No, the title of this post is not a typo. While we are lighthouse keepers, we have been doing some light housekeeping also. One of my pressing projects lately has been to declutter our computer of digital detritus. Our aging MacBook Air (as depicted above) was gradually filling with all types of assorted files and folders that needed attention, not to mention the more than 20,000 emails we had amassed over our 20-year period spent online.

Suffice it to say the overall process has been a productive one, as it has helped to delete several gigabytes of outdated emails and to organize the mere hundreds of emails left into manageable archives moving forward. It is very liberating to limit the amount of litter in our lives, even if it is of the digital variety, and I highly recommend doing so. Next on my agenda is streamlining our photos and documents accordingly.

And the processing also has extended to our possessions, as I donated to charity unused dress clothes of mine, including an ill-fitting sport jacket and an old trench coat I no longer wore. What is more, with gold selling at an all-time high, Linda readily sold some of her rarely worn jewelry. So, whatever type of stuff you possess, remember the new year is an excellent time to reevaluate your relationship with it.

What is so amazing about doing this, regardless of the time of year, is the psychological benefit you derive from it. Think about it: the more stuff matters to you, the more you are mindful of it. And processing things, even digital ones, frees up your psyche to concentrate on more important issues in life, such as pursuing your passions. The less stuff you need to deal with the more head space you have for the rest of your life.

I am convinced that we do not realize how much our thinking can get clouded with the clutter of stuff. Mental clarity literally is one of the biggest benefits we have experienced on our journey and it absolutely is true that a cluttered life is the sign of a cluttered mind. When we make the move toward simplifying our lives, our minds quickly become clearer in the process. Do yourself a favor and do some light housekeeping of your own this year!