Would it surprise you to know that a number of people with a "clutter problem" are perfectionists? Well, it's true. Sandra Felton puts it this way in her book When You Live with a Messie,
Perfectionism is a reflection of a control issue. Messies are afraid...of losing control. They hope by having all this stuff, they will be more in control. Of course, it doesn't work that way. They lose control and meet fewer needs by this way of life.
So the thinking goes:
- "If I don't have X, I won't be able to give it to my friend when she (might) need it."
- "If I don't have Y, my colleague will think less of me."
- "If I delegate this task, the person probably won't do it the (my) right way."
- "If I don't say yes to this request, the project won't work correctly."
If this describes you, try a little bit of "thought shift" by asking yourself these questions:
- In the grand scheme of life, how important is each of these things to me?
- Am I spending my emotional energy wisely?
- What is the appropriate amount of time for this task given its' importance?
See what you can do to reduce clutter in your time and space as it relates to your perfectionist nature.
And if you are the spouse or significant other of a perfectionist, you may find Dr. David Stoop's book Living with a Perfectionist to be a helpful resource.
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