Women's Life Link Be Well, Be Happy, Be YOU!
Anyone over the age of 3o has likely thought about what life would be like in the year 2020. Those of us in the Boomer or X Generations used to fanaticize about flying cars, laser guns, and transport devices as they were portrayed in Sci-Fi movies and TV programs. Well, it’s finally here, and I believe that, regardless of whether we are flying around like the Jetsons or not, 2020 is a pretty special year!
The fact it’s a new decade could be life-changing for some, as it reminds us to take an inventory of our lives and the past ten years. Did we meet our 10-year goals? Are we holding on to things we don’t need? Which brings me to our topic today…how to declutter your life. Let’s take a quick look at some things you can do to make a major decluttering effort.
Decide What Physical Things Need To Go
Take a good look around your home and business. Have you accumulated so much stuff you need storemen hire or could be featured on Hoarders: Buried Alive? If you can’t see any horizontal surfaces in your home or office, it is likely time to do some decluttering. The best thing I know to do is divide everything up into 3 categories: Keep, Donate, and Throw Away…and stick to it! Ask yourself these questions: Is it sentimental? Is it useful or being used? Do I love it? Be honest and let your answers help you decide where your items end up. If you didn’t use it, think about it or see it in 2019, do you really need to bring it into 2020?
You can also contact a charity donations team that can come and collect your unwanted items. This is a valid option, especially if you can’t take it somewhere yourself. A charity such as Purple Heart can help you with this. Purple Heart Pickup is quick and easy and all it takes is a phone call to let them know that you will be leaving stuff outside for pick up. It is much better to donate your unwanted items rather than throw them in the trash.
Decide What Else Makes You Unhappy
Decluttering your life is about more than getting rid of old clothes and cleaning the basement. It’s about clearing the emotions and activities that make you unhappy. Honestly, this is harder than throwing things away because it usually means making life-changing decisions.
Choosing to leave a job or activity behind are choices that can come with a price even though you may be better off in the long run. I recommend allowing yourself to work through any tough feelings naturally and without judgment. You can honestly use the same questions from above or similar ones to make emotional decisions. However, it will likely be more clear to you what is bringing joy into your life or not.
Assess Your Relationships
Next, take a good look at the relationships in your life. You can be supportive of negative friends, but if there are people in your life that make you feel low, stressed, and used, you need to let them go. You can go two ways here; you can ghost them and hope they don’t contact you, or you can be upfront and explain that you are trying to have a positive year. Pick your poison, as this won’t be easy to do…necessary, but not easy.
With close relationships that may not be going well, consider talking things through. You may discover that things aren’t as bad as they seem. Working on a marriage, romantic relationship, family issues can be done with a plan and some help from the outside. However, always know that if things can’t be resolved, you can choose to move on.
It’s important to be present in your life and make every moment count. All those “moments” will add up to the next decade, and do it faster than you think. Start off 2o20 with a clear plan and mindset to have the best next ten years of your life. Get rid of physical and emotional clutter, bin the bad news and say no to negativity. It’s going to be a fantastic new start. Happy New Year!
