Why it is Essential to Declutter in the New Year

Tips for a new beginning in your home (and your life)!

The new year brings with it an opportunity for a new beginning. In order to create this fresh start in our lives it is important to start fresh in our homes.

“We end up becoming our homes, so we better make sure our homes reflect who we want to become.”- Unknown

Our homes reflect our beliefs and influence our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Everything in our homes is either moving us closer to our dreams or keeping us stuck in the past–reinforcing the same habits, patterns, mindset, and emotions. If we wish for something new to manifest in our lives, we can start by shifting the vibration in our homes. By aligning the energy in our homes with our current desires we can put ourselves in the best possible place to realize our dreams.

1) Set an intention: Imagine your ideal home and life. Start by clarifying your goals and desires. Is there a specific area of your life you wish to up-level, such as your finances or career? Would you like to attract a loving relationship? Or maybe you want to support a new habit, like cooking healthy meals? Do you wish for more peace in your life? How do you want to spend your days? How do want to you feel? Write down your most heartfelt, ideal vision for your home and life. Writing down your intentions is the best way to gain clarity. Make sure you include how you will feel once you achieve your goals.

2) Declutter: Make space for your dreams. Now is the time to let go of anything that is not in alignment with our heartfelt vision for your home and life. How can we expect new and wonderful things to come into our lives, if our homes are already filled to the brim? Let go of anything that is no longer loved or useful so you can welcome in new energy, opportunities, ideas, and people.

Ask yourself, does this item reflect and support my vision for my ideal home and life? Would I keep this item if I were already living my dream?

Give away, recycle, or sell anything that is not loved or useful. As you let go of these items give thanks for how these things served you in the past, or for showing you what is no longer working in your life. Then send them off with the intention that they will find a new home and serve someone else.

If, like us, you haven’t put away your holiday decorations (our trees are still up!) you may want to check out last week’s post, How to Declutter After the Holidays.

3) Clean and refresh your space. Physically cleaning your home is a very effective way to shift the energy – and a clean home feels so good – you can see the energy sparkle! Cleaning will also support your decluttering. The first step in decluttering is always to empty the drawer, closet, cabinet or take everything off the shelves. (This step ensures you address each and every item.) Physically clean the space before you put anything back. When you are faced with an empty freshly cleaned space you will be inspired to only put back the things that are truly loved and useful.

4) Make a change, rearrange! Move things around in your home – this will release old habits and patterns and activate change in your life. Perhaps there is something that you have always wanted to try moving to a different location? Go ahead! You can always change it back! Is there something that has always nagged at you in your home? Is it time to let it go? Or does it just need to be moved to a different location? Rearrange photos or books, the furniture, or place artwork in a different location. As you are making changes in your home, you are changing the energy in your space – and life. You are signaling to your home that you are open to new possibilities and ready for change.

5) Appreciate. Decluttering supports us in letting go of what is no longer meaningful so we can enjoy the things we truly love. Sometimes we get so focused on the things we give away that we forget that the point of decluttering is to engage more with the things we choose to keep! Make sure you benefit from your decluttering efforts by using and appreciating all of the loved items in your home (don’t just save them for special occasions). Light the fire or candles, use your favorite table setting, wear your favorite outfit, use the bath oils you’ve been saving, etc…