Obstacles. They are everywhere. In our offices, our homes, our relationships, our body, our time. They prevent us from moving forward. They cause stress. These obstacles get in the way of our success. How do we eliminate the OBSTACLES? With knowledge, awareness, clarity and ACTION.

At a recent workshop I was asked to share some information on how to eliminate the obstacles in one of the key areas in the home, the Kitchen. It is the heart of the home and the refueling station for our bodies. We get out what we put in, and when we pay attention to this aspect of our wellness it really does change everything else.

Eating better results in more energy, focus and vitality. Which at the end of the day brings out the best in what we have to offer.

By handling the kitchen obstacles with some de-cluttering and organizing you will be able to find things easier and add functionality to this key area of the home. It is impossible to even think about healthy meals when you can’t get to your countertop.

When it comes to getting and staying organized there are some specific steps that will make the job at hand easier.

Figure out what you want

Going on a trip without a road map may be exciting but it will take much longer to reach your destination. Take a few minutes and decide as a family what you want from this room that nourishes and brings people together.

Make a plan.

Figure out who will be involved in the de-cluttering and organizing. What the time frame for the project is and how it will happen.

Sort and Purge

Sort through the kitchen items, this includes the food. Let go of anything that you have not used in the past 12 months or is not part of a wellness lifestyle. These unused items are taking up valuable space and preventing you from moving forward with new healthy habits you can immediately see the BEST options. Set up your kitchen for success. Donate what you are purging.

Limit sometimes foods, and place them in a cupboard out of sight…and perhaps out of mind. Now you may be asking what is a sometimes food. As my youngest would say; things that we can eat sometimes but not all the time.

Maintenance

Three tasks that use up a great amount of time and energy each week are grocery shopping, meal planning and preparation. This is probably the most dreaded of all family tasks and has caused more than one argument over who is going to do it. Streamlining these tasks can go a long way to giving you more control over your time and can save you a few dollars at the same time.

We used the kitchen to demonstrate removing obstacles with de-cluttering and organizing, however these actions would apply in any area of your life that has a few obstacles that need removing.

“Obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it, or work around it.” -Michael Jordan … or, “de-clutter it.” – Elaine Shannon.