Decluttering your life: mentally, physically, and emotionally #WomensDay #BeBoldForChange

Every time I go to a blogger event, I come back with something new. Sometimes, I have a list of useful tools to check out and most times, I come back with a new sense of self. I'm always inspired by these independent women. I find it so extraordinary to have conversations with women who have been through hell & back and came out stronger than ever before. This inspiration always comes at the perfect time – exactly when I need a little something to keep me hanging onto these big dreams I have. Inspiration is the first step toward decluttering your life and hopefully your inspiration comes from this post.

It comes in stages…

The way I respond to inspiration would be confusing to any sane person. I'm always on Cloud 9 and then “BANG!”, I feel as if I've fallen face first on the pavement. They always say that you have to hit rock bottom before you can rise up. That's exactly how I feel after an overdose of inspiration. After the initial excitement wears off, I feel… lost. It's almost like I'm stuck in my own mind. I don't know where to go or what to do next. I keep reminding myself to remain true and authentic, but it's not easy when my life is so full of clutter.

Declutter your life – How I'm doing it

I've decided to set a new personal goal for myself. I am going to completely declutter my life: mentally, physically, and emotionally. I am ridding my entire life of any sort of clutter that is keeping me from reaching a state of pure bliss.

Physically – getting rid of anything I don't use, working on a healthier body.

My dear friend, Amanda at DixieDelightsOnline.com is currently doing the 40 Bags in 40 Days Declutter Challenge. She really inspired me to do the same, but with my entire life. The easiest way to begin is with the physical stuff – the house, the yard, my body.

I'm going to take it one day at a time, but I'm going to declutter the heck out of this house. Being a blogger, I get a lot of mail! It's so easy for my house to go from squeaky clean to an episode of Hoarders. Not anymore. I am giving up everything that I don't use, love, or need. If there isn't a place for it, then there isn't a reason for it. The only difficult part of this is finding a home for all of these pretty little things.

Decluttering your life begins with your home. The key to getting things done is to hold yourself accountable! Maybe you need to make a list or buy a calendar/planner. Whatever it takes!

As for my body, I am keeping up with my routine of eating healthier. Still, I am not exactly where I want to be. My biggest downfall is that I don't exercise. My fiancé and I decided to run a 3k every single week. I'll let you know how that goes, haha.

Decluttering your life should include your body. My tip for you if you're trying to declutter your life physically is to find a buddy to help hold you accountable. Whether it be your life partner, best friend, or even a coworker, designate someone to go on this journey with you. I promise it will make life much easier.

Mentally – learning to love myself, accomplishing goals, and staying focused.

I am my own worst enemy and always have been. I allow myself to miss deadlines, I break promises to myself, and worst of all, I compare myself to others. It's time that I declutter my mind.

I'm going to look in the mirror each day and tell myself 1 thing that I love about my body and my heart. I've come a very long way since my self-destructive self-talk days, but I've still got a long way to go. I need to learn to fully love myself. I still pick apart my flaws, like my bad skin and quick-temper.

I need to stop missing deadlines that I set for myself. I shouldn't allow myself to forget about the goals I've set. I am not that weak or lazy. Why am I not taking myself seriously? I meet my client's deadlines, but I can't even keep a promise I've made to myself? I will never reach my goals with a mindset like this one.

Staying focused on my goals only is a huge issue I have. I'll be the first to admit that I get caught up in comparing myself to my peers. I compare opportunities and accomplishments. I compare content and interaction. I compare numbers and figures. Although, I can't take the full blame. There are times when individuals rub their successes in my face. I just need to learn to swerve all that mess. So, no more reading blogs or social media, at least until I reach a point of clean thinking.

Decluttering you mind is the key to decluttering your life! It's absolutely impossible to reach your goals when you don't really know what you want.

Emotionally – righting wrongs, forgiving, and letting go.

I think I'm in a beautiful place emotionally, but I know to be the confident woman I want to be – I need to always strive to be better. I need to declutter emotionally. This means, I need to let go of any negative emotions I'm holding onto. Whether I'm feeling guilty about something or frustrated about a situation, I need to let it go. Life is too short to allow insignificant things into my heart. I need to make room important moments and people. I'm going to be married this year! I need to keep my heart open for my new life.

There's no place in my sweet heart for anyone that doesn't appreciate being there.

I refuse to chase someone to get their attention. I also refuse to compete with anyone in my career or in the real world. Life isn't a competition or a race. We can all be happy and successful together. It's time that I learn to let go of people, without holding onto pain, anger, or hurt feelings. I need to emotionally let go of memories that aren't beneficial to my current emotional well-being.

The last emotional change that I need to make is staying in contact with friends and family I love the most. My mind is so cluttered with feelings of guilt for not calling or keeping in touch with the people I love the most. Once a week I'm going to call the people I love. I need this for my heart to be full.

Decluttering your life means decluttering your emotions. You will not move forward in your life if you have negative emotions cluttering your mind. Declutter your emotions means decluttering your life.

You'll be amazed at how full your heart will feel when you remove the people who don't belong in it.

#BeBoldForChange The Zookeeper's Wife

This International Women’s Day (March 8th), in honor of the courageous women who changed history, we’re proud to share this piece where Jessica Chastain celebrates the incredible story of Antonina Żabińska, whom she portrays in this month’s upcoming film THE ZOOKEEPER’S WIFE.
In theaters 3/31

Antonina Żabińska was a working wife and mother who, along with her husband, became a hero by saving hundreds of Jews during World War II, providing a safe haven for them in her zoo. At a crucial time of sustaining and elevating women's rights, we feel it is important to share her story to highlight the strength and bravery of women in history who stood up to injustice. So, let's band together by taking bold action to help drive change for women through purposeful collaboration this International Women’s Day.