Stop Procrastinating and Start DOING!

We should be well on our way to decluttering by now, right? Well, maybe there are some of us who made that list and became overwhelmed at all that needs to be done. How on earth did we accumulate so much STUFF?! I want to encourage you today, dear friend, that while the work seems a task too impossible to tackle, we can and will accomplish all that comes into our hearts to complete in our houses (2 Chronicles 7:11, NJKV).

If looking at the list makes you feel as though there is no point because you can't get it all done in one day, then set a timer for 20 minutes and do what you can. Set a goal to complete one or two things a day on the list. Listen, the stuff didn't accumulate in 20 minutes, 20 days or more than likely 20 months! It's going to take a little while to get through it. But you need to just keep moving forward because that is making progress and that is our overall goal!

Have a blessed week!


Lyn~

Starting the Week Off Right!

Good morning! How was your weekend? I hope your decluttering list wasn't too intimidating for you last week. Remember, just take one day at a time. This week we will begin with decluttering our first room! Are you excited? Scared? Wondering what lost things you might actually find? I know the feeling well. Just take one room, one area at a time!

As we prepare to declutter our homes, I want to share with you how I get ready to do all that needs to be done each day. Are you ready? It's my daily routine! My daily routine is not going to look like yours at all, so please keep that in mind. My routine does have some similar components to every successful person's routine, though! I get up after a good night's sleep, make breakfast, do my daily devotion, make the bed, exercise, and get dressed for the day. That's my routine in a nutshell. In reality, it looks more like this:

• Licked awake by hungry puppies (2...Chihuahuas who are 2 years old!)
• Let puppies outside while I get their breakfast ready
• Let puppies in to eat
• Load dishwasher
• Let puppies back outside after they eat
• Make my nutrient dense shake
• Let puppies back inside
• Turn off porch light before heading back upstairs
• Read devotions
• Do my workout for the day (sometimes twice a day!)
• Make my bed
• Shower
• Get dressed for the day
• Take care of business items (respond to emails, write blog posts, contact clients/customers, etc.)

All of this I do between 7 a.m. and 8:30 a.m.! In the midst of all of that chaos at the start of the day, five things help me start the day off right: get a good night's sleep, eat breakfast, exercise, daily devotions, and getting dressed. It might seem pretty simple, but for some people, getting all five items done every day is quite the feat. If you will commit to doing those five things every day, I know you will be more productive, have more energy, and be more successful in your decluttering goals.

Start the week off right!


Lyn~

Hump Day Encouragement

How have the last 2 days gone for you? Were you able to make a list of everything in your house, car, and computer that needs to be decluttered? Are you feeling a bit overwhelmed at all that should be done? I understand completely!

I want to encourage you today by reminding you that you didn't come to have clutter in just one day, week, or even one month. So don't expect that you will overcome it in a short amount of time either! I know that can be easier to say and hear than to heed. I am the kind of person who sees all that has to be accomplished and will try to finish it--ALL in one day! But that just isn't practical nor is it healthy.

If your list is intimidating, here is a simple solution for tackling it: start with the room you spend the most time in. If you have to take something from that room to another, just set it down in that room and walk right back to the main room you are cleaning; otherwise, you'll get sidetracked and won't finish either room!

Lyn~

Decluttering: You Have to Start SOMEWHERE!

First, I have to apologize for not writing since JULY! I've had some things going on that distracted me from my blog, and, well, there's just no real excuse. I'm sorry I abandoned you for nearly 3 months! In that time, the Lord has really been dealing with me on some things (which I will share with you in the coming weeks!), and I am seeing the importance of connecting with you every week.

Today, I want to begin a series on clutter. Stop right now and look around your present area. Are there papers everywhere, dishes in the sink, clothes lying around waiting to be folded and put away (or WASHED!), are there toys piled up, is your bed unmade, or is that catch-all table somewhere under all that STUFF? It is in my house! What about this? Do you have dozens, hundreds, or THOUSANDS of unread emails? Does your car have empty fast food cups filling the floors?
If any of these sound like an area in your life, I have good news for you! You can start to declutter TODAY! We'll talk about just how to do that this week, but I wanted you to begin to think about the clutter that we have all just become comfortable with. We don't realize that it is taking over various areas of our lives...until someone drops in for a surprise visit, asks if you read that email, or a child needs that one shirt for a choir performance!

The first step in decluttering any area of our lives is to realize that we DO have clutter! Take inventory of the areas that need to be gone through. Start with the area you spend the most time in. Make a list of the things that need to be done in that area. If it's the kitchen, for example, your list might include: load dishwasher, empty dishwasher, clean microwave inside and out, throw out old fast food cup, put towels in drawer, throw old mail/junk mail out, wipe down coffee maker, wipe off counters, organize plastics cupboard (how many of us have DOZENS of Tupperware type containers with NO matching lids?!), etc. Don't do anything in that area yet. Then go through other areas of your house and take note of what needs to be done. Perhaps there are things that can be kept. Maybe a toy is broken and should be thrown out. Maybe you don't use that trendy copper pan and you can donate it. What if your unused items could be sold and bring you a little extra money?!

These are all starting points in the journey f decluttering your life. You may be trying to figure out why getting organized at home is so important. Well, Terri Savelle Foy says, "The way you do anything is the way you do EVERYTHING!" In other words, if there are areas of your life that are cluttered, there are likely areas of your spiritual life that are cluttered, too. Matthew 7:16 says, "By their fruits you will know them." In other words, what your home looks like, your car looks like (inside, not the type or value!), is what YOU look like! That's powerful, isn't it?

So this week, let's prepare to get started on decluttering our lives. Start by making that list, but don't start on it just yet. We'll get to that, don't worry! Before you know it, your home, life, and fruit will reflect your organization!

Have a blessed week!


Lyn~