If you take a moment to slow down, get still, and be mindful, what do you notice about your emotional response to your home or office? Do you feel differently in different spaces?
Hopefully some create a feeling of ease and happiness. For most of us, myself included, there are some identifiable areas that could be improved. If this is true for you, you are in the majority!
Give yourself time to think. How does each space make you feel? Does it support your dreams and goals or is there an experience or feeling that you long for that seems to be missing?
Clutter Happens!
We are all unique, from childhood to family to profession. But we have much in common: we all have some sort of clutter in our lives.
For me, it is papers that need to be sorted and duplicates from old workshops to be purged or filed away for later use. If you are like me, by the time an event is over, the last thing you want to do is mess with papers related to it! Even though I know doing so will make my next event a breeze, it’s hard to motivate myself to do more when the workshop is complete!
For others, the challenge may be time clutter or mind clutter. What version of clutter is troubling you right now?
Your Unique Clutter Response
We may all have a different response to an abundance of objects. You are the only person who can tell how your clutter makes you feel. When you come inside and encounter things out of place, is there a sense of overwhelm? Do you subconsciously push feelings of discomfort down?
If so, recognize that you are using your life force energy to squash your uncomfortable feelings. On the other hand, if you relish a certain area that may look untidy to others, then give yourself permission to let it be as it is, like our client who enjoys his Exuberance of Books!
Notice What IS Working
Notice how you feel today about what’s around you: physically, digitally, even in your calendar! Is it time to make a change?
The first step to making any change is to become more aware of how you feel about your current state. You might make a log of your feelings and thoughts about the objects, commitments, and people in your life. Do they spark ease and joy, or stress and resentment? An even more important aspect of creating change and leading a happy life is to make note of how objects, events and relationships make you FEEL.
If you choose to record your thoughts and feelings about the clutter and organization (or lack thereof) in your life, be sure to also record aspects that are working! I challenge you to walk around right now and find 3-5 things that are working well in your space. We humans tend to focus on the negative and dismiss our good habits and positive achievements as trivial or irrelevant. Be still and mindful for just 1 minute and focus on one small positive habit you have developed. Once you can come up with one, find another. You will be surprised how many you can think of when you give yourself the time and shift your focus!
What Are Your Clutter Excuses?
We all have them! And many of them seem quite valid. The question to ask yourself is “Do I really want to declutter or not? Answer the question honestly. If you really don’t want to declutter, then take decluttering off of your list and do something else without feeling guilty about it.
You probably have a few reasons why you resist making change in your home or routine. Do any of these sound familiar?
- “If I can’t find the perfect system, I don’t declutter or organize at all.”
- “I was never taught how to be organized! I just don’t have the skills.”
- “There’s so much happening right now. I just don’t have time!”
- “Whenever I start to declutter, I take on too much and don’t finish.”
- “I don’t have systems – and the ones I do have don’t work!”
- “I’m afraid of getting rid of something and then needing it.”
- “I’m attached to my things. They remind me of who I am (or was).”
What resonates with you? Share your reflections in the comments! There’s nothing to be shy about – you’re in good company. The phrases that spark a response in you can provide insight into your unique lifestyle, choices, and yes, clutter.
Yes, You CAN Declutter And Organize!
One thing you’ll notice about these reasons is that most of them have to do with fear of overwhelm. Creating change often feels like a project, and projects can be intimidating.
That’s why it’s important to break your decluttering and organizing process into small, manageable steps. Learn more about how to break projects down into steps in Do You Suffer From Acute IICP? (aka Clutter Paralysis!) and How to Keep the Decluttering Momentum Going.
A professional organizer can be just the guide and accountability partner you need to make the kind of change you yearn for. Schedule a 20-minute free consult call or check out our decluttering and organizing service options if you know you will benefit from support. A decluttered and organized life is absolutely attainable, no matter your clutter excuses, your current state of clutter, or how your clutter impacts you.
Wishing you a joyous month filled with gratitude and warmth!
Discover more ways to mindfully DECLUTTER your home or office here! >>
Discover more ways to mindfully ORGANIZE your home or office here! >>
Heads up! We are here to accompany you on your journey to a clutter-free life! Our hourly rates will increase soon, so now is an excellent time to take advantage of our current low rates by visiting our SHOP.
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