Lessons from Leo Babauta – The Power of Less

The maintenance of keeping a home clutter free:

It takes work at first but once you have an order, you are smooth sailing!

• Designate a home for everything and be fanatic about keeping that home available!
  • This is essential to mental and physical clarity – put the stuff in it’s home EVERY time
• Schedule regular decluttering sessions (these will lessen the more you maintain your schedule of putting the stuff in its space.)
• Put these in your calendar of time blocking
• Reduce desires for more (assess your buying habits) – make active decisions whether you really truly want/need that item… remember once you bring it home, you now must maintain it for ever and always until you are done with it
• Change your habits for at least 30 days to maintain the habit
• Slow down – this will ensure you are making the proper decision for buying and bringing things into your home – this will also slow your mind down to begin to reflect your physical space
• Focus – on task at hand – no distractions – people, stuff on your desk etc
  • This will increase your efficiency
  • Zen – like sense of calm
  • When you have visual clutter – without realizing it you are creating more stress for yourself
• Each day at the end of each day – or you choose a time – spend 15m ins a day to declutter, clean up and put things away in their proper place
  • Less stressful – reduces visual distraction
  • More appealing
  • Easier to clean
• Desk clutter- set aside time to clean it up – put this on calendar
• Papers pile
• Clear everything off desk
• Start with papers – process them all
• Work as long as you can then make another time for this activity
• Ensure only essential stuff is in your possession – stuff for the task at hand – computer, inbox, phone, pen, paper
• Keep things decluttered
  • Keep in a box (until ready to deal with it)
  • Process in-box daily
  • Place for each item and paper

Simplifying your space will simplify your mind. There’s just less to think about! This encourages feelings of peace. *sigh of relief* 😊