September is a great time of year. The heat of the summer is slowly disappearing and thoughts turn to new beginnings. Before starting something new, I try to take time to look around, checking to see what I can clean up, both literally and physically !

While clutter might seem somewhat inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, you’d be wise to consider the feng shui take on an untidy space. According to principles of this ancient Chinese art, clutter prevents chi (positive energy or life force) from flowing throughout your home. Clutter contributes to feelings of being stuck or of being unable to relax in your home. The mere act of clearing clutter can renew your life by releasing negative emotions, and allowing you to create space for the things you want to achieve.

Here are three simple steps to take to cut down on the “Stuff” that gets in your way (literally and figuratively!):

Step 1—Commit. Every day, take small steps towards reducing the material burden in your home. Don’t try to do it all at once or you are likely to succumb to extreme overwhelm! Instead take an afternoon to focus on one corner of one room and move on from there. In a few weeks, your home will be a lot neater and it won’t feel like it was a burden.

Step 2—Keep, Toss, Donate. Create boxes for each of these to make it easier to categorize your things. By sticking to this method, you merely need to deal with the “Keep” box when you’re through.

Step 3—Stay Detached. (Or as detached as humanly possible!) Sentimentality or a sense that “I’ll need this someday…” are likely the reasons you’re walled in by clutter, so it’s important to stay focused on the task at hand. This only works if you can be ruthless about what you keep. If you haven’t worn it, used it, or looked at it in the past year, it should go. No exceptions!

When you have completed your task, you’ll want to look into some simple organizing systems—file cabinets, decorative boxes, bins, etc.—to contain the important things that made the cut.

As Leo Babauta so eloquently puts in his book, The Power of Less, “Simplifying isn’t meant to leave your life empty—it’s meant to leave space in your life for what you really want to do.” Out with the old, in with the new—and improved! By clearing space you’ll be making room for wonderful things to flow in.

Once you have a clear path, you can focus on developing a healthier and more balanced life.

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Maggie

A Healthy Look Within