The end of the year is the perfect time to reflect, review, and reevaluate everything in your life. This includes your surroundings, but also your life; what you allow in, and what you give your attention to. If you’re stuck on where to begin decluttering for the new year, or need practical tips to help you start the new year fresh, here are some ideas to help you determine what to get rid of in your life and home so you can begin the new year with clarity and a sense of purpose.
Decluttering For the New Year
Before embarking on the somewhat challenging task of decluttering before the new year, it’s important to evaluate what has gone on in your life this past year. What have you accomplished, where have you fallen short and what lessons have you learned from both? Next, envision what you’d like your future to look like. This will help you identify where you need to focus in the new year and should help you as you let go of certain things in your home and your life.
Do The Internal Work
It’s usually best to begin by going through your journals from the past year, if you have them (if you don’t, consider starting one in the new year). The insight you can get from writing out your thoughts and rereading them later can be an important step in helping you move forward.
Then, write out a few ways you want your daily life to change, including how you want to show up in the world. Have you neglected to put your best self forward? Could your clothes or hair use an overhaul? Be honest with yourself, if those things aren’t incredibly important to you, own that. There’s no sense in living life in a way that doesn’t feel authentic, just to adhere to someone else’s idea of what you should be doing or how you should look.
Finally, it’s time to let go of feelings, regrets and uncertainties. If there’s a grudge that you’re holding or you feel some type of way about a family member, it’s time to address those. By coming to terms with these internal feelings, you can move forward with clarity and purpose around your relationships.
External Sources of Clutter
One important way to ensure you’re clearing out what isn’t meant for you is to look at your social groups. This could be co-workers you spend time with outside of work, friends that you occasionally meet for brunch, or anyone you give your time and attention to. It’s important to evaluate those friend groups and ensure they are truly “your people.” If anything feels off or you find yourself drained rather than invigorated after seeing them, it may be time to let them go.
Get Your Home in Order For the New Year
Now, here’s where it comes down to what we think of when we talk about decluttering for the new year. Clearing out the spaces in your home is a great way to move forward into the new year fresh and invigorated. Here are some tips to help.
Clearing out Closets
Sometimes the best and easiest place to start in your home is your closet. This is because you can easily see what you wear and what you don’t. Throw out anything of course that you know you won’t wear, or haven’t touched in six months. And, if it doesn’t fit you now but you feel like it will once you lose a few pounds, get rid of it. You’re not doing yourself any favors by holding on to something and it will just be a reminder to yourself that you find fault in your body. You’re fine just the way you are. Buy clothes that make you feel amazing, right now, in the body you’re living in.
Kitchen Declutter
The end of the year is a great time to declutter any kitchen items you have. Of course, if you have kids, you’re probably missing a ton of spoons, so your utensil drawer may need to remain as it is. But, if you have twenty butter knives and there are only three people in your home, you can probably drop some off at the thrift store.
The same goes for those mini appliances you never use. If you don’t make waffles but have two waffle makers taking up space, what is the point? Do you still have an electric pressure cooker in the box? Sell it! Now, if there are appliances that you love but could use an upgrade, this is what decluttering for the new year is all about. There are tons of deals this time of year, so chances are you can replace worn-out appliances at a significant discount.
Finally, make your way around your home and declutter or put away paperwork in your office. Clear out your desk, get rid of those twenty unused journals, and keep it moving. You’ll be better focused on your work and career goals with a clean and organized office.
The end of the year is the best time to start clearing out what doesn’t serve. Not only will you be able to make room for new things for the holidays, but you’ll begin the new year fresh and ready to tackle anything that comes your way.
