Today I will diving in deep with mental health tips for men. If you’re a man, or you know a man, perhaps your brother, friend, son or uncle, who you know needs support, please encourage them to talk to someone they can trust. Whether that…
The right quote at the right time can transform your life. Not all quotes are powerful. But every once in a while, you come across a quote that stands out from the rest. These powerful quotes inspire you to take a step back and to…
Today I will be talking through The Difference Between Fixed Mindset and Growth Mindset.
We’re always striving for growth. Whether it’s a bigger house, a bigger bank account, or bigger muscles, more is usually considered merrier. However, with this constant quest for self-improvement and a bigger bottom line, one important factor can get lost in the shuffle: mindset. You may be gaining knowledge, but are you truly growing?
We’ve discussed mindset a lot in recent blogs, and with good reason. It is fundamental to everything we are trying to achieve – both as professionals and as human beings.
This is especially true when it feels like everything is in flux; from strategy to skill requirements to working arrangements.
How do you continue to thrive when it’s impossible to predict what tomorrow will look like? By adopting a growth mindset.
Being fixed in your ways and resistant to change will get you nowhere. Adopting a growth mindset, on the other hand, opens up a world of possibilities.
So, to help make this year one of growth and continue our focus, we’ll compare fixed mindsets and growth mindsets, before analysing how to apply a growth mindset to your professional life or just life in general.
Let’s get growing!
According to researcher Carol Dweck, there are two types of mindsets: a fixed mindset and a growth mindset.
In a fixed mindset, people believe their qualities are fixed traits and therefore cannot change. These people document their intelligence and talents rather than working to develop and improve them. They also believe that talent alone leads to success, and effort is not required.
In a growth mindset, people have an underlying belief that their learning and intelligence can grow with time and experience. When people believe they can become smarter, they realise that their effort has an effect on their success, so they put in extra time, leading to higher achievement.
People with a fixed mindset always want to appear intelligent because they believe that they were born with a fixed level of intelligence that cannot be modified. These people have a fear of looking dumb to people because they do not believe that they can redeem themselves once other people look at them as being non-intelligent.
In a growth mindset, however people believe their abilities and intelligence can be developed with effort, learning, and persistence. Their basic abilities are simply a starting point for their potential. They don’t believe everyone is the same, but they hold onto the idea that everyone can become smarter if they try.
A fixed mindset assumes that our character, intelligence, and creative ability are static given which we can’t change in any meaningful way, and success is the affirmation of that inherent intelligence, an assessment of how those givens measure up against an equally fixed standard; striving for success and avoiding failure at all costs become a way of maintaining the sense of being smart or skilled.
A growth mindset on the other hand, thrives on challenge and sees failure not as evidence of non-intelligence but as a heartening springboard for growth and for stretching our existing abilities. Out of these two mindsets, which we manifest from a very early age, springs a great deal of our behaviour, our relationship with success and failure in both professional and personal contexts, and ultimately our capacity for happiness.
You can watch a great TED talk with Carol Dweck on growth mindset here.
Before we explore ways to foster a growth mindset, it’s crucial to be able to spot your own fixed mindset triggers. Though the outcome will always be similar – lack of motivation, resilience, and personal growth – there are several mindset triggers people tend to react to.
It’s unlikely all of these will apply to you, but it would be surprising if none of them did. If you can’t pinpoint one of these triggers as affecting you, you may actually have a false growth mindset?
Most people like to say they’re hard workers. But in reality, there is something society seems to value more: being “gifted” or “naturally talented.”
Did you ever feel proud when you did well on an exam without working too hard? If hard work is one of your mindset triggers, you may get overwhelmed by tasks that require a long, sustained effort – and you will be more likely to give up.
Another sign that hard work may be a mindset trigger for you is if you tend to compare yourself to others, and you feel discouraged when it seems like it requires less effort from them to achieve the same goals.
Note that if having to work hard is of your mindset triggers, it doesn’t mean that you’re lazy. It just means you have a self-limiting belief – that you think that no matter how much work you put in, some people are just more talented than you are.
Life happens. We get sick, we can lose a job, not sign an important contract, there can be an oversight, a mistake, an accident.
A challenge is intrinsic to what you’re trying to achieve. A setback is extrinsic. Let’s say you decide to go on a diet, but on the very first day, a colleague celebrates their birthday at work and you feel like you have to accept a piece of their birthday cake. With a growth mindset, this wouldn’t be a big deal – you’d just get back on track and forget about it. But if setbacks are a mindset trigger for you, you may stop the diet altogether because you feel like you have failed already.
Let’s look at another example: you promised yourself to go for a run twice a week. But it’s been raining all week – what a bummer. Running won’t be as nice with this kind of weather. So, you don’t go for a run. You basically let something like the weather derail your plans. In your mind, a setback is not a setback, it’s a roadblock.
We don’t all handle critique the same way. Ok, let’s look at professional athletes. They get a ton of feedback from their coach. And sometimes, that feedback can be pretty harsh. But they listen, they learn, they apply the feedback and suggestions. The problem is that some of us struggle to separate our performance from our identity. If we didn’t do well, we think we’re not good enough. Think about how you react to critique – is it one of your mindset triggers?
Being out of your comfort zone is one of the best signs you are learning and growing. Think about it – unless you’re getting stretched, chances are you’re simply repeating stuff you already know.
Some people are not comfortable being on the edge of their competence. If your mindset trigger is being challenged, it means that when you try to work on something and the solution you try doesn’t work, you believe the goal itself is too hard – and you may quit altogether.
This is one people have a hard time admitting to. It has happened to me before. I would look at someone who was either more senior or had more experience, and I would compare myself to them.
It’s not a pretty emotion – I was basically feeling jealous. What my brain didn’t seem to really get, though, is that these people had been working at it for longer than me, and that there was no reason I wouldn’t get to a similar lever if I put in the effort too.
It can be intimidating to hang out with people who are more advanced than you in their journey – which is why it’s a mindset trigger for many of us.
You may be facing more subtle mindset triggers – for example, some people have specific mindset triggers when it comes to their siblings or their best friend.
But it’s very unlikely you don’t have any mindset triggers. So, take the time to explore your thoughts and your emotions so you can become aware of them.
As Carol Dweck said, there are two ways to look at the world: “In one world, effort is a bad thing. It, like failure, means you’re not smart or talented. If you were, you wouldn’t need effort. In the other world, effort is what makes you smart or talented.”
When you have a growth mindset, the hand you are dealt is just a starting point for personal growth. By changing your vision of effort and failure, you can design a whole new approach to your life.
Convinced? Here are fifteen strategies you can use to develop a growth mindset.
here is lots of research showing your brain’s structure is not fixed. Your mind should not be fixed either.
It’s all about the learning process. Don’t worry too much about the actual result, make sure you learn as much as possible.
Ignoring your weaknesses means that you’ll never manage to improve. Acknowledging and embracing your imperfections also means you know which ones you want to work on.
According to Carol Dweck’s research, people with a growth mindset have a greater sense of purpose. Keep asking “why” and think about the meaning of your work.
Shift your vision of failure. If you fall short of a goal or make a mistake, don’t see it as a failure – make it a learning opportunity.
Stop chasing the reputation of someone who is “naturally smart.” First, genius requires work. Second, you won’t be perceived as smart if you’re not willing to put the work in.
Challenges are an opportunity for self-improvement. Tackle them, and whether you succeed or fail, make sure to learn as much as possible.
It takes time to learn. Learning fast doesn’t mean learning well, and learning well requires allowing time for mistakes. Think realistically about time and effort it will require to acquire a new skill. Don’t expect to master everything in one sitting.
When you prioritise approval over learning, you sacrifice your own potential for growth.
Related – don’t wait for constructive criticism. Analyse all criticism. Do not let it destroy you, see it as a useful data point.
Give yourself a pat on the back when you did something smart—not just when you were being smart and relying on your previous knowledge.
If you have a growth mindset, you may want to share and celebrate your progress with others. Learn from other people’s mistakes, take risks with them. Don’t try to look your best, show how hard you’re willing to work and how comfortable you are with experimenting.
Either once a day, once a week, or once a month, use journaling and metacognition techniques to reflect on your personal growth trajectory.
Grit and determination will help you overcome challenges. Remind yourself of all the times you managed to deal with a particularly tough situation. You can do it again.
Carol Dweck says adding “not yet” to any fixed mindset statement is a great way to reframe your thought processes. When you’re struggling, just remind yourself that you haven’t mastered that skill…Yet.
There are probably more growth mindset techniques out there, but I think these will help you get the gist of it. Now, let’s have a look at the questions you can ask yourself to develop a growth mindset on a day-to-day basis.
If you have a growth mindset, you’re much more likely to be successful. Why? Because you have the drive, willingness, and overall foundation of belief to aim for bigger, better things.
If you have a fixed mindset, you’ll find yourself becoming stagnant, without the motivation to achieve anything greater than what you already have.
To quote Carol Dweck:
“For twenty years, my research has shown that the view you adopt for yourself profoundly affects the way you lead your life. It can determine whether you become the person you want to be and whether you accomplish the things you value.”
A fixed mindset will lead you to avoid challenges because they can make you feel inferior. On the flip side, if you have a growth mindset you thrive on challenges. You’ll learn to stretch yourself, seek improvement, and grow personally.
If you have a fixed mindset, you’ll also be tempted to let one setback define you forever. A bad grade, a failure at work, a break up – you’ll feel like all these are definitive in your life.
However, if you have a growth mindset, you’ll take those setbacks and turn them into successes, learning from failure and bouncing back better than ever.
Have you ever had someone say to you, “It’s all about perspective”? That’s what mindset is – the way you look at yourself, the people in your life, and the world around you.
If you have a growth mindset, you understand that the harder you work, the more drive you have, and the more optimism you use when facing the world, the more successful you’ll be.
Take a minute to consider yourself and your perception? Are you a fixed mindset person or do you have more of a growth mindset perspective?
Fortunately, you can change your mindset at any time you wish.
Just as someone can grow and develop their intellect, a person is also capable of changing brain functions and their thinking patterns.
Neuroscience shows us that the brain continues to develop and change, even as adults. The brain is similar to plastic in that it can be remoulded over time, as new neural pathways form. This has led scientists to identify the tendency of the brain to change through growth and reorganisation as “neuroplasticity”.
Studies have shown the brain can grow new connections, strengthen existing ones, and improve the speed of pulse transmission. These suggest that a person with a fixed mindset can slowly develop a growth mindset.
According to Dr. Carol Dweck, you can change your mindset from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset. This is also supported by neuroscience studies demonstrating the malleability of self-attributes such as intelligence.
Researchers have found that it is possible to promote a growth mindset by teaching students about neuroscience evidence showing the brain is malleable and improves through effort.
There are several ways to develop a growth mindset:
One of the most direct methods of fostering a growth mindset is by understanding our brains are built to grow and learn. By challenging yourself with new experiences, you can form or strengthen neural connections to “rewire” your brain which, in turn, can make you smarter.
Many people have a negative inner voice that acts against a growth mindset. Try to flip thoughts such as ‘I can’t do this’, to ‘I can do this if I keep practicing’ to nurture a growth mindset.
Although society often rewards those who achieve excellent outcomes, this can work against a growth mindset. Instead, reward the process and the effort exerted. One study by Dr. Carol Dweck showed that rewarding effort over results on a maths game improved performance.
Try and seek feedback on your work. When students are provided with progressive feedback about what they did well and where they can improve, it creates motivation to keep going. Feedback is also associated with a pleasurable dopamine response and enhances a growth mindset.
Being brave enough to leave your comfort zone can help foster a growth mindset. When faced with a challenge, try to choose the harder option that will allow you to grow.
Failure, setbacks, and initial confusion are all part of the learning process! When trying something new, see occasional “failures” as positive learning opportunities – try to enjoy the discovery process along the way.
The growth mindset is the belief that intelligence and ability can be nurtured through learning and effort. Growth-minded people see setbacks as a necessary part of the learning process and bounce back from “failure” by increasing effort.
This mindset has positive effects on motivation and academic performance in students or in professionals.
The limited evidence from neuroscience suggests the brains of people with a growth mindset are more active than those with a fixed mindset–particularly in areas associated with error-correction and learning.
I would love to hear your thoughts below on what you are doing to change your life in the coming days and years!
If you have any questions please reach out to me via adam@adam-lawrence.org. I would love to hear from you!
I really hope you found inspiration in this article.
Hello! My name is Adam and welcome to my space on the internet. Here you can find me writing about subjects such as spiritual growth, self-discovery, wellbeing, addiction recovery and mental health. Please connect with me on my journey and join the community!
The right quote at the right time can transform your life. Not all quotes are powerful. But every once in a while, you come across a quote that stands out from the rest. These powerful quotes inspire you to take a step back and to…
Habits have the enormous power to make or break us in life. Whether our days are primarily made up of good habits or bad ones, the evidence will show itself in our health, happiness and productivity. Clearly negative habits are much easier to adopt than…
When I was younger, in my teens, early 20s, and even through to my 30’s – I was trapped. Not physically, but mentally: by the destructive thought pattern called pessimism.
This negative thinking poisoned what might have been a pretty good and opportunity-filled childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood.
This pessimism created ceilings and walls where there really were none.
Throughout the period when I was ridden by pessimism, my life and I mostly stood still. Looking back, it was a terrible waste.
If you are in pessimistic place, you don’t have to stay there for the rest of your life. I didn’t, for I learned to replace my negative thinking with optimism.
Are you more of an optimist or a pessimist? What do these words mean to you?
If you’re uncertain, perhaps the question should be more specific: what do you think about your life? How do you see your future? Is it more pain and misery or rainbows and butterflies?
The modern world makes it truly difficult to be naturally positive. From our busy, fast-paced lives, to all the negativity, scarcity, violence, and fear that we’re constantly bombarded with on TV and online, it would be cynical to say it’s easy to be happy nowadays.
The COVID-19 crisis has brought even more troubles to our plates, with all the uncertainty about the future and the economic crisis we’re facing.
In such circumstances, slipping into a negative state of mind can happen without even noticing. You just wake up one day thinking: when did it all go downhill?
A negative attitude is a sure way towards achieving total life dissatisfaction and pushing people away from yourself.
If you’ve had a few bad experiences when you’ve tried to change or influence the world around you, then it’s likely that only resulted in further disappointment.
However, there’s always one thing you can do, and it is no small matter but something achievable if you really want to do it—change yourself. How?
By achieving a positive mindset.
It may sound like a cliché, but the benefits of a positive mindset are real and demonstrated by multiple scientific studies.
A positive mindset is a game-changer, as it will further elevate and improve your attitude and behaviour, and make you a happier person in the process.
This article is all about showing you what, how, and why of achieving a positive mindset and attitude in life.
I will explore 10 positivity habits that have helped me to go from someone who was pessimistic most of the time, to someone who is now optimistic almost all the time.
I recommend to not try to add all the habits at one go, but to try a few for a while before adding more. This way you will have time to adapt to them.
So, let’s get started.
How you start the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. Have you ever woken up late, panicked, and then felt like nothing good happened the rest of the day?
This is likely because you started out the day with a negative emotion and a pessimistic view that carried into every other event you experienced.
Instead of letting this dominate you, start your day with positive affirmations. Talk to yourself in the mirror, even if you feel silly, with statements like, “Today will be a good day” or “I’m going to be awesome today.” You’ll be amazed how much your day improves.
One of the quickest ways to shift your focus away from negativity, judgment, and disappointment is to list the things in your life for which you are grateful.
Be grateful to be gainfully employed, to sleep in a bed each night, for the sun that comes up each morning, for the waiter who greets you with a smile, for the people that love and care for you, and for a body that lets you experience life each day.
Practicing gratefulness can cause almost an immediate shift in your perspective. Keeping a daily gratitude journal, even digitally, can help remind you to keep life’s blessings at the forefront of your mind.
Another strategy is to have a gratitude partner—someone who can support you in your journey to positive thinking. Each day, text, email or tell each other three things for which you are grateful. Think of this person as your accountability partner for your path to healthy thinking.
I’m talking about the present—not today, not this hour, only this exact moment. You might be getting chewed out by your boss, but what in this exact moment is happening that’s so bad?
Forget the comment he made five minutes ago. Forget what he might say five minutes from now. Focus on this one, individual moment.
In most situations, you’ll find it’s not as bad as you imagine it to be. Most sources of negativity stem from a memory of a recent event or the exaggerated imagination of a potential future event.
Stay in the present moment, and watch your life transform.
Books are an invaluable resource at your disposal. They teach, encourage, ridicule, and even lift your spirits.
One of the things you need to do if you want to create and foster a positive mindset is crack open a book and read it.
There are countless books out there, available either in soft or hard copies. There are advantages and disadvantages to reading either a soft or hard copy, but at the end of the day, you get to read a book.
When looking for a book to read, look for ones that will lift your positivity, and leave you feeling better.
There are inspirational books that are solely tailored to give you a positive mindset. If you are unsure about such books, you can ask for help from the bookstore you decide to get your books from.
You can also ask for guidance from your circle of friends regarding any books that would give you a positive mindset.
If you read a book and find it helpful, don’t feel shy to recommend it to your friends, or someone you think might need it.
There is a never-ending list of self-development books out there to learn from.
The following books I cannot recommend enough:
Writing down your goals is a great habit to have when you want to live a more positive life. It means you have a clear vision of what you want and how you want to get there.
Writing down your goals will program your brain to help you find the positive steps you can take to achieve them.
It will alert your brain to notice things and events that are related to your goal. You will automatically be more aware of certain events, opportunities and people who can be helpful.
You’ll also be clearer about what you want, and this will sneak into your conversation and your general attitude, where others can pick up on it.
There are no dead ends, only re-directions. Although we might try, there are very few things in life that we have complete control over.
We should not let uncontrollable occurrences from the outside turn our inner to mush. What we can control is the effort that we put in and when we give our full effort, there is no reason for regret.
Have fun with challenges, embrace them as adventures instead of attempting to resist an experience for growth. “Sometimes you win and sometimes you learn.” – Robert Kiyosaki
Negative self-talk can creep up easily and is often hard to notice. You might think I’m so bad at this or I shouldn’t have tried that.
But these thoughts turn into internalised feelings and might cement your conceptions of yourself. When you catch yourself doing this, stop and replace those negative messages with positive ones.
For example, “I’m so bad at this becomes Once I get more practice, I’ll be way better at this. I shouldn’t have tried becomes That didn’t work out as planned – maybe next time”.
As creatures of comfort, we often refuse to abandon our comfort zone, lacking the motivation, especially after having experienced the outcomes of our weaknesses.
When we do not feel the urge to strive for better, the figure of role models could help us to score big in the game of positive thinking.
Through those that we admire (not envy), we can be driven for better in the path for self-improvement.
Positive people find their role models among those people they love. Focus on those traces from each role model that you would also like to get in order to become your best you.
What do you do when you wake up? Groan about how tired you are? Check your phone for work emails or scroll through an endless feed of Instagram posts? Do those choices make you happy? Or are they more reactionary at this point?
A naturally positive person doesn’t wake up and engage in activities that are stressful or sucks the joy out of them.
They have a morning routine that energises them; one that puts them in the right mindset for positivity.
That could be making a hot pot of coffee and enjoying the fresh air outside on their patio. Maybe that looks like going for a morning walk. Perhaps they even journal their thoughts and write down what they’re grateful for.
The key takeaway here is this: you can’t become a positive person if the very first moments of your day take away from your happiness.
Who do you think about most of the time? If we answered honestly, most of us would say themselves.
It’s good to hold ourselves accountable, take responsibility for our life roles, hygiene, food, etc. but set a goal for each day to make someone else smile.
Think about someone else’s happiness and it will help us to realize our immense impact that our attitude and expression has on the people around us.
Sometimes the task of changing out mindset can be difficult. We think that we have to control every single thought, however, that is not the case.
All you need to do is start making small changes in our daily life and eventually those changes will snowball into something bigger and better in the coming days, months and even years.
All you have to do is start. Start making the effort. Start trying to change.
If you make one small change and do it successfully, you are more likely to make more successful, bigger changes in the future.
So, the only thing that you need to do is start.
I hope you all got as much out of this article as I did when I wrote it.
I would love to hear your thoughts below on what you are doing to change your life in the coming days and years!
If you have any questions please reach out to me via adam@adam-lawrence.org. I would love to hear from you!
I really hope you found inspiration in this article.
Hello! My name is Adam and welcome to my space on the internet. Here you can find me writing about subjects such as spiritual growth, self-discovery, wellbeing, addiction recovery and mental health. Please connect with me on my journey and join the community!
The right quote at the right time can transform your life. Not all quotes are powerful. But every once in a while, you come across a quote that stands out from the rest. These powerful quotes inspire you to take a step back and to…
Are you looking for simple work from home tips and advice? Do you need to get more done, but most of the time you struggle to get through the day? We all know working from home can be both a blessing and a curse. Gone…
Today I will be talking you through decluttering tips and tricks.
Is your diary typically rammed with appointments? Does your smartphone ping every few minutes with app notifications? Are your cupboards overflowing with stuff?
Modern life is very busy and hectic, but as the world slows down as a result of COVID-19, now is the ideal opportunity to take stock of what really matters.
Most of us are guilty of owning too many unnecessary belongings. As our homes creak under the weight of more inessential objects, clothes and clutter, it’s easy to see how the bustle of modern living has creeped into our home life.
What many of us don’t realise is too much chaos and clutter can take a toll on both your physical and mental health. In fact, studies have found a link between people who live with clutter and higher levels of stress. Those who live with clutter are at greater risk of suffering depression.
If you want to improve your quality of life, have more energy and worry less, then the best way to start is by decluttering. And there’s never been a better time than right this moment!
If you’re overwhelmed by the clutter and/or constantly looking after your stuff (picking it up, moving and cleaning it) then your home is probably feeling more of a burden than a joy.
There are so many benefits to decluttering your home. Clearing you clutter will lighten your heart and mind and create more time and space for you to do other things.
Decluttering your home is just the first step to being able to simplify your life!
Here are just a few of the benefits you could start to enjoy:
Decluttering your home not only makes it easier to organise your possessions, the space feels calmer and more of a sanctuary, plus it is easier to clean. You also save time and money by knowing exactly what you own and where to find it. Once clutter is cleared, it leaves room for creativity so you could feel motivated to start new projects and achieve goals.
If you’re struggling and need guidance on how to declutter, you’ll need to get creative with your plans. Here are several interesting decluttering tips and tricks to get you started on decluttering your home:
Decluttering is often associated with minimalism – owning as few things as possible. While minimalism can be a great lifestyle choice, others enjoy owning more items and derive pleasure and joy from their possessions.
Before you start decluttering your house, decide what you want the end product to look like, so you don’t get rid of too much or too little.
Don’t try to declutter your whole home in a week – you’ll exhaust and overwhelm yourself. Declutter in bite-size chunks of between 30 minutes and a couple of hours.
Divide a room into quadrants or focus on contained spaces such as a drawer, cupboard or shelf. Arm yourself with paper and a pen to make notes of ‘actions’ and designate rubbish, recycling and donation bags.
Lofts, basements and garages are prime locations to stash something quickly to avoid dealing with it. If you’re serious about having a clear out, start with these areas first and then you’ll have enough space to store things that you actually need.
Decluttering is a big job, and setting out to tackle your entire house can leave you feeling overwhelmed, frustrated, or confused about where to start. Instead, break your goal into smaller goals that will help you achieve a sense of accomplishment along the way.
A great way to tackle the decluttering process is by making a list of your rooms and the order you want to work on them (for instance, your closet, your medicine cabinet, or your basement).
You can also list items by group and sort through them based on their grouping (for instance, your books, clothes, or knick-knacks).
Choose the first room or group of items you want to declutter and start small (think a shelf or a drawer).
Remember that memories aren’t in ‘things‘, they are inside us instead. Of course, it is important to keep possessions which remind you of a loved one or a particular experience, but you don’t need 50 of such things?
Taking a photo can help you hold on to the special memories or meanings attached to objects without taking up much space at all – you’d be surprised at how much satisfaction you can get from a two-dimensional reproduction.
Before you start going through your things, set up a system where you have a clear place for items that you’re going to give away to a second-hand store and a rubbish bag for items you’re going to throw away.
Using this method allows you to organize as you go. It’s also a good idea to set up bins for current projects you’re working on, or for items you need to return to someone else.
You may find yourself looking at a lightly-used piece of furniture and thinking about how much you paid for it.
The price you paid for the item is a “sunk cost”- you’ve already paid the price for it, and keeping it around (or paying to repair it if it’s showing wear) won’t necessarily add more value to your life.
When deciding whether to keep something or get rid of it, release yourself from thinking about previous costs and encourage yourself to think only about the present and future – consider if keeping the item will positively impact your life.
If it doesn’t, it’s time to let it go, whether you want to sell it or donate it.
If you discover that you own multiples of the same item – for example, four different can openers- ask yourself if you need all of these items.
Did you buy a second one because you couldn’t find the first one?
If so, resolve to keep one in a convenient place and donate or sell the rest.
Flat open surfaces like coffee tables, countertops, home office desks, nightstands, laundry room counters, and even the tops of kitchen cabinets can be magnets for junk piling up – it’s easy to use them as storage spaces for everything from keys to rubbish to coins to old appliances.
If you’re noticing a lot of clutter on your flat surfaces, think of a way to organize your habits – for instance, placing a small, attractive “junk box” on your kitchen counter where you can throw your keys, wallet, and other smaller items when you come into the house.
If you spend a ton of time meticulously reorganizing and decluttering your home only to store everything in unsightly cardboard boxes or shoe boxes, you may end up feeling like your house doesn’t look any neater.
When you start a decluttering project, get creative about your space and think of storage solutions to organise the items you’ll have left.
Are there more attractive storage bins you can use for your items? Can you add shower rods or a clothes rack and hangers near the entryway to hang coats?
Can you add a bookshelf or cubby set up for shoes, kitchen items, books, or papers? Install DIY shelving on the wall to keep things from piling up on the counter? Add hooks to your closet wall to store items like purses and jewellery.
If you notice a “problem area” where more clutter than average accumulates, think of ways to avoid that build-up in the future.
Do you have a bad habit of letting junk mail pile up on the coffee table or kitchen counter? Set up a recycling bin right next to where you look at your mail, so you’ll naturally toss the junk before it has a chance to pile up.
Clutter will start to accumulate, even for vigilant homeowners who are consistently tidying up.
Rather than letting the clutter frustrate you, accept that it’s normal – and commit to occasional “mini-declutterings” and clean-ups (whether that’s once a month or once a year) to keep a mess-free home.
Take a good look at the furniture in your home. Does it fit properly or would you be better off with more space?
It’s easy to acquire excess furniture and then procrastinate over the decision to let it go. The British Heart Foundation offer a free collection service for your unwanted furniture.
Sometimes the task of tackling decluttering on your own can feel overwhelming. Get family and friends involved to make it more enjoyable or enlist the help of a professional – they have the experience and ideas to help you make the most out of the space you have, the expertise to advise you on what to do with unwanted possessions and they can teach you to maintain the changes for good.
You can find an accredited professional in your area through APDO (Association of Professional Declutterers & Organisers).
So, what do you think? Are you ready to give your home the decluttering it deserves? Trust me when I say this will change your life! Less belongings mean less things to clean, organize, and put away all of the time.
I don’t know about you, but that is a huge win in my book! There’s so much less stress in a clutter free home.
Keeping a small home decluttered is absolutely essential. Clutter adds up so quickly! And by keeping your home decluttered is how you keep your home looking nice and sanity intact.
I would love to hear your thoughts on what you are doing to change your life in the coming days and years!
If you have any questions please reach out to me via adam@adam-lawrence.org. I would love to hear from you!
I really hope you found inspiration in this article.
Hello! My name is Adam and welcome to my space on the internet. Here you can find me writing about subjects such as spiritual growth, self-discovery, wellbeing, addiction recovery and mental health. Please connect with me on my journey and join the community!
The right quote at the right time can transform your life. Not all quotes are powerful. But every once in a while, you come across a quote that stands out from the rest. These powerful quotes inspire you to take a step back and to…