Five Things That Happen While You Declutter
Most people just want a clear space.
But let’s not overlook the many incidental benefits that transform the process of decluttering into a life-changing journey.
Read on for five immediate effects of decluttering!
1. YOU BUILD A SENSE OF ACHIEVEMENT
As a serial self-challenger, I can say without hesitation that every new challenge brings an incredible sense of achievement and satisfaction. Some of the things that I have previously challenged myself to do include improving my nutrition, building fitness, striving for a low-waste / low-plastic lifestyle, sticking to a budget, and of course, practising minimalism.
If I’m not being challenged, I’m not getting the stimulation I need out of life.
Make note: if you persist with the challenge of decluttering, it will set you up with some wonderful skills, mindsets and habits that will last a lifetime.
2. YOU GIVE YOURSELF PURPOSE
I believe that the purpose of life is... to have purpose. Deep, I know.
Many people feel fulfilled when they have a sense of purpose. It is the heart that pumps blood through the veins. This metaphor is not an exaggeration - there has been evidence that elderly retirees who don’t find a passion to keep them purposeful through their later years pass away more quickly than those who either keep working or actively pursue a hobby.
What is your current purpose? If you don’t have something to wake up to and strive for every day, what’s the point? You’re just floating through life waiting for something to happen. To wake up each morning with the values of minimalism at the front of your mind can give you direction and motivation, and set the scene for the coming day.
3. YOU FIND TIME
When done intentionally, you are carving out time for yourself, a skill which is becoming more and more important in this world of “BUSY-NESS” that we have created.
Notice I said “carving out time”. You can’t “create” time - it’s not a resource that can be regenerated (like money). This links in closely to having purpose because time allocation comes naturally when you are pursuing something that brings fulfilment.
4. YOU MOVE FORWARD
There is no way around holding onto, and trying to continue living, your past. It physically can’t be done.
Just as the seasons come and go, so do our bodies and minds go through change. From the growth of a child, to fluctuations of hormones throughout adulthood, to making and losing friends, to learning new things, to ageing and declining physical capabilities; only one thing stays constant: change.
Change is the only certainty in life, next to “death and taxes”.
Decluttering is a cathartic and gratifying way of embracing change and making way for new stages of life. It doesn’t even have to be a great life change; it could simply be the acknowledgement of a new day. As you go through each item that you are potentially decluttering, you are asking yourself if it fits in with the “present you”.
By doing this, you are being mindful about the person you have become, and who you want to be. Best of all, you are practising letting go. Letting go of the past, letting go of other people’s (and your own) expectations, and letting go of constricting beliefs.
5. YOU CULTIVATE PRIDE
Take a moment to acknowledge yourself for being interested enough in your own personal development to read this blog post about decluttering. You are a worthy person (even if you didn’t read the whole blog and have just skipped to this paragraph) and you have permission to do nice things for yourself.
Take pride in what you are doing. Already practising minimalism? Be proud about it! Just cleared an entire shelf? Why not take a beautiful photo and put it on Instagram? Tell someone about it - or don’t!
But in a message of importance, here’s this: you don’t need other people to tell you that you’re doing a great job. When you have pride in your work, you are concurrently building self-confidence and self-worth.
The aesthetic, the simplicity that comes with physically decluttering, not to mention the effort that you put into it, is well worth being proud of.