3 OTHER (sneaky, sly) Types of Clutter…

There’s CLUTTER and then there are the insidious cousins (not you, Dan or Karen) of clutter. These are the devious little monsters that pull your energy away from letting go of the chaos in your space...You’re moving forward, birds chirping, sun shining, getting rid of items in your space that do not spark your energy or speak to your future when out of nowhere you slow to a crawl by one of these (seemingly brilliant) ideas:

The green monster on your shoulder says something like this...

>>>“BUY THE CONTAINERS FIRST!” So, you stop your beautiful progress, midstream, get in the car and go to the store to be seduced by the pretty bins and baskets. STOP!!!! Wait until your editing process is finished. You may not need as many as you think. In fact, you may not need any at all! Buying the bins and baskets before you finish making decisions is backwards and is just another kind of clutter. 
Basket Clutter---eeeeek!

>>>“YOU SHOULD MAIL IT, DROP IT OFF AT A FRIEND’S, RETURN IT, CONSIGN IT, DONATE IT TO A RETIREMENT CENTER, CHILD CARE CENTER, OR LIBRARY.” This type of “to-do” list splits up your energy and sets you off running in a dozen different directions with your junk. Go back to your original desire to feel better and create space for your dreams. Then think about the time and energy it would take to go to the many, many, many places your brain is listing. Is it TRUE(?) that all that stuff has to go to all of those exact locations? Is it really true? It might actually be necessary to mail something, return it to the library, etc. But, over and over, I see clients fall into this trap of creating a nearly impossible task of running around “delivering” their junk to the whole world. In many cases it’s just not necessary. Books can go to the Goodwill, so can hardware items. One place is really not better than another. Really. Creating a long to-do list of this sort puts you smack dab in the middle of another kind of clutter: Running Around (or Back Seat) Clutter--Big energy drain!

>>>“YOU ARE NOT BEING ECO-CONSCIOUS ENOUGH!” I’m as eco-conscious as the next person. And I always guide my clients to let go of items in the most eco-friendly way possible. I have sent media out to be recycled properly and taken toxic items to the approved municipal dumping site. Sometimes, though, people feel so worried and guilty that they’re damaging the environment that they can hardly throw anything away. I’ve met people who agonize over tossing photos (chemicals), rubber bands (Is it really rubber?) or receipts (also chemicals). Some people have entire rooms or sheds full of things that their local recycling center isn’t yet able to handle. It’s not politically correct to say, “Don’t you think you’re going a little overboard with this?” because caring for the environment is seen as such a socially acceptable and admirable practice. But when it’s taken this far, it’s concerning rather than commendable and can be a fire hazard if the piles of stuff get out of hand.
Eco-Conscious Clutter--just do the best you can, better it be in the landfill than in your home!

If any of these tricky clutter monsters try to derail you from your mission (You know, the one where you get your junk handled and feel energized when you’re done?)...remember your vision, picture the future you’ve created with space for a life you love!

Contact me if you want support to clear out...I would LOVE to help!

XOXO

Jane