Your home really needs to be a haven, not a headache.
Since we’re making our way through a new year, there’s a temptation and a trend to tie decluttering to some kind of resolution about renewal. Forget that.
Now is always the right time to declutter—winter, spring, summer, or fall.
Here’s an example we can all relate to that illustrates how liberating it will be to exorcise the mess:
Scenario #1: After a long, tiring day, you have dinner and a glass of wine, watch a movie, get sleepy on the couch, and go to bed with a sink full of dirty dishes, and without vanquishing the chaos in the kitchen. Encountering that mess the next morning sours your mood and may well cast a cloud over the entire day.
Scenario #2: After a long, tiring day, you prepare dinner, cleaning as you go, enjoy it with a glass of wine and a movie before finishing up any cleaning and going to bed knowing you’ll wake up to a clean kitchen—even greeted by the aroma of coffee because you set the coffee maker set to automatic. Then the day will seem full of possibility and yours to conquer.
Whether or not it’s obvious, the principles of KonMari decluttering provide the difference in Scenario #2.
On a larger scale, they also are the keys to finally transforming your living spaces into a haven where spending time will bring benefits rather than bringing you down.
Here’s why:
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A clutter-free house gives you a sense of calm and being in control
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You suddenly have time, energy, and interest in improving other parts of your life like your health and personal relationships
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The positive feelings that result from decluttering offer a sense of positivity and potential
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All of the above enhances your overall well-being
I want to pause here for an important note: The things I say in the bullet points above add up to what Marie Kondo means when she uses the term “sparking joy” to describe the effect of comprehensive tidying and decluttering.
We’re not talking about joy on the rapture end of the scale but the type of positive feeling that comes from those mornings when you wake up to a clean kitchen with the coffee already made.
So how do you accomplish this?
The honest answer is that it’s not a casual endeavor in which you tidy up some rooms and feel better.
That works, at least temporarily, but tapping into your true “joy” potential takes a much more comprehensive process that involves assessing and getting rid of things that have no role or benefit in a clutter-free home.
This deeper transformation takes work, dedication, and a commitment to sticking with the process until you’ve truly overcome the challenges and create that haven.
It’s most successful when you follow the tenets of the KonMari process, in which the decluttering is carried out category-by-category, not room-by-room.
Those seeking professional help with decluttering should feel free to email me at [email protected], or call (203) 772-8883, to discuss your situation—or visit my Packages & Rates page.
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