Lessons Learned

Too much stuff weighs your whole being down. Letting go of it all, is so freeing and life changing. We have been programed to think that more things will make us happier but that is a pure lie. Excess stuff holds you back. It creates fears of not being good enough. Too many things creates chaos and disorder in your house and mind. Through this process, I have learned that without all the stuff that I can breathe easier,  that I am more at peace in my mind and soul, I am not dreading someone showing up unexpectedly because my house is a giant mess because I have no place for all of these things that I have accumulated. Owning less is way easier than trying to clean up excess stuff all the time. This is the simple lesson that I learned through all of this.
 

Simple but true!

Major differences that have happened:
 - My floors are staying cleaner longer. There was too much stuff that had no home, so it ended up on the floor.
- My laundry is staying caught up. I can do one load a day and the baskets are not overflowing all the time!
- My kids are calmer and stay amused longer with less toys. Their rooms are cleaner too.
- Enlisting the kids' help in doing daily chores, helps get things done faster.
- Because the house is relatively clean all the time, we get to relax in the evening and there is no pressure to try and clean. We get to chill out with the kids.

Now, my house is not showroom perfect. Lets face it, there are 2 adults, three kids and two dogs living here! I still have a basement to clean out and am still purging things upstairs. You could walk in right now and see random kid items on the floor. I need to sweep and mop, there are dishes in my sink and I need to deep clean the bathroom. However, it is now to a point where I can have the whole thing tided back up in a little over an hour and a half now! My kids are in charge of their rooms which are to be tidied up at  least once every day. They are required to pick up anything that on the main living area, that belong to them. It has been some tense moments establishing these routines but they know that Mama is serious about getting rid of things. They know that I am not afraid to throw stuff away that does not get picked up! I have to enforce this until it is become habit for everyone. My kids have already started separating and putting their dirty clothes into the proper baskets. Now if I could get my husband to do the same!

This all started because I knew I needed to change this for the betterment of my family. I had to change, simply put.When I changed my mindset, my life started changing.

It starts with you. 

My advice to you is stop organizing and start purging the clutter. Stop spending your money on storage containers/baskets and get rid of everything that is not used or that you do not love. Getting rid of the excess will clean your home, your mind, and your heart. It frees you to live your life again. It give you time to enjoy hobbies. It gives me time to play with my kids, sit and talk to my husband, to study my bible and pray, and time to hangout and visit with friends. If you are struggling with this like I did, just start somewhere. It could be your medicine cabinet, but get that snowball rolling! Free yourself.

Remember this!