The other day I moved my laptop out of my dining room and into my bedroom. \u00a0In the evenings when I want to check email and play on Facebook, I now have to step into my home office to do it. \u00a0That’s turned out to be a good thing since I get more work done, what with my In Box and To Do List staring me in the face each time I sit at the desk. \u00a0 I figured if I was going to spend more time in here, I needed to unclutter. \u00a0My place stays fairly clutter free, but I get weekly deliveries of one thing or another, mostly books or supplies, and that creates boxes and bubblewrap trash. \u00a0Often I’ll leave a delivery unopened for a week, or put it unopened in the supply closet. \u00a0Eventually that catches up with me, and I have to pull everything out and unwrap it and put it all back in. \u00a0So my clutter is usually packaging material or stacks of paper I need to go through, and it’s easy enough to do.<\/p>\n
First I pulled all the furniture away from the walls and swept and mopped behind them. \u00a0I cleaned the entire floor and I created more space by moving two small bookcases out of the office and into the living room. \u00a0I put away the newly arrived office supplies and I recycled 4 \u00a0pounds of paper. \u00a0Now that we’ve got recycling bins here in Palm Bay, I’m shocked at how much paper I am able to recycle each week; \u00a0cardboard, paper towel rolls, bath tissue rolls and tons of junk mail, which I ask to be unsubscribed from<\/a>. \u00a0 When the office feels fresh and new, I feel more motivated and being productive is easier.<\/p>\n I call it the clean slate effect. \u00a0When I feel free from the past, I am more motivated to work toward the future. \u00a0When rearranging a room, instead of just moving furniture around, I typically pull everything out of it so I can begin with a new eye. \u00a0If it feels new to me, I am more alert and when I’m more alert, I am open to new possibilities and new ways of being. Sometimes I go back to the old arrangement, but more often than not I stick with the new until I think it’s time for change again. Because I’ve learned that if I don’t make changes, the Universe will make them for me<\/a>.<\/p>\n RELATED: Another layer of decluttering <\/a>
\nIn Florida, Damp Rid is badass for keeping moisture out of your closets<\/a><\/p>\n