Two Life Changing Rules + Tips For Decluttering Your Home
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Thank you all for the incredible support you've shown my small business throughout this year. I am really grateful to see my business thrive and grow in unexpected ways. Some of you may know the story behind Ink & Brayer - that I started the business at an extremely difficult time in my life, and with a very different vision in mind. It has been one of the most challenging and rewarding projects of my life. If you would like to learn more, click to read my journal entry Why the Name Ink & Brayer?
NEW YEAR, NEW APPROACH
As we approach the end of 2023 and reflect on the year gone by, and look forward to the possibilities the New Year holds, it's worth considering what has worked and what hasn't.
Do you feel inspired when the New Year rolls around? 😀
I always find myself brimming with energy, ready to take on the world, and always craving a declutter and reorganisation of my home. Every year I dive right in, throwing open cupboards, pulling out things with a gusto that would make Marie Kondo proud. I create a mountainous mess, all with the vision of a perfectly organised space in mind. As the day progresses, my enthusiasm starts to wane and the project begins to feel more than a tad overwhelming. 😬
Sound familiar?
This pretty much sums up the way all my New Year projects and resolutions go. 😔 Can you relate?
Well, this year I learnt a thing or two and really made some progress with my goals. So for 2024 my resolutions will follow two simple rules that ACTUALLY WORK!
1. START SMALL 👌
➡️ TINY EVEN! Teeny Weeny
➡️ So small that its totally doable
➡️ So small it's non-negotiable. Why resist when it's so damn easy?
Then when you've nailed that as a habit, make the next teeny weeny step.
2. ONE THING AT A TIME 🙄
➡️ Only one focus at a time
➡️ Yep, you read that correctly; just ONE thing to begin with
😳 Don't try to eat better, exercise more, read more, drink more water, drink less alcohol, and declutter your house all at the same time! Choose one goal to start with. The rest can follow later. 👍
I know, you've got all that energy, but trust me. Just one thing should be your main focus. Choose the most important thing first (the rest will follow later once you've nailed this habit.)
Habits are here to stay. Resolutions wane.
It's all about creating habits, keeping your focus on one thing at a time until it's established as a habit and then moving on to the next.
I know you are thinking that would take forever to achieve anything, but it doesn't. That is because when you see success in small things, it creates momentum. It feels good and it creates more energy and snowballs in the best possible way.
MUST READS
If you're intrigued by the power of small changes, I highly recommend reading Atomic Habits by James Clear. It's simply brilliant!
I also recommend The Power of Habit by James Duhig and Essentialism by Greg Keown.
For a brilliant downloadable that can help you get some clarity on how to craft your best year yet, try Mel Robbin's workbook: https://www.melrobbins.com/bestyear
TIPS FOR DECLUTTERING YOUR HOME
If your focus is the house this year, here are a few my favourite rules for decluttering. I hope they inspire you:
1. Start Small. Don't try to declutter the entire house in a day. Start with one room, or even better, one drawer.
2. One Item at a Time. Pick up each item and decide what to do with it. Does it stay or does it go? Be brutal.
3. Keep a bag at the door and every day put one thing it to donate to an Opportunity shop or Hospice Shop. When the bag is full, transfer it to the car to drop off and start a new bag.
4. If you are not sure, or hesitant to get rid of something - or if you are worried about the children being upset - create a 'transition box' in the shed or out of sight. If you don't need to get something out of it in the course of three or six months it goes.
5. Digitise Where Possible:** Can that pile of papers be scanned and saved digitally?
6. Sometimes it is hard to let things go when we have paid a lot for them. In this case consider giving them away to someone who will appreciate them. Perhaps a friend in need, Women's Refuge, or another charity. Ask yourself "Would I be happier with a more organised space? How much would I buy this for if I saw it in a shop now? If you wouldn't buy it, then you don't need it - it will make you happier to be free of the clutter.
7. A little bit often works better than a massive clean out. Just chip away at it. If you get rid of one thing a day, you'll find some days it will snowball into five or six things. Habits get results and maintain results. One big clean up slowly unravels, if indeed you get it completed (which I never do!)
I hope that is helpful. If you have found some value in the in post, please get in touch and let me know. I'd love to hear from you.
Wishing you a happy, healthy year ahead,
Bren XX
Pictured: Baya Imelda and Imogen cushions, Baya Cassia Cushion in colour Toasted Coconut, Baya 100% Linen Millhouse throw in Clay, Baya floor rug.