How to Declutter and Simplify Your Life

Do you have a messy, overloaded life like me that you want to declutter and simplify? I found five great books that are helping me breathe deeper and clean up more efficiently, and I can’t wait to share them with you today.

Decluttering at the Speed of Life

This ultra-practical book is written in a girlfriend’s friendly, non-judgmental voice. Dana White offers great tips while admitting they may be hard for you to implement, since clutter habits are deeply ingrained. But her kicks-in-the-pants are tempered very well with humor and real-life examples.

Here are just a few of the myriad practical tips Dana offers in this helpful book:

• Look at your house and each room as a container. Fit only what is comfortable in those “containers.”
• Think of a bookshelf as a book container. If it’s overflowing, give some away. (I so need to hear this!)
• Learn to take delight in open spaces and protect them, and you’ll start feeling more peaceful.
• Frugality is a great trait, but it can defeat you if you collect clutter. Only buy what you need and what will fit in your containers. I’ve decided not to go to any more library book sales or garage sales until the clutter is cleaned up.
• Use the visibility rule: declutter the most visible spaces first to gain momentum (such as kitchen counters, tabletops, bathrooms, etc.).
• Re-decluttering is easier than decluttering–you need to develop a daily habit of decluttering rather than waiting for one big, exhausting day to do it all. I’m starting to use this method and enjoying the results already after only one week.

My big downfall is paper. I’m mulling over Dana’s tips so I can tame the paper monster and feel better about myself. My husband is a neat freak, and my messes bother him a lot more than he lets on. I want to make decluttering a priority so our relationship improves, and this book will help me simplify the process.

Looking to clean up your home this summer? You’ll find tons of great ideas in this helpful book!

The BookLook Bloggers Program and Netgalley graciously provided me a review copy.

Year of No Clutter

This witty, funny memoir deals with the painful subject of hoarding in a sensitive way. Eve Schaub had relatives who hoarded, and she had one room that she termed her Hell Room filled with gobs of clutter. Until she toured a deceased couples’ home filled to the brim with stuff, she didn’t realize just how bad her tendency was, and what she needed to do to stop it. She writes about her year to stop gathering clutter and start enjoying life more.

I’m about halfway through this book, and I’m really enjoying Eve’s perspective. Sometimes I watch the Hoarders TV show out of fascination, probably also as a prescription against my tendencies to hold on too hard to the past. This book offers a unique perspective of someone who terms herself a “pre-hoarder.” She probes all the questions about hoarding and emotional drives with kindness toward those who struggle. Every page shares her own self-deprecating humor and wise observations which makes this read extra enjoyable.

Here’s one of my favorite excerpts so far:

It occurred to me that clutter comes in many forms, not all of them tangible, and that clutter of the physical kind can exacerbate clutter of the mind or of the schedule, and vice versa. Just as we are lucky enough to live in a time when people can have more stuff than people have ever had before, we also live in a time when people can do more stuff than people have ever done before.

I appreciate her thoughtful perspectives on this unique time in history when many of us have far more than we need, yet feel like we’re starving inside. Even though this isn’t a Christian book (since most of you read Christian material), you’ll find spiritual truths to ponder in this interesting book, plus learn some ways you can simplify your life.

Netgalley provided me a free review copy of this book.

In Over Your Head

At She Speaks 2017, I was blessed to attend a workshop by Susie Larson. She is a wise, honest mentor with a loving heart toward women who struggle with feelings of overwhelm.

Susie’s helpful book meets women right in the middle of our difficult feelings, many of which we don’t admit out loud, but carry around in our hearts. We feel pressured, dragged down, and overloaded by responsibilities. We want relief, yet we don’t know how to get it. Susie is sensitive toward those needs and offers down-to-earth advice for how to fix it.

Our physical and spiritual needs

The first half of her book deals with physical needs. She shares her own stories and struggles with health and weight problems as a young mom. I enjoy reading health magazines and learning healthy tips. I was pleasantly surprised with the many healthy tips she offered from a wise perspective. Her tips are encouraging and science-based, and they match with common sense. It’s hard to start healthier habits, but Susie tells us how and why we should keep pressing on.

Her book’s second half is about our spiritual needs. She masterfully complements the physical needs with the spiritual needs and sometimes matches them up. For example, in one chapter she talks about what we’re seeking in eating for comfort, and how food can’t meet those needs. In the second half of the book, she describes in detail how Jesus meets all those cravings, one by one. I appreciate how she wove spiritual and practical elements together in this book.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed and you want advice from someone who’s thrived despite the challenges, I can’t think of a better book to recommend to you today.

Thanks to Netgalley for a free preview copy of this book.

Spread Too Thin

“Spread too thin” is a phrase that aptly describes the past few months for me. I’ve been juggling a book manuscript, blogging, and writing freelance articles, not to mention being at home in the summer with my children. It seems like no matter what I do, I can’t keep up.

This unique devotional by Ellen Miller is written for busy working women like me. She once had a big-time corporate position, and she was definitely spread thinner than I am today! As she began working from home, she contemplated God’s design for rest, then collected her thoughts here.

It’s a 90 day journey to reclaim godly priorities and let go of those that aren’t as important. She shows us how to eliminate distractions and simplify our schedules, while still maintaining a full plate of responsibilities.

The book is divided into these four sections:

• Heart Conditioning
• Mind Games You Can Win
• Strength Training for the Long Run
• Soul-Searching for the Abundant Life

Each devotion is just the right length for busy women like myself. She includes fitting anecdotes from her busy life to which I can relate.

Favorite quotes:

• Are you overwhelmed by living in a state of exhaustion, or are you overwhelmed by the grace and glory of God?
• [Our] anxiousness is the tinder for a fire that will not light us up, but will, over time, burn us out.
• Through prayer, I found God’s grace and forgiveness and the filling of the Holy Spirit to replace my professional self-doubt with assurance in his timing and will.
• I can’t remember the last time I got down on my knees to humbly thank God for the talents he has blessed me with.
• If we continually live and operate in a state of half-empty, our hearts will never find that place of overflowing fullness.

Are you a working woman who wants to reorder your priorities? You’ll enjoy the godly advice in Spread Too Thin.

Tyndale Publishers and Netgalley generously provided a free review copy of this book.

Holy Hustle

Crystal Stine and I have a LOT in common, so it seems. She’s a wife, mom, Christian, freelance writer, introvert and online entrepreneur, just like me! Also, we are both hardworking women who don’t want to feel guilty about our drive to produce, yet we want to follow Jesus in our callings.

I love her inspiring, gentle, and encouraging voice in Holy Hustle, which affirms the way God made us like Ruth in the Old Testament. Crystal says that our hustle can be holy if we handle it with prayer and intention. She offers lots of thoughtful ideas on how to get there.

Even though I’m familiar with Ruth’s story, I hadn’t seen it through the unique lens of working hard until Crystal defined it that way. It helps me feel happier about all the tasks God has given me to complete. She also offers tips on how to simplify and streamline your work, so you can prioritize rest and recreation.

She also tells us how our holy hustle can bless others, because we can use our drive for uber-productivity to glorify God. Her words are positive and helpful, giving me hope that I can adopt a different attitude toward my work.

Favorite quotes:

• God has given us all beautiful abilities and distinct personalities that can be used to honor others and, in return, receive the kind of blessings that last far longer than our careers.
• Choose to harvest the blessings of holy hustle by putting aside what you think is best and lean into the blessings you never knew you needed.
• When you trust that the God who built every aspect of your personality has plans for it that are good…you can…rest in that healthy space where you live fully in the abundant blessings of being His daughter.

Do you need affirmation as a hardworking woman? Holy Hustle is the book for you!

Netgalley generously provided a free review copy of this book.

Disclosure: By clicking on the links above to purchase a book, I receive a small affiliate bonus at NO additional cost to you. Thank you in advance for helping me offset the costs of my writing ministry!

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