Dear FlyLady,

I’ve been fluttering around for a while now but putting off decluttering. My husband and I are struggling financially and seeing things go out the door that I could probably sell is stopping me from even starting. I feel like I don’t have time to do a garage sale or list on eBay etc. because I am homeschooling three school age kids and chasing two more younger ones all day. Plus meals, laundry, etc.

Please help! I KNOW I am missing it here but I am so stuck in my head on this one. I know you can speak to me in language I’ll understand. I am ready to be free and really start flying!

Stuck in the mind-mud FlyBaby in Texas

Dear Mind-Mud FlyBaby,

I struggled with this stinkin’ thinkin’ too. I was raised in a family who kept everything because we might need it one day. That sort of thinking came out of the “Great Depression”. It was how they survived. They taught it to us.

When I decided to “Get Organized” our home was piled high from all the things we had bought at auctions and yard sales. I had been living with a hole inside of me that needed to be filled. I worked very hard at satisfying that need with any bargain. At the time I had no idea the desire I was trying to fulfill was my lack of self-love.

I had no idea what “Get Organized” meant or even where to start on January 1, 1999, when I made two New Year’s resolutions.

1. To “Get Organized”! Whatever that was!
2. To be kind to me!

I did figure out on that fateful day that I was not nice to myself when I had failed to “Get Organized” in the past. That is why I made the second resolution.

When I first thought about Getting organized; my intention was to get lots of Rubbermaid tubs. Then my idea was to have a yard sale when the weather got warmer. I began to realize that I couldn’t organize clutter. I had to get rid of it.

That day figured out why I had never been able to get organized. I tried to do too much at one time. Right then and there I picked one habit to practice for a whole month. It all started with Shining my sink.

The next habit was decluttering every day for 15 minutes. I chose this habit to practice because I was reading a book about Feng Shui and another book by Suze Orman. At first decluttering was hard because I felt guilty about what I had paid for something. Then I beat myself up. That is when resolution #2 kicked in. I stopped my rant at myself immediately. Then I used games to help me declutter. I ran through the house and threw away items as fast as I could. Next I would gather up items to give away. I did this three times a day. The more I decluttered the easier it got.

My husband gave me a great quote to help me release the clutter. “You are prosperous in proportion to what you can do without.” I wanted to be prosperous. I wanted to be organized. I want to feel loved! As each bag of clutter left our home, my wishes began to come true.

The prosperity came in blessings. When I blessed someone with my abundance, the blessing came back to me tenfold. This was a powerful lesson. I was no longer hoarding because I might need it one day! I was sharing my abundance with the world.

Releasing my clutter helped me to find myself. I was hidden under all the clutter.

All we ask is that you shine your sink, get dressed to lace up shoes, and declutter for 15 minutes each day.

FlyLady