Decluttering
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Why do we insist on making life complicated?
Ever wonder why we prefer complicated to simple? Crazy, isn’t it that given the option of simple or complex, we pick the more complicated option. If it’s too simple, we believe it’ll never work, and we end up favoring the complex. We give undue credence to complex concepts versus simple ones. I have seen this in action over the years in my money counseling practice as I’ve counseled individuals, couples, and business owners in simple ways to tidy up and manage their money. I have helped thousands of people unpack and make simple how they manage their funds. Yet, as soon as it becomes simpler, never fail; they find a…
- Cherished Items, Consumption, Decluttering, Letting go, Musings, Simplifying, Storage Space, Tidying
Where’s your pile of negativity?
Where’s your pile of negativity? Let’s talk basements and attics. Not that everyone has them. However, for those of you who do, have you considered the tremendous negative energy that smolders below and hangs heavily above? Your basements are full of who knows what, and your attics are full of even more. Most of it you’ve kept for years, if not decades. For those who don’t have a basement or attic, this applies to you too! Aw shucks! Did you think I would only stick to what is under or above you in your home? You’ve got piles of negativity too. Only yours are hidden away in inventive places or…
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What about those collectibles?
What about those collectibles? Who doesn’t love a teddy bear? Oh, so soft and squishy. How can you possibly not fall in love with their sweet little faces – button noses, chubby cheeks, and those adoring eyes. They look at you with acceptance and love. Can you tell my collectibles are teddy bears? Or at least they used to be. I had them displayed all over my house. They were on shelves at the ceiling in our bedroom, in a glassed-in cabinet in our home office, sitting on chairs or rockers, or on the bed. You name it; my growing teddy bear collection was taking over every room in the house.…
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Is your clutter hidden?
Is your clutter hidden? Are you ready to laugh at yourself? There’s nothing better than to laugh at yourself when you recognize that you, too, have fallen trap to something you thought you had dealt with already. Such as clutter. You prided yourself on the fact that it was no longer an issue. After all, you have nothing left to discard, let go of, or giveaway—all neat, tidy, and organized. Or so you think! A friend and I laughed at ourselves as we chatted about clutter. We joked about how we had convinced ourselves we didn’t have any and agreed the visible areas in our homes were clear of excess. There was…
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What excuse do you use to avoid clearing clutter?
Do you hear yourself say this — I’m too busy to tidy up! What excuse do you use to avoid clearing clutter? Excuses! There is always a handy one. If not, certainly easy enough to dig one up, especially when you feel cornered or pressed. From funny, bizarre, and ingenious, to serious, sincere, and earnest, there is an excuse for everything. Whether we use them or not is up to us and whether we see the “real” truth behind the excuse, is also up to us. Let’s face it, there are more excuses than the hoarded stuff in your piles. Pick up any of the objects you have decided to…
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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…
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Is there a connection between diet, health, & clutter?
Did you know there is a connection between your diet, your health, and your clutter? Most folks think of one thing, and one thing only, when I say the word clutter. They think of their stuff. All their piles, jammed up closets, chock-full garages, unfiled papers, and excess stuff! Their minds and emotions swirl when just the word “clutter” is uttered. Up comes every emotion possible, from guilt, shame, overwhelm, and anger to denial, justification, excuses, and protestation. Sometimes those emotions motivate us to clean it up and clear it out. Most times, it shuts us down, and we avoid it. We tell ourselves we’ll do it another day. Or that it’s not that bad,…
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Where do I put the stuff when there’s nowhere to put it?
Good question, isn’t it? So many of us have asked this very question over our lifetime as we’ve accumulated more and more stuff. There are, of course, many answers to that question. However, before we go any further, let me take two possible solutions off the table. The first solution is not a bigger house. Whether we are aware of it or not, our reason for wanting a home with additional square footage is that our current house isn’t big enough to contain all our stuff. Or so we tell ourselves. We then naturally gravitate to wanting a bigger house. Granted, there are certainly instances in which a larger home…
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What compels you to fill up empty space?
Do you know what compels you to fill up empty space? After all, you finally decluttered that jam-packed closet, drawer, room, or garage — areas packed to the brim for eons. And proudly, you stepped back and breathed a big sigh of satisfaction and relief. Finally, you think, it is done! Ta-da, like magic, there is open space. But then, before you know it, you fill it up again. I’m sure you told yourself at that point — Why have stuff lying around when there’s this newly empty space? You decided it didn’t make sense to waste it. And, wham! The space is packed full once again. Of course, it makes no sense to have stuff lying about when…
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Help! I’m drowning in paper!
NOTE: This is a popular article I repeat every so often since paper clutter is a biggie! What do you need to keep and what you can toss is a question I get asked frequently. Help! I’m drowning in paper! Do I really need to keep it all? You want me to do what with all that paper? I’m supposed to do what? File? Organize? You must be kidding. There are mountains of it and just the thought gives me hives. And, even if I decided to waste away a lovely Saturday afternoon on such a soul-sucking chore, what in the world do I keep anyway? What do I toss? Everything seems…