10 Ways I’m Decluttering My Life In 2020

Society wants so much from us nowadays. They want our time. Our energy. Our money. So many things vie for our attention: social media, the latest sales, emails, trends, YouTube…

With so many things calling to me, I find it’s been soo hard to keep my attention on the things that really matter: My faith. My passions. My family. My future.

My big goal for 2020 is to simplify. I want to get rid of distractions and noises that don’t really matter to me. This includes physically, mentally, and emotionally. So, today, I am sharing with you the ten things I’m decluttering this year so my life can be clutter-free and I can put my energy into focusing on the things in my life that truly matter.

10 Ways I’m Decluttering in 2020

Reducing items in my spaces: This is a big one for me. When I am mentally struggling or am overwhelmed, my space reflects that. I’ve told my family members before that if my room is a mess at all, that probably means I’m stressed about something. I don’t like living in a messy environment and I think if I can keep the number of belongings I have down quite a notch, it’ll keep my room from becoming as big of a mess when I do get stressed, which means I’ll also be less overwhelmed by the idea of cleaning it up.
Getting rid of unused clothes: I’ve gotten pretty much my entire wardrobe hand-me-down. It’s pretty rare for me to go out and buy a clothing item brand new with the tag still on it. So basically when we get a bag of clothes from someone, I like going through it and essentially claiming anything that will fit me. Oftentimes, there are items such as graphic tee shirts that seem appealing at the time or that I try to convince my self I just love that really I get bored of a month later. I’m working on slimming down my wardrobe to a specific color palette and keeping the items universal so I can mitch and match, but I still love what I have. I’m weeding out everything else.
Deleting old computer files: I inherited my mom’s OG Macbook Pro when she got a new one and there are still all of her old files downloaded on it. She’s a VA/blogger, so this includes the combination of both of our own stock photos, Word Docs, downloaded fonts, free E-books, etc…it adds up! All of that slows my computer down, and when I need to load something, usually one of two things happen: 1. my computer runs slowly because of all the stuff on it, or 2. I can’t find what I’m looking for. So we’re finally going to go through and delete EVERYTHING that I no longer need, including all my mom’s own files. I want to better organize what I choose to keep as well so it’s easier to locate.
Spending less time on my phone: Not going to lie, this one is probably one of the harder things for me to do, but I know it has to be done. I spend too much time on my phone. Period. I’m checking my socials. Watching YouTube. Checking socials again. Texting/Snapping friends. Checking socials again… (I think you get the idea) Just this week alone, I’ve been on Instagram 6 hours 37 minutes. (Don’t judge…please.) Imagine what I could do with all of that time instead of scrolling. I could be writing more. Reading. Spending more quality time with my family. I encourage you to also check on your own screen time regularly and practice cutting back on it.
Making fewer commitments: Right now, in this season of my life, I have too many commitments. But they are ones I can’t just drop right now, unfortunately. On top of working three days a week, I am doing Fine Arts with my Youth Group, I’m VP for my student council at my homeschool Co-op, and in between those meetings I sometimes have to find time for myself, time to write, time to be with my friends and family without any pressure, time to do school…you get the idea. Once Co-op ends, I will no longer have to be on Student Council and I also won’t have to stress as much about Fine Arts after March and I can’t wait to just have fewer appointments on my calendar.
Carving out more rest periods: Going along with what I said above, With having less commitments to live up to, I want more times to just rest. And these rest periods may all be different. They may come in the form of coffee and a good book. Or a Face Mask and YouTube Video. Or a day out of the house going to a concert with friends. Rest is my form of self-care. When I can do something I love without any pressures or expectations, I find it to be very relaxing and actually helps my productivity in the long run.
Spending less money on useless items: With getting a job this past October, I feel like I’m still getting used to the idea of having a regular paycheck and along with that, having to learn how to save that money. Oftentimes, I see a snack or a T-shirt, or a lipstick I just want right there and then and more often than not I tell myself no to those items.
Setting fewer goals + creating more realistic action plans: Last year, I set a LOT of goals. I mean, a LOT. And then, when I didn’t complete all or at least most of them, I got really discouraged. So, already this year, I’ve set fewer goals and I’m also writing out detailed and REALISTIC action plans to achieve the goals I do have. I’m constantly learning still how to write better goals and make plans to achieve them. Feeling more realistic about these goals has already made me feel less stressed. I’ve also achieved more of my goals after slimming them down which is amazing.
Using my bullet journal to plan my productivity out: One of my biggest tools for productivity and setting goals in 2020 has been my bullet journal. Not only is it a creative outlet for me, but it’s a very practical tool so I can write down the plans to achieve the goals I set. I actually have plans to write some blog posts about using my bullet journal as a writer and a creative entrepreneur. I will say now though, that it’s helping me make my life way more simple.
Letting go of the past: Oh boy. We saved the best for last. If there’s anything I’ve allowed to mentally and emotionally hold back it’s my past. I’ve had a good childhood. I grew up with an amazing family which I know is a blessing a lot of people have not had. However, like everyone, I’ve made a lot of mistakes. A LOT of mistakes. And some of these mistakes led to long term consequences. It’s so easy for me to want to hold onto the past and dwell on the mistakes God’s already forgiven me for. I need to remember that if I’ve already confessed the sins and the mistakes I’ve made, then I am forgiven and I need to forgive myself and let go of what’s already done. What good am I doing to myself if I let myself be weighed down by something that really doesn’t matter anymore?

That’s it! These are the 10 ways I want to simplify my life in 2020. Now, I do want to say that of course I’m not going to just be able to implement all of these things at once. It’s going to be a process. But I can’t wait to see the rewards that come from living a more simple and minimalist lifestyle.

Let’s Chat!

Are you going to be implementing a simpler life in 2020? How? Did any of these tips resonate with you? Do you have any ideas I didn’t share on simplifying your life? Share all your thoughts, questions, and comments in the comment section below!

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