I recently completed a meditation centered on the root chakra, realizing how chaotic life becomes when you rush ahead without laying a solid FOUNDATION. It struck me that neglecting to clear your physical space can be just as overwhelming as trying to guide others while carrying unaddressed issues from your own therapy journey.
Since diving into the concept of abundance thinking and exploring various podcasts, books, and other resources on decluttering, I've noticed a remarkable pattern: each time I let go of items, fresh opportunities seem to emerge almost instantly. As someone who has always been skeptical, requiring proof to believe in changes, this realization was a significant breakthrough for me.
Let me start with a room in my apartment—a room I previously couldn’t name but now recognize as OBVIOUSLY the dining room. I intentionally moved the chaotic work-related clutter into my line of sight, forcing myself to confront it rather than ignore it. This disorganization had morphed into a source of heavy negative energy that had been lingering since July. Almost immediately after relocating it, I was laid off and fast-tracked out of that job, I knew I had outgrown for quite some time. I felt an undeniable connection between these events, and upon returning to the space after returning my work equipment, I experienced a wave of sadness that quickly transitioned into excitement. Instead of succumbing to despair and nostalgia, I channeled that sadness into embracing the thrill and newfound freedom. All of a sudden I was rearranging my entire apartment. This had been on my to do list for months.
The items you frequently think about—those you feel compelled to sell, discard, or organize—carry their own energy because they occupy your mind. Letting go not only clears your physical surroundings but also liberates mental space. Each item removed translates to one less distraction, one fewer obligation to confront, and one less worry about the potential consequences of leaving it behind. It’s about releasing the load of unnecessary 'what-ifs' that weigh down your mental clarity.
It means more space to receive the ideas you were meant to receive and respond to.
So while the urge to jump ahead makes sense, the reason you keep getting stuck is that you keep remembering your foundation is still unstable. There are still unknowns in the place you live, your home, your stability. The more you can just let go, the more you can trust yourself, your roots, your foundation, because it's no longer filled with unknowns and "shoulds." That security, that knowledge holds so much power. When you trust the feet you stand on will walk without thinking about it, the ease that follows is pure confidence.
I know you're thinking, ok, great! How the hell do I actually do it? I know I have to do it, but I just keep not doing it.
Start
Literally just start. Maybe you've told yourself you need a plan first. Maybe you've started to make a plan but realized it didn't make sense when you actually started doing it. You got stuck and never came back to the task. Sometimes the plan comes by doing. Just start. Say you'll throw out one thing today. Just one thing. It can literally be trash. It can be the tiniest thing. Get one thing out of your home and celebrate the hell out of that. Start small, and whatever you do, don't force yourself to get bigger until you want to. You'll know you want to because you'll just start doing it. It might happen today, or tomorrow, or next week. If an agenda is slowing you down or keeping you stuck, then an agenda isn't for you. Just throw one tiny thing away each day. Just do. Your deadline will come when it's done.
Come back to the items that stop you in your tracks
That weird thing you never use, but you might need to use it. The batteries that are perfectly good but you really don't need. The thing that you should just throw out but you don't want it to end up in a landfill. The thing that you can't even categorize if you decide to keep it, because you might want to keep it. Make an "unknown" box or bin or corner or pile to come back to, and move onto something easier. In fact, start with anything that is blatantly easy: I definitely do/don't want this and start there. It's ok to come back to the hard stuff, it will almost always be easier the next time you approach it.
Categorize the rest into 3 or 4 categories
Keep, Toss, Sell/Donate, Unsure are pretty commonly used, and recommended at first. You can always narrow down your categories, especially after you toss the easy to get rid of items. This keeps it simple so you can address one pile at a time, and refine as you go. If you try to take everything at once and categorize it you will more than likely overwhelm yourself and do the thing where you literally stop doing the thing, but you're thinking about how you "should" be doing it, taking up valuable peace in your life.
Reward yourself as often as necessary
This is hard work. It's hard because it's deeper than just "things" we know need to leave our living space. Those things entered your life for a reason. And depending on how you tie emotions, feelings, nostalgia, etc to those things, it can be incredibly difficult to get rid of something most people would objectively categorize as "junk" or not at all sentimental. Give yourself something to look forward to while you do it. Every ten things you throw away, have some ice cream. If you get rid of 5 shirts, buy the new one you've had in your online shopping card for months. Things aren't bad! In fact, it's important to get new things, especially if they light us up and improve our mental state.
It's the things that no longer light us up, but we hang onto for stale nostalgia that can hold unnecessary energy and weight in our every day. Each day/thing we keep in our space that we no longer use adds a little more weight to that energy. The things we actively use, and know we still want and love from day to day - we hardly think about, right? Knowing is effortless. Knowing that something is for you right now takes no effort. It's the things that we know are no longer right for us, taking up space, that are literally taking up room that is meant for for more of what we want and need right now. Notice the difference between how you feel when you give yourself the thing you know you want, vs the things that are sitting around, nagging at you each day
Notice the difference in how you feel
When you let go of something, how does it make you feel? Relief? Excitement? A sense of peace? No matter what it is, take a moment to embrace those feelings and remember them as you move forward. It’s similar to going back to the gym—you should keep in mind how great you feel after finishing your workout. The more you acknowledge that satisfying feeling, the more inspired you’ll be to tackle the task again each time. It might be as simple as taking a moment to enjoy that sense of accomplishment, or snapping a picture of a corner in your room that’s now ready for your furniture, creating more space, or even organizing a closet.