“Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful.” ~William Morris
“Out of clutter find simplicity.” ~Albert Einstein
“When things aren’t adding up in your life, start subtracting.” ~Anon
March is upon us and with it comes the thoughts of spring. For many, that can mean some welcomed spring cleaning. Exactly twenty-seven days ago, I started a “purging” challenge inspired by the documentary movie Minimalism. You can find it here, and it is worth watching before embarking on the challenge I am going to share with you.
The challenge is quite simple: it lasts for thirty days. On day one you purge one item, on day two you get rid of two items, on day three you purge three items and the sequence continues–you get the drift. Yes, by day thirty you are cleaning out thirty items that day.
At the start, it is fairly easy, the real challenge comes when you start hitting ten or more items per day depending of course on how easily you are able to let go of stuff.
Cleaning is Freeing
For myself, I have found this exercise very exhilarating and freeing. It is amazing how clutter, even clutter that is hidden in drawers or cupboards, can weigh you down. When you let go of the “stuff'” that is no longer serving your life, you are creating a spaciousness that you can actually feel energetically. Don’t take my work for it–give this type of cleaning a try for yourself.
I suggest starting on the first of the month. That way, the calendar day will always remind you of how many items you need to purge that day. These can be items you either throw away or donate. Just make sure to get rid of them so you aren’t tempted to change your mind and put them back. Go with your gut instinct about something, and don’t overthink it.
Asking yourself the following questions can be helpful:
- Do I love it?
- Is it useful or beautiful?
- Did I choose to bring it into my life?
- Would it be hard to replace if I needed it again?
- Do I need to save it for tax or legal reasons?
- If I were free from guilt would I still keep it?
- Have I used it in the past year? The past five years?
- Does it fit with my vision for the life I want to lead?
If this challenge seems daunting, you will probably benefit immensely from it. Do what scares you and see how liberated you feel when you’ve accomplished your goal. It’s amazing how much we can hang onto. When you start to purge the physical things, you may find you’ll start to let go of some emotional baggage as well.
Ready set GO. Open those cupboards, closets and drawers and take your Spring Cleaning to a whole new level this time.
Let me know how it goes, I would love to hear about your experience with this challenge.
Happy cleaning!
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