Make Room for What You Love by Melissa Michaels Review|Book summary| Science of Decluttering

Make Room for What You Love book summary,is my chance to tell you about my secret behind managing it all.

My favorite quote from the book “Make Room for what you love”:

“Your outer world influences how you feel inside.
External  chaos is an indication of inner chaos .”

How you care for your home and the things in it influences your life deeply. It silently affects the decisions you take.
So think carefully each time you invite a thing, a person, or a thought in your home. Will it produce order or disorder?

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Three Simple Truths and  powerful habits(from  the book Make Room for what you love)

1)If you keep a little piece of random something it becomes a clutter magnet.
2)Have simple rules about what to keep and what you give away. GIVE EVERYTHING A LOCATION.
Ask yourself in your mind: Order or disorder?(like this tip a lot)The system should be easy to keep up with and enjoy.
3)There will always be unwelcome things trying to take control of our heart-mind soul and physical surroundings. But what you allow is your choice.

My favorite thought from the book

Make a home filled with grace.

About clutter magnets

You have all faced this problem of random keys coins, and screws accumulating on small trays meant to display pretty trinkets.
Melissa suggests you either find a home for them immediately, if not immediately then maybe a week (this is flexible) to decide what to do with them.
If you have not used them by the designated time give them away or throw them away.

Even DIY projects make a conscious decision to let go if you have not done it in a year.

Super tip :
Clutter Grows. But, if you keep at it’s not so bad.

Order or disorder?

If you remember one thing from this book it should be these two words.
Now, this is not exactly anything new.

But somehow together they will sound like a buzz in your mind, every time you decide to keep hanging on to a clutter magnet.
Your home is a work in progress. But it should always move forward in the spectrum of order.

 

A line that made me laugh.

“This is a place for  undies, which I wouldn’t  be ashamed  to be seen in should the fire department have to rescue me”

Every time you put down something, ask yourself if will this create order or disorder. Decluttering is never done.It’s a work in progress and life gets in the way.

A home filled with grace…

This powerful concept elevates Melissa’s book from its home decor niche to a different level.

What exactly is grace?

Thoughtfulness towards others.

Pleasing appearance or effect.

So grace is something you have and your home has from little things.
The book gives you a long list of questions to ponder which helps you get going in the right direction.

My favorite Qs:

• What colors feel energizing or soothing to you? Ivory, pastel shades cool colors that are happy.
• What kind of settings brings you peace? Green plants, and less stuff!
• What is the most frustrating part of your home? Storage and organizing! It’s a rental!

Psychology of decluttering:

A clutter-free environment helps avoid decision fatigue. Decision fatigue is a psychological condition where mental exhaustion and diminishing productivity occur due to making too many decisions.

The key:

Have just the right amount of stuff…to love the home you have.
Interesting checklist to help you decide, what should be invited into your home.

• Do I have space to display this? What happens if it breaks down
• Can I get this done with what I have?

By creating order out of chaos you create peace.

 

My Takeaway from the Book

Always have Specific measurable achievable realistic time-limited (SMART) goals.
Let go of perfect solutions. Get work done with the time money and resources you now have. When you create order out of chaos you create peace. Live beautifully and have a home filled with grace.

How it changed my life. ..

Like Melissa, I feel you can never have too many books.

But trying to make a place for all of them takes some worrying.

So now I have a system. I buy those books which I want to re-read (like Enid Blyton Everything, Perry Mason, Agatha  Christie, The Go-Giver, The 4-hour Workweek, Love the home you have ….)And I buy ebooks(#ecofriendly )  and I joined a lending library.

What do you do to, decrease the chaos around you?
As I  read the book, (mine is an ebook???????? because I am in India and the paperback is not yet available  here )
I am underlining the words in my head.

Melissa has done it again. She tells us the truth without ever sounding boring. Whenever  I read her book I feel blessed that I found her blog.

[bctt tweet=”Wherever you are you can make a home you love.” username=”misra_amrita”]

I love plants, I love flowers and I love growing edible plants. But sometimes when it gets a little too much.I step back and think about what makes me really happy. I have realized seeing green everywhere makes me really happy.

But I have to balance a green home with a realistic goal. How many can I plant and take care of, without gardening feeling like a chore? That’s the benchmark gardening is for your health and spirit. It should make you feel happy and content. Not worried.

That’s why reading  Make Room for what you love by @Melissa Michaels is, so much fun. You can do the exercises as you read and declutter!

So is the declutter outside and get peace, backed by science?

You bet!
Clutter is actually a sign of fear.
Fear of letting go.
Fear of regret.
Fear of the what if.
Too much Clutter is not only about your stuff! It’s actually about how your brain is wired. Keeping stuff and not using it is the inability to make decisions.

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This can actually be a red flag for underlying mental health issues like ADHD, Depression, and OCD.

How Clutter affects you?

• Causes an increase in our stress level
• Decreases your ability to concentrate
• Makes you unhappy
• Affects your ability to think positively.

But do you all have a problem?
Not really.
A bit of chaos may help spark creativity.
But a lot of stuff, pulling at your brain cam hamper your ability to think tangentially.
So when is clutter too much Clutter and borderline hoarding?
When throwing away giving away stuff causes you to have palpitations.
extreme anxiety, sleeplessness.
That needs help.

So which part of your brain needs looking into?
The orbitofrontal cortex ..part of your brain involved in decision-making is responsible for the physical responses hoarders feel.
The good news: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy to help rewire your brain’s thinking pattern can definitely help you.

 

Clearing clutter helped me focus on what was important. What else do you learn from the book?
Your home is your sanctuary. To declutter and keep it clutter-free is a journey. To live beautifully with things you love, you need to let go of things you don’t.Don’t let decision-making pull you behind.

Buy or borrow the book

Make Room for What You Love: Your Essential Guide to Organizing & Simplifying

But definitely,  read it.

Reading  Melissa’s book is like talking to an old friend. A friend, who knows, something is troubling you even, before you speak.
It’s decluttering therapy!
Just like mindfulness protects against the ill effects of multitasking, uncluttered clean spaces help your brain concentrate and are more productive.

I recommend  this book for:

Moms struggling to keep up with the ever-increasing needs of their growing families.

Moms who know a bit of clutter is inevitable with young children. But still, want to keep some semblance of order.

Anybody who wants to be more productive in their home or work.

Why I loved this book?

It has actually motivated me enough to not only read the book, wrote the summary post it plus clean the house one cluttered corner at a time.
Melissa’s book has grace.

 

I have realized I too want to live with grace.

 

Disclaimer :I received a digital copy of this book for review. The opinions and thoughts I share about this book is strictly mine and in no way influenced by any third person.