Does clutter get you down?

It’s amazing how refreshed a good clearing-out session at home can make you feel.

Getting rid of old, unused stuff that’s just sitting there can do wonders for your motivation, making you feel invigorated and energized.

Undertaken regularly, decluttering is a great habit to maintain as part of a Super-Charged lifestyle.

Five Top Tips to an Uncluttered Life

Here are some simple steps to follow to get going towards an uncluttered life:

1.  Look around your home. Do you really need all these things? If so, can they be stored differently?

2.  Decide what goes. You may be able to raise some cash by selling unwanted items. If not, give them to a charity or take them to a recycling center. Whatever option you choose, you win by regaining space in your home.

3.  Decide what stays. Obviously, you won’t be getting rid of everything, but you’ll be assuring yourself that everything you keep stays for a good reason.

4.  Identify what you want to keep, but don’t want lying around the home.  This could include anything: books, furniture, clothes, rarely-used tools, bedding, files or documents for example.

5.  Decide on a storage solution.  Depending on what you need to store, this could be anything from a shed to a temperature-controlled, secure storage facility, such as a unit at Big Yellow Self Storage.

Advice for Packing and Storing Your Items

A few words of advice regarding commonly stored household items.

Flat-packing furniture you assembled yourself will save on space and prolong its life. Ensure the hardware doesn’t get lost by keeping it in a small, sealable bag.

Wood and metal items will last longer if you give them a coat of varnish and rust protector respectively.

Mattresses should go in purpose-made storage bags available at DIY stores. For best results, you should change the bag every 12 months.

Keep a wardrobe in your storage unit if you’re storing clothes, shoes, bags and bed linen. For the relatively small footprint it takes up, you’ll get loads of hanging, stacking and shelving space.

Books break backs if carried around in big boxes. Use smaller boxes and lay the books flat. This will protect their spines and yours.

At Big Yellow Self Storage you can store items of all shapes & sizes, in rooms from 9 sq ft to 400 sq ft.

Photo by EvelynGiggles

A simpler life is a better life.  Clutter, busyness and disorganization cause stress.  They also waste time and energy that could be better spent on more enjoyable activities.

We all need to make simplicity a priority in life.  However, it may not come naturally to you. 

Well, I have some good news because I’ve assembled some incredible resources to help you get started with simplicity.  In these articles, you’ll find a lot of no nonsense, practical advice that will have you leading a simpler life in no time at all!

10 Fabulously Free Resources for Achieving Simplicity

Toss out all the stuff that is cluttering up your life so you can live light and free!  There is no need to hang on to piles of seldom used possessions or to other complexities.

Let’s get started!  Here are the resources you’ll need:

1.  Start with learning the benefits of simplicity

Every endeavor in life requires you have the right motivation to succeed.  Once you have a clear understanding of all the benefits of simplifying your life then you are sure to jump into the process with enthusiasm.  I highly encourage you to take a look at the 14 Benefits Of Simplicity That Lead To A Good Life to get the proper motivation.

2.  Go even deeper to get the proper perspective on your stuff

How much stuff do we actually need to be happy?  You’ll find a very interesting discussion on this topic in Stuff-onomics: Hidden Side of What You Own.  Even when we know we should let go of some of our stuff, it isn’t always easy.  This article will prime you emotionally to turn loose of unneeded stuff and it will give you a system to evaluate what to keep and what to ditch.

3.  Stimulate your mind with ideas on where you can simplify

Simplicity is something to embrace in every area of life.  However, everyone is different.  You may do fine in some areas, but need help in others.  Take a look at the Simple Living Manifesto: 72 Ideas to Simplify Your Life as a resource to help zero in on where you could improve.  Don’t get overwhelmed!  Just use this list to stimulate some ideas!

4.  Zero in on 2 or 3 areas where you can really make a difference

Want an easy-to-digest list to help you identify just a few areas of focus?  Check out 30 Ways to Make Your Life More Simple.  It is brief and to the point, yet extremely useful.  You can scan these suggestions in just a minute or two and walk away with some truly meaningful ways to make your life more simple.

5.  Embrace a step-by-step methodical approach to simplifying

If you are the type that likes to breakdown big projects into bite-sized chunks, then read Simplify Your Life in Six Simple Steps.  It will help you to systematize your simplification efforts.  I particularly like the idea of becoming a “90-percenter” so I can enjoy more of the good stuff that life has to offer.

6.  Simplify and get more out of life all at the same time

Simplifying does not mean giving up things.  It means letting go of the bulk so you can live a lighter and more enjoyable life.  I think this is best expressed in 27 Simple Ways to Simplify Your Life.  This list really offers some fantastic ways to simplify and get more from life all at the same time.  Trust me, there is more to abundance than just accumulating piles of stuff!

7.  Rid yourself of the waste that is dragging you down

What wastes your time?  Identify this and you will instantly add hours to your days.  In 10 Ways to Simplify and Eliminate Waste in Your Life, you’ll find a powerful method to find and destroy the things that are draining you of your most precious commodity.  The recommendations are all excellent and there isn’t a word wasted!

8.  Wrap your mind around uncluttering

Uncluttering or decluttering, whichever you prefer, is a specialized task that is a big part of simplicity.  If you have packrat tendencies, then you definitely want to read the Seven benefits of uncluttering to help wrap your mind around this concept.  Clutter costs us in a number of ways that often go unrealized so there are probably benefits on this list that never crossed your mind before.

9.  Step into decluttering with these terrific techniques

Eliminating all your clutter at once may be too overwhelming.  If so, then take a look at Decluttering 101 for some excellent techniques that will help you get started without freaking out your inner packrat.  Personally, I like the “just a box” strategy mentioned in this article, but you might find one of the other suggestions more helpful.

10.  Graduate to a clutter-free home

Once you’ve mastered the basics of clearing the clutter, then you will be ready to move up to the big leagues of simplicity.  In Keep Your Home Clutter-Free, you’ll learn a proactive approach to preventing clutter.  This approach will not only simplify your life, but it will also save you money.  What a terrific bonus!

Simplicity Resources to Help You Find the Best Life

Underneath it all, you have a great life!  You just need to uncover it from all the entanglements that have accumulated over the years.  Simplicity is like ripping off a band-aid.  Getting from here to there just hurts for a moment and then you’ll see with your own eyes that everything is all better!

What tips do you have to offer for achieving simplicity in life?

Photo by Parvin ?( Internet Problem )

We have lost sight of the old adage that less is more.

The over-consumption and rush to get things done in our world today has us stressed out, buried in debt and on a treadmill to nowhere.

This is no way to live!  Fortunately, there are a few simple life blogs out there that serve as voices in the wilderness.  They call us to embrace simplicity for a better life.  They truly believe less is more and they try very hard to show us this road less traveled.

The simple life blogs I recommend to learn about living with less

These simple living blogs are wonderful resources to help you turn your life around.  They are practical, no-nonsense and passionate about simplicity.

At each of these four simple life blogs, I have selected an article to highlight so we can jump right to the crux of their message.  I hope this will help you get started simplifying your life.

Let’s look at the four that I have chosen:

1.  Seven reasons to simplify your life at MySimplerLife

7 Reasons to Simplify Your Life lays out the specific benefits of simplicity.  Beth says, “…without specifics “simplifying” never reaches high on the priority list.”  I agree.  The more we understand the true value of simpler living, the more committed we become.

Her article is really a jumping off point that includes links to a whole series detailing the gains one can expect from simple living. 

Beth also points out, the purpose of simplifying isn’t so we can sit around and do nothing.  It is so we can fully commit ourselves to what is truly important.  Bravo!

2.  Ways to start making your life more simple at On Simplicity

Once you understand the reasons to simplify, you’ll want ideas to get started.  Fortunately, Sara at On Simplicity provides us with 30 Ways to Make Your Life More Simple.

Let me highlight three of her suggestions to give you a flavor of what to expect:

• Stop trying to be perfect
• Sign up for automatic bill-pay
• Single-task as much as possible

This list is indicative of the kind of regular, practical advice Sara provides.  She will help you examine your life regularly and question what really matters. 

Sara says, “If you’re interested in having less but enjoying more, then On Simplicity is written for you.”

3.  Get rid of all the clutter at Neat & Simple Living

Clutter is the enemy of a simple life.  Ariane takes a commonsense approach to letting go of what we don’t need in My Top 10 Tips for Clutter-free Living. 

In this article, she admits that it is probably impossible to live completely clutter-free.  Instead, Ariane provides us with “…strategies and habits that make it much easier to “maintain” a reasonable amount of clutter.”

I like how she emphasizes creating good habits for simpler living .  By improving our habits, we ensure a lasting change and not just a one-time Spring cleaning project.

Ariane is an organizing coach.  Besides just reading her blog, you might want to check out her free e-book called 100 Surefire Ways to Organize Your BUSY Life.

4.  Clear your schedule and reduce stress at Unclutterer

Stress and anxiety plague many of us.  In Uncluttering your schedule to keep clear of unnecessary stress, Erin points out that this pressure often brings out the worst in us.

Erin emphasizes that we need to be realistic about how we schedule our time.  We often try to pack too much into a day. 

We constantly rush from one thing to the next and do not leave ourselves any time to unwind and reflect.  This leaves us prone to performing below our potential.

I think we also teach our kids to do the same.  We enroll them in every activity imaginable thinking we are giving them all the advantages in life.  However, when do they have time to just be a kid?  Shouldn’t we also be teaching them that quality of life is at least as important as quantity?  Just my thoughts.

I also like what is said in the manifesto at Unclutterer.  In particular, I liked the definition of simple living:

Choosing to live simply, to me, is trying to find balance in order to enjoy what one does have, and to avoid becoming overwhelmed by clutter. It means consciously choosing to have fewer things, but knowing that what you will have will be high quality items that you truly cherish.

Good stuff!  I like this perspective and believe it is a one to hold for living a full life.

Simplify to get more out of life!

Simplifying your life doesn’t mean that you have to give up all modern conveniences.  It is about voluntarily and consciously choosing to say no to certain things in our lives to win back time, peace of mind and sanity.

I hope you find these sites useful and thought-provoking.  I am convinced that simplicity is something worth pursuing!  I hope you are too.

Are you interested in simplifying?  In what ways?

Photo by Zanastardust

I also think that a return to the basics is a great way to create a good life.  In many instances, we have overcomplicated our lives causing unnecessary stress, anxiety and tension.  We should take this opportunity to scale back and simplify.

How to create a good life with back to basics living

There are numerous things we can do to get back to the basics.  All these moves will help us to incrementally improve our lives. 

They will cut out many of the unneeded things that clutter our lives robbing us of our peace and sanity.  In addition, they will help create order and stability where it is badly needed.

Let’s take a look at some steps for getting back to the basics!  By the way, I have sprinkled links throughout this article to help you find more information on each step.

1.  Cut out everything but what you really love, use and enjoy.

It is time to do an honest appraisal of all the stuff cluttering up your life and your finances.  Take an inventory of all your activities and possessions.  Get rid of everything that causes you even an ounce of stress.  If you aren’t using and enjoying it, then sell it, donate it or trash it!

2.  Evaluate your stuff and activities based on three factors.

When you are trying to decide whether to keep something in your life or get rid of it, evaluate these three things:

• Does it demand too much of your money?
• Does it demand too much of your time?
• Does it add enough value to your life to keep it?

Generally, your initial reaction or gut instinct is the best action to take.  Don’t deliberate too long.  Err on the side of back to basics living!

3.  Reacquaint yourself with the joy of simpler living.

It is likely that there was a time when you lived a much simpler life than what you have now.  You were less busy, had fewer responsibilities and your life wasn’t cluttered with so much stuff.  Chances are you were just as happy or happier then than you are now.  Why not seek pleasure and satisfaction in the simple joys of life again?  Take this opportunity to explore if you can be happy with less.

4.  Organize your personal finances with a budget.

How much money do you really need to survive and create a good life?  Where does all your money go every month?  A budget will help you answer these questions.  It will return a sense of control to your finances that you may not have experienced in quite some time.  Living on a budget is liberating and will reduce stress.  Need help getting started?  Check out this list of brilliant budgeting resources!

5.  Stop buying things you do not need and pay off your debt!

We need to differentiate more clearly between our wants and our necessities.  We seem to get confused.  I’ve been guilty of this.  I’ll be the first to admit that I’ve struggled with how to stop buying things I don’t need.  Over time, I’ve had to retrain myself.  As a result, my wife and I have frugaled up our finances and paid off our debt.  Being debt-free is awesome!  I now believe that being debt-free is the path to financial success!

6.  Be more content with what you already have.

We often become discontent when we compare ourselves to others.  We see other people that seem to have more than we do and we start thinking we need more.  However, more is usually what robs us of the very happiness we seek.  It steals our joy and makes us a prisoner to debt and obligation.

7.  Focus your time on significant activities.

A great deal of happiness in life often comes from the knowledge that you are  spending your time on things that have purpose and meaning.  It isn’t always about the bling!  In fact, many of the people that report the highest levels of happiness often have very little in terms of material possessions.  However, they do spend a lot of time with family and friends.  They invest themselves in relationships.  Focus on creating significance in your life!

8.  Take care of your mind and body.

You can’t truly have a good life without good health.  It is paramount that we take care of ourselves.  This means eating the right foods and getting some exercise.  In addition to our physical health, we should also pay attention to protecting our mental health.  We need to exercise our brains and take steps to reduce stress.  These efforts will pay some of the biggest dividends that we will ever receive.

These 8 steps to creating a good life will get you back to the basics

This is a time of adjustment.  It is a time to reflect on what’s really important and to get our affairs in order.  We could all use a shift to more basic and meaningful living.  I am convinced that the best that life has to offer is hidden in some of these 8 steps for creating a good life.  I hope you’ll click some of the links and explore it further for yourself!

What else can we do to get back to the basics and create a good life?

Photo by Ferdinand Reus