Welcome to your new beginning; this is your clean slate. Every week you get a chance to start again.
How was your first 2023 week?
I spent hours decluttering my office at work last week, and it felt so good. Whenever I thought I was done, I found myself pushing forward, looking again with fresh eyes, and tackling another area I had dismissed. I got rid of old blank agendas I saved because I would never use old agendas. I got rid of the cardboard boxes of my keyboard, stapler, and calculator, which I had kept for years. I got rid of a small dead cactus in my office and gave my mum the pot to plant something new for me. I piled used-up three-wick glass candle jars to wash and repurpose at home; half a dozen of them. I wiped my whiteboard clean to write something new this week. I took the seat pillow I have for lower back support, washed it at home, and brought it back today. I set reminders to read some paper documents I stored, like hard copies of training material. I put away my little Christmas decorations in one bag.
The same thing happened at home; I tackled my hanged clothes and the shoe area underneath, which blew up recently. I got rid of 11 pairs I have worn out or don’t love anymore. I could have gotten rid of more, like some formal shoes that I remember were cruel to my toes, but I love how they look and put them on only once or twice. I did not want to make the process harder for myself, so I decided to keep them until I could test my suspicions the next nigh-out.
I am making decluttering fun with two things:
- Listening to audiobooks and podcasts (Temptation bundling strategy).
- Taking before and after pictures and sending them to my small decluttering WhatsApp group (Community strategy).
Sending the after pictures is the way to celebrate the new identity we are building, of people mindful of their living spaces. Celebrating is key to turning a behavior into a habit, according to the book Tiny Habits. I made a lot of progress in decluttering consistency last year, and I’ll continue to do so this year until I stop treating it as a project. By the way, we send images that can be seen once to avoid polluting each other’s phone galleries (a feature in WhatsApp you might not know exists, you’re welcome).
I easily chose my outfit this morning after getting rid of those ugly metal hangers and summer clothes in the way, and I came to the office excited about not seeing stacks of paper on my desk. I’m ready to give up the old to allow the new and do my best work this year.
I wish you the same.
P.S. This post appeared first in my weekly newsletter The Sunday Spark.