A Year of Clearing
Of all the good intentions for a new year, one of the most effective ways to bring change into ones life is to simply clear the clutter, one of the most important and yet least acknowledged aspects of self-care. When we are surrounded by remnants of our busy lives it is hard to find a way to live in a way that allows us to be whole.
On the Mothering.com forum one woman posted a challenge to clear 5 items a day for 30 days = 150 items gone from your life. We agree that this is a prime time of year to clear the clutter – with the colder weather we spend a lot more time inside surrounded by our stuff…
Our family began the quest to clear clutter in the beginning of January. It has, not surprisingly, gone in spurts, with wild days of clearing, and moments of feeling like we’ve released enough. We’re finding, though, that after a few days of feeling “done”, a new awareness settles in of readiness to dive into yet another corner of our home.
Is there such a thing as “done” or “clear”? As a talented hoarder of things that I “might do something with one day” I recognize that there will always be things in my life that I’m just not ready to let go of. And I’ve been through enough clearing binges to know that each time I reach a new level of clarity on what I truly want to have in my life.
While we may not be “done” quite yet, the kitchen feels infinitely more manageable these days with clear counters and room on the shelves. And the hallway cabinet even has a few empty drawers that I don’t even know how to fill. We can see the floor in the basement again. And it feels Good. Tonight? The craft collection…my favourite place to hoard.
As for the challenge,we’re well beyond 150! Turns out if you get me at the “right time of the month” I can get rid of just about anything…
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Care to join me in the challenge?
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[...] Having a precious new life in our home brings a new level of awareness to our surroundings. That pile of papers that you’ve been ignoring for months? Now you find yourself staring right at it as you sit [...]
I am a confessed paper-hoarder and found myself performing a similar kind of purge in January. I managed to get rid of mounds and mounds of little pieces of paper and junk mail and old bank statements finding, to my great delight, that I only need a very small file box to keep up to date with my paperwork. It was so utterly satisfying and my 2.5 year old son even wanted to watch as I sorted through things- who knew it could actually be entertaining for someone else? The lightness I feel as a result is brilliant, especially as we’re hurtling towards baby#2. I can’t wait to hit the basement, as long as I’m still mobile and able to move stuff around. The urge to clutter clear comes on twice as strong with the nesting instinct of late pregnancy – good combo!
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Sarah Reply:
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:02 AM
Dear Sophie,
Yes! Just got rid of another similar load this morning – the purge continues. I’m actually working on an article right now for http://www.babyvibe.ca exploring the blessings of nesting & keeping clutter free in the early months postpartum. Good combo, indeed.
It strikes me as especially important that our children see us making these efforts – if we want them to put toys away then we should show them that we can do the same!
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OK darling, while you’re at parents’ night tonight I’ll go through your closet and eliminate at least 10 items
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Sarah Reply:
February 3rd, 2010 at 11:03 AM
Ok then, darling, I’ll go through your closet and do the same!
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Perhaps it was the energy of January 2010? I too purged with great enthusiasm, forging through the two main closets of my home. There is a metaphor in there somewhere . . . I don’t believe there is such a thing and DONE or CLEAR, as our personal definitions of these words shift in relation to our STUFF almost daily. Certainly annually. Loading the term STUFF with the word CLUTTER is telling, as when you purge you do feel more clear. You realize how little you really need, and you also embrace – hopefully – those things that you keep simply in relation to the emotions they impart. As my frenzy of purging came to an end, I did question just how much further I could go as I looked at a bowl fresh out of the dishwasher, acknowledged my hatred for it, and dramatically tossed it in the garbage!
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