As I write this post, I’m in the process of packing the many books and supplies in my writing space. We’re downsizing. Sorting many years of collected family treasures, trinkets, and trash has consumed my summer. And yes, I did say trash. It’s amazing to me how many items we stored away thinking them valuable only to find now that we have collected a lot of trash. We cluttered our lives with too much of the unnecessary.

My writing space, left for the end of my sorting melee, turned out to be no different than the rest of our home. Full of the unnecessary. Full of clutter. Clutter weighing down my spirit, mind, and creativity. Clutter stealing my joy. As I rid my home of excess, I find my joy returning. It’s getting easier to pick up an item, determine it serves no purpose, then pitch it in the trash, recycle bin, or donation box.

If you’ve been considering cutting clutter or downsizing your home, here are some things I’ve learned in the last few weeks:

• Start with the project you least want to tackle. When it’s done, you’ll feel more confident tackling the next room.
• Don’t give up when you see the next cluttered space.
• Develop a critical eye as quickly as possible. When I started, I kept too much. I’ve gone back to a few things and let them go.
• Oh yes, don’t give up when you see the next cluttered space.
• While it’s easy to plan on doing one room at a time like the organization books say, I found that if I really wanted to get all similar items together, I had to jump back and forth a bit. Better to suffer things being worse for a time if it all comes together nicely in the end.
• Finally, did I tell you not to give up when you see the next cluttered space?

My writing space will soon be spiffy and ready for potential buyers to peruse as our house goes up for sale. I’ll enjoy the room in its new bare bones state, but what I’m really getting excited about is the freedom breaking loose in my creative mind and heart. Ideas and plans are forming for that day when I can focus on my writing again. I can’t wait to get back to my keyboard.

~*~

Donna writes women’s fiction and is represented by Sue Brower of the Natasha Kern Literary Agency. She’s a licensed minister, conference speaker, and estate planning attorney. She also works with GenderSave, a nonprofit seeking to empower women and girls at risk from gendercide practices in India. Contact Donna at donnakrice.com.