Define clutter – what does it look like?
Mar 05, 2019
Decluttering is the process of removing clutter from your life to create space for the life you’ve been dreaming of. In this post, we’ll define clutter in our lives.
First, let’s get crystal clear on what it means to create space. When you think of space, think of it as more than just a physical place, like a living room or bedroom. Space is both tangible and intangible.
Think of space as opportunity.
Creating space could be adding time to your day, freeing up funds your budget, clearing mental space or even changing your habits.
Regardless of the change, when you create space you create an opportunity to progress towards building the life you love.
Now that we’ve defined space, what about clutter?
One of my favorite definitions of clutter is,
Clutter is our postponed decisions.
– Barbara Hemphill
While this isn’t the definition I use, I still find it to be extremely powerful. If clutter represents postponed decisions, what does your clutter say about you?
My clutter says that I tend to procrastinate. Much of that procrastination occurs as I consider implementing my ideas, make big life change or evaluate my relationships. I know that because I tend to hold onto things because “one day I’ll be ready to handle it”. When I started decluttering, I had over 30 half written blog posts, physical gifts I never gave my friends and a task list a mile long.
Clutter was keeping me stuck. Decluttering pushed me to take action, shift my habits and let go of the guilt and frustration I felt staring at my clutter.
I define clutter as,
anything you think, do or have that keeps you from living a life you love.
Let’s look at some examples of clutter:
- A habit of never completing anything
- Friends/significant others that put you down
- Blowing money on things that have no significance
- Unused items lying around your home
Removing clutter, such as those mentioned above, create space (i.e. an opportunity) for you to refocus your efforts on what is most important to you.
By cutting out frivolous spending, you can start paying off debts or planning a vacation. After removing toxic friends, you will create more opportunity for meaningful relationships. By removing clutter from your home, you can finally find the peace and mental clarity you need to focus on your goals.
