As I ponder the title of the Holistic Organizers TeleSummit five other holistic professional organizers and I have put together that will be broadcast February 18-24, I wonder what thoughts come to your mind when you read this title. Here are some to consider…
“Escape” has many meanings (according to an online Thesaurus):
To flee, run away, get away, break out, break away from…
Sometimes we may feel like fleeing or running away from our clutter, but that’s not going to make it go away. That’s why I like the concept of “breaking away” from clutter. It implies a process of detaching from it—looking at it more objectively, with less emotional attachment. This isn’t always an easy thing to do, but if we keep telling ourselves, “It’s too hard,” then it’s going to continue to be “too hard.” Start telling yourself that it’s getting easier.
Affirmation: It is getting easier to break away and let go of clutter.
“Your” has no other synonyms. However, it does imply only dealing with your own clutter—not someone else’s. This might not be the case if you have young children, because it often takes awhile to get them to pick up after themselves, but I do not advise anyone to get rid of someone else’s clutter without permission to do so. If you live with someone else’s clutter, take care of your own first. Your example can sometimes inspire them to clear out their own.
Affirmation: I am learning to let go of my clutter, one space at a time.
“Clutter” also has many meanings:
Mess, litter, disorder, confusion, untidiness, muddle…
As discussed quite extensively in my book (pp. 146-149), “physical clutter” means different things to different people—things we don’t use, don’t know what they’re for, don’t know where to put, don’t want to deal with, etc.
I’m a great advocate for clearing out the “mental clutter” first—all our to-do’s and plans, worries and fears, regrets and expectations, plus all the self-defeating thoughts and words that run through our heads. When our clear this clutter from our mind, it’s easier to make decisions and clear out the clutter in our home, our office and our life.
I don’t know of any clutter that makes us feel good—it all weighs us down and makes us feel pretty awful, right? And it’s much easier to get things done when we feel good!
Affirmation: Clearing out my clutter makes me feel better.
“Prison” is one of my least favorite words, bringing up images of criminals and darkness, but some of its synonyms might provide us with incentives to break free:
Jail, incarceration, penitentiary, penal complex, secure unit, reformatory…
Hmmm….none of these words resonate very much, but sometimes our clutter can make us feel more “secure,” especially if it is familiar and comforting. There are things that may no longer be “useful, meaningful and beautiful,” but they still tug at our heartstrings, especially if we are sentimental.
Perhaps its better to think about how we might feel in our “Clutter Prison”…fenced in, confined, trapped, afraid, limited, depressed, hopeless? And wouldn’t it be wonderful to break free of these feelings that drag us down.
Affirmation: I am breaking free from my clutter, starting right now!
May we all break free from our clutter in 2013!
