Clearing away clutter is VERY complicated. When it comes to clutter, there are things you value, things you don’t value (but feel you still need to keep), and everything in between.
And yes, not all of it “sparks joy!”
My dishwashing soap, dog food, trash bags, Q-tips, and plunger don’t bring me joy, but I do appreciate having each one of them, and for different reasons.
The Heart of the Matter
Clutter is complicated, it’s costly, and it often pulls on our heart strings.
There are some obvious reasons that clutter piles up. Reasons such as, our time feels limited, our schedules are packed, and shopping is more convenient than ever. There are sentimental items and gifts given to us (that we often don’t want or need). There are bins holding things, things that may remind us of a project we have yet to finish. (And often we don’t want to admit to failure or that we’re not “into” that hobby, craft, or activity anymore.) And there are obligations and expectations from others for what we should be keeping or not keeping and even for how we should be spending our time.
If you are exhausted by your clutter, overwhelmed with your calendar, or drowning in too much stuff, then start by considering what you need to cut out. If you want less stress and more space, you have to cut things out.
Ask yourself these questions:
- What is my vision for my tomorrow, next week, month, year?
- What is the big picture I have for my life, my goals and dreams?
- What is working in my home and work spaces, and what is not?
Then, start looking forward. Stop looking in your rearview mirror (your past) or your side mirrors (to what those are doing around you). Think of the big picture of your life and how you want it to look today and tomorrow, and the day after that.
The heart of the matter is that excessive clutter negatively affects your health.
“Clutter is often an insidious and seemingly harmless outgrowth of people’s natural desire to appropriate their personal spaces with possessions … when [clutter] becomes excessive, it can threaten to physically and psychologically entrap a person in dysfunctional home environments which contribute to personal distress and feelings of displacement and alienation.”
(See full post HERE.)
Choosing to be less overwhelmed, begins by having less stuff. Protect your heart and your health by dealing with your excess clutter.
Do you want to declutter and simplify? Then try working just 30 minutes a day to declutter. If you don’t have 30 minutes then try 10-15 minutes. Small increments of time add up.
Need some more direction? Check out my free Organizing Challenges, they are based on working on small sections at at time. I’m a big believer in baby steps! Baby steps can make all the difference.
Happy Organizing (and decluttering)!
