Simplify your home. Do those words resonate or do they scare you?
Does your motivation dwindle when you see the colossal task that waits for you?
Do you live in an unorganized mess? Too much of everything? Too little time?
And yet, you keep going like the Duracell bunny believing your excuses and overwhelmed at the task ahead?
Do you wish you could snap your fingers and start over fresh elsewhere? But the fear of giving up or losing what you own probably holds you back?
Whether your home is a complete mess or looks like a magazine cover, you may have way too much stuff hidden in the closets and out in the open.
It’s not easy to simplify your home. You have to want it, understand why you’re doing it, and know what’s in it for you.
Who would undertake such a task if the benefits weren’t worth it right?
Although many areas of our life could use our attention, like getting enough sleep to be more aware, our health, the way we react to situations, as well as spirituality, we’ll just concentrate on the benefits of keeping it simple at home – because I believe that’s where it all starts.
Even if your home is super organized and everything is in its place, you may just be holding on to way too much stuff that you don’t really need.
Try this test:
Open a closet. Any closet will do. Or a drawer. Or a kitchen cabinet. It doesn’t matter. Just open something.
Now ask yourself, what 3 things can I immediately give up and put in a box for donation or trash?
If despite your motivation to simplify your home, you go through all the piles and duplicates on the shelves, but can’t answer the question then read on…
A small side note on Fear
There’s a real fear attached to giving things up.
Your closets are overflowing, your kitchen cabinets are filled with duplicates.
Not to mention the drawers and organizing boxes you keep buying to store things you forgot you had.
And yet, you like to idea to simplify your home, but you can’t even imagine giving things away. And the long set of excuses over the years proves you right.
Several reasons can explain this fear of not letting go, of refusing to simplify your home and habits.
You find comfort in keeping everything because you’re not able to find comfort elsewhere. However, you should be aware that it’s a false sense of security.
Or maybe you lacked essentials at some point in your life when you had little money. Once that period passed, you swore, consciously or not, that never again you’d be without.
Which is understandable, but probably not worth the weight you’re carrying today.
But the most probable reason why it’s so hard to simplify your home is the fear of being confronted with empty space. And therefore, ourselves.
When you declutter and get rid of all the excess items, you create space, not only in your closet but also in your life.
This may feel very scary if you identify your worth with how much you own. Like being stripped down to nothing and left with no resources.
100 pairs of shoes, well, you must be worth a lot – 5 pairs of shoes, panic.
A great looking car, well, the neighbors don’t have it as good. But a good car – what will they think of me?
When you start to simplify your environment, when all those items are no longer on the shelves, you are left facing yourself.
So now what?
If you’ve always done for others, you may not even know who you are.
If you’ve consistently sought refuge through shopping, you may not even know you’re capable of other things.
Therefore, if you’ve always identified your worth with your “things,” then yes, you may feel shaky and anxious when you first clear out your house of its excess.
And that’s normal. And if you know that, you can get through it.
But rest assured, little by little, not only will you feel lighter and confident, but you will also gain incredible freedom by learning what’s enough for you.
Imagine how that feels for once.
You won’t need as much. You won’t even want as much. Because you’ll be ok with yourself and those who care about you.
Take Small Steps
When you start implementing a few simple living ideas, you get to a place where life is actually more comfortable and where what matters to you is at the top of your list and not in your closets.
It doesn’t mean getting rid of everything and living like a monk on top of a mountain.
But try to reduce the accumulation of daily items you have in your home. Get rid of the excess from clutter prone areas.
This includes closets and piles but also thought patterns and relationships.
So fear is ok, but to get through it, taking action is better.
This is, in part, what happens when you start to simplify your life.
1. SIMPLIFY YOUR HOME AND YOU LEARN TO LET GO
When you let go of things you don’t need, you allow for essential items to come into your home.
Your space is your safe haven. A place where you feel calm and creative. At peace and full of energy. This energy flows in your home and within you, so it has to be positive for it to do you any good.
By having so many items stored away or in piles, you lose track of what you have and especially what you need.
When you own too much, the negative energy flow weighs you down and creates obstacles for what you truly want for yourself. This can last for years !
So, learn to let go. Slowly.
Try it with a shelf, a closet, or just one hotspot. Start small. This will give you the motivation to keep pursuing a happy home.
2. YOU SAVE MONEY
When you simplify your home, it definitely comes with a cheaper price tag.
Imagine the money you’ll save when you stop compulsory shopping or buying things because you forgot you already had it at home. A change in behavior saves money to do something you truly enjoy.
And in the long run, it adds up to a lot of savings.
Besides reaping the benefits of being debt-free, you’ll start to understand the difference between what purchases are essential, which ones really make you happy, and those that just satisfy a passing need.
Put that extra money in a jar and see how it grows!
3. YOU SHIFT YOUR FOCUS
When you set an intention to simplify your home and own less, your focus shifts naturally.
You start to feel lighter, and therefore, your thought patterns change to allow more positive and valuable things in your life.
As small changes take place little by little, you learn easier ways of organizing life and you have more time for yourself!
Simplifying your home also leads to a new appreciation of who you choose to talk to and the items you wish to keep.
4. YOU’RE GRATEFUL
Set an intention when you start to simplify your home. Intentions mean you realize you have too much, and it’s not bringing you value. It means you’re ready to change things.
As you learn to estimate what’s enough for you, your gratitude increases, creating a tremendous impact on other areas of your life.
Of course, It’s not easy to do.
It can be overwhelming and scary at times.
But if you take small steps, and keep your intention clear, you’ll slowly come to appreciate the process and start seeing real changes as a result of your efforts.
5. YOUR MIND CLUTTER FADES
With a million things racing in your head, do you often waste time searching for an important document or that silk blouse you love?
When your habits change, your mind calms down.
Visually your space is less cramped.
It has breathing room, has an airy feel, and no piles that scream visual stress.
It’s a result of narrowing down what’s essential for you.
Remember your decluttering efforts will pay off, whether you’re working on a huge house or the tiniest of apartments.
And if you decide to simplify your home with intention, you’ll learn to focus and optimize your time.
6. YOU GET ORGANIZED
Simplify your organization
It goes without saying that when you have less, there is obviously less to organize.
Your closets have white space and don’t overflow each time you open the door.
When you simplify your home you just know where things are, each item has its place, and you don’t waste time searching for what you need.
Besides, once you know what you have, it’s unlikely you’ll go out and buy another duplicate!
But the best part is actually keeping what you love. All those items you cherish are no longer mixed in with stuff you can easily get rid of.
Once you’ve decluttered the excess within your home, and put in place a simple system, it will take just a few minutes to get organized vs creating more piles and saying I’ll do it later…
7. YOU FEEL LESS STRESS
Simplifying your home equals less stress.
Some people may not be fully aware that living in a cluttered house brings on stress.
The stress comes from visual clutter, and not finding what you need.
It also comes from just having way too much of everything and not using everything in the closets and drawers.
Even if a home is perfectly decorated, entirely in order with no piles anywhere, if it has too much stuff, well, it’s stressful.
Why do you hold onto everything? Does it give you a sense of security?
This false security makes us believe that “the more we own, the more protected we are.”
Or the more we own, the more respectable we are in other people’s eyes.
This feeling may come from the past. Maybe you lacked a great deal, and therefore, you don’t want it to happen again.
It can also come from the fear of being stripped to nothing if the clutter disappears.
Or being judged for having too little.
It’s all very complex, and yes, you have your own reason for holding on to your clutter.
We all do.
But the fact remains, it’s all very stressful.
Not to mention expensive and time-consuming to clean and put away.
8. YOU MAKE SPACE FOR PEOPLE
Simplify your home and make space for important people in your life.
When you own less, your focus shifts towards what matters.
And you’ll find that people always matter more than things.
Instead of cleaning, putting all your stuff away, running around trying to get organized, spend that time with those you love.
When you own less, you can do that. You have time.
Another benefit is that you’ll naturally sift through toxic relationships and keep those people in your life that make you smile.
By living a simpler life, you now have more time for your family, your friends, and the people you care about – And of course for yourself.
9. YOU LEARN WHO YOU ARE
Who are you?
When you simplify your home and practice this habit for a while, you’ll re-discover your thoughts, projects, feelings, tastes, and so many other things that define you.
You’ll understand who you are.
More often than not, you stop comparing yourself to others and stop wishing you had their life.
You start being yourself.
This also means you don’t buy stuff anymore just because it’s “the thing to do” or because you attach society’s meaning to it.
Your self-worth rises from gaining self-confidence and not through acquiring another item to pile in your home.
Learning about yourself, who you are, what your values and principles of life are – is probably the most valuable lesson you learn when you simplify your home.
Can you start to see how it’s all related?
I hope that some of these benefits motivate you and that you’ll want to give it a try.
Of course, it’s a lot to take in, so start slowly.
First, find the fear that stops you from moving forward. Now feel which benefit resonates the most with you.
Take small steps. Take one step.
Remember that making space in your home doesn’t have to be a drastic thing.
It’s not about getting rid of everything!
It’s just about lighting up a bit and making space for more essential things on your shelves and in your life.
Keep these benefits in mind and have them fuel your motivation when you start to simplify your home.
Sending you lots of positive energy and courage to start, and don’t forget to let me know how you progress!
Related Read: Simple steps to a clutter-free home.
