29 Sep Clearing Out The Old
I’ve wanted to downsize my belongings for a few years now.
Hitting the house from top to bottom, placing my hands on every single thing I own and making a conscious decision to keep it or let it go.
For some reason, I just never got around to actually doing it.
Having now completed 2 full weeks of TLP sound frequency training, I am noticing this urge to get organized. Really organized.
So after years of intending to clean out my closets, this past Saturday I actually did it.
There is a weight that hangs over you when you have too much stuff. The clutter blocks creativity and flow.
You feel full and that is not the headspace to be in to make the big leaps in your life.
My goal moving forward is to feel light.
I spent the past year clearing out the heavy, draining parts of my business.
I cleared out the heavy, draining relationships.
And now it’s time to clear out the heavy, draining parts of my home.
When you walk into a clean, organized home you feel calm, focused and clear. You have space to expand, to create and to achieve.
Our homes are our sanctuaries and mine needed some serious sprucing up.
In The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, author Marie Kondo recommends starting with things you are not emotionally attached to. Most people start a downsizing project only to promptly quit because of the non-awesomeness of going through mementos one by one and agonizing over whether to keep them or not.
I loved this book, but will be downsizing a little differently than she suggests.
I decided to start with my bathroom as I am not emotionally attached to anything there (or so I thought).
I am a woman who loves makeup and lotions and potions and anything that smells amazing.
I also like clean countertops so I tend to throw things in drawers or in the large cabinets underneath the sink and then completely forget what’s there.
Kondo says that with each item we pick out, we should ask “Does this spark joy? If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it.”
I added this: “Does this spark joy and have I even used it in the last year?”
I moved quickly but hit a few bumps.
The round brush collection. If you have long hair, you know this collection. In order to get the smoothest, bounciest hair, we have to have the right sized round brush. Ceramic plate? Ionized? Tourmaline? Nanothermic? The options go on and on.
So I asked myself, “Have I used a round brush in the past year? No. In the past 2 years? No.”
“But they were expensive. They were an investment and I might need them one day.”
All 12 of them.
As a single woman who also happens to be an entrepreneur, I am conscious of how and where I spend my money.
Looking at those brushes, I knew I didn’t need them and I wasn’t ever going to use them.
Removing clutter and old stuff isn’t throwing away money.
It’s consciously acknowledging that your investment has served its purpose.
Just because we spend good money on something doesn’t mean we have to keep it forever.
Money is fluid and it wants to move. We block its speed with a lack mentality.
My old perfumes brought back some serious memories. Happiness and youth and total heartbreak.
(It’s crazy how a smell can suddenly take you back 10 years.)
I may or may not have sprayed several different scents on my arms that day. If I passed you in the restaurant that night, I am so, so sorry.
And then there was the high-tech-face-beautifier-gadget. It was a gift from a great friend. It was the expensive, ‘oh so hot’ gift that year. Thoughtful. Very kind.
The problem was it had a charging stand and accessories and needed to plug in and sit on top of the counter…
So I placed it under the sink fully intending to take it out and use it each night…but I always forgot.
I felt bad for receiving such a generous gift, and not taking the time to use it.
And so here I was, sitting cross legged on the floor holding it in my hand. I knew full well I wasn’t going to use it but I felt too guilty to get rid of it.
In my head, keeping it underneath the sink somehow got rid of the guilt. “I will SO use this one day.”
But today was a day of clutter reckoning.
So, I packed it up in a nice, neat box. All the parts and accessories were there and after 3 years, it still looked brand new.
I took it and placed it at the top of the stairs to remind myself to take it to donation on my next trip out.
It’s still there. (It’s a process, right?)
And this is what Kondo is talking about when she cautions us from getting tripped up emotionally during the cleaning process.
This all might seem a little mundane, but this is the energy drain that is happening in our homes.
There are black holes under every sink, in every closet, in every drawer.
I started with the bathroom because I thought there would be no emotion. Instead I dealt with deep seeded money blocks, old loves and guilt.
When I walk into my bathroom now, I feel energized, happy, clear and proud. I know that sounds odd, but try it.
Today I am clearing out the spare bedroom closet. (I know you get this one.)
I don’t even like to open it because it’s packed full of random stuff. Stuff that I might just need one day even though I have no idea what’s in there.
And as I make my way through each room, I can see a very clear line forming in my mind. I am closing old chaotic chapters and creating a calm open space for the next leap.
Have you read Kondo’s book? Any tips? I’d love to hear from you.