Zero

As I began writing this blog, I was surprised to see how many definitions of zero there are. The ones above are only a few from the long list. Of all the available definitions, I like zero in because it’s such a powerful phrase. It reminds us to remove all the unnecessary things, the distractions so our attention can be brought to the important. When we do this our minds and creative energy expands and options can often seem limitless, which seems a bit counter intuitive to zero. Throughout this post, I will also use the numerical value of zero meaning no quantity. Now let’s zero in and see how this can apply to decluttering. 

Physical Spaces– I know you want to eliminate the clutter in your life. You want to hone in and focus and remove the items that are taking up space, don’t fit with the decor, and just aren’t serving you. I know you are tired of not making progress. What is stopping you? Really, what is it that keeps you from taking the time to throw things out, donate items and put them in their proper home? Here are a few things you can do right now to start eliminating clutter. 

1) Take a purchase pause for the next two months. It’s important to stop the flow of new clutter from coming in. This means you do not buy anything unless it is needed to keep you alive. No more trinkets, new towels, decorations, techie items, or random Amazon purchases. 

2) Zero in on why you want to declutter. This is super important to have for when things get hard. Create a mantra to help you refocus each time your motivation is low. 

3) Label a donation box or bag. Start ruthlessly putting items in it that don’t meet the Use it, Love it, Need it criteria. 

4)  Set a 30 minute timer each day to declutter. Start small. Maybe with the top of your dresser or bathroom sink.  Keep eliminating and zeroing out each room. 

5) Just keep going! Consistency will pay off. There may be setbacks. Do not give up on your why. Use your Clutter Clearing Mantra. 

These are simple steps to take action now! Your future self will appreciate it! Getting to the point where you have eliminated everything except the items you truly need, love, and use is FREEDOM. All of this new space allows your mind to relax and in that relaxation, new ideas can be birthed! 

Mental Space– Each day when you wake up, that is the closest you are to zero, a fresh start. The inputs of the world haven’t started unless you have a kid crying or a phone call coming in, but let’s assume you wake up to your alarm or naturally. The first thing you are greeted with are your thoughts. And depending on those thoughts, you have a feeling wash over you. It could be positive, negative, or neutral and this sets the tone for the day. It can be really hard at times to change your thoughts to positive ones, so if you find yourself consumed with negative thoughts, the trick is finding a neutral thought. 

Say when you first wake up you think, “Uh, I don’t want to get out of bed. Life is so hard.”

Don’t try to change it to, “I am so excited to get up. My life it wonderful.” That will feel like too much of a stretch and your brain won’t believe you.

Try the neutral thought of, “I am choosing to get up.”

It’s that simple. Just turn off your brain from thinking any extra negative things. Your body will comply if you keep it focused on that thought….zero in. You can do this with anything you are struggling to get motivated to do. 

Use neutralizing thoughts to eliminate the drama in your mind so you get to work and accomplish your goals. This doesn’t mean it will be fun but it does mean it won’t be such an unbearable task. Zero in on what you want to accomplish and eliminate the distractions. This method will produce results!   Your thoughts are the only thing keeping you stuck in patterns that are defeating your progress.  Knowing this liberates you from being a victim in your life and helps you take back control over the outcomes you have from this point forward. This is the rewarding work you can do to change your life and accomplish all your goals. 

Tip: One common tip for waking up more refreshed and with less intruding thoughts is to write down your next day’s to-do list before bed. This let’s your brain relax because it knows you won’t forget the next morning since you wrote it down. I have tried this and it was super helpful!

Final Thoughts on Zero 

The struggle to show up and deal with your stuff is common. I still struggled myself, but I always return to this idea of eliminating the things that are not serving me, or worse, adding to my stress. I return to my why….I have an idea of what my ideal life looks like and I am working towards that daily, mostly through elimination of things and sometimes by making a few special additions. 

Now that you have an idea where to begin, what are you going to zero in on? Comment below so I can support you!

Post your success pictures on Instagram and tag @declutterfyyourlife 

And, contact me directly at patty@declutterfyyourlife.com if you would like to work with me! I know I can help you and am ready to serve you!