Maximum Gratitude, Minimal Stuff

Author Christina Scalise accurately describes clutter as "the physical manifestation of unmade decisions." Clutter represents procrastination. We think, "I'll put that away later."  Or "I'll find a use for that later."  We avoid determining whether to keep or discard, thinking "I'll decide later."  Inertia takes over, and pretty soon our homes are full of clutter.  The clutter feels overwhelming, so we put off tackling it, because the job seems impossible.  That's more procrastination, making the situation even worse. It doesn't have to be that way.  You don't have to be so bogged down and mentally exhausted.  Here are 31 things you can remove from your home right now .  8 Things to Remove from Your Kitchen 1.  Plastic utensils You already have proper silverware, so you don't need the plastic stuff cluttering your drawer.  Take them to work and stash them in your desk to use with your packed lunch.  And next time, ask

Fear.  It raises your heartbeat, roils your stomach, it might even make your hands shake.  Fear is not just stressful, it's limiting. When I fear something new, something I don't know how to do, a difficult decision – I just want to turn away from it.  I want to do anything else but deal with the issue. Of course I know that continuing to avoid what I fear doesn't make it go away.  In fact, the situation may become even more difficult as I continue to ignore it.  But as soon as I contemplate facing it, the thudding heart, sick stomach, and clammy hands return. Can you relate to my feelings?  Are there situations, large or small, that bring on fear for you?  I'm not even talking about physical danger, which thankfully I have rarely faced in my life.  I mean plain old everyday challenges.  Most of them matter to no one but me.  Yet my fear can keep me paralyzed. I feel inadequate.  Rudderless.  Poised on the brink of failure. These feelings can keep me from trying anythin

What is clutter?  It's a mess.  Clutter is an untidy collection of things that haven't been put away, aren't needed, or don't belong in the space they currently occupy.  Clutter is also appointments and time wasters that keep us from taking care of our most important goals and relationships. Whether it's clean clothes piled on a chair, unloved toys tossed into an overfilled cupboard, unused kitchen gadgets that crowd a drawer, unopened mail scattered over the coffee table, or too many activities and too much social media, clutter swallows space and time, clouds your judgment, and makes every task harder.  Think of decluttering like weeding a garden. Weeds can steal sunshine, water, and nutrients from the flowers or veggies you actually want.  With the weeds gone, your garden has room and energy to grow and flourish.  Likewise, when you remove the clutter from your home or your schedule, you find renewed zest and creativity for the things and activities that matter t

Maybe it's an American trait to want to “get the most bang for the buck.”  I don't know if that mentality has spread throughout the world, but if so it has a major downside. Wanting to get the most for the money has led us to buy a ton of cheap unnecessary junk because it's available, not because it's desirable or the best way to meet a need. So we tend to buy five cheap tee shirts that will fade and stretch out of shape after a few washings, instead of one high-quality shirt that will fit and look good for a long time. We buy several pieces of particleboard bedroom furniture instead of refurbishing one well-made, solid wood dresser. We buy cartons of one-time-use paper towels or packages of plastic sponges instead of a half dozen kitchen wash cloths we will use over and over for a couple of years, until they finally have to be downgraded to rags we use for extra-tough cleaning jobs. We buy a cheap meal at McDonald's instead of making a sandwich with quality ingred