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Welcome to Less Clutter, More You, a podcast that travels with you through the journey of letting go and creating order so you can start making more room for what matters most. Together, we'll go beyond the basket to start unlocking your next level of embracing your physical and mental space through mindset shifts and action steps. I'm your host, Maggie Britton, professional organizer, clutter coach, wife, and mom of four. And I am so glad you are here.

Maggie Brittain's audio recording-2: 0:32

Happy Mother's Day to any mama who is listening this Mother's Day 2024 week. This Mother's Day, I want you to focus on shifting the expectation of receiving something from somebody else in your life and start to focus on what can you gift yourself. Yes, the homemade car from our little ones or that Mother's Day hug from the teenager might be something that we love to receive, but I want you to go a little bit further this year and I want you to gift yourself. I want you to gift yourself the permission to let go. Because as mothers, we are constantly holding on to so many different things that we were never designed to hold onto in the first place. So here are a few things. This Mother's Day, I want you to gift yourself in letting go of. Maybe you are able to let go of a little bit of each of these. Um, but maybe you're just going to focus on one thing, but no matter what, start somewhere, pick something that you can let go of bit by bit and keep working on because is always a journey. These are things I'm still working on for myself, but I want you to start that process as well of letting go. So the first one is obviously the physical clutter. Us mamas, we know with children come things, but where can you start to reduce and start to, let go of that physical clutter? The physical clutter that's already in your home, preventing you from making it from morning to night with ease. And that doesn't mean just the things that you're touching. I am talking about those things that are behind closed doors as well because that's pulling from your mental energy, knowing that it's there. Because when you have that physical clutter, I also know from talking to so many mothers, you're also carrying around the embarrassment and the shame that it's even there in the first place. And that is exactly why this Mother's Day, I want you to let go. We were never designed to manage all of the things that we have accumulated in our homes in addition to loving our children. That is what our innate instincts are for as a mother, is to provide and keep our children safe. We were never designed to accumulate stuff and then to manage it while raising children. So look around. Is it on your kitchen table? Is it on the floor of your dining room? Is it in a room that the door is closed? Where can you find that physical clutter that you can start to let go of? And within that physical clutter, it's likely that you're going to find things. Maybe you're holding on to something out of guilt. Could you let go of some of that guilt? And say, this is my space and I want to feel good in my space and I shouldn't be holding on to something out of guilt. Are you holding on to something because it's a memory? Could you reduce the amount of the items that's a memory and just keep some really, truly special items, making space for new memories. Overcommitment. Mama, you know you're doing it and it is okay to say no. Your time and your energy as a mom is divided already in so many different forms. So if you prioritize what truly matters and leave a little bit of a room for you to rest and reset. Um, and that's where letting go of that physical clutter comes in. We want you to create a home space that feels good, is a place for you to be at peace. But if you don't have the time to be at home and to use that as a way to reset, you're never going to be able to appreciate it. And Mamas, this Mother's Day, I want you to give yourself permission of trying to do everything on your own. Where can you ask for help? Where is there something that is currently your responsibility that you can ask for help. Is there something that they can start doing every week that can help you take something off of your plate? Is there something they can build up and help with every day? And then you have to let go of the control that it should be done a certain way. Right? I just had this conversation with someone. All four of my children are able to do their laundry from start to finish. Yes, you heard that right. My 17 year old, my 15 year old, my 13 year old and my 11 year old are all able to start a load of laundry, move it to the dryer, move it to their room and put it away. It doesn't mean that they're needs reminders. It doesn't mean that I'm not going to help when they are in a busy season, right? That that's, that's the whole point. We're asking for help. So if I can help them, great. But this is something that they are able to help and contribute to. But if I had control over how exactly things went into the drawer, then that's not exactly helping me. So when you're letting go of that responsibility, you also need to let go of exactly how you think it should be done. And over time, you can give some feedback on how maybe there should be some room for improvement. But start letting go of all the things that you are doing because I know you are trying to do all the things. And then just in general, let go of the self criticism. I will say I am the first person to work on this. It is so easy to say, I didn't do this the best that I could. I didn't do that. I didn't show up for this. But you have to start to be kind to yourself and pay attention to how you are talking to yourself. I know that you are having some hard days. I know that it can be hard to show up for your kids when the rest of life is coming at you. But remember to let go of that self criticism. And find different ways that you can celebrate how much of an incredible job that you are doing. Because if you as a mother use all of that extra space that you are gaining by letting of the physical clutter that then the demands you to manage that clutter. If you are letting go of over commitment, if you are letting go of the self criticism and all the endless responsibilities that you have put on for yourself, then there is more room for self compassion. Because when you let go of the clutter in every form, you are making space for the positive things to come into your life. So this Mother's Day, think about in what way can you give yourself permission to let go and make that the gift this year? Because when you let go, there is more room, there is more time, there is more energy to give yourself to the ones that made you a mother, to what really matters. And if you pick something that you are letting go of, let me know. Send me an Instagram message and let me know what you are letting go of. And if you need help. Because you know that there are things that you could let go of, but for some reason you're stuck and you can't figure, does it stay? Does it go? Or you need those reminders that you are doing an incredible job then join us in the online community because that's what we're there for. I'm there in the community to support you as you work through this journey of letting go. So reach out. Let me know this Mother's Day. What are you gifting to yourself?

Maggie Brittain's audio recording-3: 10:29

And if you know another mother who needs to hear this message and needs to know that she has permission to let go,

Maggie Brittain's audio recording-4: 10:40

then definitely share this episode with her. Until next time, happy Mother's Day.