How to Wear Down Clutter

I love my cat, but sometimes she wears me out. She has a very loud meow and when she wants something, like breakfast in the morning, she can meow persistently for up to two hours. A long time ago, I decided that to a certain extent I would accommodate her schedule. But only to a certain extent, after all, I am the human!

In your relationship with stuff, clutter wears you down. It keeps filling your space. When it piles up too high, it falls over and "calls you" to come pick it up in order to navigate around your space. Sometimes a lost bill calls your name loudly because you don't want to pay a late fee. Too much stuff can wear you down and overwhelm you.

With my cat, I put some boundaries in place. She gets breakfast between 5:30-7:30am. Dinner is between 5:30-7:30pm. On occasion, if I am out in the late afternoon, she may not get dinner until after 8:00pm. She gets fed on a regular basis but I'm not catering to her every whim.

You can put boundaries with stuff.

• The amount of books won't exceed the amount of shelf space.
• The number of dry goods must fit in your pantry.
• All papers must fit within the four-drawer file cabinet.
• Linens are only housed in the linen closet.

It's not always easy to maintain these boundaries. Sometimes a book may say, "I am one of your favorite books, surely you'll read me again." You have to wear it down by saying, "I enjoyed reading you but I'm ready to let someone read you now." Be strong and persistent as you maintain the boundaries you've set. Even if you have two sets of towels for each bathroom, another towel will say, "You can always use another towel. What if you have a spill? You'll need me then!" While keeping a couple of extra towels doesn't seem to be a problem, if you're keeping a "couple of extra" of everything, then you'll have too much stuff. You have to take control, set those boundaries and wear down the clutter.

If you need some help promoting stuff-flow in your space, visit our Stuff-flow website for tips and ideas. If you would like specific help setting boundaries for the amount of stuff in your space, check out our organizing or organizer coaching services. Just keep in mind, you have the power to wear down your clutter. We can help if you need a little extra reinforcement.