I dream of being a minimalist. When I’m building a new workshop and I’m searching for pictures, I type in terms like minimalist plants. Minimalist desk. Minimalist office. Seriously, I love the clean lines and lack of clutter, but at home, my countertops are full of jars of all the things we use and take daily. My pantry is overflowing with snacks, and I’ve got more books on my bedside table/floor than I have in my kindle. That’s to say, a lot.
Tiny versus Kondo-Sized
I’ve also been re-reading my way through Tiny Habits, which I’ll share more about soon. However, it inspired me to go tiny rather than Kondo-size. So no, this year I’m not going to be pulling all my clothes onto my bed and seeing what brings me joy. Instead, I’m going bite-sized. Think, what’s one area I can work on for 15 minutes?
There’s an App for Everything
I’ve been enjoying the app Toss, which gives you one area to clean out with no alerts or badges to tell me I’m behind. Just a random area with simple instructions. However, you might not even need that push; you can see, hall closet jam packed, put a timer on for 15 minutes, and see what happens.
What Our Clients Are Up To
Our clients are making a variety of these types of commitments. Spend one hour decluttering one area of the house. That’s a significant tidying task, so feel free to start with a timeframe that suits you. I was coaching someone today whose goal is to Make Space and I thought, you know what, that’s really the whole point. It’s not just about getting rid of stuff that you don’t use or want anymore. It’s about making space in your home, but also in your mind. Freeing it up so you can focus on other things.
Make it Your Own
If you are a client, you can do this with us; if you aren’t, pretend you have an accountability coach and are meeting with them one week from today. What is one thing that you will do between now, and next week to make space? This could be physical space like getting rid of stuff, finally returning that thing you ordered but was wrong in some way, fixing or replacing something that is broken, taking something off your calendar to free up time, or taking something off your phone that is distracting or taking up mindshare. Get creative, and make some space!
