Tag: declutter

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Seven Tenets of Essentialism from Greg McKeown

Posted on by Joy

When Greg McKeown’s new book, Effortless, hit the shelves, I couldn’t wait to read it. Who wouldn’t want to read a book promising to “make it easier to do what matters most”? I checked it out of my local library and spent two weeks devouring every word. Immediately, I knew I had to go back and read Essentialism again.   If you aren’t familiar with Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less, it is the million-copy international best seller that McKeown released in 2014. I first read it in 2018. At the time, I was decluttering my house and reading all the Read more…

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Decluttering: Where To Start When You’re Overwhelmed

Posted on by Joy

The question I’m most frequently asked about decluttering is “Where do I start?” I understand how easy it is to become overwhelmed by all the stuff. We want to throw our hands up and say, “It’s too much! I don’t even know where to begin.” I’ve been there. But there is a path forward, and it starts with that first step. As Dave Ramsey often says, “How do you eat an elephant? One bite at a time.” Here are a few ideas to help you decide where to start: Start for a reason. If you have a desire to declutter Read more…

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How Minimalism Proves Lasting Change is Possible

Posted on by Joy

Do you believe people can change? I’ve always struggled with making lasting changes in my life. Sometimes I feel like I was born with a brain that is hard-wired with traits, habits, and behaviors that can’t be re-programmed. It’s tempting to live on autopilot – doing things the way we’ve always done them. We might get inspired and change our methods for a while, but it’s easy to revert to old habits. Change can look like a mountain that just won’t move. A few years ago, I felt like I needed a major change. With my youngest son headed to Read more…

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Decluttering Layer by Layer

Posted on by Joy

If you’ve resolved to declutter your home this year, this post is for you. I’m going to share how I decluttered my home and reduced the stress that “stuff” was adding to my life. About five years ago, I began a journey into minimalism. I walked the path slowly, reducing the clutter in my home and my life gradually. I read several books about how to declutter, but none of their methods met my need to minimize in a slow, cyclical manner that would produce new habits and lasting results. To borrow some weight-loss terminology: Fad diets didn’t work for Read more…

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Minimalist Concepts Anyone Can Use To De-clutter

Posted on by Joy

“We’re out sharing a recipe. You know, we’re not out here trying to proselytize. We’re not trying to convert anyone to minimalism. But I do want to share a recipe and see if there are ingredients that other people can get value from and apply those ingredients to their own life.” – Joshua Fields Millburn, Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things Over the past few years, I’ve read countless books, articles, and blog posts on minimalism. I also enjoyed watching Minimalism: A Documentary About the Important Things on Netflix. I don’t claim to be a minimalist (yet), but I’ve begun Read more…

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Five Things I Minimized to Create Space in My Home

Posted on by Joy

Several years ago, I discovered minimalism through Joshua Becker’s blog, Becoming Minimalist. I was drawn to the concept of making more room for joy in my life by removing possessions. I recognized that I was spending a lot of time cleaning, organizing, and managing our home and its contents, instead of spending that time enjoying my family and friends. I must admit, minimizing is still a struggle for me today, but the progress I’ve made encourages me to continue. Does this mean my goal is a stark white house with only the most essential items inside it? Absolutely not! My goal Read more…

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Staging Your Home to Sell

Posted on by Joy

My husband and I have gone house hunting several times, and it never ceases to amaze me how awful some houses look when they’re on the market. As I walk through the house, I’m thinking, “They expect someone to buy the place looking like this?!” I’ve wondered the same thing while looking at real estate listings online. As I scroll through the photos, I think, “Wow. They need to find a new realtor.” If you don’t believe me, just click here. There are entire websites dedicated to showing you how not to list a home. If you are willing to put Read more…