From Chaos to Clarity

One of my coaching clients is struggling with clutter. And although I don't advertise it as a service, I actually love to declutter and organize.

So I offered to help her—and started the conversation by stating that I wouldn't try to compel her to give up anything she didn't want to let go. At the same time, I did share with her the thoughts that I will share with you now.

You imbue everything you own with a certain kind of energy. Things that are loved, used and appreciated have strong, vital energies. Clutter, which is anything unwanted, unloved, or unused, can diminish your energy.

To move from chaos to clarity, please consider having around you only things that are useful or bring you joy. When let you go of everything that has no real meaning or significance for you, you literally free up energy to achieve your goals and dreams.

Also, consider creating space in your life to receive the gifts that await you. When we let go of the things that no longer serve us we are saying, "I believe the Universe is an abundant place. I can let go of things and know that if I need them in the future they will come back to me easily and effortlessly."

In short, when you fill your home only with things that you love or use well it becomes a place of refuge, a place that supports and recharges you.

You can create your own peaceful haven by following the steps below.
9 Simple Steps to Take You from Chaos to Clarity:

1. Set your intention. Decide which rooms you most want work on first. Plan to work on that room and only that room until it is complete.
2. Gather your tools. A timer, garbage bags, boxes, and a magic marker. Label the boxes "Give Away," "Throw Away," and "Put Away." Line the "Throw Away" box with a plastic bag.
3. Set your time and go. The "15-minute sprint" is a powerful tool when decluttering. Plan to take 15 minutes a day to declutter one area in your home. If, after 15 minutes you feel inspired to do another, get a drink of water and go for it.

But don't plan to do more than that. Again, we want to avoid burnout and overwhelm.
4. Start at the entrance of the room—a room that will soon become a peaceful haven. Then, work your way around. Don't skip anything: just deal with whatever comes next.
5. When you look at anything in the room, ask yourself "Do I love this?" and "Have I used it in the past year?" If the answer is yes to either question, keep it—either by leaving it in place or putting it in the "Put Away" box. (Don't worry if you don't have a place for everything right now. By the time you finish, you will.)

If the answer to both questions is no, let the thing go—into the "Give Away" or "Throw Away" boxes.
6. When the "Throw Away" box gets full, pull out the garbage bag, close it, and put it in the trashcan. Put a new bag in the box and keep going until the timer goes off.
7. When the "Give Away" box gets full, close it up and put it in your car. The next time you are out, drop the box off at your local thrift store. Or post an ad to Free cycle. (When I use Free cycle—in many areas, this community clearinghouse operates as a Yahoo group you can easily join—the items I want to give away are usually gone from my porch within 24 hours of posting my add.) Now grab another box, label it "Give Away," and get back to the room.
8. When the "Put Away" box gets full, take the box in your arms and, as quickly as you can, go around the house and put the items where they belong. If they don't have a clear place, put them in the room where they logically belong. Soon you will have a place for everything and everything in its place.
9. When the timer goes off, put away all the boxes (empty of course!) as fast as you can.

After you have completed the nine steps—celebrate! Letting go of what no longer serves us and opening ourselves to new possibilities are two of the most challenging skills to learn in life, and you're well on your way to becoming a master.

Keep at this and you will reap the rewards that life offers to all those who let go and open up: peace, clarity, and abundance.