Do You Have a Problem with Clutter In Your Life?
It is no big secret that our personal possessions have a tendency to have a powerful grip over us. In fact, just about every house you walk into will have some sort of clutter. Yes, even those homes that have artful designs. It is almost a guarantee that behind some closed doors lies a case of clutter leaving the homeowner feeling overwhelmed.
Today, I am going to provide you with 4 reasons why you may have clutter in your home and not even know it.
4 Reasons You May Have Clutter In Your Home
1. You Do Not Understand What Clutter Is Exactly
More often than you think, many people simply do not know what clutter is exactly. Many of our possessions are indeed clutter and should be thrown away. This would help reduce the stress in our lives tremendously. Other things that we own could have great value to us but is just not stored properly. When we fail to properly store those items very dear to us it eventually becomes clutter in our life. This often happens when we buy things we feel useful to us and simply never open it and use it.
2. Not Understanding How Long To Keep Items
This is a type of confusion that takes place in many homes believe it or not. Many homeowners suffer from the problem of not knowing when to toss, donate, as well as sale something they are not using. Ultimately, the end result of this problem often results in homeowners feeling overwhelmed as well as stressed out. This was even quoted by Ginny Snook Scott, Chief Organizing Officer for California Closets. He stated, “Many people have no methodology of when and where to let go of things”.
3. Not Knowing How To Store Items Properly
One of the biggest causes of not knowing how long to keep things is simply not knowing how to properly store them. This is in fact something that is suffered by many homeowners around the world. The problem lies in the fact if you do not know how to properly store something it will indeed end up becoming clutter. Those items that are not properly stored will eventually be in the way of something you need in your home or even apartment.
Not having items in your home properly stored is not only one of the main reasons for stress, but it can also cause physical harm. Having an item not stored in the proper place can cause you or a guest to trip and fall resulting in physical harm as well as lawsuits potentially.
4. Not Following A Proven Home Organization Routine
Learning how to develop a proven and easy routine for organizing is key to reducing clutter. In fact, once you have developed a simple and proven routine you can simply practice decluttering on a regular basis. You will be using proven organizing skills without even knowing it on a daily basis.
Many professional organizers such as WOW Organizing Services located in Roanoke, VA suggest tackling clutter with a small amount at a time. By spending as little as 15-30 minutes a day around your home will result in less clutter as well as less stress in your life.
Now that you are aware of why you may indeed have clutter in your home, let’s learn exactly what clutter is.
Clutter & What Is It Exactly
Dictionary.com defines clutter as (verb) (used with object)
1. to fill or litter with things in a disorderly manner:
After giving some British specific meanings it gives the following as the noun versions of the definition:
5. a disorderly heap or assemblage; litter:
6. a state or condition of confusion.
7. confused noise; clatter.
8. an echo or echoes on a radar screen that do not come from the target and can be caused by such factors as atmospheric conditions, objects other than the target, chaff, and jamming of the radar signal.
It’s fun to look at these definitions and see how they relate to each other. Because while clutter in our sense is “a disorderly heap or assemblage,” it does cause a “confusion” as mentioned in definition 6 or 7, and really does seem to cause interference on a our “radar screens” in meeting our “targets.”
Many of us use clutter as a catch-all to describe trash or messiness.
My definition is this: Clutter is anything in your home, office or life that either serves no purpose or in its current location or iteration has no way to serve the purpose it is meant to. It’s something in the way. It’s something that takes life energy instead of gives it.
In my description of clutter, one thing I mentioned was something that can’t serve its purpose in its current place.
So clutter in your garage, a mess in your closet can be a tool in your kitchen. Not only is one man’s trash another man’s treasure but one person’s clutter can be the same person’s tool if utilized properly.
How To Know If You Have A Clutter Problem
If I have something in my home that doesn’t make me or someone I live with happy or doesn’t serve an important purpose, I ask myself these questions:
- Why do I have this?
- Is it good for me to keep this?
- Could this be better for someone else other than me?
- Should I give this away?
1. Why Do I have this?
What is the purpose of this object? Does it make my life easier or happier?
2. Is it good for me to keep this?
What are the benefits?
3. Could this be better for someone else than it is for me?
If the benefits aren’t big for me, would they be for another person? At a certain point, is it actually selfish to keep something I no longer use? I know a young man who held on a to a bass guitar hadn’t played in over 15 years. One day he spoke to a man in a store who wanted to learn to play but didn’t have one. That was the push he needed to give up his bass. And it felt good to do so.
4. Should I give this away?
Remember the man above who needed a bass. There might be kids who would love your old toys. There could be people who currently are passionate about your abandoned hobby. It’s not a disservice to their memory or the memory of someone who gave it to you for someone else to enjoy something you no longer use. Sentimentality is great. But maybe we can reframe it as sentimental for someone else to enjoy something we used to.
Don’t Let The Clutter In Your Life Overwhelm You Anymore
If you do indeed have a room, garage, or even an office in your home that has you feeling stressed end it today. Start getting those items leaving you feeling overwhelmed organized right away. If you are not sure how to start do not worry! Simply contact WOW Organizing Services today (540) 420-8225 or Click Here and set up your FREE Consultation Today!
WOW Organizing Services offers over 25 years of experience as well as Virtual Coaching in all 50 states. As always with WOW there are No Judgements…Just Improvements! So stop letting the clutter in your life leaving you feeling overwhelmed, take you first step to getting organized…Right Away! Don’t forget to sign up for our email list so that you don’t miss out on our future informative articles as well as Tips & Specials.
