stuff Archives - Life Coaching by Christine Gipple

Soul Space Decluttering

Soul Space…

Spaces where you find what you want when you want it.

Where you have what you need at your fingertips.

Space to think, to be, to feel, to connect.

To feel alive, to breathe deeply, have restful sleep, connect with yourself, and those you love.

To realign with what matters most…

Three of my core values are for Order, Ease and Simplicity.

When those needs are met, I’m calm, present, connected. I’m aligned. It’s easy to follow through on commitments, take action toward what I want, to say yes when I mean yes, and no when I mean no when my actions are internally aligned with my values and needs.

One way for us to stay aligned is to consistently reevaluate what we keep.

So yesterday I did a challenge (Link at end) to Declutter 100 items in less than an hour. The intent of this challenge is to set your timer for 60 minutes and go room to room gathering 10 items, 20 items etc, from each space until you have 100. You don’t stop until the timer goes off, or until you have 100.

I didn’t do it the same way as recommended, not by design totally. My somewhat OCD self – not really, but kinda – needed to have order amidst the self-induced clutter clearing challenge.

I started in my kitchen. And stayed there for 60 minutes. I cleaned, wiped, and organized as I decluttered – not part of the challenge. When the timer went off, I wasn’t done, nor did I have 100 items. So I set it for another 30 minutes, and this time stopped cleaning, organizing and wiping, kinda. I really am “Monica” from Friends, so it’s my own niche to clean, sort & organize as I go. But I did make it out of my kitchen, and into my bathroom. This time, when the timer went off, I had 160 items total and I even managed to find two missing items that had fallen underneath a drawer and were laying at the bottom of a cabinet. So 90 minutes, 160 items, not too bad. Still, I’ll redo the challenge and do it as designed.

There’s two lessons here: 1) it’s so easy to throw ourselves off track, and 2) it’s just as easy to bring us back when we have focus, awareness and intention.

Ease. Order. Simplicity. Life isn’t always easy, orderly, and it’s certainly not always simple. Which is why it’s critical to create soul spaces in your home, and habits. Self-care, yoga, working out, eating well – whatever it is that nurtures you and keeps you feeling connected and alive – that’s what needs to be in your daily rituals.

So where do you need to create more space? Is there a certain room? A certain spot within a room? Maybe a specific relationship needs a clear boundary in place? Maybe your mind wishes for quiet so you can actually hear your own thoughts and inner desires? What’s on your wish list? Your #50Desires?

Does this sound fun to you? The idea is to create incentive to let go, and to have fun in the process. Hop on over to https://bemorewithless.com/decluttering-burst/ for Courtney Carver’s Declutter 100 Items in Less than an Hour Challenge. Let me know what happened for you. 🙂 #bemorewithless, #100DeclutterChallenge.

Enjoy the process. Life’s too short to stress over our stuff. Learn to let it go!

Sending love,

Chris

By Christine Gipple|2017-08-20T17:37:09-04:00August 20th, 2017|Uncategorized|0 Comments

Less = More. Simplify Your Wardrobe To 33 Items

My resistance surprised me. I’d been finalizing my website, so my delay in starting this challenge on June 1st was reasonably justified, but beyond that, I really procrastinated mentally. My inner voice kept telling me there was no way I was going from 100 items of clothing down to only 33, especially since I’d already downsized to 100 items! (see previous posts). The final 33 counted accessories like sunglasses, earrings, shoes, sandals, jackets, etc. Honestly, I didn’t think I could do it. When I approached the 40 item mark, I was ready to amend the rules a bit. I told myself I couldn’t simplify or release any more. As I reached 36, I was too close not to make it work, so the final 3 had to go!

But I did it – I’ve chosen my final 33 items to wear for the next 3 months! From June 5th to September 5th, I’ll use only the final 33 that made the cut. Project 333 Underway – Thanks Courtney Carver for the inspiration!

Here’s what I started with:

Here’s what I chose: One pair of sneakers, two sandals (one not shown because I was wearing them), one pair of earrings, one necklace, one hat, one pair of sunglasses and the rest clothing. (Workout wear and sleepwear don’t count – thank God!)

Result – I feel completely empowered, more mindful, and less stressed. I’m no longer sliding over item after item in my closet that I don’t feel great, searching for the ones I do feel great in. The visual plus – every time I open my closet door, I see only what I need, want and love. It feels simple, easy, and less overwhelming. I also feel less guilt. I don’t know about you, but I had a lot of clothes I didn’t wear. But because I paid good money for them, they stayed in my closet – even though I’d slide them aside looking for something else to wear.

I’ll admit I felt close to giving up. I felt close to backing out. The impossibility of 33 felt like more than I wanted to embrace. But it’s clothes – not people. It’s stuff. And I choose to live with less stuff.

I’m a little dorky and am always simplifying & organizing because I LOVE to, but this particular project has inspired me to simplify even more, beyond clothes. No “thing” is guaranteed a spot to live within our home. My family’s made me promise their stuff is off limits! I’ve agreed to only work on mine. Yet, I see them adding things to the donate pile as a result of my constant clearing. Releasing is contagious, and not by force – simply by doing.

Maybe you could live with less? Let go of items you keep sliding aside in your closet? Share your comments below. If this inspired you or you think it will inspire someone you know to action, please share this!

By Christine Gipple|2017-04-22T19:37:36-04:00June 5th, 2016|Feng Shui for Home, Organizing Tips|0 Comments