How to Declutter Your Life and Start Fresh

Today we're tackling five areas of your life you need to declutter to leave room for a fresh start.

I don’t know about you, but January for me has been all about starting fresh. The last blog post discussed a change in perspective towards this new year by setting intentions for ourselves to live a life of purpose. However, in order for us to have a fresh start we need to make room for change and growth. A good way to initiate that adventure is by decluttering different aspects of our lives. So, in today’s blog post, we’ll go through five of them. This will become your motto: HAVE NO MERCY! What has to go, has to go. If you want a different approach in tidying and letting go, think about keeping what sparks joy in your life, as Marie Kondo’s method suggests. Now, let’s go through the five ways in which you can start decluttering.

1. Delete old photos and unused phone apps

Since our cellphone has become an extension of us, we tend to overload it with everything that we store in it, including photos, videos, documents, and apps. Do yourself a favor and delete old photos and videos from your phone, especially if you have albums from years ago or a thousand of the same picture. You know what I’m talking about. Haha! I suggest you upload the important ones in your computer or a hard drive to store the memories. On the other hand, uninstall all of the apps you don’t use, as they can take up unnecessary space, and only keep the ones you constantly use.

2. Reevaluate who you follow on social media

Throughout the years, we befriend people on Facebook we don’t know, follow random accounts on Instagram and Twitter, and join all these different social media platforms that we either don’t use or take up too much time. Can we please commit to a world with less social media? I mean, do we really need that many?

Well, you can start by wiping out all of the people you truly don’t know and unfollowing all the accounts that don't contribute anything positive to your life. Before you click the ‘unfollow’ button, ask yourself, what do I get out of this account? If positive thoughts come to mind, keep them. If you notice that negative or uncomfortable feelings come about, like envy, insecurity, or excess consumerism, unfollow them ASAP.

3. Clean out your closet

A deep closet cleanout should be done a few times during the year because we accumulate so many things that end up just filling space. Whenever I do my deep closet cleanout, I ask myself these three questions: Have I worn it in the last six months? Will I wear it again? Does it fit my current style? If I answer “no”, I usually toss or put them aside to give away. Another thing I’m beginning to ask myself in the process, which I’ve adopted from Marie Kondo’s method is, “does this spark joy in my life?” If it does, keep it; if it doesn’t, thank it and let it go.

4. Get rid of everything you don’t use

Look through your drawers, bathroom cabinets, house closets, and every single corner of your house or bedroom and get rid of any expired products, broken objects, or things you simply don’t use or don’t like. Simple as that. Whether it’s make-up, skin care products, hair products, office supplies, tools, or cables, etc., have no mercy and declutter!

5. Leave behind bad company

I think this might be the toughest one because it involves the people in your life. You can’t have a fresh start if you carry dead weight year after year. I’m sorry if that sounds harsh, but there might be people in your life that don’t add anything positive, either because they do you wrong or they keep you from moving forward because they have no goals or aspirations. Reasons vary, but we all come across people that shouldn’t continue having a reserved place in our life. Make yourself a priority this year and keep the people that have a positive impact on you rather than a negative one. Thank those who have been, but be wise and courageous enough to know when the time to part ways should come.

Related article: Cleaning Up Your Social Circle: Toxic Relationships Need To Go

By the end of your deep cleaning, you shall have more room, less clutter, and a clear vision of what you have and what you want for the upcoming months and even the rest of your life. Declutter soon so that you can leave an open space for starting fresh this 2021. Good luck and I’ll meet you here next Monday. Until then, continue finding your beat while dancing to the rhythm of life, friends.