Hello, World!
Hey! I made this blog post especially for Episode 5 of my podcast, Bloom Where You're Planted. You can also find it in your podcast provider or on my podcast page.
Whether you agree with me or not, you probably won't change my mind: I think there are laws & principles in place that bring the universe to flow things into our lives. It doesn't happen all the time, and its definitely not a "get-rich-quick" scheme, but think of the last happy coincidence you had! Did it feel like you tapped into a little bit of magic, or did this little coincidence maybe make you believe in fate? That's what I'm talking about.
I love that feeling of magic and I'm all about chasing it, but putting yourself into a position to receive is a really big part of that. I've recently realized that if you're filling your space with stuff you don't need, you're making it clear that you don't have the space in your life for better things to flow in.
If that seems like a little bit of a stretch to you, maybe think about it like this: Why am I surrounding myself with excess and things I don't love when I could donate them and let them really improve someone's life?
I'm interesting in starting a habit. A monthly donation date with myself. I know I have tons of excess, and no, I don't want to do it all in one day. I just don't work that way.
Instead, I'm doing it every month, and making it the most wonderful, blissful experience I can. It's tempting to turn organization into a task to hate, but in an effort to love myself even through tasks I don't like as much, I'm making my favourite tea, getting comfy af, and listening to my favourite music. I'll also be taking my time, to really leave myself time to reflect on the impact on my actions. Not only will I be cleaning and organizing my house, but i'll be donating to people in need while making room for abundance in my life.
So here's what my day's going to look like: Wake up, have my morning routine, get started with my donating and sorting around, and when I'm feeling "done," I'll head into town and make the donation at my recipient of choice.
There are a few things I'm going to do to help me out with this task, though. Luckily, I'm someone who already finds purging and decluttering easy, but if you're someone who dreads going through old things and donating them, this is for you. Especially if you've been feeling stuck lately.
My first strategy is to have a small donation pile going in my room at all times so I can throw something in there if the mood strikes (sometimes, folding laundry, I'll come across something so worn that I refuse to fold it and put it away. Into the bin it goes!) And I also have a pile going in our spare room for larger donations if I see them on a day that isn't donation day.
My second strategy is perfect if you're really feeling stuck. My free download with this podcast episode is a printable checklist of 20 no-brainer things you can declutter right away! You don't have to follow this to a t, but look it over if you're really feeling stuck. This list shouldn't lead you to throw away beloved possessions, but it might make you look at your linen closet a little different. You can download the list below!
Here are some things I'm going to do to make this as enjoyable as possible, because peaceful productivity is all about getting things done as you love your life as much as possible. I'm going to make sure I'm comfy in my favourite comfy outfit (which is luckily, my favourite sushi eating outfit as well), I'll make a pot of my favourite tea so my cup runneth over, and I'll listen to whatever I feel like (my favourite music, a funny podcast, whatever tickles my fancy). When I'm done, I'm going to go into town and make the donation, then treat myself to a solo, unplugged sushi date. My favourite. Also, this is important: the whole time, I'm going to make an effort to focus on how good it all feels.
By making this experience as enjoyable as possible, I'm going to fill my brain with good memories that make me subconsciously want to repeat the experience. I'll also make an effort to make myself actively excited as I approach my second date to try to kickstart that mental momentum.
Are you going to try out a donation routine? Tell me all about it in the comments, I'm really curious to see how this impacts the lives around me. You can also get in touch with me on facebook or instagram. If you're a fan of the podcast, please let me know! It's such a new project and its so special to me that this early support feels like 1,000 warm hugs.
Lots of love!
Andrea
