It’s Time to Get Tidy
Well, is the confetti from ushering in the New Year out of your hair and carpet yet? If not, this might be a great time to consider doing a little cleaning up in all domains of your life. On New Year’s day, a friend of mine texted me as asked if I had seen the Netflix series one of Marie Kondo’s “Tidying Up.” I hadn’t for two reasons, one, I don’t have Netflix and two, the first day of the launch of the series was that day. Coincidentally, I was making notes to share a series of posts with you, so I did some research on Marie’s series. By the way, she is also the author of the book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. I don’t think that Marie’s series will make for riveting reality TV, but I do appreciate her concept of letting go of anything in your life that does not bring you joy. I invite you to do your research on tidying up, and in the process, I hope you find a shit-load of joy and happiness.
Here, I offer you my first in a series and brief suggestions on areas of your life that will likely benefit from some clean-up.
Environment
1) Desktop on your computer:
A cluttered desktop can be stressful. Each time you look at it, you can launch yourself straight into overwhelm which is no way to start your day. There are many apps and lifehacks to assist you in managing a currently chaotic desktop. Simply Google How To Organize Your Messy Desktop and in seconds you will have all the help you need.
2) Your car:
Keep it clean inside and out. You spend a lot of time in your vehicle traveling to an from the places you go to so, make sure that you create a traveling environment that is inviting and soothing. Have a place to put your trash, so it is easy to empty each time you go to the gas station. Make sure your glove compartment is organized so if God forbid you are pulled over for some traffic infraction you aren’t opening Pandora’s box.
Schedule a car wash once a month whether you do the task yourself, take your car somewhere, or use a mobile service. Your clean car will add to the joy and peace in your life. It is worth the effort, so just do it.
3) The way you dress:
Our society has gotten mighty casual over the past many years. It is not unusual to see employees show up to their jobs in hoodies and sagging jeans. It’s easy to throw on a pair of sweatpants and a ball hat on the way out the door to run errands. It has been my observation that the way we feel on the inside is what we will display on the outside. Could you do better? Step it up a notch. Put some makeup on, comb your hair, wear the top that doesn’t look like it has been wadded up in the corner for days. Tidying up your exterior will make you feel better on the interior.
4) Your living environment:
Once again, the appearance of your living environment is an outward expression of how you are feeling on the inside. Create a peaceful sleeping environment because it will help you sleep better and we all need our sleep. Make your bed each morning. It is a great way to start the day. Don’t leave dishes in the sink to come home to, do them before you go. It is the cumulative effect of being disciplined to doing the small things each day that add up. And, after a while, you form great habits that will inspire you to keep it clean.
5) Your refrigerator:
An organized refrigerator has a multitude of health benefits. First, fill it with items that will help you stay on a healthful eating plan. Spend some time on the weekends cutting up fruit and vegetables and doing other meal prep, so when you open your refrigerator, you are ready to make a healthy meal without having to figure out what’s for dinner. You can reach for snacks that are good for you versus something that is loaded with sugar and preservatives. You can see what is on the shelves, so you are not wasting food because you didn’t know or remember you had these precious, now rotting jewels in the first place. And finally, it is no different than your desktop, your car, how you dress or how you keep your living environment. Less is more. Do yourself a favor, eliminate unnecessary stress and overwhelm in your life. It is as simple as taking a few minutes each day to tidy up. Five to ten minutes of clean up a day is worth hours of calm and contentment.
Next in the clean-up series, the body. Stay tuned.
