Decluttering Your Life — Kim Anderson

Six years ago, while moving into our new home, we stumbled upon an estate sale at a neighbor’s house. Even though we were knee deep in boxes of our own household items, we couldn’t resist popping in and checking it out. While most of the items didn’t fit our needs, we were excited to find a seven-piece set of pots and pans. We were anxious to get rid of a well-loved set we had used since our wedding, almost fifteen years prior, and this was an affordable replacement.

Fast forward to last week. I had a moment of organizational frenzy. It doesn’t happen often, but when it does, watch out. I stayed in my pajamas, drank my coffee, and started an all-out organizational assault on my kitchen. I noticed one of the pans from the set bought six years ago. It was a wok, and we had never used it. Not once. It still had the price tag on it. For six years, it had taken up a good amount of space in our pot drawer, but I never cook with a wok. Why did I let it sit for so long?

Perhaps you are someone who lives a tidy life. If so, that’s a gift. If you’re more like me, you have the desire to be organized but struggle to find the time to be consistent. I get it. The struggle is real. The problem is, we stay stuck when we spend our time, money, and energy on catching up. We must stop playing from behind.

We can all live life on purpose when we acknowledge these three reasons for decluttering:

1. It saves time.

How much time do you spend looking for misplaced items? You know you have it; you just don’t know where you put it. Imagine the increase in productivity if you could focus on the next goal, rather than the clutter around you. I know I have wasted precious hours just searching for missing items.

2. It saves money.

I have purchased countless duplicates of items, and I am guessing you have, too. It’s one thing if you purchase more of something you will eventually consume, like medicine or pantry items, but it’s frustrating to buy doubles of books, clothing, umbrellas, sports equipment, etc. The list goes on and on.

3. It saves energy.

We walk around all day with a mental load. As a mom, I think about groceries, permission slips, school commitments, work commitments, the kids’ well-being, birthdays, holidays, gifts, and anything else that falls under my jurisdiction. Do yourself a favor. Clear your mind. Get organized and save your emotional energy.

When we declutter our lives, we are free to move into a life of purpose. We are able to focus on our mission, rather than reacting to our chaos.

You’re amazing! Start living like it!