How can you accommodate your space to fit the life you desire to live?

Now that we have wrapped up the first three steps in the decluttering process, it’s time to dive into the final stage: rebuilding your space to support your goals. 

Rebuilding your space after you have decluttered can be tricky and if you aren’t careful, you could find yourself back into your old clutter cycle.  When you remove the clutter, you will see how liberating the space feels and hopefully you will be more conscious about what you choose to put back in it.

As you start the rebuilding process, only add the things you need, use, and love back into your life and space. 

Here are 3 strategies to stop unwanted clutter from re-entering your life as you rebuild your space to support your goals.

I. REMEMBER YOUR WHY

Before you started this journey, you were longing for more. You needed more time, energy, and space to live the life you wanted. Your new space represents important things such as less stress and more mental clarity. In this final step, think of how your stuff represented cluttered areas in your life. 

The bedroom, the clutter represented a desire for intimacy (with yourself or significant other)

The living room, the clutter represented lack of clarity/goals & desire to improve relationships

The kitchen, the clutter represented lack of control in your physical and emotional well-being

The closet, the clutter represented low self-esteem & self-loathing

As you re-build, stay focused on the desire for your space so that you can maintain a peaceful living space and mind. Your future self will thank you.

II: GIVE EVERYTHING A PURPOSE AND A PLACE

We’ve often heard the saying “out of sight, out of mind”. The same is true when it comes to our spaces. Whether you fill the space with something old or something new, be sure to honor it by giving it a visible or accessible place in your home. When you learn to give everything a place or purpose in your home, you will quickly be able to determine what you truly have capacity for. This includes physical space, time, and money.

I’ve found this to be true with my book collection. In our van, we have a small space dedicated to our books. As I look at it, it’s easy for me to see if I’m tapped out. If the bookcase is full and I desire something new, I have two choices: wait to purchase another book or let go of something old to make space (physically & financially) for something new. If I desire to keep the existing books, I also have to consider how much time I’ll need to allocate to reading and if it will fit in my schedule. It’s a constant reminder of what I truly have capacity for in my life. 

BONUS:

What I love most about this tip is that, once mastered in the home, it’s easy to duplicate this tactic in other areas of your life. For example, every so often I re-evaluate my relationships. What purpose do my current relationships serve? Am I lacking something? Am I overwhelmed? Answering these questions helps me to determine with whom my time is best spent. It also allows me to determine whether I have the capacity to forge new relationships or if I need to consider shedding relationships that no longer serve me. 

III: PUT YOUR REFLECTION TO WORK

Your decluttered space is a reflection of the old habits that prevented you from being free. As you adapt to your new space, think of what small changes you can make to break your clutter cycle. What new guidelines can you put in place? What exchanges can you make with your time or your money?

For example, in our kitchen, we have a few different guidelines:

1. Cook 80% of our meals.
2. Cook cuisines/dishes we love & order out for everything else.
3. Keep processed foods to a minimum.

This means that rather than loading up on junk food or making my way to the nearest drive-thru, I’m carving out time in my schedule to make trips to the grocery store. While at the store, I’m grabbing items we love that lend themselves to our favorite cuisines – Mexican, Italian, and Mediterranean. When we want something outside of those like burgers, we eat out. Even then, we try to limit eating out to 2-3 meals a week. 

How do you envision yourself in this new space? What choices will you make to help you reach your full potential – mentally, physically and financially? 

This is the time to build new habits for yourself and feel empowered to live a life you love. Remember, a life free of clutter is not a life that lacks. Rebuild and use your space wisely.  

Que-so Goodbye, 

Jessica