Slow and Gentle Decluttering |01 Finding our Motivation and Intention Setting
Finding our motivation and setting our intentions
Physical possessions are a burden. They take money to buy and time to maintain. They take up physical space in our homes and mental space in our mind. Every physical item around us competes for our attention and adds stress to our lives. Joshua Becker.
Is your home feeling cluttered and overwhelming? Do you feel like you don’t know where to start? Rest assured you are in the right place. We will explore the process of decluttering and organizing our homes together and at a nice calming slow place. No point rushing through this, right? A job worth doing is worth doing slowly and thoroughly.
Today we begin a new series about decluttering and organising our homes. I want to start by saying I am so pleased you are here and I hope you will join me on this freeing journey of clearing our space, both our physical and mental space.
Hello my friend
Decluttering is very close to my heart and has played a key part in how I’ve simplified my life thus far. I’m guessing that as you are here with me right now this is something that you want to explore too. You are so very welcome to come along on this wonderful journey.
You can read about my decluttering journey here –
So, are you ready to begin?
Today we will start by exploring our why and setting our intentions.
Did you know this weekend is the perfect time for setting intentions?
Last week we entered the beginning of the new Astrological Year and this weekend sees the first new moon, the Aries New Moon. The new moon in Aries signifies closure, change and inspired beginnings. A new moon to think about what we are holding onto that is old and outdated and that no longer serves us. A new moon to create change and go after what we want.
Finding our Why
I’ve found that journaling my way through this process to be extremely beneficial so here are a few journal prompts to think about before we begin the actual process of going through our belongings. Take your time with this and go into as much detail as you feel able to.
If 2025 were my dream year, what would it look like?
Why do I want to declutter my home. What is my biggest motivation?
What does a more organized and peaceful space look like to me?
How would I live in my space if there was less clutter?
How do I want my home to feel? What mood do I want to create?
What would make me most proud to accomplish this year?
What changes do I want to make in my life as I emerge into Spring?
What do I hope to get from this series?
I would also recommend creating a vision board, either digitally on sites like Pinterest or Canva, or you could cut out magazine pictures and articles that speak to you and paste them to a piece of A4 card. Remember this needs to be personal to you, not to create a vision of what others think you should do.
Have a think about how your life would benefit from a decluttered home.
Here are some ideas to ponder.
Easier cleaning: A decluttered home is easier to clean. Have you ever tried cleaning when your surfaces are full of stuff, and there’s clutter all over the floor? Imagine for one minute that the surfaces in your home are completely clear and there is nothing on the floor except for the furniture. How easy would it be to move the vacuum across the carpet and remove the dust from each surface? Wouldn’t that save you an enormous amount of time and energy?
Improved focus: Decluttering helps you focus on what matters. When one’s home becomes clutter free, your mind no longer feels the need to focus on what needs to be tidied or cleaned. Your mind is freer to focus on the important aspects of life. Your family and friends for example, or your hobbies.
Time and money savings: You save time and money. Have you ever had to go out and purchase something again because you cannot find what you know you already have somewhere in your home? Holding my hand up here! You can save yourself a lot of time trying to find items and save money by not having to buy that item again. You will also be adding to the already existing clutter too.
Reduced stress: Less stuff leads to less stress. Less belongings in your home can absolutely reduce stress. Coming home from a long day at work and walking into a room filled with clutter doesn’t feel good does it. Imagine the opposite, coming home to a calm and clutter free space. How would that feel to you?
Intentional choices: Decluttering teaches you to make intentional choices. When your home is clutter free, shopping can become more intentional. Think about how your home became cluttered in the first place. Is it because you just enjoy buying stuff, are you addicted to special offers? Would you make those same choices if you had a clutter free home. Maybe, but more than likely, not. You will most likely love your clutter free home more than the act of buying itself and will start to question yourself each time something tempting comes your way. I will cover spending in a separate newsletter when we are further into the process.
Intention Setting
So now we know our why. How about we set some intentions for the coming months. You could approach this as a whole process or set separate intentions for each month/room. It’s up to you.
Think about –
Setting a clear goal, define what you hope to achieve.
How much time per week do you want to spend on decluttering? If the idea of decluttering feels overwhelming, think about starting small and build momentum. Schedule decluttering sessions: Small, consistent sessions (even 15 minutes a day) can lead to significant progress over time.
What percentage of your belongings do you want to get rid of?
How do you want to dispose of the items that you are discarding. Donate, discard, sell? Think about the places that you can give them to.
How will you make yourself accountable? Will you keep a journal, will you share your journey with a friend or family member? Or share your experience here on the Substack platform?
So, there we have it, our first month to work on. Take your time with thinking about your why and setting your intentions. The foundation work is key to how successful you will be on this decluttering experience. If journaling isn’t your thing, then just spend some time thinking about the points raised and the questions asked.
Thank you for coming along with me on this decluttering journey.
I am here to help if you have any questions about this process. Please ask in the comments or direct message me.
If there are any specific decluttering topics that you would like me to cover please let me know.
I will be publishing a newsletter on the last Sunday of each month in this series where we will work room by room. In keeping with the very nature of why we are here, we will be working slowly through this process, so there will be no pressure to complete the tasks in a hurry. If you feel this is too much in your busy schedule you can go at a pace that suits you.
These publications will remain in the archive permanently for you to refer back to at any time and you will also find them here.
The best things in life are not things. They are friendship and love, experiences and hope. They are hugs and kisses, sunsets and laughter. Joshua Becker.
If you enjoy reading A Simple Living Journal, I would be honoured if you consider recommending this publication to your readers. Go to your Dashboard - Recommendations - Manage - Add recommendation - A Simple Living Journal. Or you can click on the link below if you are on your desktop.
Until next time.
Debbie xx
Thank you
Oh, I'm so pleased I found this today. Something about the new moon and the changing seasons has ignited my decluttering urges. I really want to make some changes at home and this gives me some great starting points.