"My Place is a Mess! How Did it Get this Way?"

If you're asking yourself this question, or you have a strong reaction to it, then I've got some insights for you about clutter and disorganization. 

Why does it accumumlate in the first place?

There might be hidden payoffs.  Ask yourself this, what are you getting from living in a cluttered disorganized environment?  It could be any number of things.  Perhaps you get sympathy from those who come to visit.  Maybe it's an excuse not to do things that seem "scary" or to take risks.  Maybe, deep down, you like the challenge of hunting down your car keys every morning.  Maybe it gives you an adrenaline rush, a sense of accomplishment.  It's time to get introspective and really be honest with yourself.  Once you figure out what the payoffs are, and put some effort into reprogramming yourself, amazing things can happen!

Overcommitment is another big one.  Maybe you never learned the value of the word "no", so you overcommit, and end up paying for it in loss of time, nervous disorders, resentment, clutter and chaos!  Let's not forget the money that all of those things cost you.  It's time to put yourself at the very top of your priority list!  You deserve it, whether you believe it or not...which leads me to reason number 3...

Maybe you have a sense of worthlessness, whether consciously or subconsciously.  Maybe you don't feel that you're worth taking care of, that you're worth having a nice place.  Perhaps your self-esteem is in the dumps....and your outer environment is a reflection of your inner environment.  Worthlessness is a belief, and beliefs can be challenged and changed, if you're willing to do the work.

Clutter is stuck, stagnant energy.  Once it's there, it attracts like things to it.  That's why a small pile, if left untended, can easily turn into a monstrous mass of junk!  It's also why it's harder for you to clean it up then it is for someone on the outside.  Yes, it takes a toll on that person, but it's not nearly as much because they haven't been living in this stuck energy and you have.

Sticky, icky emotional gunk like guilt, shame, blame, shoulds, etc. keep your energy low and can suck all the motivation right out of you!  Of all the clutter that you have, work on letting those things go first! 

I know you've got questions...bring 'em on!  I'm starting a Q&A, just for you!  Let's get it rolling!

Comments

[Account Deleted]

My clutter is bigger than yours is...

sense of worthlessness
stagnant energy
emotional gunk

True, but that doesn't define me. I don't often have those thoughts and feelings. Or, does it control me silently, from within, leaving no trace behind. If you can't detect it, follow it, find it, grab it, and throw it out, then what are you supposed to do? Ahhh, that would be why I need to listen and learn!

[Claire Amber]

You got it, Richard. That's exactly it. Clutter is as much about what's going on inside as what's going on outside. A shift in one can affect the other. And, it takes patience and a two-fold approach to really get to the bottom of it. It requires the active yang energy...clearing a path through your physical clutter and the more quiet yin energy of really going within and listening to the answers of the questions that you pose to yourself and the universe, therefore resolving things on a different level. Does that help?

[Account Deleted]

Hi,
Well, yeah, it DOES help me. I'm saving this. And I'm going to put it out there in a couple of other places, as well.
Thanks a lot (seriously, thanks, a lot),
Capt.RichardB

[Claire Amber]

Thank you, Richard, for your feedback! I really appreciate it. And thanks, too, for spreading the word. Have you seen my other blogs yet? They are Eco Chic Feng Shui, Consciously Inspired Living and Feng Shui Q & A. I just got a blogging account with Huffington Post, too, so I am VERY excited about that! You were one of my first subscribers/supporters, so I want to thank you, personally, for staying with me and for making this a more interactive experience. Cheers!