluttering!

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If you’re a newsletter subscriber this should sound familiar, but if not, surprise!! Welcome to the first day of our new challenge, Soul Decluttering!

Before we get started, I wanted to share a little about what you can expect from this challenge. Below is one of my favorite pictures of my kiddos, and I realized that it’s also a great representation of our brand new decluttering challenge.

Walking a long road isn’t always easy. There can be unexpected twists and turns, daunting skies, and we can’t always anticipate who or what’s going to cross our paths, but walking with someone, hand in hand, makes it all a little easier to bear.

So, without further ado, let’s get started!

Soul Decluttering: Day 1

I believe that long-lasting decluttering doesn’t start in our homes. It starts in our heads and hearts. In order to make real progress, we have to figure out why we have clutter in the first place. Only then can we take care of it once and for all.

Over the next week, we’re going to focus on that inside work so we can set ourselves on the path of progress, and what better way to start than with an exercise!

Grab a pen and piece of paper, and let’s think about what our dream lives would look like.

• What would you do?
• Who would you spend time with?
• What would your home look like?

Be as descriptive and detailed as possible.

Despite our differences, I bet we have at least one thing in common: none of us were daydreaming about clutter! We’d choose to spend our lives doing the things we love and spending time with the people we care about.

What we sometimes forget is that we have the power to choose these things every single day. Every decision we make either takes us closer or farther away from our ideal lives, and if you aren’t happy with where you currently are that’s okay because we can make better choices!

Next, I want us to think about the things we allow ourselves to say about our homes and who we think we are. What negative messages do we repeat about and to ourselves that need to be eliminated?

For example, maybe you’ve gotten into a bad habit of referring to yourself as a slob. You walk through your home thinking things like, “My life’s a complete disaster just like my home” or “How can one person be such a mess?”

Instead of allowing these thoughts to continue, we’re going to come up with positive alternatives and practice saying them to ourselves. We can say things like, “I’m getting better at taking care of my home every single day” or “I am creating a beautiful, organized home every time I donate something/put something away.”

Repeat these positive phrases as often as possible, and soon they’ll completely replace the negative messages you’re used to hearing.

If your thoughts are firmly established, I know this may sound too good to be true, but I promise it’s not. Our thoughts are extremely powerful, but we ultimately control what we focus on and what we allow to continually go through our minds. The more we focus on good things, the better our lives will be. It really is that simple because a great life is usually a product of perspective, not circumstances.

Please take your time with these exercises. There’s no rush to complete them, and the more thorough you can be in your reflections, the better results you’ll have.

Now for the fun part… I’d love to know what your ideal life would look like, and (if you’re willing) what messages you’re sick of hearing and what you’ll be replacing them with. Sharing is not necessary so if you’re uncomfortable commenting on this post, you’re welcome to email me at emily@happyorganizedlife.com or simply not responding at all. That’s perfectly okay! Just know that if you’d like to respond, I’d really love to hear from you.

And that’s the end of day 1. I hope this post has given you a lot to think about, and you’re feeling hopeful because lot’s of great things are coming soon. I promise.

Other posts in the Soul Decluttering series:

New Decluttering Challenge: Soul Decluttering (Day 1, this post!)

The Secret to Releasing Emotional Clutter (Day 2)

3 Reasons You’re Procrastinating & Why You Need to Stop (Day 3)

How to Clear the Clutter from your Calendar (Day 4)