Welcome to the One Delightful Podcast where we are on a journey to simplify life to create space for what matters.  And trust us, if we can do it - anyone can!

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On this week’s episode along with checking in + a segment we're calling 'Hum That Hook', we conclude our conversation about how to declutter literally anything.

Did you know that there is a link between clutter in our lives and lack of focus?  THAT EXPLAINS SO MUCH TO US!

We are in a period of life that is hard:  we are both transitioning into starting a business while also trying to parent an always on the go 6 year old and a 4 year old who treats us like short order cooks.  When she's hungry, we just hear, "Cheerios, Now."  Yikes (although we do prefer that to, 'WIPE ME', which also happens).   This season of life is rough for us.  

Some of you (single, married w/out kids) are probably tired of people with kids telling you about how much harder their life is than yours ... especially when you feel like you are up to your eyeballs in the crazy already.  I (Philip) remember how that feels, being single, or being newly married, and feeling like I could barely breathe at times b/c life felt so overwhelming.  Having kids does make life more difficult (and I guess you just somehow figure out how to figure it out), but the moral is: EVERY season of life is hard and has its challenges.

But, the moral of this story is also that with so many other factors converging on us that make it hard to give the love and attention to each other and our kids that we want to give ... if clutter is making it even harder to focus then it HAS TO GO.  Seriously, if life is hard enough already and all the extraneous stuff in our life is just making it harder to focus on what matters, then it has to go!

This is why we're talking about decluttering and think its important.  We start with decluttering stuff because its the most tangible, and maybe piling up some small wins with stuff will motivate us to declutter bigger things ... like our schedule, use of technology, how much HGTV we watch (ouch ... hits too close to home). 

Decluttering:  an easy process that's not that easy.  Make sure and check out the last 2 podcasts so you don't miss any part of the conversation!  The last 2 weeks, we talked about first, getting the decluttering process started by choosing a space and emptying it out, and then second, how to sort through what you've emptied to decide what stays and what goes.  This week, we'll talk how to put the stuff back and finish up the decluttering process.  The big obstacle at this point of your decluttering journey is figuring out how to put things back in a way that is going to make life better than it was before ... not just shoving it back in a way that will result in it turning into a train wreck again within 36 hours.  

Here are a few tips:

• Clean out the space once you have emptied it.  I never think about this but it always feels amazing when I do.

• Begin with the end in mind (that's a little Steven Covey for you). Put the things from your 'Keep' pile back in an organized way that reflects how you'll use the things.

  • For example: Shirts in a drawer. You typically stack them one on top of another. But do you use the drawer like that? Probably not. Why not fold them in a way where you can arrange them in rows. It lets you see what you have and allows you to take shirts out and put them away in a way that helps them to stay looking nice and in order.

• Shop your house (I got this from The Nesting Place). There is a strong urge at the end of the decluttering process to go right to Target and buy a ton of baskets and organizational stuff. Fight the urge! Is there something you already have in your house that could work for this space? This saves you money and helps you to insert your personal style back into your space.

  • But ... if you do want to give yourself a little treat at the end for a job well done, who can blame you? I got myself these awesome fake plants (finally a plant that I can't kill!).

So that's it - the end of our three week deep dive into how to declutter literally anything.  

And now, what are you waiting for?  It's time to pick a space and get started!  Living around clutter is robbing you of time, is killing your focus, + might even be causing low-level anxiety and depression in your life.  It's time to say, 'Enough!', to clutter getting in the way of things that matter in your life.

What do you recommend?

• Katie: Beats by Dre headphones

• Philip - Need a new salad idea? Try grilled romaine - it's amazing.

other mentions: 

• Pre-order Cozy Minimalist