Declutter, Reorganise, Refocus: A Gentle Reset for the New Year with God

Listen to the Audio Version here 👉🏽: Declutter, Reorganise, Refocus

As a new year begins, many of us instinctively reach for resolutions. We write lists of things we want to add to our lives - new habits, new routines, new goals. More discipline. More productivity. More progress.

But this year, I found myself being drawn in the opposite direction. Instead of adding, I started removing.

It began in a very ordinary way. One afternoon, I decided to declutter my home. I had this quiet desire to create space - not a perfect space, just a calmer one. I wanted fewer things lying around, fewer items competing for attention, fewer objects reminding me of tasks I hadn’t completed or decisions I hadn’t made.

So over several days, I began sorting through cupboards and corners. I threw away things I hadn’t used in years. I put items back where they belonged instead of leaving them scattered around. Slowly, my space started to feel lighter. Quieter. More breathable.

What surprised me most was how it made me feel. I hadn’t realised how much the clutter had been weighing on me until it was gone. When I finally paused and looked around, I felt a sense of peace I hadn’t known I was missing.

And somewhere in the middle of that process, a scripture came to mind.

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” Hebrews 12:1

That phrase, “every weight” stayed with me.

The verse doesn’t only speak about sin. It speaks about weight. Things that are not necessarily wrong, but still heavy. Things that slow us down. Things that occupy space in our lives without helping us move forward in our walk with God.

As I continued decluttering my home, I began to realise how closely it mirrored my inner life. Just as there were physical items that no longer belonged in my space, there were also habits, distractions, and patterns in my life that had quietly taken up residence - things that existed simply because they always had.

As the year begins, this feels like a timely invitation for reflection. A moment to pause and ask ourselves what truly belongs in our lives and what doesn’t. We live in a world full of noise - constant notifications, endless scrolling, full calendars, and packed schedules. Yet Scripture gently reminds us to “be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Stillness often requires space.

I began to think about how much of my time and attention was being given away without intention. The hours lost to mindless phone use. The background noise of television. The constant pull of social media. None of these things are inherently evil, but when left unchecked, they crowd out something far more important - time with God.

Jesus Himself often withdrew from the crowds to be alone with the Father. Luke tells us that “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16). If the Son of God needed intentional space to commune with the Father, how much more do we?

Decluttering, then, is not just about removing distractions - it’s about making room.

It’s also about the heart. There are habits we carry that we already know don’t belong. The quiet compromises. The behaviours we justify. The things we only do in secret, assuming no one sees. Yet Scripture reminds us that “nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight” (Hebrews 4:13). Not to shame us, but to invite us into freedom.

This season feels like an opportunity to pray honestly, asking God to remove anything He did not plant in us. Jesus said, “Every plant which My heavenly Father has not planted will be uprooted” (Matthew 15:13). That prayer requires humility, but it also leads to healing.

As I reflected further, I also began to think about relationships. The people we allow close to us. The voices we listen to. Not every relationship is meant to follow us into every season. Proverbs tells us that “the companion of fools will suffer harm” (Proverbs 13:20), while “iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17). This isn’t about cutting people off harshly or becoming unkind. It’s about wisdom - recognising who helps us grow and who quietly pulls us away from God’s direction for our lives.

Decluttering naturally leads to reorganisation.

Once the unnecessary is removed, we are left with choices. What do we place at the centre? What do we give priority? Reorganising our lives means intentionally putting God first, not just in words, but in how we structure our time and decisions. Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

Time with God doesn’t happen by accident. It must be chosen, protected, and prioritised. Sometimes that means moving things around in our calendars. Sometimes it means saying no to good things in order to say yes to God.

And all of this leads us to refocus.

Hebrews calls us to “look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (Hebrews 12:2). Refocusing is a deliberate turning away from the unnecessary and a turning toward Christ. He is the One who writes our story. The One who knows our tomorrow. The One who holds us securely and loves us deeply. He is faithful. He can be trusted. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6).

As I continue my decluttering journey, I am also learning to release things in my life that I’ve held onto for too long. I don’t write this as someone who has it all figured out. I’m learning. I’m growing. I’m still very much a work in progress.

But perhaps that’s the invitation - not to arrive, but to walk together.

As we step into this new year, maybe our resolution doesn’t need to be about adding more. Maybe it begins with letting go. Letting go of what weighs us down. Letting go of what distracts us. Letting go of what no longer belongs.

And in doing so, let us make room for God to lead, to heal, to reorder, and to anchor us. Let us let go - and let God. God loves you.