It’s officially the Holiday Season. Time to think about New Resolutions, making changes, setting goals and how to make 2012 the best year ever. Once again, an amazing number of people will jump on the diet bandwagon, whether it is to lose a simple 5 pounds or 50 pounds. This will take discipline, time, energy and dedication to making a change. But what other weight is bringing you down? What about putting your clutter on a diet this year?
Without meaning to, we allow clutter to take on its own personality in our lives. We mean well…really, we do! We find things on sale and think, “I will really like this”, OR, “I may need this some day!” And we bring it home without it a real “place” to put it. It ends up shoved in a desk, drawer or closet – never to be seen again for years.
I have a great story about a client who had too much “stuff”. She had knick-knacks and choc keys everywhere because her family thought she would really enjoy them. They weren’t concerned about the clutter that it was causing in her home and how it was affecting her mental health. They meant well! The problem was that mom couldn’t get rid of anything because she didn’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings. After all, they had taken the time to buy these things for her. Wouldn’t it be rude to get rid of them? So, several years ago, she gathered her children together and gave them a list of 3 things that she would like to receive that Christmas. The gifts were a book, a game and a kitchen utensil. This particular year, the children listened to her! She got exactly what she wanted (and needed) for Christmas without causing more clutter! It meant that she didn’t have to find another drawer to hide gifts in and, more than that, she didn’t have to worry about remembering where she hid them when the children visited next time! It was the best Christmas ever!
With the Holidays in full swing, think about things that you don’t use any more and whether you need to keep them. If you can’t remember when you used it last or it doesn’t serve a purpose anymore, let it go! See how much “weight” your closet, pantry, filing cabinet or desk will lose by giving it a quick de-cluttering. When your home or office lose weight, you do too! Putting your home or office on a diet allows you to release items that have been weighing you down, causing you stress and anxiety. It is an easy way to begin 2012 and lose weight immediately!
Change isn’t easy, but it is necessary. And putting your space on a diet will: save you the time it takes to find lost items; save you money from purchasing items that you already have – but were “lost”; set the example for your family and/or employees; help you be more productive (because you’ll find everything you need quicker and easier) AND you’ll have more time to do what you Really want to do.
