Do you find it difficult to concentrate at work, in your office? Are you overwhelmed by the jobs you have to do around your home, have you bills, letters and other items just cluttering up your environment. Well if this sounds like you, you might really benefit from having a de-clutter.
This post in part follows on from a previous post I did on ‘Pruning your Life’, in which I talked about cutting all the deadwood from your life, getting rid of all the non productive activities and removing negative people and influences that are holding you back from being where you want to be in your life.
I have been reading two books recently, the first; Ask and It is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks, find out more about these best selling authors and the teachings of Abraham here. The second book I have mentioned before is the Power of Less by Leo Babauta, Leo is the author of top ten blog Zen Habits check it our here.
Top Tip: Whilst I am on the subject of reading two books at the same time I would highly recommend you try this once in a while. My old University lecturer said that I should do it, to which I thought he was mad. But actually reading more than one book, which are similar in subject but have a different perspective can actually help develop the mind. It encourages independent thinking, thought formulation and imagination overload (in a good way 
)
Back to ‘Ask and it is Given’. The book is an essential read for anyone starting out with the Law of Attraction. Not only is it written beautifully but the book is full of processes and techniques that you can start to implement and allow the law of attraction into your life. There are no less then 22 Processes to select and experiment with and you will have so much fun putting these processes in action.
Process #14 is The Process of Clearing Clutter for Clarity.
In this process we are told by Abraham to follow the following simple steps.
- Buy cardboard storage boxes
- Number the boxes
- Place items in the boxes which are NOT needed in your immediate life experience
- Make a list of what you have put in your box, to help you find your items later.
- Place your full boxes in your garage, attic, basement out of the way.
- Set a time limit for when you will return to your box i.e, 3 week, a month, 6 week
- After your agreed set time, go back to your box and then deal with what is in your box. If you haven’t needed the item decide whether you will discard, recycle, sell or give to charity or other friend or family.
The great thing about this technique is the sense of accomplishment and achievement when you visually see a less cluttered environment. if you don’t know what I mean by this feeling, consider the feeling you may have had when you have successfully cut the grass and the garden looks great, or when you have emptied your wardrobe of old clothes.
You might want to think about this process when you are:
- feeling stress due to your disorganisation
- when you regularly can’t find an item
- When you don’t want people to visit you at home
- When you prefer to be anywhere else but at home or your office
- When you don’t have time to fulfil your goals…(because you have to clean before you start!!!)
Once you have completed this de-cluttering exercise and to ensure you don’t end up in a similar cluttered environment again in the near future. You might want to do some or all of the following:
- Schedule regular declutter sessions in to you diary whether its 15 minutes a day, once a week, one weekend a month, schedule it now, make it a date and stick to it.
- As soon as you buy a new item, designate it a home for it. (Item not designated a home will float around your home for ever more. BE WARNED!!)
- Reduce you desires and temptations to buy new items. Leo Babauta, recommends we should keep a list of our desires, date the desire and then keep it on the list for 30 days, if after 30 days you still desire the item go get your ‘thing’ if you don’t, yourimpulse desire and want will have passed. WELLDONE!!
The benefits of a clutter free home is less stress, less visual distraction and less time to procrastinate. The simpler your environment, the more calming your experience will be in it. Your home, office and work place will become more appealing. People are naturally drawn to simple, minimalistic rooms and homes. Consider the use of a show home to sell a house, the clean decor, the tidy furnishings, the empty drawers. Clutter free homes are easier to clean and vacuum and easier to de-clutter in the future.
I hope you enjoyed this post, good luck if you take up the de-clutter challenge. Leave me a comment below and let me know what your experience of de-cluttering has been for you.
Yours in Success,
P.S If you are struggling with your marketing efforts and not generating enough leads and money. Check out the exact system that I use to generate endless leads through the most current social networking strategies. Don’t Miss This ==> Discovery The Strategies
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April 27th, 2010 at 1:22 am
This is a great idea Beth!
I did something similar to this a few years ago. I had my garage packed with sf I had carried with me from house to house. Alot of it I never even took OUT the boxes. One day I decided enough, get rid of what I wasn’t using. What a liberating feeling that was! To let goo the past & look towards the future.
Thanks for the reminder,
Val
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April 27th, 2010 at 1:49 am
Amen to everything you said, Beth! It’s amazing how much more clearly we can think when things around us are clean and orderly. Thanks for a great post!
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April 27th, 2010 at 2:12 pm
We are getting ready to move soon.(I hope) This time we will not move the clutter we never use.We have done it once and never again. Getting my husband to help has been the issue.He doesn’t want to throw things away.
I like your idea here and will start it NOW! I love listening to you talk.I love your accent.
Thanks Beth.Great ideas.
Beverly
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April 27th, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Beth I just finished reading the book Ask and it is Given it is a truly awesome book and I think that this one process can absolutely transform your life. My daughter moved in with me with all of her stuff until her house is built and I felt the difference with the clutter coming in the energy was stiffled and felt very disorganized after I read the book we started to clear away and box up her stuff so it will make space and it feels so much better in this area of the house. This was great thanks for sharing this really works.
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April 28th, 2010 at 12:28 am
Way to go on your video, Beth ~ you are such a natural now! These are such fabulous tips that really can change peoples lives. I would say I fall on the side or organized clutter. I know where everything is, and keep things tidy, but San Francisco housing is not the cheapest, so we make do with the space we have! I am good about putting things in boxes and getting them in the garage, but the step of taking them back out and getting rid of them is a bit of a challenge for me!:)
I really appreciate these steps ~ and yes, you look super adorable in your ears!
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April 28th, 2010 at 2:51 am
Hi Beth,
Wow. You must be in my head again! I just bought a couple of packs of those boxes last week and got as far as putting them together…next comes actually filling them with things. I have been going through a process of simplification recently too. So, I appreciate hearing that others are doing the same. I just seem to work so much faster and more productively when the workspace is clear. Great suggestions and great posts. Thanks for sharing!
Krista
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April 28th, 2010 at 3:34 am
Hey Beth,
Great tips on de-cluttering our lives and cutting out the crap that we no longer need and is actually working as a distraction for us. I find myself going in cycles of things in this way. Clean-up and it lasts for a while and then stuff comes back. Your tips on how to manage that it does not creep back in are great. I will see how they can work in my life. Great to see your success in this area.
Make it a great day!
God Bless,
-ed
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April 28th, 2010 at 6:06 am
Hi Beth,
I love this post! Justin and I had a massive clean out over Easter, we cleaned everything, we even cleaned up the files on the computer! We were unplugged for a couple of days while we were doing it so that allowed our heads to de-clutter from the distraction of the internet as well.
We ended up with 3 huge garbage bags for charity and 2 garbage bags of rubbish. It’s such a good feeling to de-clutter and also to give something to charity. I highly recommend doing it often.
Cheers,
Lynn
By the way Beth your hair is sooo long! And I love your floppy ears!
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Beth Hewitt Reply:
April 30th, 2010 at 12:19 am
I know, I need a hair cut like crazy….my life has been so hectic I haven’t had time…I must sort this out pronto lol….:-)
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April 28th, 2010 at 12:35 pm
Hi, thanks for the great tips. Everything makes perfect sense. Oh Yeah, and you look very cute in those ears! Bless Ya, Curt
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April 28th, 2010 at 6:01 pm
Beth, the method you describe definitely works. When you move you are doing this automatically more or less. You box everything up, and those boxes that don’t get unpacked clearly are part of your clutter.
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April 29th, 2010 at 1:39 am
My advice for de-cluttering has always been - sell your house and move! There’s nothing like the possibility of having the PAY to move all that junk to give you the impetus to chuck it out!
But if you’re not interested in moving - then this post is the best alternative I’ve found! Great tips; the box approach also means there’s less separation anxiety between me and my junk!!
Thanks for the shove, goddess Beth! Dusting is Much easier with out all the thingemies lying around!!
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April 29th, 2010 at 3:10 pm
Beth, you are so right de-cluttering is liberating for body, mind and soul! I should know I can be a total clutter bug and don’t de-clutter near enough, meaning quarterly instead of monthly! Thankfully I am not nearly attached to my ‘stuff’ as I use to be!
Thanks for sharing these great tips I am going to be putting a few into action and think they will be very useful!
“Dream, Believe, Become…”
Tracey
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April 30th, 2010 at 5:56 am
You look very cute in the ears, Beth! I draw paper clutter like a magnet! So I have to regularly clean out and de-clutter. It will be fun from now on though - I’ll be thinking of you and your ears!
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April 30th, 2010 at 11:47 pm
I have found where I get stuck is not following through on a consistent basis. I am trying to get a handle on that aspect and your tips will be helpful…thanks so much for this insightful post. I appreciate it!
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May 2nd, 2010 at 10:04 pm
Hey Beth
Love the tip of reading two books at one time. I have just started doing that and find that I find my own “space” and thoughts on the subjects. They then “become” a part of me.
So thanks for the realization.
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May 4th, 2010 at 1:05 am
Wow that was a very mind opening blog we all need to clean up the clutter in our life you hit it out the park.Lamar
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February 5th, 2011 at 7:24 am
Great advice Beth! The impulse buying tip makes perfect sense. I was about to buy something I thought I really wanted but I decided to wait a few days. A few days turned into a week, a week turned into a month and I decided I didn’t really need that thing I thought I really wanted. This is saving me a lot of money. Thanks also for the book recommendations.
Roland
Roland´s last [type] ..How to Score 300 Points Each Week in the TSA
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March 30th, 2011 at 9:49 am
Hi Beth,
Your ears were very cute! Good video and information. I was watching and looking around my office area. I think I am going to need 7 or 8 boxes!
Thanks for all of the great advice,
Keith
Keith Dennis´s last [type] ..MLM Blog Help For The Internet Un -Savvy
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bethhewitt80 Reply:
April 2nd, 2011 at 6:35 pm
Thanks for the Skype info! I didn’t know you could do team calls for so many people. That will be great for a group that is spread out across international borders.
Thanks!
Keith
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April 1st, 2011 at 1:58 am
Beth,
I love this post! When my children were very small I took a class, “Patterns for Living”. I learned organization skills that carried me through raising a huge family, life with MS and on to now, living online! When I first started online, I debated teaching the “Patterns for Living”, I realized my purpose is in my circumstance and now I’m at MSRelief.com. This blog is wonderful!!! You have it! Keep it up!
Linda
Linda G. Cox´s last [type] ..Power of Thoughts and the Written Word
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bethhewitt80 Reply:
April 2nd, 2011 at 6:32 pm
Thanks Linda I appreciate your comment, that class you took sounds fabulous and I often think these are the kinds of skills kids should learn in school. MOre so than some other subjects. These are the kind of skills that make life so much more simple.
Thank you for sharing
Beth x
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June 8th, 2011 at 10:55 pm
I have a question - how do you find yourself able to concentrate on two books at once? I understand that reading from two points of view can be educational and help you understand both sides better, but I just can’t seem to remember/concentrate well enough to accomplish anything if I read more than 1 book at a time.
Basically, I end up mixing up the information in both books, not remembering which book the ideas came from - and totally confusing me!
Any suggestions on what I can do to concentrate / remmeber better?
Thanks!
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bethhewitt80 Reply:
June 11th, 2011 at 10:41 pm
Hey Cheryl,
I think you hit the nail on the head. I actually like that fact that you don’t know which bit of information came from which book. I think this is when we really start to stretch our imaginations and start to create new an exciting ideas.
I wouldn’t recommend reading two books at once if you are studying for an exam or something, but when it doesn’t really matter that’s when it works the best.
Beth
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October 9th, 2011 at 11:14 pm
Hi Beth. This is a great post. De-cluttering is actually something that took me a long time to even “begin” practicing. I suppose the reason for this is I am a bit of a hoarder.
I have found that another advantage of de-cluttering is you can begin to make new space in your home. Making space is important, and not just because your life becomes easier to manage, because you can allow the new things that you desire to enter into your life more easily. I think making the space actually utilizes the power of intention, increasing your chance of manifestation.
I was just wondering if you have experienced this?
Thank you for reading
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bethhewitt80 Reply:
October 10th, 2011 at 12:51 am
Hey Toby,
I think you make a great point. Having more space allows for more things to come our way. I also love how simple it makes our life and how much more we can achieve.
Thank you so much for your comment I really appreciate your time here.
I also notice you don’t have a pretty picture check out my post on getting your own gravatar here
http://bethhewittonline.com/gravatars-and-signatures-abc-of-building-your-brand/
To Your Success,
Beth
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December 10th, 2011 at 11:22 am
This post is a very timely reminder. A clutter-free home can create space you never thought you had. Perhaps, a dining room where every family member can enjoy a meal together. Just make sure each family member has a specific role in keeping the home clutter-free.
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bethhewitt80 Reply:
December 11th, 2011 at 12:03 am
Not sure if I will uncover a new room, but it’s worth the try lol
beth
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February 8th, 2012 at 3:38 pm
I use to keep a journal and meditate, but I meditate these days as I just end up adding more poetry to my poetry books and I write all the time. It tends to be an extra method of relaxation and enjoyment for me.
Now… about my work desk… that is another story…rofl.
Nile´s last [type] ..Has Blogging Become A Chore to You?
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October 24th, 2012 at 10:34 pm
Great tips Beth. I’ve never been a stuff person, so I rarely have a clutter problem - but I’m always looking for brilliant new ideas to organize my home and myself so really appreciate this article!
marquita herald´s last [type] ..What Have You Learned Lately?
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October 26th, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Hi Beth
You look so much better with your crown on. On a serious note this is something that I have been putting off for so long!!
Interestingly I have just started reading Ask and It Shall Be Given.
My husband is a “walk in the house and put it on the table” person and then it just piles up. Since the children have left home we don’t generally eat at the table so the clutter just builds up. Will have to tackle that job this weekend.
Kerris
Kerris Torkington´s last [type] ..Are All Leaders Readers?
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Beth Hewitt Reply:
October 27th, 2012 at 8:32 pm
Hehe,
I got myself some blush ears for children in need this year
I am starting to believe the head should always have something on it lol.
Good luck on the declutter.
Beth
Beth Hewitt´s last [type] ..De-Cluttering for Clarity
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October 26th, 2012 at 7:24 pm
HI Beth
It was losing everything house, possessions and car that taught be how to treat them. When you think that your life is ending you definitely develop a new perspective. I remember that once safe again the overwhelming feeling I had was happiness for being alive and climbing out of the rubble with my husband and baby. Possessions meant absolutely nothing! Ever since I’m careful not to have “too much stuff”. If any of my cupboards or drawers get too full I have to get rid of something if I want anything else.
Anne Perez´s last [type] ..SEO Made Visual
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bethhewitt80 Reply:
October 27th, 2012 at 8:38 pm
Hi Anne,
Thank you so much for sharing that with me Anne. It truly does take some poignant moments to make us understand what we have. But when we have less we do take things less for granted and understand to importance of the people and immaterial positions in our life.
Regards,
Beth
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October 28th, 2012 at 2:25 am
Hi Beth,
you are providing a lot of very useful suggestions in your video and post.
The book ‘Ask and it is Given’ is full of great tips and I have used the exercise you suggested.
One of my practices in regards to buying something apart from the essentials is to sleep on it and I do like the suggestions of leaving it for 30 days.
Yes you look cute with those ears!
Thank you so much for sharing this.
Love and Light
Yorinda
Yorinda´s last [type] ..Salt versus Himalayan Salt
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October 28th, 2012 at 3:28 am
Hi Beth, You have provided some really good suggestions and tips in your post and video for decluttering. I like keeping my home clean and organized with no clutter around because it helps me to be so productive and it also helps me to feel more relaxed. I clean my work area daily after working so that it remains uncluttered which helps me focus on what I need to accomplish. Thanks for the great tips!
Best,
Shelley
Shelley Alexander´s last [type] ..Skinny Ms. Mexican Quinoa with Black Beans
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October 28th, 2012 at 5:30 am
I loved your video, Beth! One thing that came to mind when I was watching it — and this is a struggle I’ve had when attempting to declutter — is, don’t you have any children who would enjoy some of those things you said you were going to get rid of?
My home needs a major decluttering, especially now that most of my children are grown and I can’t use them as an excuse. :p
Willena Flewelling
Willena Flewelling´s last [type] ..Set Your Imagination Free!
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October 30th, 2012 at 11:50 am
To clear your house from clutter is a very good exercise. I do it on a regular basis and I’m always amazed how much stuff there is I don’t need anymore.
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