New Year Decluttering

Clutter tends to invade my life.

Cluttered calendar.  Cluttered house.  All leading to cluttered thoughts.

For the new year, I’m decluttering.

Decluttering has an image you might immediately pair with it.  Think hoarders before and after shots.

But decluttering in modern America is far more needed in ways you don’t traditionally consider when thinking about clutter.

How am I decluttering for the new year?

I’m decluttering with a few super simple life hacks.

I’m decluttering my personal email.  Which will also result in decluttering my credit card statement.  Particularly post-house remodel, I’m getting a truckload of “deal” emails.  From furniture stores to clothing boutiques to book deals.  I’ve had enough.  Between now and next Monday, every single “deal” email (which is basically everything except the Times, a couple of bloggers and you) will be UNSUBSCRIBED.

That is going to pay massive dividends.  First, I get time back.  I spend early morning hours deleting emails when I could be praying or working on a critical thought work project.  Second, I get money back.  I can’t be tempted by the deal if I never knew it happened.  I did this years ago and it worked, but the sales emails slowly creeped back in.

Need something to offset your massively smaller inbox?  You can subscribe to my little blog.  Right there, on the right hand side, where it says subscribe by email.  No deals.  And generally two emails a week, since I’ve been struggling to find time to write. (But heck, now maybe three times a week of new blogs with my new state of declutter!).

I’m decluttering our unloading crap.  Sorry.  It’s crap.  Kids book bags?  Shoes (oh my heavens with the shoes)?  Papers and folders?  One spot.  You must put it all by the door.  Granted, I got a little assist with our new mud room.  The kids (and the adults) are using it for its intended purpose.  Hooks for jackets and backpacks.  Cubbies for shoes.  A bench for papers.

Maybe it’s cluttered there, but we have two working parents and three second graders.  Good luck keeping everything pristine with that formulation.  But it’s in one spot.  By the back door.

No mud room?  Who cares?  Hang a couple of $2 hooks from Home Depot by your back door and get a couple of baskets or bins for your shoes.  I think we’ll all feel better if we can stop 7 am fights over I can’t find my shooooooooooooooooooeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeesssssssssssss, mommmmmmmeeeeeeeee.

Finally (well, almost finally, I have one for you), I’m decluttering my bed.  We make the kids make their beds every morning.  Yet Bray and I aren’t all that great about making ours.  In addition to the studies that show the value of making your bed every morning (see Admiral McCraven’s advice: If you want to change the world, start off by making your bed), I now have a lovely bed.  Tufted headboard.  Situated in a much less cluttered room.  Beautiful new white hotel-style comforter.  Throw pillows for Pete’s sake.  (Pictures coming.  Next week: series of home remodel posts!)

I am making our bed every morning!  I’m hanging up my clothes when I get home so I don’t have to have a wayward pair of jeans or sweater on the end of the bed (which will end up on the floor…).  I’m putting my purse in the mud room.  I have no excuse.  It’s an easy bed to make.  And it looks really pretty.

Okay, last one is for you.  I’d like to declutter my mind too.  This tactic might sound like more instead of less, but it’s actually just “better.”  Several podcasts have caught my attention and I have a heck of a work commute.  I’d like to start listening to a handful of these interesting news/faith/interest podcasts.  But I have data limits on my iPhone.  I have no Wi-Fi in my car.  And I probably will forget to download the podcast and then delete it to make room for the next one.

Could any of you commuters give me a life hack so I can start listening to podcasts in the new year on my commute?  Pretty pretty please?  This is the last thing on my check list of things to knock out this week.  I go back tomorrow so extra points if you can come up with an idea by 7 am tomorrow 🙂 (And even more points if you share your favorite podcast!)

What about you?  What is the best decluttering strategy you have (or will) employ?  Any life hacks you can share to make all of our lives a little easier this 2018?

Happy New Year friends!!!