43: Simplifying Before September - 3 Areas to Declutter

The whirlwind of fall schedules looms just around the corner. Are you prepared to trade the peaceful rhythms of summer for the potential chaos of a new school year? What if this year could be different?

Discover the transformative power of simplicity as we explore three critical areas that need attention before summer ends: your overflowing calendar, your cluttered home, and your overwhelming social media feeds. Drawing from personal experience and biblical wisdom, I share how implementing thoughtful boundaries now creates space for what truly matters when schedules intensify.

Remember the stress of May—constantly rushing, saying "yes" out of obligation, and struggling to complete everything? Let's break that cycle. By reflecting on what summer rhythms are worth protecting and understanding what God is calling you to BE (not just DO), you'll gain clarity about your purpose in the coming season.

Your home environment profoundly impacts your mental state. Learn practical approaches to decluttering children's spaces, kitchen counters, and your personal sanctuary. Create systems now that will maintain order when life gets hectic. As Proverbs reminds us, "By wisdom a house is built, and by understanding it is established."

Perhaps most revolutionary is simplifying your digital consumption. Discover how alternating weeks on and off social media transformed my summer experience and why our hearts weren't designed to carry every global struggle simultaneously. Implementing boundaries around information intake might be your most powerful step toward peace.

Ready to trade hustle for holiness and clutter for clarity? Join me in creating intentional space for listening to God, being present with loved ones, and embracing the beauty of a simplified life. What's one area you can simplify this week?

Recommended Resources:

The Simplified Planner by Emily Ley

The Cozy Minimalist by Myquillyn Smith

Unroll.me for decluttering your inbox

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You can find me on Instagram @mrs.leannetuggle or you can email me at [e-mail]. I love hearing from you!

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Episode Transcript

Leanne (00:51):
If there is one thing I have gleaned from this summer,
it is that slow and simple is agift.
The school year is full andbusy with homework and sports
activities, meetings, deadlinesso summers that prioritize rest
and chasing slow are truly therefreshment that we all need.

(01:14):
Slow are truly the refreshmentthat we all need as our summer
is winding down and we lookforward to the start of a new
school year.
I want to take a minute anddiscuss three areas to simplify
before summer is over yourcalendar, your home and your
social media calendar.

(01:40):
Your home and your social media.
I am a reflective person bynature.
I see value in looking back andlearning from the lessons and
moments that I have experienced.
I used to do this a lot while Iwas teaching.
I would present a lesson to mystudents and then later after
school, reflect on how thelessons for that day went, and
then I'd make adjustments to thelessons I had planned for the

(02:00):
next day based on thosereflections.
I find myself doing somethingsimilar in my day-to-day life
now, and, while I know noteveryone operates in this way, I
thought that this would be agood time to stop and assess and
then prepare for what comesnext.

(02:20):
And what comes next is myfavorite season, but it comes
with some clutter if you're notcareful.
So let's give ourselves someroom to breathe and set the tone
for a life giving school yearthat is thoughtfully and
biblically rooted.

(02:41):
Earlier this year I did a studyon the book of Ecclesiastes and
I find myself coming back tothis book over and over again,
especially when I consider beingintentional and thoughtful with
my time.
When I consider beingintentional and thoughtful with
my time.
Ecclesiastes 3.1 says Foreverything there is a season and

(03:02):
a time for every matter underheaven.
Summer is a season of slowingdown and enjoying the moments,
and then fall comes along andsuddenly our calendars are full
to bursting.
Our homes feel cluttered anddisorganized.
So we look to social media forinspiration and suddenly we feel

(03:25):
overwhelmed and anxious.
I really don't want to repeatthis pattern again.
Do you pattern again, do you?
We don't have to look anyfurther than Jesus to see the
best and most perfect example ofwhat it means to live simply
and purposefully.

(03:46):
He sets the tone for us.
Jesus gives us some valuablewisdom in Matthew 6, 33.
He says but seek first thekingdom of God and his
righteousness, and all thesethings will be added to you.
When you seek God first, beforefilling up your calendar or

(04:08):
buying more things for your homeor seeking advice from social
media, you will find that you dohave everything you need in Him
.
There is clarity and simplicityfound in seeking God first.
So we start there, and then, inHebrews 12, 1, we find very

(04:32):
clear directions.
Therefore, since we aresurrounded by so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us also layaside every weight and sin which
clings so closely and let usrun with endurance the race that
is set before us.
Make no mistake, the fallseason is going to be busier.

(04:55):
Make no mistake, the fallseason is going to be busier,
and that isn't necessarily a badthing, but it does mean that we
need to be ready to run therace set before us.
We don't want to carry anyextra weight and we want to be
women on mission who knowexactly what God is placing on
our hearts to pursue withintention this year.

(05:17):
Now that you are armed withthese truths from God's word,
that there is time foreverything, that we need to seek
his kingdom first and that wemust lay aside whatever pulls us
away from the mission setbefore us, let's start
simplifying things, shall we.

(05:40):
Before you start filling up yourcalendar, I want to encourage
you to go back a couple ofmonths.
Do you remember May?
Remember how you wereconstantly rushing from one
thing to the next.
Remember the stress of tryingto get everything done.
Remember how you said yes tothings out of guilt.
And remember those thoughts andfeelings because we are going

(06:02):
to try our hardest to not repeatthe same mistakes.
Instead, reflect on yourfavorite parts of this summer.
What rhythms are worthprotecting as you move into the
next season?
Family dinners, sabbath rest,unhurried mornings, quiet time.

(06:26):
With these things in mind,consider this what is God
calling you to be in this nextseason?
Take some time in the nextcouple of weeks and really pray
about this.
And note that I didn't say whatis God calling you to do.

(06:46):
I said what is God calling youto be.
There is the difference.
For example, a year ago, I feltGod calling me to be a mentor
and an encourager to women.
I felt him telling me to beavailable and ready.

(07:06):
After much prayer and manyhours seeking clarity on what
that meant, I felt ready tostart a Bible study in my home
so I could disciple women whowere right around me, and then I
felt compelled to start thispodcast with the intention of
encouraging and inspiring womenall over the world.

(07:26):
And then the Holy Spirit nudgedmy heart and let me see the
sweet girl and the opportunityto mentor and disciple the young
woman under my own roof.
All this action, all of thesethings, was a result of praying
about what God was calling me tobe.

(07:49):
When it comes to simplifyingyour calendar, here is a
practical approach that you cantake.
Establish weekly anchor points,things like tech-free Sundays
or quiet mornings.
Review your weekly commitmentsand be prepared to say no to one

(08:11):
or two things that don't alignwith your family rhythms or
priorities.
Use a planner to keep all yourcommitments in one place.
I'm convinced that mom brain isan actual thing.
If I don't write things down, Iwill never remember it.
So I have a command center sortof a space set up in my kitchen

(08:35):
, and this small space includesmy planner, which stays open.
I have a notepad for my grocerylist so that I can add to it as

(09:15):
I run out of things.
I also keep our morningdevotions in that space so that
I don't forget to share gospeltruths with my children every
morning.
Personally, I love thissimplified planner by Emily Lay,
and I encourage you to find acalendar system that works for
you and then stick with it.

(09:35):
There are so many options outthere, so find one that you
really like and connect with.
Make it a goal to leave plentyof room for margin in your
calendar.
The more white space, thebetter.
There is something powerfulabout seeing everything all

(09:56):
written out that helps to keepwhat matters most in the
forefront of your mind.
Have you ever heard the sayingthat the state of your home
reflects the state of your heart?
When your home starts to feelcluttered and disorganized, it

(10:16):
is usually because other areasof your life feel chaotic too,
and, honestly, I have a hardtime focusing on what God is
calling me to be when all I seeare piles of stuff everywhere.
I tend to be what McQuillanSmith calls a cozy minimalist.

(10:37):
I like my home to feelwelcoming and cozy, but I don't
love clutter, so I am quick topurge and get rid of anything
that feels like excess.
At least a couple of times ayear, I do some major
decluttering and purging in myhome, and the end of summer is,
for sure, one of those times.

(10:58):
There are three main areas thatI feel need regular attention,
or else they can easily get outof hand.
Kids' toys and clothes, kitchencounters and your bedroom.
The most practical way I canrecommend to tackle these areas

(11:18):
is one by one.
I can recommend to tackle theseareas is one by one.
I will literally write down onmy calendar and make a goal to
finish each space by the end ofthe week.
For example, it was the kids'bedroom last week, and since
they are old enough to help, Ienlisted their services too.

(11:39):
We went through all the toys andmade a pile of things that they
don't play with anymore so thatwe can pass them on to someone
else.
We also threw out all thebroken toys and we decluttered
some of their storage bins.
Organizing their Legos has beenquite the project, but the best
part of this process was howcontent they all were to play

(12:02):
with the things that they choseto keep.
It was like they were new andexciting again.
We also tackled the clothes.
I asked my kids to try onthings to make sure that they
still fit.
We made a donation pile for thethings that didn't fit or that
they don't wear anymore, andthen I made a list of some
things that they could usebefore school starts Again.

(12:25):
They were excited to wear someof the things that they had
forgotten about in their closet,and I know that in the long run
, we'll end up saving money.
Kitchen counters are the firstplace that gets cluttered,
especially during more stressfulor busy seasons.
So summer is a great time torethink your storage system or

(12:48):
where you want things likebackpacks and important papers
to go.
Create space and a system now,and then you will be so much
calmer and peace filled later,when the school year starts back
up.
You could also go through thosejunk drawers that are always in
the kitchen and maybe simplifythose too.

(13:09):
And then, lastly, go throughyour own bedroom and I say this
because this is your sanctuary,your place to rest.
When you refresh your systemfor putting things away right
away, then you won't walk intoyour room at the end of the day

(13:29):
with a pile on your bed.
Go through your own closet andmake donations and get rid of
piles as needed.
Take the time now to simplifyand systemize your home so that
you can step into the nextseason feeling refreshed and

(13:49):
decluttered and ready.
Your mind will feel lesscluttered, with everything in
its proper place.
Cluttered with everything inits proper place.
Proverbs 24, three and foursays by wisdom a house is built
and by understanding it isestablished.
By knowledge, the rooms arefilled with all precious and

(14:10):
pleasant riches.
To be honest, this last area tosimplify was actually the
catalyst behind this wholeepisode.
I was in the middle of cleaningthe bathtub when I felt
inspiration strike.
All summer long I have beenfollowing a pattern of one week

(14:30):
on and one week off social media, and it has been so life-giving
For the most part.
I really enjoy social media.
I, like the community, feelthat it brings.
I see the value of sharing andgleaning wisdom from others.
But there is a lot ofinformation available on these
platforms too, and if you aren'tcareful it is so easy to get

(14:54):
sucked into a doom scrollingvortex.
One of the things I noticedabout taking a week off of
social media was how much calmerI felt.
I realized after a bit thatthis was likely because I wasn't
hearing about news events everyother minute.
It's no secret that there is alot going on in our world every

(15:17):
day.
The difference is that 50 yearsago we didn't hear about all of
those events in real time.
It could take several days orweeks for the news to travel to
our ears, and really I don'tthink that we have the capacity
for all of the information thatwe have access to today.

(15:37):
Your heart wasn't meant to bleedfor every cause under the sun.
You don't have time for all ofthe things and the things that
matter most to you.
How can you simplify yoursocial media so that you are not
overwhelmed and overloaded withtoo much information?

(15:58):
Practically, you can set timelimits for social media or plan
to take regular breaks, like Ihave done.
It is very helpful to havepillars or family values.
This helps you focus on whatreally matters, and then you can
speak up on your social mediaplatforms about the things that

(16:19):
align with your values.
You can also choose to unfollowpeople or brands that stir up
unrest or drain your spirit.
Knowing your three to fivefamily values helps to keep your
heart and mind focused on thethings that really do matter to
you.
The best way to discover whatyour family values are, if you

(16:42):
don't have them already, is toseek God and his heart for you
and your family.
And here we are back to wherewe started, where we're seeking
his kingdom first.
From here, you will have moreclarity on what mission he has
placed on your heart and a moresimplified life will flow from

(17:02):
there.
When we decide to simplify ourcalendars, our homes and our
social media, we make space forlistening to God, being present
with our people and slowing downto enjoy beauty and rest.
As we slowly shift into thenext season, let's trade our

(17:22):
hustle for holiness and ourclutter for clarity.
To close this episode, I want toleave you with a verse to
meditate on this week.
Psalm 46, 10, says be still andknow that I am God.
I will be exalted among thenations.
I will be exalted in the earth.
Let's choose to live withintention and purpose by

(17:48):
simplifying our lives with ourcalendars, our homes and our
social media.
Something to ponder this weekwhat is one area I can simplify
to make more space for God andwhat truly matters?