The Truth About Clutter: From an Organizing Professional

Stuff is stealthy. It creeps up on you when you aren’t looking. One day everything seems manageable and the next day…poof, there’s a big pile of stuff.

It happens when you:

• don’t put items away after you are finished using them
• purchase something but don’t have a place for it
• “get a deal,” e.g., buy one, get one free
• say you will “take care of it sometime”

It may also occur during a life transition.

For example, I had a rotator cuff repair on my left arm in 2012. When I needed one on my right arm in 2021, I knew I needed specific supplies. Some I already had, others I needed to get.

Okay, the ones I needed to get were buttoned shirts and buttoned pajamas because many from 2012 no longer fit.☹️

When we think we “need” something, it’s easy to fall into a couple of traps:

• Need vs. want confusion. Once the brain decides you “need”a something, it’ll supply you with all sorts of reasons why you can’t live without it. You have to intentionally pause and evaluate whether the item is truly a need. In the case of clothes during my recuperation from rotator cuff surgery, I definitely needed ones that buttoned because I would be unable to put anything over my head.
• “Appropriate amount” miscalculation. If buying one is good, buying five is better? Whether an item is a need or a want, it’s easy to acquire more than necessary. This happens because we focus on “what” vs. “how many.” Again, a pause to evaluate is handy. For my surgery, which happened in the winter, I would need some long-sleeved shirts and only a few short-sleeved shirts. I took time to really count how many I already owned that fit the criteria. Then I calculated the total number I’d need during recovery, keeping in mind that the only time I would leave the house for a few weeks was for physical therapy. So I could wear each shirt at least twice prior to laundering.

So you can understand how the accumulation of stuff may be stealthy. The results, however, are anything but.

Once you realize that you are overwhelmed by stuff, the impact is immediate and costly. Stuff-overwhelm leads to stress, sleeplessness, panic, and often more purchases since you can’t find what you need so you re-purchase it.

How costly is it? You spend money on items you don’t need. You lose time you could be enjoying with family or friends because you have to “find something.”

So how can we decrease stuff-overwhelm? By taking away the stealth factor!

Be purposeful! Announce that excess stuff isn’t welcome anymore.

Here are some strategies:

Change your self-talk:

• “If I take the time to put this away now, I will be able to find it when I need it.”
• “I know this is a good deal, but I really don’t need two black t-shirts.”
• “Who can I borrow this from?” A Polar-Care Cube was part of my surgical package in 2012. I’ve loaned it out multiple times since so that someone didn’t have to purchase one.

Ask the hard questions:

• “Where will I put this if I buy it?”
• “When would I use a second <fill in the item>?”
• “How often will I use it?“

Develop new habits:

• Practice the one-in, one-out principle. Every time you bring a new object into your space, delete a current one through donation, consignment, recycling, etc.
• Put items away once your done using them.
• Keep the number of articles that fit into the space comfortably.

Contrary to popular opinion, your stuff doesn’t multiply overnight or while you’re away, even though it may seem like it.

Instead your possessions take over because they cover multiple horizontal surfaces, they are more abundant than your storage space, and they are purchased faster than they are used.

Through awareness and being intentional, it’s possible to bring your stuff under control! Take one small step today by developing a new habit, asking yourself a hard question, or changing your self-talk.

Do you feel overwhelmed by your stuff due to life altering circumstances? You don’t have to deal with it alone! I partner with ambitious people in the midst of disruptive life changes to achieve calm and control so they can live their life again. Are you ready to create a space you love? Great! Let’s schedule a no-obligation exploratory call to see how I can help you make that happen.