#SOL18

Clutter is nothing more than postponed decisions. ~Unknown.

One little word – that’s all I have been hearing about lately.  I have chosen words in the past – inspiration – balance are a couple I can remember off hand.  I just never saw ads for making your word into a bracelet, or a necklace, but I like it.  I would order myself one except it would go against the word I have chosen for 2018 – declutter.

I debated between organization and declutter.  In a way, I thought they were very much alike, however you can organize your clutter, and that doesn’t help me in my ultimate goal to simplify life.  

Just what needs decluttering in my life?  Well there are the obvious areas – my house (drawers, closets, files), my classroom (closets, file drawers, my desk), the attic (decorations, mementos, baby clothes and toys – my kids are 32 and 36).  

If you dig deeper you will see that I also need to declutter my use of social media.  I could be so much more productive if I wasn’t addicted to scrolling through Facebook, Twitter, checking email, or playing Candy Crush. Social media itself isn’t a bad thing – only when it takes over time that could be better spent on other things….like decluttering my house etc.   Seriously though, I could be reading or writing, or resting, or catching up with friends; I could have a lot more free time if I could keep my index finger off my devices.

The hardest thing to declutter will be saying goodbye to the people who take so much of my time and energy.  I am talking about those people who rope me into situations that really have nothing to do with me, situations that I have no control over, and situations that just cause me stress.  I am naturally a people pleaser, and I generally am interested in other people and don’t mind being a sounding board.  Yet, it’s time to pick and choose what takes my precious time and energy because I have learned as I have gotten older there is only a limited supply of each of them.

In order to declutter, I need to stop postponing decisions.  Touch a paper once and either file it, recycle or shred.  Limit my online time to certain times during the day. Learn how to say no to people and situations that drain my time and energy.  Making decisions won’t be easy for me, but it should produce my desired results – a simpler, decluttered life.