What’s Persistence and Clutter have to do with a Victorious Woman?
It takes Persistence to Deal with Clutter!
My Personal Journey in Making Room for New and Better!
If you are one of the many women who download my annual Thirty-One Days to Victory, you know that I always put in a couple days that deal with clearing out the clutter. I include them each year because decluttering is a way to free yourself of the things you don’t need or want anymore and is a very solid way to make room for more of what you really want.
Now that my parental caregiving days are done, I’m ready to move my career into its next phase. I want to open up space for new things in my life. I totally believe that I can’t move to the next level if I’m letting past things clutter up the flow of my good.
So I made a bold personal goal: I would declutter my home – every room, every drawer and every closet in my house would get the purge treatment. I gave myself the whole year to do it, so I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. But doing such a big task, piece by piece over a whole year, really requires persistence!
How can cleaning up the clutter make a difference in your life? Watch an episode or two of Hoarders on cable and you see it – people whose lives are destroyed by hoarding. But there is considerable research about clutter and your health, your mental state and even your ability to be successful.
Here are two unconscious or metaphysical reasons to declutter: (1) Too many things “hide” in closets or drawers and create log jams that turn into timewasters (like when you are looking for keys, sneakers, that bill you didn’t pay, stamps, etc) and (2) when you know that “stuff” is there and you aren’t doing anything with it, it becomes unconscious mental clutter. You unconsciously know that something needs to be done and you aren’t doing it. That knowledge takes space in your mind – space you could be freeing up for work or play. And it becomes a silent stressor. The combination makes you feel unconsciously bad about yourself.
Who needs it? So I got started. I got most of the basement and garage done – still holding on to some of my mom’s personal things and also some income tax and paperwork that I have to keep for another year. Some of it wasn’t easy, but all but the basement pantry is finished and it looks good!!
I’m starting to feeling lighter. Entering the garage after a long day or opening the basement door is no longer a reminder that I had something to do that I was putting off. It’s done and both rooms look orderly, giving me a sense of peace.
Next: the loft. I’ll keep you posted!
How about you? Did you ever notice an unconscious drag from clutter?
