I’d like to share a little bit about PerfectlyOrganised, how it all began: the then and the now, if you like.
Since its inception in 2004, when PerfectlyOrganised was set up to provide decluttering and organising services to commercial and private clients, I have witnessed first hand how clutter and belongings are taking over many of our lives. We work to pay for our houses and the bills, and we use what’s left to buy things which are supposedly meant to enhance our lives. What often ends up happening is just the opposite. ‘Things’ need maintenance. They take up space and need cleaning and repairing, hence we are using our current energy whilst hanging onto them – and we use our hard-earned cash to eventually replace them. It’s a never ending cycle.
Living More Simply
For as long as I can remember the thought of living more simply – with a lot less stuff – has been compelling me to move forward to a life less cluttered. In 1998 I read Janet Luhrs’ book, ‘The Simple Living Guide‘, and my attitude towards a lot of the things that I owned, and until that moment had held dear in my life, changed for good. Moving forward, I promised myself that I would live a clutter-free life, and to some extent I have managed this – but still clutter of one sort or another has regularly crept back into my home and my life.
Another book which had a profound effect was ‘Your Money or Your Life‘ by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin. I promise if you read and digest the information in this book, it will change how you think about your wages, hourly rate and money, forever!
The Negative Effect of Clutter
But it’s not only physical objects that can lead to clutter and chaos; a cluttered mind can be very detrimental and often leads to ill health. To some, this may seem far-fetched, but there has been a lot of research done to support this (just look online – more on this in future posts).
Freeing up space in our lives, whether it be physical, mental or emotional (think emotional baggage: holding onto the past), can have a major positive effect on our state of mind. It also frees us to enjoy living in the moment and appreciating everything around us.
Towards Minimalism
For me, moving on with my clutter-free journey has led to an increased interest in minimalism. There are some great books and websites around (try The Minimalists, Simple Living and Becoming Minimalist for inspiration). While I have a long way to go before I can say my husband and I live in a completely clutter-free zone, progress has been made and we both feel so much lighter because of it.
Why not start getting rid of some of your own stuff and see where it takes you? The sky really is the limit.
