Creator of the Simplified Planner, Emily Ley is a business owner, mother of three, and lifestyle guru whose award-winning brand, launched in 2008, grew to be carried by over 750 retail outlets worldwide. Featuring organizational tools and stationery focused on introducing joy and simplicity into the lives of women everywhere, the Emily Ley brand and lifestyle blog have amassed an international following. Recently, Emily and her team made the decision to simplify, placing the focus back on the online shop and reducing the number of retail partners from 750 to five. In her newest book, A Simplified Life: Tactical Tools for Intentional Living, Emily shares her tips for simplifying with her readers. Read her advice on getting organized this spring below!
How do you feel when you walk into your home? Energized? Peaceful? Content? Or do you instead feel overwhelmed, tired, and stressed? Our homes have the potential to inspire and comfort us, but they can also drain or unnerve us. Physical clutter is mental clutter.
With spring right around the corner, I challenge you to ruthlessly declutter your home. It sounds like a grand challenge, I know, but little by little, you have the power to transform your home from a place of chaos to a place of rest and rejuvenation.
Begin by tackling the heart of the home: your kitchen. It’s where you spend a majority of your time and can often be the most cluttered place in the house. First, start with one particular space (a drawer or a cabinet). Empty its contents completely and then handle each item. Make a singular decision on each piece: keep, donate, or trash. (Be sure to have garbage bags on hand for the “trash” and “donate” piles.) Remember, you need only one carrot peeler or one ice cream scoop. Once you’ve put the “keepers” back into their place, give the space one more once-over.
Are you left with just your favorites, the best, and the essentials? If not, try again using the same system. Resist the urge to buy fancy organizers, bins, or boxes as you go room by room. You never know what you may find hidden in a guest room closet!
In the end, congratulate yourself on a job well done, appreciate the restful home you’ve created, and enjoy the inspiration to simplify other areas of your life in the same manner. You deserve it!
