From clutter to calm: Self-discovery through intentional living.

When our lives are busy and chaotic, it is easy to fall into autopilot mode. The messes just become bigger and more intimidating. And before you know it, your entire life feels like the mess you are physically looking at every day. You will NEVER have time unless you make time and dedicate it solely to one decluttering and organizing project at a time. Just start!

For me, it all started the day I got tired of my own BS. I realized that there were just too many to-do's unattended to and messes growing in my home. Taking up space and energy in my body and mind. Although my aim is not minimalism, I do want to declutter as much of my life as possible. And as much as needed for me to feel like I have some form of control of our "stuff" and my life again.

If I look like I have it all together on YouTube, please believe me when I tell you that I certainly do not! And that is one of the biggest drivers behind this blog and The 2, 3_breathe YouTube channel.

To share the chaos with you, and let you know that it is alright to be on a continuous journey towards a better life. And I want to give you tips and advice from my own experience on how I approach this decluttering journey as someone with a full schedule and as a work-from-home mom.

What does GYST stand for?

Well, it is what Kalyn Nicholson calls, ‘get your sh*t together’. And I LOVE the phrase but approach it slightly differently to fit my life better.

My approach is to dedicate a few hours(8 am to 12 pm) in a chosen day to do a declutter, clean, and organizing of a specific space. And then having several days over a couple of weeks, as your schedule allows until you feel satisfied with all the areas in your home and life. I find that by "breaking" my house and life up into smaller chunk projects, it feels more achievable and less overwhelming.

Notion - for your PC

As you complete each space, you will feel more and more productive and successful. Your mind feels refreshed. Your soul feels happier and hopeful for the future as you are not weighed down by copious amounts of material "stuff". And your body will start to feel more energized as the rest of your life becomes freed up to spend more time on important relationships and all things you enjoy.

Before I get started, I try to do these 4-steps:

1. Get into the right mindset

I do this by listening to my body first. Do I feel low on energy or excited to get going? According to what my body is telling me, I will turn on my diffuser with my favorite oils to either energize me or support the mood that I am in. And I choose my background music to do the same. Now grab yourself a coffee or tea, and some water(my go-to is 1/4 of cranberry juice, topped up with water and ice on a hot day).

2. Get comfy

You want to feel comfortable in whatever you decide to wear. There will most likely be some stretching, climbing, and getting down into nooks and crannies. So grab a long top or a cozy hoody that will allow for movement.

3. Get intentional.

You need to have a vague idea of what you want to achieve in each space. If you want to get rid of a lot of stuff. You need to give yourself something to work towards, to help you make decisions easier and faster. I have been focused on decluttering 50% to 75% of our home. So, if I have a "maybe" pile. It makes it much easier to throw something out if I know how much is in the "keep" pile and how much has been put onto the "throw out" pile.

4. Get ready for some inspiration.

Have a notebook close by. I find that whenever I declutter and organize, my mind starts firing up with amazing ideas. Sometimes I just work through some things that have been bogging me down and I want to make one or two journal entries to help me remember what came up in my thoughts.

Now you are ready to get started.

Here are a few projects which I have scheduled into my diary for decluttering and organization:

• Your closet.

• Kid\s closet.

• Kitchen - Throw out expired food in your fridge, freezer, and pantry.

• Bathroom/s Vanities.

• Your partner and/ or spare bedroom closets(these tend to be my extra storage spaces).

• All bedside tables and drawers in your home.

• Phone - delete unnecessary contacts, photos, apps, and accounts. Unfollow accounts on Social Media that you are no longer interested in and backup your phone.

• Computer - Clear your desktop of unnecessary shortcuts, uninstall anything you no longer use, and move photos and documents to an external hard-drive or the cloud. Clear out your inboxes by deleting or moving emails to specific folders. Clean and disinfect your monitor, keyboard, and mouse.

• Review your finances - Go through all debit orders and look into anything that looks suspicious. Take note of all policies you have in your name. And cancel anything that you do not need.

• Documents - Get some good quality files, if you don't already have some. Divide them into categories. Toss any papers that you do not need anymore and file anything you need to keep hard-copies of.

• Toss out any expired make-up, personal care products, medication and supplements.

• Kids toys - Throw out any broken, outgrown and no-interest toys(sometimes they just never develop an interest for something). Commit to only keeping 2 toys that might hold sentiment to you. If you are planning another child or have a child/ren that will grow into certain toys and clothes from their older siblings, store only what you have space for.

As we all know, these projects need to fit into our normal day-to-day tasks which are challenging on their own. It would be ideal if you have some alone-time during the day to fit these projects in however if you have kids like me, you would know that, these tasks will most likely take you a little longer. Be realistic about your time. If something needs your full attention, do not schedule it in the middle of your day when everyone is awake and needs your attention. With a little bit of planning, you can get it all done. I believe in you!

Here are 5 tips to maintain your new space:

1. Take one day a week to walk through your home and pick up anything that is out of place and put them away. Everything in your home should have a dedicated space. If it does not, ask yourself how important it is to keep this item? This is a general declutter and organizing exercise which will make a huge difference in the long run.

2. Create digital templates for groceries and essentials items you need to buy. This will help you buy only the necessary items and avoid you getting back into old habits. It will free up your mind and save paper. I LOVE using Notion to do this. It is a free app(for personal use) for both your PC and your phone. I can tick and untick quickly and easily as things come up.

3. This is probably one of the most important tips I can give you - Put everything you use back in its place as soon as you are done using it throughout your day. This will keep your home generally neat and tidy daily.

4. Do a general tidy and clean every evening after dinner or before bed. There is nothing worse than waking up to a sink full of dishes and a trashed house. A disorganized and cluttered house also affects my almost 3-year old's behavior and we all just feel better when we start our morning fresh everyday day.

5. As soon as something breaks, and you can not use it again, toss it. If you see anything you haven't used in 6 months or know you will never use again, toss it. Why do we hold on to everything we have for dear life, even when we know we don't need it?

Notion - for your phone

And lastly, I want to give you some encouraging words, if you feel like something is holding you back from starting this journey of self-discovery through intentional living.

→ Decluttering is different for everyone. Make it your own and do what works for you or your family.

→ Pinterest perfect organizing isn't necessary. Use what you have and make the most of it.

→ Decluttering one space can take more than one day of a dedicated amount of hours. Don't get discouraged! You will most likely declutter one space two or three times over a couple of months as you find the freedom that less "stuff" gives in your life.

→ Children outgrow clothes and toys. When you need to decide whether to toss or keep something ask yourself: Will I use this again for their younger sibling? Do I have sentimental value or special memories attached to this item? Do I still need it if I have captured photos or video of that memory? Is this item still in a good condition for future use? Decluttering my little boy's room is always the hardest because I see him and his growth in everything I touch in there. I know! It's hard!

This is a journey, not a race. Enjoy the process. No matter how long it takes.

By decluttering and starting to live more intentionally, you will improve your decision-making skills with every project or space you take on. It becomes a skill and you get better at it with time and practice. But you need to decide what you keep in your home and what you bring into your life in the future to maintain this lifestyle.

Enjoy the newfound freedom that a decluttered life gives you. Feel the calm come over you with all the freed up space you have in not only your home but also in your mind. Open your soul to new meaningful discoveries as you declutter your mind while working through the chaos in your life.

If you enjoyed this blog. You will enjoy the 2, 3_breathe life YouTube channel where I am sharing my journey of Clutter to Calm starting on the 12th of January 2021.