Good Habits are an important key

Habits that help

The key seems to be: Know your vision for each part of your house or apartment. In an ideal world, what would be in each room (and what not!!)? What activities go on there?

If your vision of an office is a place to sit down, pay the bills, do some research on the internet, perhaps write your book, read/sort/ and act on the mail, what is keeping you from doing so?

If your vision of your bedroom is a haven of peace and intimacy, what is coming between you and that dream? What do you need to do and/or get rid of to make this vision reality?

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” Aristotle

De-cluttering isn't only about throwing things away. It is also about developing habits that keep the hard-won beauty in tact. Yes, at first it is all about discipline. Making yourself put the keys in the same container EVERY time you let go of them. Putting the dishes into the dishwasher when finished using them. Putting the dirty clothes into the hamper immediately after taking them off. ETC.!

I'm so giddy with my newfound organization (read: freedom) that I'm tempted to do two shows nightly: "Step right up! Ask the lady of the house where anything is! Anything at all! Keys? No problem! They are always in the same place. The bill for the new rug? Already paid! No object too big, no object too small. She'll have it in her hands in less than one minute flat!"

It will definitely be difficult to change all bad habits at once. Try one habit-tweak at a time. Focus on ONE change for thirty days. This is the boot camp for habit change.

Using a trigger will help you remember your goal. A trigger is a ritual you generally perform anyway but can be used as a link to the new habit. Like walking with the dishes back into the kitchen could be used as a trigger for placing the dishes into the dish washer.

Of course, if your change creates more pain than joy, it is going to be pure drudgery to stick to. You may not find a gym appealing but a lovely, fast-paced walk through the park pleasant. If your goal is to become fitter, this is a great plan. Walk every day at the same time, if possible. After a while, you've conditioned yourself to walk when this time comes around. It will feel odd not to do your walking.

Writing down your commitment creates more clarity by specifically defining what your change should be and what it means to you. Also, you will remember your new habit if you read the promise you wrote down.

Why not try getting a little leverage by betting you can establish your habit with your best friend or partner. Pick out a way to reward yourself after the first 30 days and then another after the first 100 days. Make a public commitment to everyone you know if you have to. It makes you more accountable.

Mentally preparing for surprises is incredibly important. Use the "if-then" formula: If ....... happens, then I'll .......
If I buy something new, then I'll find a home for it. (No, the floor, garage, attic don't count!)
If I buy a new _______, then I'll get rid of something.
Imagine the surprise happening (this is called visualization) and experience yourself going through with your plan.

Wise Words from Oprah

"Over time your sense of self evolves. Hopefully, you grow into a deeper, more thoughtful version of who you are. Your need to please falls away and what is left is the blessed realization that you really don't have anything to prove to anyone.

 At a certain point, you buy the shoes and pocketbook that feel right, instead of the ones that will impress people. You opt for muted tones that flow from one room to the next, you choose the sofa that makes you want to curl up with a good book on a Sunday afternoon, and create a space that makes your friends stop remarking on the exquisite art and start talking the night away. You let go of the cold stone floors that felt wrong from the start, and at long last you come home to floors made of old oak, floors that feel warm beneath your feet and bring peace and joy with every step forward you take."

Those are exactly the steps I'm taking now. 

Stay tuned.…