STUFF. I feel like “stuff” is over taking my life. Do you feel that way? I’m not a hoarder by any stretch of the imagination. I take things to Goodwill all the time and in general, I’m not sentimental about things. I crave nice, neat, organized spaces. In a perfect world my home would have a spot for EVERYTHING. In reality… there are areas of my house that are anything but organized; they are cluttered, dumping ground MESSES!
(The front office pretty much looks like this ALL the time…not sure how to fix this Lego problem?)
About a week ago I was at the gym on the treadmill and it hit me like a ton of bricks…my clutter is stopping me from my calling. WOW, I can.not believe I just said that. As much as it hurts, it’s true. I’m really good at hiding the clutter when I need to. If I plan out a party or get together I spend a day or two getting the house clean (but just the areas that people will see). I have this phobia that everything needs to be absolutely clean and perfect, because who knows what people (my friends) will think of me if my fridge is messy? That’s the problem. I can’t just open up my house any ol’day at any ol’time because of my clutter. It’s stopping me from what I should be doing…loving on my friends and family through hospitality.
This is my laundry table by the garage door….see what I mean about “dumping ground”? DO YOU SEE THAT CHRISTMAS ORNAMENT?
But that’s not all. My clutter is a stressor in my life. I want it organized but I just feel like “I don’t have the time TODAY”…or tomorrow or the day after. And before I knew it that “today” has turned into years.
It overwhelms me at times and I keep putting off the simplest answer possible…get it organized. Organization makes life SO much easier. I know this. I don’t practice this…right now. But things are GOING to change.
I have a plan of action and a plan to follow through. I have a few bigger areas that have just gotten bad over the years. They were well organized at some point but have gotten out of control. Part of this is due to my inability to slow down and say NO to things (one of my many flaws that I’m working on).
I am going to tackle one larger project a week (starting with my pantry) and one small thing (like a drawer) every day. Here’s how I plan to TAKE BACK MY HOUSE :
1. Walk through each room and make a list of every single area or drawer that needs to be organized.
2. Sit down and plan out what to tackle EACH day! Weekends will be for the bigger projects. (I NEED a plan or I won’t follow through.)
3. Take one thing at a time. Slowly check everything off the list.
4. Daily, make sure that the areas that are DONE stay organized. This will require help from my family!
It’s time. I have put it off too long and I need this to happen for my sanity and also so I can live a more full life. Like I said, “STUFF” is hindering me from opening up my door and sharing a meal with a friend on a whim. I want the flexibility to invite people into my home whenever I feel that need and my clutter has been stopping me from that for years.
SO, how about you? Are you ready to make your house a home and get rid of the STUFF that is making you stressed and trapped? I’d love for you to join me on this journey. Throughout the month of September I will be sharing with you how my decluttering process is going and ways to get organized by spending little or no money. Let’s do this!!
For Tips and to see some of my progress, check out these posts:
What a great idea and plan. I’m right there with you. You are describing exactly how I am and how I feel.
Stacey, thanks!! I tackled TWO BIG areas already and I’m already feeling SO much better. I can’t wait to keep going!
Yes, that’s a great idea.
I have a possible solution to the Lego mess. Check out the DIY Lego Tray project on Thrifty Décor Chick’s blog (thriftydecorchick.com). She made this great building tray to corral her son’s Legos that slides under the sofa out of view. My kids used a plastic storage box that fit under the bed, but I wish I’d thought of this tray back then.
Helen, THANKS for the suggestion!! I will check it out! 🙂
That’s a great idea to go around the house and make a list of what you want to organize/change. It always helps me to get things down on paper instead of trying to remember everything I SHOULD do. Thanks so much for the tips!
What a great idea yet so reasonable! Thanks for the suggestions. And where did you get the planner pictured with your laptop? (I’m starting fresh tomorrow morning)
Sorry, I just saw your comment! My planner is from Sam’s Club, but you can get a similar one at Target.
I stumbled upon your blog via a post on Pinterest. Thanks for this ! I feel motivated now to do a little each week to get it together!!
I have these same issues with clutter. And you’re SO right… It causes way too much stress. particularly when it comes to hospitality.
Tracy, thanks for letting me know! It can take awhile to get your clutter under control, but it’s SO worth it in the end! 🙂
I have these same issues with clutter. And you’re SO right… It causes way too much stress. particularly when it comes to hospitality. North Cyprus Real Estate
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I have these same issues with clutter. And you’re SO right… It causes way too much stress. particularly when it comes to hospitality. best realtor in Langley
What a great idea and plan Thanks for the suggestion
it’s a great idea thanks for suggestion