What would you do with this space? With this room? If the clutter was gone?
How do you decide what goes into your space?
Where does your inspiration come from?
What would you like to see in your space?
I know these are really tough questions. It can be hard to know what we want for ourselves and if you are overwhelmed with clutter it can feel almost impossible. How can you actually get your space to look like how you might envision it in your head? Having a vision for how you want your space to look is certainly a good place to start.
Some ideas and inspiration that might help:
- What do you want to do in this room? Think about what activities you would like to do here? What is the function for this space?
- How do you want to feel in this room? Feelings like calm, peaceful, relaxed, loved, respected, connected with others, proud…….
- What do you not want in this space? Maybe, you don’t want any clutter in this space or anything that doesn’t relate to the two points above.
- If you are stuck around a design/theme for your room……think about how certain colours make you feel. Do you have a favourite picture that you can use as your inspiration? Perhaps you can pull out a colour and add a splash here and there around the room.
It can be challenging to think about what you want to do in your space and it can be a process. Perhaps, there is a lot of stuff to clear out which can take some time. I just had lunch with a friend yesterday who has been semi-retired now for over a year and she talked about how she is just now thinking about what she can do in her basement. It continues to be a process for her as she slowly works on making this space hers. So, it might not happen quickly but working on small steps will get you to where you want to be.
Looking for more inspiration on how to create the vision that you want for your home and your life. Check out this post!
I hope this inspires you to create the space you want for yourself in your home. If you would like more inspiration and accountability please join Declutter Your Life and Mind Facebook Group
Do you have dreams of what you can do with a specific space in your home? What is stopping you from actualizing your dream?
I’m with you 100% that getting clarity about the “why” is essential to the organizing process. When we clarify where we’re trying to go, it makes the decision-making process much more effective. Even if that decision ends up being that the “thing” doesn’t belong in that room, that’s forward movement. I like the strategies you suggested of using pictures, talking out loud, and letting ideas simmer. Focusing on the possibilities and positive change can also be motivators.
I really appreciate your comment. Thank you so much Linda.
Sometimes I ask, “If you could snap your fingers and be finished with our project, what would it look like?” That gets us quickly in touch with priorities. They often laugh when I ask, but I am actually serious. I want to know what the dream is, because then we can make a plan to achieve it.
That is such a great question Seana – Love it. Thank you
I offer a Solutions Consultation in my area to help people document the goals they want for each room. In our sessions, I ask them the questions you mentioned above to help them tap into what is their goal for the space. Writing these goals for the space down really helps people take their room from drab to efficient. Since not everyone has the energy to do the entire house all in one weekend, they can pace themselves and do one room a week and not forget what needs completing. Thanks for the sharing, Kimberley.
Thank you Sabrina. I really love the idea of actually writing down the goals for the space. Makes it so much more real.
I love the questions you have at the beginning of the post. They are so positive and stated a little differently than I would. They are a little more challenging. Asking questions at the beginning of decluttering set up goals. I think most people go into a declutter project without thinking about what they want in the end.
Thank you so much Janet. I really appreciate your feedback. It’s so nice to hear that my questions were thought provoking.
Great food for thought! I have a spare room and although it’s kept relatively neat, it is the place we put stuff that doesn’t go anywhere else. Maybe if I had a vision for it, it would be easier to stop doing that!
Thanks Janet. I agree that it can really help if you have a vision for the room. It might help to keep the room clutter free especially if the room is being used for the new purpose.