Comments on: 9 Seemingly Logical Excuses for Clinging to Clutter

By: Stephanie Hackney

Stephanie Hackney — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:43:37 +0000

What a wonderful way to share with people how clutter holds us back. It is so true. And yes, even organized people sometimes have to revisit these lessons.

As a professional organizer, I have heard all the excuses again and again (usually when I am trying to ascertain why something is being kept and the client really does not want to let go…of anything!).

Here are my responses to them:
1. “I’d be a bad mean horrible person if I…” – the memories you have on the person who left this to you are all you need to be close to this person. If you truly want to honor them, then place this item in a place worthy of it. If you are not willing to do that, then perhaps a family member would be thrilled to have this item?
2. “I spent so much on it!” – the money is spent and it’s not coming back. Keeping the “x” will only serve to cost you even more money.
3. “I might need this someday.” – yes, you might. Then again, you might not. Trust in the fact tat either you will be able to afford to purchase this, or borrow it, when “someday” comes.
4. “I might do this someday.” – the road is paved with good intentions. But, we need to be truthful with ourselves. If we were really interested in “doing this,” we would have done so already. You have not had time? We make time for that which is truly important to us.
5. “I gotta look good to my guests.” – this one I have never heard, but it’s been implied. I would say if your friends or family only thinks highly of you because of your stuff, perhaps their opinion is not that important. I absolutely agree that this is a fear-driven behavior, one that says “I want to belong and to be liked – my stuff does that for me.”
6. “I Don’t Know Where It Goes.” – this is usually why I am brought in to assist people. They simply don’t have places designated for things and are drowning in their clutter or disarray. We work to create the places, based on functionality and need.
7. “My thoughts don’t have any power. Do they?” – Again, this is not something clients usually express, but it’s something I speak with them about. Our thoughts create our actions which creates our reality.
8. “But I never wore it!” – Holding on to it serves what purpose? Wouldn’t you rather make room for something you WILL wear and make someone’s day by gifting it to them?
9. “There’s too much stuff!” – And you don’t know where to begin, right? Start small. Start by choosing the area causing the most pain and deal with it, head-on. Then, once you experience the success that comes with clearing the clutter and solving the pain, you can move on. Almost all clients find they are invigorated by achieving some sense of order and they are soon “white lightening” it around their whole place!

Again, thanks for putting this out there for the world to see. We could all do with a little less stuff and a little more room to breathe and grow.

Stephanie

By: lisa

lisa — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 19:57:09 +0000

There are no “extra flashlights” (unless they DON’T WORK). Watch it, lady.

P.S I fill with good will whenever I read your blog. Thank you for having such good humor!

By: Marilyn Sholin

Marilyn Sholin — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 15:21:21 +0000

AMEN!! We are selling our home where the business also is and to get it ready for sale we are throwing out, shipping out and having hauled away more “STUFF” than I could imagine I owned!! Every one of your points HIT HOME..thanks for helping me to not feel guilty about it all.

Marilyn

By: Rebecca Thorman

Rebecca Thorman — Mon, 27 Aug 2007 01:51:22 +0000

I just transitioned into a new phase in my life and found that getting rid of crap was essential. I felt it, necessary, in fact, so I could start my new and fresh. I enjoyed this series; I’m planning to purge more soon!

By: pam

pam — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 13:20:05 +0000

I did get rid of the phone cords, at least most of them and last week I needed them! The phone quit and they had me see if it worked out on the box on the side of the house. It worked so they would not come to fix the phone for 4 days. They said we could hook the phone up outside and run a cord through a window and have phone sevice. If you can still call 911 they don’t have to fix it right away. The cords I saved weren’t enough to get into the house so we had our phone, fax machine and answering machine sitting outside for 4 days. It is a good thing we have wireless internet or the computer might have been out there too!!!

Pam

By: Claire Fontaine

Claire Fontaine — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 22:29:53 +0000

Hi Christine – We chatted at the opening night cocktail party at Blogher (you were on the floor, I was in a chair.)I’m the author that just had a year of constant touring and appearances and we talked about the need for solitude and having “ourself to ourself” sometimes. I loved hearing you sing and regretted not finding you afterward to say so. So I googled you today and O, cease, my beating heart. Your blog embodies what my daughter, Mia, and I chronicled in our memoir, “Come Back,” so well, and so much better than my own blog, that I’m just going to send everyone who visits my blog to yours with, “yeah, whatever she just said!”

By: Rebecca (GlamSpirit)

Rebecca (GlamSpirit) — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 18:11:47 +0000

So many good excuses here. I think the energy of objects is most apparent to me, because I notice that I feel lighter and can breathe more easily once the clutter’s gone.

By: Christine Kane

Christine Kane — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 01:06:19 +0000

hi mags, it’s funny that you said your mom wouldn’t want the stuff back. that’s what i always suspect about these kinds of things!

thanks for that link, fivecats!

By: Kent Blumberg

Kent Blumberg — Tue, 21 Aug 2007 00:45:52 +0000

Wow! I love this post, because it has my mind spinning about the excuses companies use to hold on to unwanted divisions, unwanted products, lousy customers and all kinds of other clutter. I’ve got to go away and think about this. Hopefully a related post later in the week.

Thanks for the inspiration!

By: Petra

Petra — Mon, 20 Aug 2007 22:31:00 +0000

Well, Christine, first it was the Zippy Bags! I got rid of five of them and the ball has just started rolling. Thanks!!! Yesterday I cleaned out my garage and I now have room for two cars again (I only have one, but that’s besides the point). On Wednesday, the broken lawn mower goes out front for bulk pickup (it’s been broken for a year) and then the garage will be completely cleaned up. I just loved driving in after work today; it was so clean and organized and spacious! After I cleaned out the garage, I went to work on the refrigerator. Threw out two cans of energy drink that I got for free TWO YEARS AGO! I don’t do caffeine, but I thought maybe someone would drink them. Now the contents have been dumped and the cans put in recycling. The freezer and pantry are next.

I think this series of posts has really spurred this “letting go” semi-frenzy of mine. And, in what I’m sure is totally related, today was the first day of classes and it was my best-ever first day in terms of relating to students. And (this has NEVER happened in my years as an academic), I actually had perfect attendance in all three of my courses. Fifty in the biggest class and every single person showed up for that class. I’m sure it’s because of the space for positive energy I’ve cleared by getting rid of that which is weighing me down. This post is fantastic!