When you get rid of the “stuff” that doesn’t matter in your life, you begin to recognize the things that do matter.  You become less distracted, more present and your relationships become stronger.  Try these 6 ways to declutter your life and create calm and peace in 2018.

Reclaim your mornings.  Start a morning routine that allows you to take care of yourself before you take care of everyone else.  Start by writing down what you are grateful for or just what’s on your mind.  Sit quietly and meditate.  Focus on your breath or use a meditation app such as Headspace.  Drink your tea or coffee slowly.  Really taste and enjoy it.  Read a book instead of checking email or the internet.  A couple of my book suggestions are The Joy Diet, by Martha Beck and Judgement Detox by Gabrielle Bernstein.  

The point is to choose activities that nourish your body and brain, your heart and your soul and to create a routine that works for you.

Rethink your to-do list.  Stop putting off doing what you love because of a never-ending to-do list.  Take a good look at your to-do list and decide what can wait, what you can delegated and what probably will never happen.   Edit your list, leaving only the things that really need to happen or really will happen.

Declutter some space.  You don’t have to declutter your entire home to create a sense of peace.  Create a sanctuary for yourself by decluttering one small space.  You can start with your kitchen counter or your nightstand.  Creating a sanctuary in your home is just the beginning because it will inspire you to declutter more of your space.  The state of the space you live in is a reflection of how calm or crazy your life is.  Sometimes when the books and papers start to pile up, it is because of what is piling up in other parts of your life.  Your home should be a respite and the place you come to for peace.

Make some time to sit quietly each day for five minutes.   Prioritize what matters most today, how you want to spend your time today, and what you need to do to take care of yourself and the people you love today?

Calculate your debt.  Getting out of debt is not always a little change, but every big change is the result of hundreds of little changes.  Create a clear picture of your finances but don’t use that information to feel guilty or worried…instead use it to help you decide what to do next.  Being debt free allows you the freedom to make decisions in your life that aren’t based on money.  A good website to use for help is the Debt Snowball Calculator.

Show up for the people you love.  Strengthening your relationships is the easiest thing you can do to make a difference in you life.  If you know you’ve truly looked into the eyes of the people you love and listened to their words, you will feel like you’ve done the most you could do for them. 

Please let me know how you feel about this post!  Every now and then, I write like this mostly for myself but also hoping that it serves you as well.  Thanks so much for reading today!