About PerfectlyOrganised: then and now, how it all began, and why.
Here at PerfectlyOrganised we believe in ridding ourselves of the unnecessary things in our lives, so that we can surround ourselves only with things we love.
PerfectlyOrganised: Declutter. Organise. Breathe.
Our tagline – declutter, organise, breathe – sums up our attitude to the clutter we live with on a daily basis, be that physical or emotional.
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 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 then 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 towards a life less cluttered. In 1998 I read Janet Luhrs’ book, ‘The Simple Living Guide‘. My attitude towards a lot of the things that I owned – and until that moment had held dear in my life – changed forever. Moving forward, I promised myself that I would live a clutter-free life. To some extent I have managed this, yet still clutter of one sort or another regularly crept back into my home and 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. (Search this subject online if you’d like to learn more. We’ll be covering it more in future posts.)
Freeing up space in our lives, whether it be physical, mental or emotional can have a major positive effect on our state of mind. (Emotional baggage can be simply holding onto the past.) It also frees us to enjoy living in the moment and appreciating everything around us. Gratitude is a simple yet powerful practice and helps us see our lives from a new perspective.
Towards Minimalism
For me personally, my clutter-reducing journey led to an increased interest in minimalism. Suggested reading: What does minimalism mean to you?
There are some great books and websites around – try The Minimalists, Simple Living and Becoming Minimalist for inspiration. While I have a way to go before I can say we live in a completely clutter-free zone, progress has definitely been made. And my husband and I 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.
Gill