Out with the OLD…in with the NEW!

Out with the OLD…and in with the NEW!

My favorite part of New Years Day is taking down the Christmas decorations. Even though it is somewhat bittersweet, it gives me an excuse to clean the house and get organized. Gives that true feeling of a New Day and a New Year!

Let’s be really honest here… that day usually doesn’t start until around noon or like this past year… 3pm for me. New Years Eve is a night for celebration, not sleep!

This year I followed my own advice for once. I believe that in order to make room for NEW in your life, you have to first de-clutter and get rid of the OLD.  It’s the true theme of abundance. Abundance means to always feel full… have enough… overflowing … Would you rather have an abundance of love, money, friends and great memories or an abundance of packed to the ceiling closets of junk, a garage you can’t walk through, drawers you can’t quite open or a home that feels like chaos? Doesn’t it feel nice when you open a kitchen cupboard and you can actually find the dish you were looking for? Doesn’t your life seem more peaceful when there is a place for everything and everything is in it’s place?

Ok…so before I get all “Martha Stewart” on you and bore you to death… let me give you the mindset around this topic:

I’m one of those people that appears to be perfect on the outside…and boy do I have you all fooled!! “giggle”…

You see… in some ways that assumption is correct as I’m orderly and structured… and in other ways, you’re WAY off!

Small example: My bedroom is as neat as a pin…as long as you don’t open up my dresser drawers and see that I refuse to fold clothes and just toss my underclothes, socks and T-shirts into the appropriate drawer…

Isn’t that the truth with a lot of people? We judge from the outside and make assumptions but rarely look beneath the surface to see what’s truly going on? We need to be more gentle with ourselves and others…we are all human and doing the best we can with what we have.

Moving right along…

Here is how I tackle organization and the mindset that I use to trick my mind into making quick decisions and being efficient with my time.

I would rather work on my business than clean…BUT…in order to have a clear head, I need a clean workspace, desk…office.

If the thought of organizing and de-cluttering your home and life feels overwhelming to you:

1. Only bite off what you can chew…  cut back to one small project a day
2. If you’re not sure where to start, clear EVERYTHING out.  Then only put back what you actually want to keep.  The rest of the pile needs to be dumped or shipped to the Salvation Army.

Starting with your bedroom closet and for those of you that are coaching with me… remember that I have always said to GET RID OF YOUR FAT CLOTHES!

*When you get rid of clothes that are larger than you are now, you won’t be as tempted to go backward in your size if you don’t have anything “comfortable” to wear. Trick is, when those pants feel tighter than normal- that’s your red flag to watch yourself for the next 2 weeks…

Mind tricks to use while de-cluttering your life and home:

• I’m doing someone a favor, someone else will get a lot of use out of this dress that I’ve only worn once
• Pretend your moving overseas and you can only take what is absolutely your favorite. (I use this one a lot)
• Best excuse ever to go shopping to replace everything you got rid of with NEW STUFF!  WOO HOO!

Now on to the kitchen- especially the pantry and junk drawer:

• One cupboard at a time – once one looks amazing, this will motivate you to do the rest –
• Make it into a game- don’t do the pantry until right after grocery shopping – it’s more fun when you can organize into food categories

My office space…. This one I just did the other day and it felt amazing to organize my files into marketing tools, sales, clients, insurance, tax write-offs, and so much more!  I know my CPA will be pleased that I organized my tax write off receipts for 2013 too!

• Get a glass of red wine and some soft music
• Turn this into a “ME TIME” event as you will most likely come across many memory triggers that could be delightful or heartbreaking.

If you’re single like me… and you can’t pawn the garage organization off onto a hubby…then my friend, you have to do this yourself.

I have such a girlie garage! Purple golf clubs, pink tennis racket, snowboard and yes…even a pink motorcycle! So I actually enjoyed organizing my garage space. Right down to colorful bins and shelves. This task requires fast paced music and a good sunny day.

The key to everything in life that you resist or put off is to make it a game. Envision the finish line of what the outcome will look like…that is what will carry you through the task itself.

And always remember. That the reason you de-clutter your life is because it clears your mind, energy and allows the universe to bring in better.

It’s also a sign of self love… you are WORTHY of being in a clear space…free of chaos!

Don’t just de-clutter your closets…Also de-clutter:

• Relationships that aren’t serving you
• Activities that you’ve committed to, but your heart just isn’t in it
• Old mementos of past relationships (that will drain your energy and pull you backward from having a new better relationship)
• Anything that makes you sad

Have fun cleaning and organizing!  I hope the pictures I’ve chosen helped to motivate you!

Also share with me how great you feel when your home and life is less chaotic and more simplified…

Hugs and kisses!
Yours in abundance,

Karie Millspaugh
Wellness Coach