The first Friday in April 2017 is upon us! Today we’re going to take some time and think about clutter. You know, that messy pile of receipts here and the mountain of laundry there. For many women, the most clutter-filled place in our lives is our purses and handbags! It’s like life itself crawled in and is trying to lay roots of forever existence in what should be organized, helpful, and handy accessory pieces. Instead, they become death traps to finding our keys, locating our wallets, and rescuing our lip glosses from the deep crevices they’ve fallen into! If you’re smiling at my words, you know what I’m talking about. So, why then do we tend to lean more towards clutter than we do towards a de-cluttered lifestyle? Let’s dig into a bit, so grab a cup of your favorite tea and bring an open mind as we consider some things.

Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:21 our hearts will live in the spaces where we place the most value: “For where your treasure (the place in which good and precious things are collected, the storehouse) is, there your heart (your emotion and passion) will be also. What do you treasure and where is it residing presently? Are your treasures wrapped up in unnecessary clutter?

God says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” When we choose to spend time with God and make Him our priority, He can bring the clutter in our lives into a place of organized purpose – sifting out the time eaters and cultivating the effective endeavors. I want you to take five minutes right and still yourself before the Lord. Invite quiet into your space and allow the Lord to speak to your heart. Ask Him, “Lord, what is cluttering my life right now? I would like your help in this area because it’s time to de-clutter.”

Five minutes later…what did God show you? I realize when there are endless tasks that need to be done, it can be overwhelming to most of us. The list just gets longer and longer each day because you can’t get today’s list completed, and more tasks just keep coming at you. It becomes a perfect combination for a cluttered life to thrive in.

But what if you paired your list of to-dos down to the most important tasks? What if you proactively moved forward to de-clutter your life?  A simple list of the three to five most important things is all anyone needs to be very effective and successful.

The steps below can help you de-clutter, manage your time, and make a comeback with success as your new reality:

1. Get rid of the extra stuff in your life. Unless you live like a monk, you likely have more stuff than you need or use.

• If it’s not important to your life, consider getting rid of it.
• Decide to no longer spend a lot of time and money on things that provide minimal value. Eliminate the clutter in your life and you’ll eliminate a lot of the clutter in your mind.
• We rob God, ourselves, and others when our lives are overrun by clutter. Say “no” to the crazy living now and determine to live differently from this point forward.
• I’m starting with my closets and de-clutter them. What will you start with?

2. Eliminate the trivial.

• Make a list of everything that you feel you need to get done.
• Cut the list in half. Don’t worry, you can come back to those items later. 
• Now go through the same process and cut the list in half again. Stay proactive to accomplish the necessary things and recognize the trivial things for what they are.

3. Review your goals.

• What do your goals have to do with eliminating all but the essential?
• Reviewing your goals allows you to see what tasks are most essential.
• Assuming that your goals are very important to you, they provide an excellent tool to evaluate which tasks are the most important.

4.  Be mindful of what’s essential. The essential things are those that support your goals.

• Pay your bills on time, work toward your goals, and take care of yourself and your family.
• Life is short so make sure you spend it on the most important stuff.

5. Evaluate your commitments. Is the weekly show or meeting in your schedule worth it?

• Make a list of your weekly activities.
• What is taking up the majority of your time?
• Trim the fat – eliminate the extra activities that mean the least to you. This includes all the people in your life, too. Some people you’re stuck with; others are optional.

6. Deal with the information overload.

• Minimize your sources of information.
• We all spend too much time receiving information and too little time doing worthwhile tasks. 
• Cut back on TV, newspapers, browsing the Internet, email, Twitter, and Facebook.
• Much of our information overload amounts to wasted time that could be better spent.

7. Review your essential list regularly. Periodically, take a look at your list of things to do and go back through the elimination process.

• Don’t worry about the stuff that gets axed.
• If it’s important, it will come back around on your list after the really important stuff gets done.

We have a tendency to do the things that are the easiest but what’s important in this de-cluttering experience is to do the critical few items each day to bring more peace into your life. Ask yourself this question regularly: What is the advantage of getting item A done and what is the disadvantage of not getting item A done? Let your answers guide you to what’s essential in your schedule daily. Don’t choose tasks based on what is the quickest or most enjoyable; that’s what average people do. Be exceptional and do the most important items first.

Life doesn’t have to be an endless list of obligations. The key is to recognize that only the most important tasks really matter and when you focus on them, your life can become remarkable. When you embrace this strategic perspective, you feel free to start chopping obligations that consume your schedule and give you no return on your time.

Stop majoring in minor things! Focus on the most important stuff and feel comfortable letting the rest slide. You’ll have more free time and your life will change for the better.