Hopefully, during our summer season you got plenty of great ideas of which direction you want to be moving as time goes on, and you have thought about what you need to do to get there. Remember, it only takes baby steps in the intentional, right direction to get where you want to go.
As we wrap up summer and start thinking ahead to fall, let's start the season right. How about using this month before fall starts to do either your first, or a "back on track" decluttering of your home and office? Here are a few ideas:
1. You could clean out your garage. Get rid of anything you haven't touched in the last 3 to 5 years. I know that's longer than the typical pattern of 6 months or 1 year, but I understand in the garage you sometimes have tools, camping gear, sports equipment, or other things you may need but just have not taken the time to use them (or needed those tools) in a while. That does not mean keep everything "just in case". It just means, do not throw out something you will need and do not keep what you probably will not need.
2. Maybe cleaning up the yard, or decluttering a shed, basement, or attic would be good. If you have not gone through those places in a while, do it before the weather changes. Where we are, we have warm winters and I do not want to waste them cleaning out junk when I could be outside enjoying them.
3. As we get closer to fall, depending where you live, it may become time to change over your clothing. Toss everything you haven't worn in 6 months rather than pack it away til next summer. If you did not like it, or did not fit into it this year, toss it. Pull out what you will need for fall (or winter if you live where it gets cold early in the season). Anything you no longer like or want to wear should be donated, given away, or thrown out. Get yourself to a closet where you will be comfortable wearing anything in it. It fits, it is in style, and you like wearing it. Everything else should go.
4. Clean out your home, room by room, tossing out things that have piled up over the summer that you no longer need to keep. Books, magazines, extra towels or blankets, whatever it is, only keep what you need or what brings you joy. The rest is just "stuff".
5. Clean your work space, whether that is at home, in a corner of your bedroom, or at an office. Being productive is much easier when you are not surrounded by clutter and junk mail.
6. Pantry and Refrigerator. Go through them, check dates, throw out whatever is old or no longer wanted. I recently went vegan along with my son. My husband and daughter are vegetarian. Only my mother and brother eat meat and dairy and they usually buy their own food. I no longer need to keep dozens of cans of tuna, chicken, soup with meat, or chili around. One or two is fine. Give it away or donate it to a food pantry. Don't forget to get rid of or use up things that have been in your freezer for a long time too.
7. If you have a bunch of skin, hair, nails, and body products, like lotions, perfumes, etc., pare down your collection to what you absolutely need and love. Get rid of the rest.
Starting the new season in a peaceful, decluttered environment can help relieve stress and help you feel more relaxed in your surroundings. Get it done this month so you can enter fall putting your best foot forward, ready to take those intentional baby steps to get to the place you always wanted.
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