Housekeeping 101.. Ban Clutter! 30 Bags in 30 Days Challenge

Clearing out your mind...
Clutter doesn't just litter your home with useless junk, it also burdens your mind and body with more useless work.
The mind reacts to clear, orderly space in a positive way.
It reacts to too much clutter and a busy landscape in a negative way.
In a clean and orderly place your mind will work with efficiency and higher capacity.
In a cluttered,disorganized space the mind will work more slowly, your body will take on a burdened, lazy attitude and your thinking will be skewed. You'll get headaches and indigestion too.
Your mind looks at the disorganization and sighs.   It sees too much work, too much stuff, too much to clean and that alone is tiring and deeply unsettling to you and others.

God is the author of order, not chaos.

So, let's get rid of the clutter and free the mind and body of useless energy drain and work.
Here are some keys to help.

1. Start by working on one area of the house at a time.
Let's say you work on the kitchen today.Perhaps the next place is your bedside table drawers. Organize the work in chunks. Set a time, say half an hour and work at the job. Don't tackle the entire house at one go.

2. Have 3 bags or boxes: Blessings, Junk and Maybe
Blessings are things you will give to others or perhaps list on eBay or Etsy.
Don't view removing something from your home as loss to you. View it as a blessing for someone else who may have need of it.
The maybe pile are things you are not sure what to do with.  Decide after they are removed from the area but learn to be ruthless.

3. Throw out duplicates or bless someone else with them.

4. If you haven't used it in 6 months, you aren't going to. Get rid of it.

5. Most things can be replaced. If it's broken and not been fixed, throw it out.
How many broken appliances are sitting around? Why?

6. Mementos mean more if there are VERY few of them.  Get rid of the rest. Do you even look at the stuff?

7.You are not defined by the things you own or keep. Pare down.
Meditate on this one because it is the root cause of why people hold on to things.

8. Keeping something for someday holds you back from living today.

9. If you have to move things to clean, if you have to clean in order to clean or are constantly moving things from one place to another get rid of it.

10. Throw things out before they accumulate and clean as you go.
Junk mail should go right in the garbage..right now.
Don't save old pens or broken flashlights. Don't save rubber bands.. come on folks. Its junk.
Get rid of the junk drawers.
You don't live a in junk yard. 

11. Organized clutter is still clutter.
Just look at homes filled with baskets and boxes filled with "stuff".
Homes where children have far too many toys kept in baskets, bins that take up entire rooms are over kill and teach greed and mess.

Why??   Put it out for bulk collection. Its nonsense! 

12. Value your health.
 If you have asthma or COPD, get things out from under your bed. Its a health hazard. Throw the stuff out.

13. Don't be greedy or needy for possessions.
You don't need 20 T shirts, a dozen sweaters,10 pairs of shoes, 5 coats, dozens of pants, shorts, or purses.
How much is too big?
How much is too small?
Why do we horde things for later? Give them away to someone they will fit and who may really need them.
 Bless someone else with your excess.
If you can't get into your closet.. something is wrong. Remedy that.

14.Stop being a hanger on...
 When you buy something new, throw out 2 of the old things.

Need motivation to start?

Genesis chapter 2..... God commanded the man to dress and keep the garden.
The garden, Paradise, was their home and they were commanded.. not asked..   to work it..for that is the real translation and keep it maintained.
You are commanded by God to work on and keep up your home. That includes inside and outside.
Keep is from the word shomer.  Shomer means you guard, preserve, upkeep and faithfully maintain something.
Are you keeping this commandment?

 Solomon said, "Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all of your might!"There is also the saying "faithful with a little, faithful with a lot".
If you cannot manage your home, how do  you manage the things of God?

What if you are tired all the time and find it hard to get things done?
See your doctor.     It isn't normal even if you are older.
B12 can help. Getting proper sleep and eating proper food too. Are allergies making you sluggish?
But a big culprit of being sluggish and tired is that not moving makes you tired.   You aren't getting the oxygen your body needs. (on that note.. ever had a sleep study test? Not breathing at night can make you sleepy during the day. It isn't normal to be sleepy all day. Most insurance covers this and a CPap makes a huge difference in your health and well being) Sleep apnea is very common and a cause of high blood pressure,heart disease, strokes, depression, lack of energy, etc.

Moving creates energy and exercise creates good hormones that elevate the mood!
The tired of hard work is not like the tired, dull, heavy feeling that comes from not doing things. They are completely different feelings.
Real physical tired is not sluggish, heavy or dull minded.  That is not the same thing.
Rejuvenate yourself by moving.
If you are in pain, get physical therapy for it if possible and exercise as recommended but do not stagnate.
Get up, get dressed and get busy.

 Next time I will talk about my routine in cleaning and then what to do if you have no help around the house.
And if you  need further inspiration, join us for the 30 bags in 30 days declutter challenge.
Throw out a bag full of clutter every day for the next 30 days.
Sophia is a fellow New Jerseyan and a lovely girl.
Enjoy the video.
(the accent is French)