Cut the Clutter

For the past few weeks every time I walked into my work room, I was filled with a sense of being overwhelmed.

I had long to-do lists, a clear idea of tasks to tackle and all the tools I needed to accomplish everything.

But, the room was a mess.

Each day when I came in ready to work, I would just stand in the doorway, exhale loudly and try and talk myself out of ditching out on the work and finding something more fun to do. I am gearing up for a few big events in my jewelry business so there were bags of finished jewelry overflowing drawers onto the floor, half-finished designs all over my work bench, orders waiting to ship and basically just a disorganized space.

One morning, I got an email from my friend Holly, who is the leader of the women’s organization in my church. She periodically sends out these little gems just to brighten the lives of all those in her sphere. I love so many things about her, but her positivity and thoughtfulness are pretty high on the list.

As I read the email, I was sure she must have seen my workroom.

With her permission, I want to share my favorite bits of wisdom from that email.

Good morning sisters! I looked out the window this week and thought the sky was gray. Then I realized it was my dirty window. Time for spring cleaning.

Spring is an excellent time to get our homes in order. I loved this quote from Sarah Ban Breathnach: I began to search for the common thread in the lives of the worlds great spiritual teachers and traditions: Jesus Christ, Mohammed, Buddha, Lao-Tzu, the Hebrew prophets, the Muslim Sufis, the Catholic saints, the Hindu rishis, the Shakers, the Quakers, the Amish. None of them had Junk Drawers.

Simplicity is a gift that comes naturally as we focus our lives on living closer to the Savior. Have you ever thought about how much time you spend sorting, dusting, cleaning, replacing, fixing, buying, rearranging, and putting away your stuff? How much more time would you have if you held on to only what you truly needed and loved?

Here are my rules when I spring clean:

Do I use it? There are some things that I use often, some that I use rarely, but I definitely need them, and then there are things that I am positive I will use someday, even though I haven’t used it for ten years and forgotten I even had them. I get rid of that last category. If I can’t seem to let it go, I put it in a box. Six months later I pull it out. If I haven’t missed it, it goes.

Is it beautiful? Some possessions have no value other than they make you smile. If that is the case, then keep it. Otherwise, let it go. Be aware that what makes your child smile may not be what makes you happy. In that case, it can go in their room. But there is a limit. Children will keep every picture. My kids had a box. They could keep whatever fits in the box. If something didn’t fit, they had to prioritize. This applies to grown up children too. If you don’t want it anymore and they do, they can take it to their home!

Is it sentimental? There are a few items I keep because they remind me of special people in my life. I have Hetty’ s butter dish, and a doily from Kathryn C. I remember my friends when I see them. But I don’t need to keep everything my great aunt ever made to remember her. You don’t have to keep items that you don’t like, just because they mean something to someone else. Share them with a friend who will love it…

Yesterday, I spent the entire day organizing my work space.

I bought shelves to organize the jewelry inventory, I cleaned off my work bench, organized my paperwork, rearranged the furniture, got rid of things that were just taking up space, and I even vacuumed. There is a very real feeling of peace that comes from an orderly environment.

It feels so good to be in this room now. With everything in it’s place. I feel ready to take on that to-do list. As a bonus, buried under a stack of supply catalogs I found an entire box of the coolest stones and beads that I had forgotten I picked up at the Tucson Gem Show earlier in the year and I can’t wait to get creating with them.

What could you declutter in your life?

Everyone has something. Holly’s email ended like this:

This week give yourself the gift of simplicity. Spring clean a room, a closet, even a drawer. At the very least clean out your purse. Letting go of material items is one way of telling God that you are ready for something new, something better. You will feel lighter, you will bless someone else by giving it away, and you will love being able to find what you thought you had lost –in that drawer and in your life. all my love, Holly

I couldn’t have said it any better myself.

This email was a pearl in my inbox and I couldn’t wait to share it with you.

Originally published at findmeaning.net on May 15, 2015.