Simplify Your Home

By: Melissa Buck

Are you on the quest for "the simple life"? Do you want more out of life than material goods and "keeping up with the Joneses"? The first step to simple living is to simplify your home. An organized and clutter-free home helps organize and declutter your mind, too! I read in a book once that everything you possess needs to be managed, from your bank account all the way down to the little trinket on your mantle. We don't think too much about all the little trinkets in life, but they add up and can quickly seem unmanageable!

I have 4 children, 1 husband, 2 dogs, 1 cat, 3 birds, and 4 fish. I have a lot to manage just in the "living beings" department. There was a time when I felt that I just couldn't keep up. Laundry, dishes, garbage, meals- all the necessary things to maintaining a household. My house was always messy, and no matter how many times I picked up those toys, they always found their way back to the floor! I began reading about the concept of Voluntary Simplicity and simple living in general and was inspired. I realized that my messy house wasn't because I was lazy or my children were extraordinarily messy, it was because we had too much STUFF. I set out to fix my home, and it changed my life.

You don't need any expensive charts or journals or "accessories" to help you change your life. These are just more items that need to be managed! I cleaned, organized, and simplified my home using the common sense steps below. My only "system" is that I looked at what I needed to do, and I did it without straying. No amount of charts, spreadsheets, or "to do" lists will keep you focused on your goal. They will merely distract you with the added responsibility of their maintenance. The one thing that I "accessorized" with was a blog. I told all my friends and family about my blog dedicated to the journey I was making in life. I felt that if I had others reading and seeing what I was doing, it would motivate me to keep it up. Peer Pressure. Maybe not the coolest way to motivate, but it worked for me!

Do not attempt to tackle your entire house at one time. Do not attempt to complete one room at a time. It can turn into the neverending struggle. This is not an instant fix; this process takes time and dedication. This is not a time for multi-tasking. You obviously can't work on this 24/7, so set aside 2 or 3 hours of every day for this transformation. While you may do chores all over the house during the rest of your day, this time should be set aside to work on the task at hand only. Depending on the size of your home and the time you are able to work each day, it can take from 2 weeks to 2 months to complete the entire process.

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