a 30 day challenge to declutter your space and mind

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Morgan Webb
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1 simplify your life in thirty days a 30 day challenge to declutter your space and mind 1

2 The first step in crafting the life you want is getting rid of everything that you don t. Joshua Becker 2

3 s i m p l i f y y o u r l i f e i n t h i r t y d a y s THE 30 DAY SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE CHALLENGE IS ABOUT changing your perspective creating a space that feels freeing and; putting less focus on the things in your life, and a bigger focus on how you live your life FOR THE FIRST HALF OF THE CHALLENGE You'll declutter a different category of your physical space every day. By the end of the first half of the challenge, you'll have fallen in love with your space again. FOR THE LAST HALF OF THE CHALLENGE You'll go through guided exercises to eliminate your mental clutter every day. By the end the of the last half of the challenge, you'll have space for you in your life. 3

4 m y s t o r y WHO I WAS When I was 19, I went on an online shopping spree at least once a month. I hadn t met our postman, but he and my dad had running jokes about my shopping habits. Three to four times a week he d drop parcels off at my family home filled with clothes (of the cheap, nasty kind), shoes (I owned a weird number of flatforms) or makeup (could I pull off seafoam green lipstick? yeah, let s give it a try) that I d ordered. After I moved out, weekly trips to the family home to collect my packages were the norm. I didn't just buy lots of things; I had built an identity out of buying lots of things. My postman would feel neglected if I stopped. Each bulk purchase of clothes was another step towards my dream wardrobe. Every time I bought a new lip colour I was getting closer to a distinct look that was going to transform my face. My order of seven shoes was justified because I needed more nude pumps and black sandals to 'build my basics'. WHEN THINGS STARTED TO SHIFT At some point, amongst the deliveries from missguided, asos, ebay and boohoo, I started to feel fuzzier and fuzzier about my life filled with stuff. Buying new things wasn t working. My personal style that I had tried SO hard to nail, by buying SO many clothes, didn t look the way I wanted it to. I had a cupboard stuffed to the point that I was afraid to open it and see what was inside. My makeup collection was so large that it was taking up half of the bathroom shelving, covered in a layer of dust because I didn t freaking use it. I was trying to create this life that I loved by filling it with more and more things that were supposed to make me feel good. Instead my life was just filled to the brim with sh*t. I was trying to create this life that I loved by filling it with more and more things that were supposed to make me feel good. Instead my life was filled to the brim with sh*t 4

5 ENTER: THE DECLUTTERING BOOK THAT STARTED IT ALL In January 2016, I heard about The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, a book dedicated to clearing out clutter and creating order in your home using the 'Konmari Method'. I LOVE decluttering, was my first thought; and it was kind of true - I decluttered my closet multiple times a year (then replaced everything I got rid of with better, superior things that I would totally use). I could definitely Konmari my life. I was inspired, but skeptical. People got rid of their things, and their whole life changed? Okay. Sure. I just wanted to own a little less and live in a space that I liked. THE FIRST BIG DOWNSIZE Over a few months I got rid of most of what was in my closet. My makeup collection was cut down to the bare necessities (all seafoam green lipsticks were tossed). My abnormally large collection of product manuals went in the bin. I moved back home to save money, and even more stuff was transported to the thrift store in my little blue car. I felt fabulous. HOW LIFE CHANGED As I decluttered, little things all over the place started to shift in the right direction. It was like clearing out my space made room for all of these good things to start happening. My personal style finally started to come out - something that I d struggled with and wanted - I'm not kidding - for years. My youtube channel shifted. I finally made a decision to start making only the videos that I wanted to make. My whole look and feel was overhauled to be more 'me'. I jumped 80K in 6 months. My space started to look the way that I had always wanted my space to look - fresh, open and filled with only items that I loved. The money that went towards clothes, shoes, makeup and home decor was funneled in to my 'home savings'. I saved up for a home deposit of far more than I expected in a short time frame, and bought an apartment. I started to feel more together. Life was finally working. 5

6 THE CHALLENGE In January 2017, I made a youtube challenge that addressed everything that had been missing for me when I decided to downsize. I wanted a challenge that would be life changing - and would eliminate the struggles that I had when I was simplifying. Guidance The simplify your life challenge is a step by step, guided challenge. You won't finish it and feel lost - you'll finish it and feel clarity. When I downsized, I found myself always having missed something. I constantly felt unsure of what to do next. When I thought I'd finished an area - I'd realise that I missed something and had to revisit. Mental decluttering Simplifying is about having focus, having more time on your hands, living a happier life and owning less. Simplifying your space is just the first step towards the real goal - a decluttered mind. This challenge will guide you through a genuine physical and mental shift towards a simplified life. FINAL THOUGHTS I still buy things that I want. Things that make my life easier, things that make my life better. Not as regularly as the old Michelle, but every once in a while. I still have struggles that I m working through and things I wish I did better. But life is clearer. My priorities are defined. I know what I value. I have focus. I don t feel dragged down by what I own. Minimalism is a different journey for everyone. This thirty day challenge is a guiding tool to help you get to where you want to be. If you take it seriously, it could change your life. Life is clearer. My priorities are defined. I know what I value. I have focus. I don t feel dragged down by what I own. 6

7 Minimalism isn t about having less. It s about making more room for what matters. 7

8 w h e r e d o y o u w a n t t o b e? This thirty day challenge ebook could be something that transforms your life. Or, it could be something that you leave sitting on your desk for half a year as clutter builds around it. It s up to you. If you want to make a change, you have to do something. Start with this. Plan how you re going to tackle this challenge. Take every step seriously. Write notes and document your thoughts. When you don t think you ve done enough, set yourself homework. Nothing changes if nothing changes. Nothing changes if nothing changes. 8

9 Sometimes, the only way to figure out what's important is figuring out what isn't. 9

10 y o u r s i m p l i f y c h e c k l i s t Use the thirty day checklist to keep track of your progress as you move through the challenge. Day 1 / Set your intentions for this challenge Day 2 / Declutter your wardrobe Day 3 / Declutter your books Day 4 / Declutter your physical paper Day 5 / Declutter your stationery Day 6 / Declutter your electronics Day 7 / Declutter your digital space Day 8 / Declutter your social media Day 9 / Declutter your kitchen Day 10 / Declutter your makeup Day 11 / Declutter your beauty products Day 12 / Declutter your decor Day 13 / Declutter your linen Day 14 / Declutter your sentimental items Day 15 / Declutter a category of your choice Day 16 / Find a place for everything Day 17 / Figure out what lights you up Day 18 / Decide what you do / don't care about Day 19 / Decide where to put your money Day 20 / Evaluate your commitments Day 21 / Identify negative beliefs Day 22 / Show gratitude Day 23 / Cull your goals Day 24 / Define your personal style Day 25 / Do a brain dump Day 26 / Simplify your to do list Day 27 / Plan a self care day Day 28 / Practice being present Day 29 / Choose two resources on minimalism Day 30 / Review the last 29 days 10

11 h o w t o c o m p l e t e t h e c h a l l e n g e It's up to you how you want to complete this challenge, but here are some suggestions. DAILY If you have free time in your days, use this workbook to complete a challenge every day. Completing a challenge daily will feel amazing, and you'll see results almost instantly. If you reach a challenge that takes a little longer than others, don't feel bad about pushing it out a little bit and spreading the challenge over more than one day. WEEKLY If you're working or studying full time, you might want to complete one or two challenges every week. Staggering the challenge will take longer, but overwhelming yourself will make giving up a whole lot easier. A LITTLE BIT OF THIS, A LITTLE BIT OF THAT Instead of working through the challenge in a linear fashion, why not customise the order to best suit you? Pick a different challenge to do each day based on how you feel, or plan your own custom order ahead of time. 11

12 share your success Document your progress and connect with likeminded humans by using the #thirtydaystosimplify hashtag. #THIRTYDAYSTOSIMPLIFY 12

13 d a y o n e set your intentions Studies have shown that you're two - three times more likely to follow through with your goals if you set up a plan for when, where and how you'll stick to them. Today is about setting you up for success so that you complete this challenge in full, and radically transform because of it. YOUR CHECKLIST Your daily checklist is going to make life a little easier by listing the short, simple steps that you have to do for each challenge. Bonus - you get to tick off everything one by one as you get it done. Ticking stuff off always makes you feel awesome. Here's today's checklist: Set your intentions for this challenge; plan when you'll do what where Do your laundry (the next challenge is a wardrobe declutter!) Celebrate how fabulous you are YOUR STEP BY STEP GUIDE The step by step guide will give you guidance and direction. I recommend going through the guide first, then ticking off your checklist. 1. Set your intentions for this challenge; plan when you'll do what where Why are you doing this challenge? Are you completing this challenge because you're stressed as hell and need to change? Or are you just sick of your cluttered space and ready to move forward? Write down your 'why' to help motivate you along the way. 13

14 Have nothing in your house that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be useful. How do you want to feel when you've completed the challenge? The feeling that I craved when I downsized was to be stress free when I came home because my space was clear, open and freeing. I wanted to know and love everything I owned. What feeling are you craving? What might stop you from completing the challenge? How will you overcome it? For example, you know that when you arrive home from work you're unmotivated - so you'll listen to a motivating podcast on the way home and leave your booklet right in your doorway. When will you set aside time to complete each challenge? e.g. After I've finished my breakfast on a Sunday morning, I'll set aside time to complete a challenge. 14

15 2. Do your laundry - tomorrow is a wardrobe declutter Chuck your dirty clothes in your washing machine and prepare for tomorrow's challenge. You want to be able to go through all of your clothes and simplify. 3. Celebrate yourself When you dwell on your successes, big and small, you release a whole bunch of success-type-happy-vibes vibes in your brain. After a while, your brain starts to dig those success-type-happy-vibes. You can train your brain to crave success-type-happy-vibes by actually celebrating your successes when they come around. I know - it's a wild concept. After completing every daily challenge, there s going to be a final step where you celebrate how fabulous you are. You don t need to throw a party just sit down, maybe pour yourself a beverage (tea, wine, maybe a hot chocolate) and give yourself a little f*** yes, I did it! pat on the back. How to celebrate yourself You can celebrate your wins in all kinds of ways. The important part is giving yourself a huge, mental pat on the back. Here are some other ways you might want to cheer yourself on as you move through the challenge. Fill a bath and drop in a lush bath bomb Treat yourself to some dark chocolate Play an uplifting Spotify playlist. Give yourself ten minutes of doing nothing Take a photo of your 'after' and upload it to Instagram with #thirtydaystosimplify Read a book you've been wanting to read Lie in the sun for 10 minutes Make fun / relaxing plans for the coming weekend Send your partner, friend or family member a nice message Cuddle your dog (or just any dog) Stretch your whoooole body Go for a stroll Watch your favourite youtuber Start a new Netflix show that you've been wanting to watch Watch a Netflix documentary that's been on your mind for a while Pin photos of all of the places in the world that you want to go Watch your favourite childhood movie Go on a picnic with yourself Buy your favourite treat Settle in with a cup of tea and some piano music 15

7 Steps to Declutter your Home

7 Steps to Declutter your Home 7 Steps to Declutter your Home From Simple Lionheart Life Date: 1. What's Your Why? Why do you want to declutter? What is motivating you to make your home clutter-free? (i.e.