Clutter Is Natural

Nature loves clutter. Just think of all the stuff that drops from trees, washes in on the tide, or is blown by the wind into your backyard. Birds molt, animals shed, snakes slither out of their skin, and they all just leave it lying there to rot into the earth. Follow any two-year-old around for a day and you'll see that we're not much better.

Living in clutter does not mean that you are a slob or an undisciplined failure. It means that you are human, and your origins are showing. Way, way back in the farthest branches of your family tree, your ancient ancestors lived a somewhat more hand-to-mouth existence than we do. Stocking up was a smart thing to do when the antelope might not roam your way again for a while, and surviving a cold winter depended on how big a stash of firewood and dried berries you had in the back of the cave.

The urge to acquire is instinctive and completely normal. But the kinds of circumstances that could lead primitive man to use up the provisions he'd stashed away are no longer much of a threat to us. I am a big fan of Costco, eBay, and 24-hour convenience stores, but we don't really need them, and the effect on our closets and garages (not to mention our waistlines!) has been catastrophic.

There seems to be an agreement in our culture that life was "simpler" back whenever. Yearning for simplicity makes us believe that our clutter is against the way things should be. What was different in the past was they didn't have credit cards, mail order catalogs, and the Internet. Most people only bought what they needed and could afford. When was the last time any of us did that?

In the span of just a few generations the cost of goods has gone down dramatically due to mass production. Take a moment to think about how much a basic T-shirt would cost if it were knitted and stitched by hand. How many would you own then? What if you had to make it yourself? Would you be so ready to think you need another one in a slightly different color or cut, or maybe with a little Lycra in it?

A common lament about contemporary social norms bemoans the scattering of the nuclear family, the lack of a sense of community, and the loss of spirituality in daily life. We feel disconnected, stressed, empty, and we have been trained by mass media since early childhood that having more things will make us feel better. At some point someone told us "you can't buy happiness," but we didn't listen, because everyone likes new toys and buying things makes us feel secure, which is almost as good as feeling happy.

So we shop and shop and buy more things for our homes (and our cars, and our cell phones) until we're drowning in stuff. And then we shop for things to help us manage the other things and get them organized and neatly stored. Usually all that results from this is an over-abundance of misused, unused, or wrong-sized containers that metastasize into their own variety of clutter.

Combine a new "pre-approved" credit card offer in the mailbox every week, buy-in-bulk warehouse stores, easy internet shopping, and cable shopping networks beaming bargains into your television set 24 hours a day with the hard-wired delusion that giving in to these temptations is a good idea, and our once life-preserving impulse to stock up goes into overdrive. The problem isn't that we are completely lacking in judgment or self-discipline. The problem is that the primal parts of our brains, where the compulsion to stock up while it's available resides, is not programmed for a world in which more than we could ever possibly need will still be there tomorrow. And the next day. And the day after that.

Once we recognize this, it becomes possible to acknowledge the instinctive urge to acquire and to use the more rational parts of our brains to remember that although we live in the midst of the greatest availability of consumer goods ever known in the history of mankind, lucky us: we don't need to buy it all today.

Conquering clutter happens in small increments on a day-by-day basis, not in one great to-the-death campaign. It starts with recognizing that clutter flows into our lives every day. Take a moment to think about everything that came to your home or office in the mail this past week. And the things you brought home from the store. And the library books, videos, and DVDs rented (and that will need to be returned in a few days or weeks, another task made more difficult by clutter).

If you have school-age children, you may feel like you need a bulldozer to deal with all the papers and projects that arrive home with them every day. Not to mention the happy meal toys. Then there are the take-out food flyers slid under your door, the lawn-service brochure stuck in your mailbox, the sale inserts from Safeway and Home Depot that sneak in with the newspaper.

The prospect of dealing with your existing clutter is exhausting enough. When you think about the fact that the incoming flow of clutter is not going to stop you may feel an overwhelming urge to just lie down on the floor and admit defeat -- assuming you can find a large-enough area of uncluttered carpet to occupy.

Don't give up before you start! That feeling of overwhelm can actually become the energy source that propels you to get out of this mess and stay out of it. When you feel overwhelmed, allow yourself to be with that feeling and explore it. Hidden beneath the fatigue and despair is a deep desire to be free, to become the highest expression of your true self, to live your dreams and share your unique talents with the world. Tap into that desire, and you will have the energy you need to conquer your clutter.

The secret is to give up on the misguided notion that you can do it all at once in one massive effort. Accept that it took time for all this mess to accumulate, and it will take time to winnow it out. Instead of waiting until you have the time and energy to begin, start now. Begin slowly. Proceed gently. Tackle one small area at a time. The clutter will dwindle and your energy will grow. You will one day triumph over the mess. You will live in a tidy and organized space. You will fall back in love with your home, and incoming clutter will be powerless in the face of your conscious, caring attention to your physical environment.

© 2003 Stephanie Roberts

[excerpted from "Clutter-Free Forever!", Lotus Pond Press, 2003]

About The Author

GOT CLUTTER?!? Stephanie Roberts' CLUTTER-FREE FOREVER! Home Coaching Program is a new approach to clutter clearing that reveals the hidden emotional and psychological reasons why coping with clutter is so hard to do. And it shows you, step-by-step, how you can reclaim control of your space and your life. Find out more at http://www.clutter-free-forever.com; stephanie@clutterfreeforever.com

---

The Magnificent 7: Tips for Cleaning Up Clutter

Clutter is postponed decisions®. Here are some suggestions to simplify... Read More

Oh No, Not Another Interuption, How To Deal With Everyday Distractions

Every day I find junk mail waiting for me, whether... Read More

Clutter & Creativity

Take a look around you right now. Look away from... Read More

Clutter-Clearing and Your Authentic Self

Have you ever felt so discouraged, your life so out-of-control,... Read More

Saving Memories Without Losing Your Mind

The summer is flying by for Cindy and her family.... Read More

Quick Organizing Tips From Assistance For You

Keeping on task and getting organized starts with a basic... Read More

What Momma Never Told Me About Housekeeping

A lot of us grew up with Mom taking care... Read More

After the Clutter: 5 Steps to a New Daily Routine

I've noticed that in the two years since the major... Read More

Declutter for Sucess

Finish each day and be done with it. You have... Read More

Organize Yourself Otherwise Your Work Could Kill You

We are in a society where people are applauded for... Read More

Clutter Crisis?

Clutter costs you time, money, space, and peace of mind.... Read More

Files vs Piles

I recently read an article that had some interesting but... Read More

Organizing Your Day

One of the hardest things for most individuals working from... Read More

Does Your Storage Make Sense?

What do your storage spaces look like? Do you know... Read More

Addiction to Clutter

Clutter is a big problem for many people. At a... Read More

Clear Your Clutter and Free Your Life

Whatever your clutter problem the answer is the same: make... Read More

Essential Tips for the Kitchen

* Cupboards and drawers should contain items that are grouped... Read More

The Top 10 Habits of Organized People

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have... Read More

Organize Your Desk ? Live Longer!

It may seem far-fetched, but by organizing your desk, your... Read More

Spring Cleaning

Spring is such a refreshing time- we are filled with... Read More

Saying Goodbye to Stacks of Paper and Distractions

A daily journal will save you time, reduce stress and... Read More

How Much Is Your Time Worth?

Does Your Present Internet Filing System Work?Do You Really Know... Read More

New Business? Changing Careers? Youve Got a Whole New Ball Game

When you embark on a life transition, the skills that... Read More

Ending The Morning Madness

Back-to-school time ? what does that mean to you? For... Read More

Clutter Campaign - Maintain Your Success

To want in one's heart to do a thing for... Read More

Escaping The Clutter Trap? - 5 Steps For Increasing Productivity And Decreasing Stress

? Do you feel overwhelmed by all the "stuff" in... Read More

Organization Tips - How to Organise Your Computer Files

Everytime Mary had to find a file on her computer,... Read More

Overcoming E-mail Overload Using Microsoft Outlook

Do you feel like you just get too much e-mail?... Read More

Organize Your Children & Save Your Sanity

It may be difficult to relate saving money with organization... Read More

5 Easy Tips on Light that You Can Use to Improve Your Day

Light, Work, and YouWinter is here-and with it, short days,... Read More

Improve Your Workplace to Make Your Life Better

What does "quality of life" mean to you? If you... Read More

Organization Tips - How to Set Up Your Database

What's in a Name?Everything.What do you do with all the... Read More

Getting Organized For The New Year - Part 2

In part 1, we discussed a system you could use... Read More