Of all the good intentions for a new year, one of the most effective ways to bring change into ones life is to simply clear the clutter, one of the most important and yet least acknowledged aspects of self-care. When we are surrounded by remnants of our busy lives it is hard to find a way to live in a way that allows us to be whole.

On the Mothering.com forum mommaof3boz posted a challenge to clear 5 items a day for 30 days = 150 items gone from your life. We agree that this is a prime time of year to clear the clutter – with the colder weather we spend a lot more time inside surrounded by our stuff…

Our family began the quest to clear clutter in the beginning of January. It has, not surprisingly, gone in spurts, with wild days of clearing, and moments of feeling like we’ve released enough. We’re finding, though, that after a few days of feeling “done”, a new awareness settles in of readiness to dive into yet another corner of our home.

Is there such a thing as “done” or “clear”? As a talented hoarder of things that I “might do something with one day,” I recognize that there will always be things in my life that I’m just not ready to let go of.  And I’ve been through enough clearing binges to know that each time I reach a new level of clarity on what I truly want to have in my life.

While we may not be “done” quite yet, the kitchen feels infinitely more manageable these days with clear counters and room on the shelves. And the hallway cabinet even has a few empty drawers that I don’t even know how to fill. We can see the floor in the basement again. And it feels Good. Tonight? The craft collection…my favourite place to hoard.

As for the challenge,we’re well beyond 150! Turns out if you get me at the “right time of the month” I can get rid of just about anything…

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Care to join me in the challenge?  You can start today, or next month, or next year – whenever you’re ready.  Once you start, however, be warned – it’s hard to stop!

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 26th, 2010 at 4:22 pm and is filed under self-care. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.