I thought I'd take the opportunity today to just remind you why we are putting forth all this effort!
Clutter is visually distracting and stressful. Every time you see it, it demands your attention: "I need to dust that. That doesn't match. That's out of date. That clock needs a new battery." It's difficult to have peace in your home when your mind is constantly focused on the clutter. Add to this the wasted time and energy needed to look for things, maintain things, clean things... and you realize, it takes a lot of your life just to keep up!
Because you've been working so diligently to de-clutter your home, I want to encourage you to maintain the things you've learned after this series is over. I recommend that you continue to edit and purge your house throughout the year, taking one room per week.
Here's what I recommend:
Start with big things. Is there too much furniture in the room? What is necessary? Which furniture do you love? Which is just too distracting? Also, consider removing other big items, like pianos, unused ottomans, etc.
Keep your flat surfaces clear. Desks, tables, counters, etc all collect things. Remove papers, piles of stuff, little junk, knick-knacks. Keep only the things you love and admire.
Remember, A place for everything, and everything in it's place. It's not just something your mother used to say to annoy you. It really works! next time you need your scissors, you'll know exactly where to find them.
Keep an "inbox" by your entry way. I keep a small basket tray on my refrigerator. It's about 3 inches deep. Everyday the kids school papers go in it. When the basket is full, I sift through it, keep a couple important items, and toss the rest. By that time, the kids have become unattached with those coloring sheets and their little feelings will be spared if I throw them away. [Another mommy tip, always throw away your kids work when they can't see it...after bed time, while they're in the bath, etc. It saves countless heartache and you don't end up keeping every addition facts table every created!]
Clean up at night before you got to bed. This takes only about 10 minutes to a half an hour, but the peace and organization added to your morning routine is sufficiently worth it! You leave the house in the morning with it straight, and you come home after a long day with it mostly organized. It helps my family so much when we work together to make this happen.
I hope you're still following along. I know this is a long process, and you've probably lost steam a time or two along the way. But YOU CAN DO THIS! It's worth it! Don't give up!
Only By His Grace,
Billie
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