How to Clear the Clutter & Spring Clean Your Life
I love the promise of spring. After the harshness and bitterness of winter, the spring comes to bring the dead back to life, signaling a fresh, new beginning. It reminds me that regardless of what happened last season, each new season is an invitation for a clean slate, a fresh start. It’s a time of pruning and renewal, where you get rid of the meaningless and make space for the fresh, new, and purposeful.
That’s why I love spring cleaning. It allows you the freedom and space to do just that -- to clear any clutter that is in your life. Clutter can take on many forms -- physical, mental, spiritual, relational, social- you name it! That’s why it’s important to assess the various areas of your life to see where you can clear the clutter and simplify. For example, when I was at a place where I was trying to decide how God wanted me to pursue my goals and purpose, I was very overwhelmed and confused to the point where I couldn’t take action. It was during that time I had to get really clear. Clear on my purpose, my goals, and how God wanted me to go about pursuing them, while developing myself further into who He created me to be. There was so much mental and spiritual clutter that was preventing me from hearing His voice and listening intuitively to His Spirit. So in order to make sure that I was walking in His purpose for me, I had to clear the clutter.
I share that story to encourage you that spring cleaning doesn’t have to be just a time to purge and refresh your physical space. You can spring clean any area of your life that you feel like you need to purge, tend to, and cultivate. As we enter into this new season, here are 5 areas to clear the clutter and spring clean your life.
5 Areas to Clear the Clutter:
1) Physical Clutter
Physical clutter is anything that’s visibly and tangibly cluttering your space (i.e. your house, wardrobe, office, desk, car, etc.) These are the common areas where people tend to spring clean. Go through your possessions and ask yourself what can you keep, discard, or give away. Allie Casazza shares how you can go about this process in creating a minimal and purposeful home. If you find that you’re constantly overwhelmed by your amount of stuff, you may want to consider creating a more simplistic and minimal lifestyle.
2) Social Media & Internet Clutter
If not used with purpose and intention, the internet and social media can become idols and a drain to space and time. Take some time to spring clean your technology this season. Unsubscribe from newsletters (unroll.me is a great resource for doing this). Unfollow blogs and social media accounts that you don’t frequent. Clear old documents and files off of your computer. Try a social media fast or a social media free weekend.
3) Relational Clutter
Unfortunately, not all relationships are meant to last. They too can be cyclical and seasonal. Analyze where your current relationships stand. What relationships aren’t serving you anymore? Is there a certain relationship that’s draining you? What about a relationship where you could be a little more intentional? Observe your friendships, work, family, and romantic relationships and decide where you can clear the clutter.
4) Heart Clutter
Is there any junk hiding in your heart? If so, this is the best time to do a heart check. What are the areas resonating in your heart that need to be addressed? Have you been in a season of comparison and discontentment? Has fear and overwhelm rendered you lazy to God’s calling and purposes? Have your motivations behind your actions been impure? Conduct a heart check and see where you can clear the clutter.
5) Spiritual Clutter
Spiritual clutter is sin or anything else that is preventing you from pursuing Christ intentionally and wholeheartedly. Hebrews 12:1 (NIV) urges us to “throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” Ask yourself what is holding you back spiritually. If you’re having trouble deciding where to start, Paul defines our fleshly desires as follows in Galatians 5:19-20 -- “idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these.” The best way to clear this spiritual clutter is to walk with and in step with the Holy Spirit. You will receive the fruit, or byproducts, of walking walk with Him, which are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22-23).
Now that we’ve identified the areas of your life where you can clear the clutter, here are some general tips to help you begin the spring cleaning process.
How to clear the clutter & Spring Clean Your Life
1) Take inventory.
Identify what you are currently tolerating in your life whether good or bad. Decide what you’re going to say no to and yes to in this season, and purge where necessary.
2) Get clear.
Taking inventory allows you to get clear on the next steps and puts you in a position where you can decide how to move forward. Ask the Holy Spirit for His clarity and guidance in this next season of life. If you want wisdom, ask for it and that’s exactly what you’ll receive (James 1:5).
3) Decide what’s at stake if things stay the same.
What is at stake if you let the clutter remain? What is at stake if things stay the same? What regrets will you have if you let yourself continue to go around the same mountain? The truth is your situation won’t change until you do. One of my favorite quotes is “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again but expecting different results.” Don’t be insane. Decide right now that you’re going to do whatever it takes to move forward in your God-given goals and purpose.
4) Create a strategy.
A plan cannot be executed without a purposeful strategy. What needs to be done so you can effectively clear the clutter in your life? Do you need to renew your mindset? Do you need to learn some new skills and habits? How will you go about developing those things? That is where a strategy needs to come into play.
5) Find accountability.
Now that you have successfully taken inventory, got clear, and created a strategy, you need accountability. Proverbs 27:17 tells us that iron sharpens iron, and you need to have someone who can encourage and build you up as you pursue your God-given purpose and goals. Find yourself an accountability partner. A coach is great for not only providing accountability, but motivation, support, and strategy while you pursue your goals and purpose.
In my free Clear the Clutter Clarity Session, I walk my clients through these steps so they can clear the clutter in their life. If you’re looking to purge fear, overwhelm, or other self-sabotaging behaviors to pursue a life of purpose and intention, click the button below to book your Clear the Clutter Clarity Session. In this session, I will provide you with the clarity and strategy you need to pursue your God-given purpose and goals.
The truth is, you don’t have to wait until spring to restart your life and clear the clutter. These things can be done in any season of life. That’s why I’ve created a free guide designed to help you clear the clutter in your life. Click the button below to download your free guide. (Please Note: This guide is available for download to Fearfully Fashioned subscribers in the Resource Closet. Click here to log-in).
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