Clearing Clutter for Clarity

Why clearing clutter is important?

I recently had the time to read ‘Ask and it is Given’ by Esther and Jerry Hicks, which I highly recommend you read. The book is full of lots of Ah Ha moments and no matter where you are in life, something will resonate. For me the process around Clearing Clutter for Clarity was just what I needed to read.

One of my ongoing challenges is that overtime I have created for myself a very cluttered environment. Unsorted piles of paper, clothes washed but not put away, miscellaneous items everywhere. This has transferred into my digital world – unanswered emails, a million tabs open and work projects started but not finished.

Why do we add clutter?

I am not 100% sure how I allowed this behaviour to seep into my life so consistently. Esther and Jerry Hicks suggest that there are two main causes.

1. You throw something away, only to discover soon after, that you really did need it after all. Or
2. You try to get organised, only to become so bogged down in the sorting process that you end up leaving an even bigger mess. Leaving you feeling more overwhelmed.

The second certainly rings true for me and if either resonates with you, the good news is that all is not lost. We can learn new habits and this one will help you clear your environment and allow all areas of your life to benefit. So I hope you find this process as therapeutic as I have and it puts a whole new perspective on how you can clear clutter without the anxiety and dread you normally associate with it. 

Clutter free in 7 easy steps. 

1. Buy 10-20 matching boxes that will stack nicely on top of each other. You will also need a voice recorder (you can use your phone)
2. Label them 1-20
3. Place 5 boxes in the middle of the first room you want to organise
4. Now look around the room, focus upon an item and ask, “Is this item important to your immediate experience?” If the answer is yes leave it where it is. If the answer is no, put it in one of the boxes. Then pick up another item and repeat.
5. Each time you put a item into a box, speak into the recorder and note what you have added. Ie old computer cables – box 1, a pair of boots – box 2, children’s book – box 3.
6. With 5 or 6 boxes open you can do some general sorting. Put all books in one same box, all clothing items in another. But don’t overthink it, if it doesn’t match other things, still put it in a box as the goal is to remove clutter. It is not to sort through the clutter.
7. Once your done transfer the information from the voice recorder onto an alphabetised spreadsheet. Ie under B write books – children,  Boots – women and under C – computer cables.

Clearing clutter without the need to sort!

Because you are not sorting, this process will go very quickly. You will find yourself feeling better as your space becomes less cluttered. You will not experience the same levels of worry, that you will not be able to find something, because you will have made a record of exactly where everything is.

1. Now find somewhere in your house or garage where these neat boxes can be placed and you can still access them if needed. Now if you realise you need something, you will know exactly which box to look on. Equally if after a few months you have not needed anything from a box then you could move the box further out of reach. Or you may be willing to discard its contents all together, providing you with an empty box to add new clutter as it arises.
2. If after 12 months you have not touched a box you should now have the belief that it can be discarded or better still passed on to an organisation that can benefit from the items.

That is it from me today, I hope you have a calm and restful day, one that brings you joy. One free from anxiety and as Positivity and Happiness are Contagious… Start your own Happiness ripple today!

Good luck and stay warm