This is the cabinet in our bathroom. We moved into this house almost 4 years ago. It was built in 2006 by the technical college. They didn’t find it necessary to have many cabinets or closets for storage. We moved into this smaller (square footage) house with lots fewer options to put stuff. I found some cabinets at our Habitat for Humanity store in town and those have helped to ease the crowding.

Recently though, I have taken a clutter clearing class. You wouldn’t know it by looking at my living room, but I have taken several classes, read some books and bought some books with the intent to read. The latest class had us start in the bedroom. I went through my closet (again) and my youngest son went through his clothes also. We were able to donate 4 large bags of clothes and sold some of the name brand items locally. He is a typical 14 year old and went through growth spurts, causing a whole bunch of “too small” clothes that were barely worn. Turns out, a friend of mine had a son who was needing some new pants and it worked out perfectly.

Stuff. Clutter. Extras. Why do we hold onto it? The answer is different for everyone. It might be an emotional attachment, but often times there is a story or history tied to the item. I tend to keep a lot of “just in case” stuff. I have a crazy amount of beach towels. I went through a period of time where I bought a bunch of rugs. I have way too many shoes. It’s true that everything in the house takes the mental capacity to remember where it is in case someone may need it. I just released 4 bags of things I no longer need to keep track of. One thing I liked about this class on decluttering was the time limit set. Spend 30 minutes and then move on. She didn’t say to spend a whole day or that you need to throw it all out in 5 hours. 30 minutes. It’s a start. It felt like releasing a weight and made me want to continue.

Anyone else shove stuff in a closet and then forget about it? Stuff, feelings, emotions, goals… it doesn’t have to be just physical. Regardless of what you’re cleaning out of the cupboard, be gentle with yourself in the process. Keep the stuff that sparks joy. Bless and release the rest. January lends itself to being a goal setting, life changing month… and then by February, we beat ourselves up because we didn’t achieve our big goals. 30 minutes to declutter your closet or your thoughts. 30 minutes of mindfulness, 30 minutes of meditation, 30 minutes of journaling, 30 minutes of movement. I’m one to say I don’t have time, yet I will watch TV for 30 minutes. Little shifts can make a difference, but if February comes and your world isn’t magically different, it’s ok. Be gentle with yourself and try again.

I wish you peace on your journey of enough. May you take the 30 minutes to open the cabinet. You may be blessing someone else with the items you release.