Clearing the Chaos // Why Decluttering Matters More Than You Think

There is so much going on, and generally, most of us wear 'busy' as a badge of honor.

In my journey to a productive life, one area I really deeply dove into was decluttering.

I'm not just talking about physical clutter, as much of a pain the actual stuff in our homes and offices can be, but we also have digital and mental clutter we're carrying around. And you know what? That stuff can totally derail our productivity!!

Just the act of decluttering can feel totally amazing! Purging things that are no longer serving you.

Decluttering Your Email

Use folders/labels to organize old emails that you need to save but don't need in front of you. Legit file EVERYTHING!

Set aside time to actually read and deal with your emails, your inbox can become a hot mess real quick. Anyone have 10K (of more!) in there? Even if a massive inbox number doesn’t bother you, if you can't easily find something you need, or are struggling to remember what needs to be done, this isn't serving you.

Get your tasks OUT of your inbox. Utilize project management programs like Trello or Clickup to keep your to-do's organized. These apps also break down tasks, set due dates, tag your team members, and do a whole host of other actions you couldn't do if you just left them in your email.

How About Decluttering Your Folders?

Whether we're talking about physical or digital folders, the same rules can apply. When it comes to organizing files, it's all about the structure and the labeling.

You want to set up a file structure ahead of time. Where should certain files go? Do you have a bunch of house documents in your biz google drive? Or do you have a bunch of biz stuff on your home desktop?

Choose where your files will live, how they will be organized, and create a little cheat sheet, so you are consistent at putting them where they belong. Also, make sure to set aside time to do this. Think about that pile of mail at your house? If you dealt with it daily, you'd never have a pile.

Next, you want to create a naming system that you can keep consistent throughout your files. Maybe it's “date_clientname_documentname”. Whatever you decide stick with it. It will be easier to search if everything is named with the same structure.

If you're not sure where to start, this part is for you!

Think through your home, office, and digital folders for a few moments and choose ONE area that's feeling cluttered, and remove 10 items from that space.

Maybe it's email folders, your google drive, your computer desktop, a pile of papers on the corner of your desk, the mail pile at your house, or your closet. By starting small, it’s less overwhelming. It feels good, right?!

What about mental clutter?

Sometimes, we forget about mental clutter. Does anyone else use the practice of brain dumping or journaling EVERYTHING that is in that ole' noggin? There is a book by David Allen called Getting Things Done. If the act of brain dumping intrigues you, check out his book.

In essence, he discusses how trying to keep everything in our brains not only hinders our productivity but also our creativity! We can't come up with amazing ideas when we're trying to hold onto so much information. Also, when we talk about decluttering our mind, we also need to look at decluttering our expectations. Are we setting realistic expectations on ourselves, and getting rid of any expectations that don't need to be there?

Decluttering our expectations can open so many more doors for us, once we no longer are critically analyzing everything we do. Take a moment to think about ways you could declutter your mind. What are you holding onto that isn't serving you?

Sometimes it is easier to declutter our mind by doing a relaxing activity. Maybe it is taking a long warm bath, going for a run or drinking a big glass of wine. Try taking some time to relax and that may help you realize some things you are holding onto. Decluttering is also linked to other benefits, like higher self-esteem and better relationships! Okay let's be real, we all could benefit from higher self-esteem and better relationships.

By eliminating the clutter around you and in your mental space, our organization will increase. And VOILA!, with increased organization comes increased feelings of control and increased self-esteem.

Now remember, you don't have to make every space clutter-free overnight! Start small. Give yourself some grace. Each week pick a new area that you want to declutter. Then just slowly chip away at it during the week. By breaking it down it will feel less overwhelming AND you will build good habits.