Clutter has become an epidemic in our society. Most people find their homes filled to capacity with their possessions, and they may have even more in storage. As a result, people spend much of their time cleaning, sorting, fixing, and replacing their possessions. They may even wonder where it all came from.
If you have found this to be true in your own life, it’s time to do something about it. It’s time to declutter. To get rid of the clutter, follow these three simple steps:
1. Buy less.
Many people purchase items they do not need and may never use. Or they purchase an item to replace another they have lost in the clutter of their home. When you resolve to buy less, you will save money and avoid adding to that clutter.
In particular, beware of impulse spending. Refuse to make a purchase based solely on an impulse. Instead, purchase items for their usefulness. Do you really need it? Will you actually use it? Or will it end up collecting dust? If you are not going to use it, leave it in the store.
2. Reduce the existing clutter.
By getting rid of what you do not need, you will be able to enjoy the rest all the more. As the abstract expressionist painter Hans Hofmann pointed out, “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
Go through your home one room at a time and divide your possessions into three categories: stuff to keep, stuff to throw out, and stuff to give away or sell. You can do this over the course of a weekend, or you can do it in short bursts. You could also take advantage of the commercial breaks during your favorite show by sorting through a room or closet. Even those twelve to fifteen minutes can make a significant difference.
Consider how you can reduce your clutter while simultaneously blessing others. Try following the example of the early Christians, who “sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need” (Acts 2:45, KJV).
3. Refuse to accumulate clutter again.
Once you have cleared away the clutter, the danger exists that you will replace it with more clutter. So decide from the beginning that your home will remain a clutter-free zone. Whenever you bring something new into the house, take something else out. If an item has gone unused for a significant period of time, dispose of it.
Do not give in to the temptation to hoard and rebuild your pile of stuff. Remember what Jesus said: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15, KJV).
By getting rid of the clutter, you will no longer be enslaved to your possessions. Instead, you will be free to enjoy life without the mess.
Of course, our lives can be cluttered by more than just physical possessions. Sometimes our life houses become cluttered with misplaced priorities, weaknesses in character, fragmented minds, and wavering faith. In my book--Women Under Construction—discover how you can build a life house that is free from this kind of clutter.
1. Buy less.
Many people purchase items they do not need and may never use. Or they purchase an item to replace another they have lost in the clutter of their home. When you resolve to buy less, you will save money and avoid adding to that clutter.
In particular, beware of impulse spending. Refuse to make a purchase based solely on an impulse. Instead, purchase items for their usefulness. Do you really need it? Will you actually use it? Or will it end up collecting dust? If you are not going to use it, leave it in the store.
2. Reduce the existing clutter.
By getting rid of what you do not need, you will be able to enjoy the rest all the more. As the abstract expressionist painter Hans Hofmann pointed out, “The ability to simplify means to eliminate the unnecessary so that the necessary may speak.”
Go through your home one room at a time and divide your possessions into three categories: stuff to keep, stuff to throw out, and stuff to give away or sell. You can do this over the course of a weekend, or you can do it in short bursts. You could also take advantage of the commercial breaks during your favorite show by sorting through a room or closet. Even those twelve to fifteen minutes can make a significant difference.
Consider how you can reduce your clutter while simultaneously blessing others. Try following the example of the early Christians, who “sold their possessions and goods, and parted them to all men, as every man had need” (Acts 2:45, KJV).
3. Refuse to accumulate clutter again.
Once you have cleared away the clutter, the danger exists that you will replace it with more clutter. So decide from the beginning that your home will remain a clutter-free zone. Whenever you bring something new into the house, take something else out. If an item has gone unused for a significant period of time, dispose of it.
Do not give in to the temptation to hoard and rebuild your pile of stuff. Remember what Jesus said: “Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth” (Luke 12:15, KJV).
By getting rid of the clutter, you will no longer be enslaved to your possessions. Instead, you will be free to enjoy life without the mess.
Of course, our lives can be cluttered by more than just physical possessions. Sometimes our life houses become cluttered with misplaced priorities, weaknesses in character, fragmented minds, and wavering faith. In my book--Women Under Construction—discover how you can build a life house that is free from this kind of clutter.
