Clear the Clutter by Shanna Hatfield

   January.
   A new month. A new year. A new opportunity to start fresh with a clean slate.
   I like to use the dreary, cold days of this month to clear the clutter from my life and get organized for the coming year.
   Although I used to dread sorting through "stuff" and getting rid of things, I've found the more I got rid of unused, unnecessary items, the more room I have for the good things I really want. (This applies to both my home and the overflowing storage bins in my head.)
   A good rule to follow is that if a thing is not beautiful, does not bring you joy, or serve a purpose, get rid of it!
    How many of us have things cluttering up our homes and heads that don’t have a purpose, are no longer beautiful, or do not bring joy? I know I do!
   Do you have things that are broken and not repairable that you keep around? Do you have items that make you frown when you look at them? Things that have less-than-happy memories attached to them? Get rid of them!
   If you're one of those people who becomes easily overwhelmed by the enormity of a project like decluttering your entire life, start small.

   Open a junk drawer and start sorting. You know the one. Take everything out of it, toss what isn't necessary and organize the rest. I'm not saying you need to turn into a neat freak, but the minute (or five) you lose searching here and there through the clutter really adds up over the year. With the spare change you're likely to find as you clean, sort, and organize, you'll most likely find enough to give yourself a much-deserved treat like a trip to the spa (and you'll have time to enjoy it with all those minutes you'll save).

   After you whip that drawer into shape, keep going. Tackle a linen closet or a storage tub. Leave no nook or cranny untouched!

   When you clear out all that extra stuff, it’s like dumping a bunch of unwanted, unneeded baggage that has weighed you down.
    One of the hardest areas (for yours truly) is weeding (or is that wading) through my closet. What to toss? What to keep?

     Modern Eve offers this handy chart on wardrobe editing.
    Host a clothing swap with friends, take what you don't need to a consignment shop, or donate it to your favorite charitable organization.
  Once all that clutter is gone, take a deep breath and look around at all the room you have to welcome new things into your home and life that do bring you joy, have a purpose, or fill your world with beauty!
  You’ll also find without all the clutter, you’ll have more room for the most important things in your life: the relationships!
 

When I get serious about organizing and cleaning, I always think of the first character I created - Callan Matthews. She is the queen of organization (and I really wish I could be more like her when I grow up).
   You can read all about her organized house (although her life is a different matter) for free in Heart of Clay.

  Here's to a clutter-free (or at least reduced) year! (If you can't find me, I'm still working through my closet.)
  

~*~

   Convinced everyone deserves a happy ending, hopeless romantic Shanna Hatfield is out to make it happen, one story at a time. Her sweet historical and contemporary romances combine humor and heart-pumping moments with characters that seem incredibly real.

    When she isn’t writing or indulging in chocolate (dark and decadent, please), Shanna hangs out with her husband, lovingly known as Captain Cavedweller.

    This USA Today bestselling author is a member of Western Writers of America, Women Writing the West, Romance Writers of America, Sweet Romance Reads, Sweet Americana Sweethearts, and Pioneer Hearts.

Find Shanna’s books at:

Amazon | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | Smashwords | Apple

Shanna loves to hear from readers! Follow her online:

ShannaHatfield | Facebook | Pinterest | Goodreads | You Tube | Twitter | Newsletter

~*~

Have you subscribed to our Sweet Romance Reads newsletter yet? 
Don't miss our next issue!
 Look to the right and subscribe today.