This seems like a huge stretch, and if I had read this headline a month ago, I would have thought it was a pretty big proclamation. But I have to tell you, I experienced it firsthand.

It all started with a pantry clean out.

First went the five-year-old spices, then the expired grains and protein powders, and then went all the stuff we’d never dream of eating that has piled up over the past couple years. Then we got the Costco bulk items OFF the floor and slowly but surely, everything found a home and a place in that thing we call a pantry.

Sounds simple and mundane, but as I started to clear out, toss out, sell and give away stuff from every cluttered spot in the rest of my house, something totally unexpected happened.

I started to feel more creative.

My work output was better. I saw the vision more clearly on projects that were half-complete, and I was able to finish them with inspiration and clarity. I suddenly found some ways over a few hurdles that I didn’t know how to tackle.

In other words, the solutions became clear.

I would have hardly expected this from what started as a pantry clean-out, but it makes sense in retrospect. This kind of organization is NOT my forte, and I had to have an accountability partner to get it done, so I want to give a huge shout-out to a professional organizer I happened to stumble upon after posting on a local app. I’m certain I’ll use Andrea in the future…because who the heck knew that the benefits of decluttering my physical spaces would pan out in such an unexpected way?