There are few things as overwhelming as feeling buried in clutter. Whether it’s your in-box, your To-Do List, or your kitchen cabinets, clutter is confusing, discouraging, and energy-draining. Like weeds in a garden, it can overwhelm and choke out whatever you were trying to grow!
The start of a New Year (or New Month) can be a great time to make new inroads into your clutter. Try thinking of yourself as a gardener, as you survey whatever is cluttering your life. Imagine the new potentials you can open up for yourself as you clear away the non-essentials.
Are you excited about the possibilities?
Here are 3 Wise Gardening Guidelines you can try right now. They will help you find time to clear the clutter from your life, wherever it collects! And remember, clearing clutter is one of the surest and straightest paths available for decreasing your stress while increasing your efficiency and effectiveness.
BONUS HINT- BEFORE YOU GET STARTED: Strong images can be very helpful for gathering your energy, clarifying your intention and focusing your resolve, especially when you are working toward a goal that may be new for you. So envision the end result – the picture of how you’d like your space or your time to look and feel. Come back to that image when you feel your energy flagging. You can always refresh yourself with the vision of your goal, knowing that step-by-step, you’ll get there!
So, here’s where we start. Your time and your space are both finite. If they become filled with unnecessary tasks or objects, you will struggle to find time and room for the really important things.
How do you open things up, once the clutter has gotten out of hand? I suggest that you try these 3 Wise Gardening Guidelines to rid yourself of the space and time clutter that chokes your potential:
1. Divide the job into sections. If it’s discouraging to look at your situation as a whole, adopt the philosophy of the wise gardener. You know that you can’t weed your whole garden in a single afternoon. So what do you do? You divide it into sections, and clear out a piece at a time.
2. Start with the easiest challenge. You may be tempted to take on a big project in order to make the most progress. But you can actually progress more quickly by starting small. That's because you build muscle, rather than strain your back, by growing strength gradually. If you have ever thrown yourself into gardening after a lengthy hiatus, you know exactly what I mean!
So, for example, begin by de-cluttering a small part of your To-Do List or calendar. Just omit one or two activities you're ready to let go of. Or maybe try clearing a small area in your house – a drawer or a countertop. Once you've de-cluttered something, you’ll see and experience the results – and that helps fuel your next de-cluttering effort.
3. Maintain your streamlined schedule (or cleared area) as you move forward. You are working to create a new system, so maintenance needs to become a habit. As you incorporate this change into your routine, you create a base so that you can build on your progress.
Think of the garden image: After you clear the weeds and admire your work, you might choose to mulch the area to discourage new weeds from taking the place of the old. Savoring your work and the spaciousness it creates is part of the reward that encourages you to keep going. And keeping up that good work means that you are keeping those muscles in shape – standing you in good stead for weeding new areas or maintaining what you’ve already cleared!
As you chip away at the chaos that clutter creates, and find more time and space for yourself, you will be amazed to see what emerges! That's because clutter not only clogs your time and your space, it clogs your energy, your creativity, and your confidence, as well.
Of course, letting go of habits is hard. And clutter is nothing if not a habit! But just give these tips a try and see what approaching this issue with steadiness, curiosity, and compassion does for you. Before you know it, you'll start experiencing changes.
Start small, stick with it, and reward every positive step that you make. Don't expect magic, and magic will happen!
So, how will you start simplifying your life today?
To learn how to successfully clear clutter from your time (and space) and complete your projects, sign up for our free gift, the Finding Time Success Kit which includes "The New Finding Time Boundary Template: 9 Simple, Sequential Steps to Find More Time and Recharge Your Energy!" Using a workbook format, this powerful and practical time template will help you move beyond overwhelm, disappointment, and frustration and discover that 24 hours really are enough!
Offered by Paula Eder, Ph.D. The Time Finder Expert.
Paula Eder, PhD is an internationally-known coach and published author who specializes in mentoring heart-based entrepreneurs and small business owners, from the inside out, to align their core values and energy with their time choices and behaviors so that they make more money, create more freedom, and find more time.
You can learn more about Paula’s unique, Heart-Based Time Management System™ and begin your transformational journey by signing up for her Finding Time Success Kit. Discover how you can find time for what matters most.