Episode Transcript
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(00:03):
Welcome to Less Clutter, MoreYou, a podcast that travels with
you through the journey ofletting go and creating order so
you can start making more roomfor what matters most.
Together, we'll go beyond thebasket to start unlocking your
next level of embracing yourphysical and mental space
through mindset shifts andaction steps.
I'm your host, Maggie Britton,professional organizer, clutter
(00:25):
coach, wife, and mom of four.
And I am so glad you are here.
Maggie Brittain's audio r (00:32):
Happy
Mother's Day to any mama who is
listening this Mother's Day 2024week.
This Mother's Day, I want you tofocus on shifting the
expectation of receivingsomething from somebody else in
your life and start to focus onwhat can you gift yourself.
(00:57):
Yes, the homemade car from ourlittle ones or that Mother's Day
hug from the teenager might besomething that we love to
receive, but I want you to go alittle bit further this year and
I want you to gift yourself.
I want you to gift yourself thepermission to let go.
(01:22):
Because as mothers, we areconstantly holding on to so many
different things that we werenever designed to hold onto in
the first place.
So here are a few things.
This Mother's Day, I want you togift yourself in letting go of.
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Maybe you are able to let go ofa little bit of each of these.
Um, but maybe you're just goingto focus on one thing, but no
matter what, start somewhere,pick something that you can let
go of bit by bit and keepworking on because is always a
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journey.
These are things I'm stillworking on for myself, but I
want you to start that processas well of letting go.
So the first one is obviouslythe physical clutter.
Us mamas, we know with childrencome things, but where can you
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start to reduce and start to,let go of that physical clutter?
The physical clutter that'salready in your home, preventing
you from making it from morningto night with ease.
And that doesn't mean just thethings that you're touching.
I am talking about those thingsthat are behind closed doors as
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well because that's pulling fromyour mental energy, knowing that
it's there.
Because when you have thatphysical clutter, I also know
from talking to so many mothers,you're also carrying around the
embarrassment and the shame thatit's even there in the first
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place.
And that is exactly why thisMother's Day, I want you to let
go.
We were never designed to manageall of the things that we have
accumulated in our homes inaddition to loving our children.
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That is what our innateinstincts are for as a mother,
is to provide and keep ourchildren safe.
We were never designed toaccumulate stuff and then to
manage it while raisingchildren.
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So look around.
Is it on your kitchen table?
Is it on the floor of yourdining room?
Is it in a room that the door isclosed?
Where can you find that physicalclutter that you can start to
let go of?
And within that physicalclutter, it's likely that you're
going to find things.
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Maybe you're holding on tosomething out of guilt.
Could you let go of some of thatguilt?
And say, this is my space and Iwant to feel good in my space
and I shouldn't be holding on tosomething out of guilt.
Are you holding on to somethingbecause it's a memory?
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Could you reduce the amount ofthe items that's a memory and
just keep some really, trulyspecial items, making space for
new memories.
Overcommitment.
Mama, you know you're doing itand it is okay to say no.
(05:02):
Your time and your energy as amom is divided already in so
many different forms.
So if you prioritize what trulymatters and leave a little bit
of a room for you to rest andreset.
Um, and that's where letting goof that physical clutter comes
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in.
We want you to create a homespace that feels good, is a
place for you to be at peace.
But if you don't have the timeto be at home and to use that as
a way to reset, you're nevergoing to be able to appreciate
it.
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And Mamas, this Mother's Day, Iwant you to give yourself
permission of trying to doeverything on your own.
Where can you ask for help?
Where is there something that iscurrently your responsibility
that you can ask for help.
(06:04):
Is there something that they canstart doing every week that can
help you take something off ofyour plate?
Is there something they canbuild up and help with every
day?
And then you have to let go ofthe control that it should be
done a certain way.
Right?
I just had this conversationwith someone.
All four of my children are ableto do their laundry from start
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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 loadof laundry, move it to the
dryer, move it to their room andput it away.
It doesn't mean that they'reneeds reminders.
It doesn't mean that I'm notgoing to help when they are in a
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busy season, right?
That that's, that's the wholepoint.
We're asking for help.
So if I can help them, great.
But this is something that theyare able to help and contribute
to.
But if I had control over howexactly things went into the
drawer, then that's not exactlyhelping me.
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So when you're letting go ofthat responsibility, you also
need to let go of exactly howyou think it should be done.
And over time, you can give somefeedback on how maybe there
should be some room forimprovement.
But start letting go of all thethings that you are doing
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because I know you are trying todo all the things.
And then just in general, let goof the self criticism.
I will say I am the first personto work on this.
It is so easy to say, I didn'tdo this the best that I could.
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I didn't do that.
I didn't show up for this.
But you have to start to be kindto yourself and pay attention to
how you are talking to yourself.
I know that you are having somehard days.
I know that it can be hard toshow up for your kids when the
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rest of life is coming at you.
But remember to let go of thatself criticism.
And find different ways that youcan celebrate how much of an
incredible job that you aredoing.
Because if you as a mother useall of that extra space that you
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are gaining by letting of thephysical clutter that then the
demands you to manage thatclutter.
If you are letting go of overcommitment, if you are letting
go of the self criticism and allthe endless responsibilities
that you have put on foryourself, then there is more
room for self compassion.
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Because when you let go of theclutter in every form, you are
making space for the positivethings to come into your life.
So this Mother's Day, thinkabout in what way can you give
yourself permission to let goand make that the gift this
year?
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Because when you let go, thereis more room, there is more
time, there is more energy togive yourself to the ones that
made you a mother, to whatreally matters.
And if you pick something thatyou are letting go of, let me
know.
Send me an Instagram message andlet me know what you are letting
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go of.
And if you need help.
Because you know that there arethings that you could let go of,
but for some reason you're stuckand you can't figure, does it
stay?
Does it go?
Or you need those reminders thatyou are doing an incredible job
then join us in the onlinecommunity because that's what
we're there for.
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I'm there in the community tosupport you as you work through
this journey of letting go.
So reach out.
Let me know this Mother's Day.
What are you gifting toyourself?
Maggie Brittain's audio rec (10:29):
And
if you know another mother who
needs to hear this message andneeds to know that she has
permission to let go,
Maggie Brittain's audio re (10:40):
then
definitely share this episode
with her.
Until next time, happy Mother'sDay.