Making Space

I know what I said last post.

I'm not adding and I'm not taking away this Lent--I'm redirecting. I have just a few minutes of 'God time' each day and I want to try and the most of it. Nothing more, nothing less.

Except I lied. 

Er.
Redirected. 

Last week, I saw a link for 40 Bags in 40 Days and I immediately got sucked down the rabbit hole (in a good way, I think). 

I'd heard of 40 Bags in passing before, but never paid it much attention. Basically, it's just another method out there to declutter: you go through one area or collect one bag/box/container of stuff a day for 40 days. You can donate it, sell it in online or on Craigslist, whatever. (I've had some success selling things in the past on ThredUp or Facebook garage sale sites, but I also like the idea of donating to local charities and keeping the process simpler/more giving-focused). If you want, it can also coincide with the 40 days of Lent, which is when the official challenge happens.

Now, my whole life I've had a hard time sorting, organizing, and parting with stuff. Part of it is emotional attachment, part of it is hanging on because something might be useful "one day," and a third part is just feeling overwhelmed to the point of paralysis when faced with an area that needs to be decluttered, knowing I will have to think through a decision about every single item and I have neither the organizational systems in place nor the energy to deal with the not-so-great ones that are. It's exhausting. Pretty much, I think when I was being knitted together in the womb and all the fun, creative traits started jumping on board, the neat freak gene ran screaming the other way. And my life reflects it.

But the fire to make a change has been burning in me for awhile now--or more like the frantic, overwhelming panic of "there's no place for everything and nothing in its place and I CAN'T LIVE LIKE THIS WHAT DO I DO?!" Thankfully, we're still light years away from hoarders, but I nevertheless I feel like we're drowning in stuff, so much unnecessary stuff, and our move last year really brought it to the forefront. I got rid of maybe a fraction of our old items, but when push came to shove and the moving date was looming, I gave in to the tactic of just throwing everything else in boxes, because no time! Since then, I've had a small bit of success weeding through my wardrobe (only to collect more stuff, argh), and I started learning about the Konmari method and reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (though I didn't get very far in the actual book). 

So, even though I was serious about not adding more stress to my life or piling more expectations on myself during Lent, as soon as I clicked the 40 bags link, it all came together: simplifying my surroundings can actually support--and potentially be another pathway to--both my original focus for Lent and my goal to let go of control in 2016. 

Decluttering my environment can pave the way to decluttering my inner life; it can bring me more inner peace, and give me more heart and head space to focus on the more important things I want to (re)direct myself towards. Additionally, when it comes letting go of control, how on earth can I expect myself to let go of the invisible choke hold I maintain on control and fear if I can't practice healthy detachment from all the the uneeded, tagible items surrounding me? It's a discipline I need to teach myself and actually put into practice both internally and externally. 

So I'm giving myself grace to change my mind, change my original plan, and redirect my actions to encompass--and maybe accomplish--more of what my goals were intended to be and do in the first place. I can just feel the promise of calm and peace and contentment contained in that sweet little whisper "simplify" every time it floats through my mind.

As for putting it in to practice, I'll probably use a combination of techiques. I've already saved some good ideas on Pinterest, but I like the 40 day approach in that it feels like small bites; the goal is to clear one space a day, and there's plenty of freedom to break spaces into smaller bits depending on the size or clutter density of the area. (I think I should market that term: clutter density). The thought of smaller tasks appeals to me because on my own, I can get so caught up in how much is left in the big picture that I get discouraged or run out of time and never quite finish the job. I think seeing the results of accomplishing smaller goals more quickly might help me stay more motivated to keep going with the next area. 

I'm going to spend this week getting set up with a system so it's less overwhelming--make a checklist, gather separate keep, toss, and donate bins, and create a staging area. Before I begin, also I'm giving myself permission to do only as much as I'm really able, and to stop (and even start back up again) if it becomes too much for our life at any given moment. But I like that this is a challenge with other people participating so I have access to accountability and encouragement. I'm also going to congratulate myself for anything that I do get done. Because when Easter arrives, whether I've checked off only 5 areas or a whole 40, we'll still be in better shape we are now!

Here's to making space for all the right things, and allowing our hearts and home to be filled with more presence, peace, and thanksgiving for all that we have.

T-minus one week!

Are you a neat freak or do you live in state of...creative chaos? What are your favorite ways to organize and simplify?