How Purging Changed My Life (& Can Change Yours Too)
It all began when I started addressing the different areas in my home, not from a place of stress but with a sense of purpose…
I knew that before I could implement effective systems in our house that actually lasted, I had to simplify our belongings and that meant I had to do a little purging.
I was seriously looking at everything in our house and considering whether or not we needed it!
My husband and I began purging our home of unwanted clutter. With each item tossed or sold, I felt freer and lighter. We also started being very thoughtful about what we brought in to our house.
This process of simplifying our space and removing the items that did not serve a purpose or add value to our lives continued for about six months. It felt great, and my family started to notice the benefits—
3 Benefits of Purging:
Less stuff to pick up
With less stuff to pick up, it helped me stop the insanity of trying to keep everything tidy.
I love a good clean home, but it can be exhausting trying to keep everything in order!
When you purge items that don’t serve a purpose, you end up with less stuff.
Less stuff = Less stuff to tidy/pick up
It also created great spaces to systematize our most frequently used items within our home... without having to move so that I could fit all of my stuff - ha!
Creating a system for our girls toys so that they are learning to keep what will fit in their space/bins - or swap things out.
2. Less distraction
With less distractions I was able to manage the stress of my career transition (from health care → stay at home mom), giving me a sense of control.
What was most significant for me when creating better systems in our home was not how our spaces changed, but how I changed.
I started to show up differently for my family and for myself!
During a visit with my sister‐in‐law, my girls were arguing over the same toy. Although it goes against a lot of parenting books, I usually tell them to figure it out on their own. Most of the time they can. My sister‐in‐law looked at me and said, “You’re so patient with them.” That’s not always the case, but when my environment is clean and simple, I’m more calm and patient. Moments like this will teach my kids how to handle adversity and challenges in life.
I started to slow down. I started to be more present and more patient.
3. More freedom
With more freedom I was able to channel my previously career‐focused energy in a new direction.
I remember a day when my then four year‐old asked me to sit with her at the craft table and do some art with her. She loves to draw. We sat at her table, and she used a blue crayon to draw the sky. I looked at her and saw how focused and happy she was. In that moment of calm, I made a silent promise to make this my priority. I thought to myself, Why don’t I make more time to do this? Just then, she looked up at me and said, “Mom, you are not coloring!”
I was so focused on her and taking in this moment—this uninterrupted, quality time with my daughter. Not that we sat around coloring and singing kumbaya all day! But since I had started simplifying our space, I had more time with my family and more time for myself.
Even with the best intentions, extra stuff still makes its way into our home.
That is why I have incorporated the habit of purging regularly in our house, and I encourage my clients to do the same!
Starting a business overlapped with my personal journey to stop the chaos of managing our home. I wanted to help other moms who were struggling with managing their households, who wanted more than just exhausting themselves each day just to get everything done.
It’s been such a gift to be invited into so many homes to help others create a space that allows them to be more present, healthy, focused, kind, patient, financially aware, and efficient —and those are just a few of the words my clients have shared with me.
When I work with people in their homes, I capture before and after images of their spaces. What I wish I could really capture in those images is how the individual transforms as a result of the space transformation. That’s where the true magic happens!
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