Do I have more debt because I have clutter?

Do you have more debt because you have clutter? Does clearing one really make a difference in the other?

I have been counseling people on money matters for almost twenty-five years, and over those years, I have noticed a common thread that flows through them all. It is not hidden or even a secret. In fact, it is clearly obvious, especially to those who stop a moment and look around.

It hides in our struggles with money. It keeps us awake at night and causes us to do self-defeating behaviors. It gets our attention when we have unfulfilled wants or needs, an inability to save, an unexpected expense with no money to pay for it, or the biggie — too much credit card debt.

Those who reach out for help no longer wish to live with that struggle. The discomfort has gotten to a level that now affects all that they do — stops them from fully enjoying and engaging in life. 

Most believe they have tried everything to make matters better, yet, discouragingly, have not found that one thing that would surely bring ease and peacefulness to their money lives.

This was true for a realtor who was referred to me by her financial planner. Her investment accounts were being drained at an alarming rate, with no end in sight, no cure or solution to stop the financial bleeding. The planner had done all that she could to guide her, yet nothing seemed to work.

It all appeared to boil down to one key issue — she wasn’t making enough income to support her lifestyle. She was unable to meet her obligations and was relying more and more heavily on credit cards and her investments to meet her needs.

She, like many others who come to me for help, is often surprised by where we begin to solve their money concerns. Most focus entirely on their lack of money and put their energy and time on ways to bring in more. Whereas, what I have found, the key is to begin with your environment.

Yes, your environment is your clue! It is the common thread that binds all the issues together — your out-of-control spending and over-extended lifestyle shows up in the rooms in which you live, sleep, eat, and work.

Seldom do most of us consider this fairly simple and obvious approach — to stop and look around and let your environment guide you. The connection between the two (money and your surroundings) is seldom understood, so why would you do this? If only you could realize the significance of this connection and the helpful story it tells — one that could very well solve your most troublesome money matters.

How did I figure this out? Nearly every single person who I have counseled in money matters has eventually admitted, often sheepishly, to have out-of-control clutter — out of control environments. And, fascinatingly enough, what shows up in money, does, in fact, show up in how you handle your stuff.

Who knew that if you just cleared out the stuck energy of clutter, the stuck energy in your money would let go as well. Clear out one, and the other often follows. Studies have shown this correlation between finances and your clutter — they are deeply connected in ways we often do not comprehend. Along with those two is also weight and time management. Those four issues all connect on a core level.

The truth about clutter is that it makes you feel exhausted and hopeless, leads you to feel out of control, and makes you feel poor! And it encourages a lack of restraint in spending. After all —  How you do anything is how you do everything! (HuffPost 2011)

But, let’s get back to the realtor. Did she have clutter-filled environments? Indeed, she did, especially in her office. It was filled with many things, but mostly piles and mounds of paper. She didn’t even have room on her desk to work, often working elsewhere in her home instead.

What did I suggest she do? Where did I guide her to start?

You guessed it — with her environment and specifically her office. Together we came up with a clear vision of what she wanted it to look like and, from there, developed a plan with specific, purposeful steps to achieve that vision — the ones which would open the pathway for her money to flow.

Was she, like many of my clients, able to see the connection between their financial debt, overspending, and clutter? Did clearing out one really make a difference in the other? Only the actual act of doing it would help them make that connection.

I am a firm believer it does make a dramatic difference, often instantaneously. Take, for example, an office mate from way back — her phone was not ringing; no new clients or appointments were being booked on her calendar. I suggested she purge a few of her overly stuffed file cabinets to release the old, stuck energy imprisoned within those drawers. She no sooner started doing so, barely clearing one drawer, and the phone began to ring!

Yes, physical clutter does create emotional clutter. It does not really matter whether the debt was caused by the clutter or the other way around. It is simply old, stuck, stagnated energy. It’s delayed decisions, regrets, guilt, shame, or old childhood wounds. There’s nothing positive about it.

So, why not give it a try —  look around your environment and clear out that old stuck energy. You may find it to be well worth the effort. Most times, the result is a deep sense of calm and an overall feeling of being healthier and in control, and, along with that, your bank account grows!