-
ORDER OUR BOOK TODAY
Now available in paperback.
The half-full glass
I receive a steady stream of e-mails from people who feel frustrated, overwhelmed, and overpowered by their clutter. Most of the stories that are shared in these messages are similar to my personal story — they don’t know where or how to start uncluttering, they don’t feel that they have the time and energy to solve their problem, and they fear that if they get their clutter under control once that it will quickly spiral out of control again.
These e-mails most often come into my inbox during the middle of the night, and I imagine their authors to be sitting in the dark, their faces illuminated only by their computer screens, typing their messages to me with stress and anxiety flooding over them. My heart pours out to these message writers. I’ve been there. I know exactly what it’s like to feel powerless over your stuff.
From experience, I know that writing about the problem can be cathartic. It gives the writer the opportunity to specifically identify the problem, and the “STUFF!” becomes just “stuff.” Knowing the exact problem helps the author to better see a solution. If someone is capable enough to type a coherent e-mail (or write about it in a journal), he or she is capable of fixing the problem — sometimes with the help of someone else, and sometimes just on his or her own.
The one thing all of the people writing me these e-mails lack is simply a belief that they can change. They don’t see a light at the end of the tunnel. Their glass appears to be half-empty, instead of half-full. But, I know that change can happen. People have free will — we are not pre-programmed robots. We have a choice about how we live our lives, and we can simply choose to live clutter free.
It really is as simple as deciding to live without clutter. See the glass half full. Choose to live a remarkable life. Instead of spending energy coming up with excuses for why you can’t do it, use that same energy to brainstorm ways in which you can.
If, like the people who e-mail me during the wee hours of the night, you’re ready to embark on a change, check out these previous Unclutterer articles full of tips for putting your new perspective into practice:
I am proof that change is possible and that you can get out from under the stress caused by your clutter. I believe anyone can do it, even those who might stumble a few times (I certainly did) or need a little help along the way. Now, have the same faith in yourself. Go on, get started!
14 comments posted
Posted by jayp80 - 05/13/2010
To those of you reading this article. Living an uncluttered life can be done, with this sites help. I’ve always been a clean person. I’m also a gadget lover. When you add the 2 together you get a person with a lot of stuff that is hidden away. I starting following this blog about a year ago. Let me just say thank-you. My stuff has since been reduced to a livable amount and more importantly I can find what I have without tearing my place apart.
Posted by Tami - 05/13/2010
Yes! I’ve found one of the best ways to become an “expert” on any subject is to write about it. Being able to explain something intelligently to another person requires a fairly thorough knowledge of the subject.
For non-writers, sometimes even just thinking about how you would tell someone else about your problem and what you want to do or what you hope to accomplish is enough to spark off the necessary mindset.
As an amusing aside, the auto-advertisement accompanying this blog post in my feed reader was a product that’s been featured in a previous Unitasker Wednesday post – the Fit & Fold. Ha!
Posted by Sarah S. - 05/13/2010
I think the key is in what you write in “6 Tips”: “I varied my intensity, but most days I believed I could change how I was living.” That is the main element missing from me: the belief that I can change.
Just this week I have addressed this with my chronic tardiness. With a “Just Do It” attitude, I now arrive 5-10 minutes early at my scheduled appointments. Yes, I had to be royally embarrassed and sick of it AGAIN to make this change. Yes, it has required a shift in the way I think about everything. And, of course, I have failed because I can’t expect to change 40 years of bad habits in less than a week. But I can and will be an “on time” person. And my husband will wonder where his wife went.
I don’t know if I currently have the mental energy to believe that I will be an on time person AND a decluttered person. Perhaps when prompt is a little more auto-pilot to me..,
Posted by Rosa - 05/13/2010
Thank you for this. We are 90% uncluttered. Every single room of our house is being used for its intended purpose and all look nice enough for drop-in visitors.
But it’s still easy to focus on the unconquered monsters (half my attic, and half our basement) instead of how much has already changed.
Posted by Adventure-Some Matthew - 05/13/2010
Find that motivating factor and focus on it, in a positive sense.
I was tired of sorting through my clothes, and I had read about the 100 things challenge, and I wanted that simple pleasure of opening my closet, quickly choosing what to wear, and going about my day. So I did it. I decided to, took some time and sorted through my clothes, and kept only the ones that I wear on a regular basis anyway. Now my closet is cleaner, my mornings are easier, and life is all-around better.
I’ve got too many books, many of which I’ll never open again. So, I’m going to set aside some time this weekend, go through them, and get rid of the ones I won’t use again. This will free up some shelf space so that I can better display the books that I do want to keep and use.
Keep the end goal in mind, not the current problems. One small step after another and you’ll be there sooner than you can imagine.
Posted by hippolyta - 05/13/2010
Erin, you are a continual inspiration. I began the decluttering process on my own and found this blog several months ago when looking for ideas. Now it is a daily read, just to remind me to stay on target. I was raised by two compulsive hoarders and was a clutterbug for many years. But every year I am better and better at getting rid of things I don’t need and organizing and truly using the remainder. I’m not there yet, but it is no longer overwhelming and I see light at the end of the tunnel. My home is more pleasant than it has ever been, and I can read lists of decluttering tips and think “I do most of those things already.” Hooray!
Sarah S., good idea. I, too, should use the same principles I use for decluttering and apply them to becoming an on-time person.
Posted by Philly - 05/13/2010
I think jayp80 (first commenter) just wrote part of my biography. I, too, am a neat and tidy person with carefully organized boxes of stuff tucked away everywhere. When I first found unclutterer.com, I read just about every post on here (this was about a year ago, so there were a LOT of posts to read). I was hooked on uncluttering and used a lot of tips here to help me let go of a lot of useless and unimportant stuff. It can be done! As a former coworker of mine used to say, “You have to start by starting.”
Posted by Darius - 05/14/2010
I’m not great at uncluttering but things are relatively neat and tidy. I find setting a small goal is really helping. So everyday I get rid of 7 things. 7 a day is an achievable goal – so I might go through the magazine stand in my living room and get rid of 7 old magazines. Yesterday I got rid of 7 coffee mugs out of our overflowing cupboard and gave them to a work colleague whose daughter is heading out on her own for the first time. Tomorrow I’ll go through the book shelf and get rid of 7 books. Etc. Sunday, I’ll clean out the drawer of my nightstand and get rid of 7 things. Sort of like saving money – a bit here and there. Or losing weight – cutting back on snacking first. That way it just doesn’t seem so overwhelming, it’s easy to make it a habit.
I also find being on a budget and sticking to it really reduces the amount of useless stuff I am tempted to buy. (I’ve begun practicing the buy something, get rid of something rule….helps curb the appetite for new things…)
Posted by magnoliasouth - 05/14/2010
I would like to say that these work and are helpful, but naturally there is always going to be one person who is different from the rest.
My problems are:
1. Being overwhelmed. When I look around there are just way too many things to organize. It would take months, seriously MONTHS (maybe even years) to get it the way I want. More on this in a moment.
2. Motivation. The getting started part is tough but not nearly as bad as the idea that I have to wait for months before it is actually done. When I think about the months part, my motivation drops to less than zero.
3. Space. I know exactly how I want to do it, but finding a place to put everything the way I want is impossible. Were I a wealthy woman, that wouldn’t be a problem but my budget does not allow for the type of organization that I would need. I have no closet space, I have no shelves, I have nothing.
4. Physical abilities. I am a nurse, but am unable to work due to an injury. For that matter my official medical limitations are standing for no more than one hour per day, sitting for no more than one hour per day and no bending. Can you imagine?! I’m still not certain what my doctor expects me to do the other 22 hours in a day. Either way, you can see the problem that presents itself here.
5. Maintenance. Even if and I mean IF I do get started it quickly becomes a problem because maintaining only one small part of my home while I work on others is difficult to do. I just end up moving all junk into the unfinished portion. This makes the task nearly impossible to complete.
It’s not about change for me… well at least, it’s not ALL about change for me. I guess the serenity prayer is a good thing to look at here. There are some things I cannot change here that are absolute requirements; physical abilities and space in the home.
Now if there is any advice on how to handle this, then I’m all ears.
Still love the articles here though! Seriously, I do.
Posted by LG - 05/14/2010
Start with ONE drawer. ONE drawer in one cabinet or one dresser. Pretty soon, you will have a cabinet or a dresser. Then one shelf, or one closet and keep going. It can seem overwhelming, but just do one little contained space at a time!
Posted by another deb - 05/16/2010
magnoliasouth,
My sympathy for your current health challenges. I know you must feel like you have to wait for your uncluttering, so make the best of it! Looks like you might be set up for some time to read as you recover, eh? Get started on the organizing books you have heard about on this blog. Also, go through the magazines and books you have around the house and then get them out of the house.
If it is possible, you might enlist the help of a professional organizer who can also do the heavy lifting for you for a few sessions. That might make a world of difference in your mood!
Begin your plan for the remarkable life goals Erin has described.You can do a lot of mental uncluttering as you recover, some deep thinking and planning.
Posted by NP Jara - 05/17/2010
I am one of those who also feel overwhelmed with the amount of uncluttering which should be done in my house. When we first moved in our apartment after getting married, I thought I would be able to live an uncluttered life but as gifts from family, friends & godparents keep coming for my child, it was difficult to maintain an uncluttered life. I start small by following Darius’ practice of “buy something, get rid of something”.
Posted by DJ - 05/17/2010
Never underestimate the power of starting small. I started years ago, when clutter had built up after the birth of my kids, with cleaning out just one closet, bit by bit, when the kids were napping. Took me a whole week. But then I realized that you can tackle clutter a tiny amount at a time, and provided you have a system for keeping the newly decluttered and organized spaces tidy, you will eventually be done.
Posted by NP Jara - 05/18/2010
DJ,
It’s affirming to know that there are other people like me who do it “one step at a time”. When it took me 2 days to clear out one cabinet, I thought I was too slow
I’m curious about the system you use to keep newly decluttered and organized spaces tidy. Could you please share it with me and/or other readers of unclutterer?
Comments are closed for this entry.