The first round of suggestions is focused on helping you to simplify your life and your home. Is there an area of your home that gives you heartburn when you look at it because it is cluttered and unorganized? Are you feeling overwhelmed with too much on your schedule?
Let’s tackle our physical space first. I admit that I have always had a hard time controlling paper clutter. And while I would not consider myself a pack rat, I used to have a hard time getting rid of things I no longer needed – things like books, clothing, kitchen gadgets, etc. I’d think – “oh, I might NEED that one day. Or I might find a use for that some day.” I’m much better now because of a book that really helped me in this area of de-cluttering and organizing. The book title is Lighten Up by Michelle Passoff. The Toledo library system has it. The premise is that you should get rid of those things that are not helping you to achieve your current goals. She encourages the readers to analyze each room – are the things in this room the best place for them? Are the things in your living space helping you to achieve your goals? Are you using those things enough to warrant “premium space” in your living area or could those things be packed away and put out of sight until you need them? Or better yet given or thrown away?
Her argument is along the lines of a place for everything and everything has its place but it goes even beyond that. She wants you to really think about the “things” that are occupying your space. She contends that once you have gotten rid of the things that are not helping you to achieve your goals that you will feel better and you will be more likely to work on the things that you want to work instead of being stuck and shuffling around irrelevant clutter. For instance, I love reading. If I had more money to spend I would most likely buy more books. I have a lot of books. When I was de-cluttering our living room, I had to make some decisions about the books on the living room book shelf. I had to ask myself how often I was reading each particular book or magazine. I was able to make those decisions and pack up the books that I knew I didn’t reach for very often. Those boxes are clearly labeled and in the attic for whenever I do need to reference them.
I know that this is true for me – when my house is clean I just FEEL so good. When it is messy and cluttered, it brings my mood down. And if I need space to work on a project and I cannot find a clean spot to work on it, I get grumpy. It is easier to be motivated to clean when you can focus on how good you feel when you have a clean home. And it is easier to clean your home when there is less clutter to start with. I know that when I decided that the living room was no longer going to be the toy room as well (meaning that the toys did not live in the living room, not that the kids couldn’t play with them in the living room) – it was so nice to be in the living room without piles of toys. And now it only takes a few minutes to get the living room straightened up and ready for company.
I’ve found the same principle to be true with my schedule. If I am always running around doing stuff, I get worn out mentally and physically. I am the type of person who likes to be involved – I realize now that it is a re-occurring theme in my life. I got involved in a lot of groups and activities in high school and in college. I guess I didn’t want to miss out on anything. When I quit my full-time job to be a full-time stay-at-home mom, I felt like I had to take my children out to every single “fun” event around town – I didn’t want to miss out on anything. After a while, I realized that I wasn’t having a good time and I wasn’t so sure that my very young children were enjoying the activities either. I finally realized that some activities were better left for when they were older and could enjoy them more. And I realized that they enjoyed being at home playing just as much as anything else – maybe even more so. Of course, now that they are older they beg me for the zoo and the Imagination Station, etc.
I’m also the kind of person who likes to get things done – I like the sense of accomplishment. I would often find myself saying yes to more and more commitments. It would get to the point where those commitments were distracting me from my primary ministry – my family. In early 2009, I found myself very overloaded and overwhelmed. I felt God calling me to release almost all of my outside commitments. So, over the span of several months, I released them one by one. I had to ask myself for each commitment: is this commitment REALLY helping me to achieve the things that God has called me – Elissa Teal – to do. I can remember feeling so free after giving up all those extras. I remember telling my friends this little nugget of discovered wisdom.
“There are many GOOD and GODLY things to do out there. But what are the things that GOD wants you personally to do?”
Have you ever thought about that? Pray for God’s leading – ask Him what He wants you to do. I guarantee you that the ministry that He wants you to place the highest value on is your family – your husband, your children. Only after you are doing well in your primary ministry of family would I encourage you to take on additional serving opportunities. And that only after praying for God’s leading for a particular ministry or commitment.
Okay, so my final thought on a simple home is to evaluate what is cluttering your home and your time and your mind. Clean out that which does not help you achieve the goals that you have embraced.
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