Which Type of Clutter is Holding You Back?

Did you know that January is National Get Organized Month? According to Google, Resolving to Get Organized is the second most popular New Year’s Resolution behind losing weight.

If you’re one of the millions of people who have made the commitment to become more organized in 2014, congratulations! I’m happy to help you on your journey.

“Getting Organized” is a pretty broad term if you ask me. I’ve met countless people who are masters at juggling work assignments, but cannot manage to keep their personal files in order, does that make them organized?

Or how about the people whose kitchen is tidy, but dare you open a closet for fear of something toppling on your head, are they organized?

What about the person who is running in 20 different directions and can’t seem to find time to cook a decent meal, but their closets are neat, would you consider them organized?

Regardless of your trouble area (s), the first step involves reducing the amount of clutter in your world. (Notice I didn’t say eliminate, because we all know that’s impossible.) We can however, significantly reduce the amount of clutter we accept into our lives and our homes on a daily basis.

What is clutter? Clutter is defined as anything that fills or litters things in a manner that creates disorder.

I break down clutter into 3 basic forms: physical, emotional and calendar:

• Physical Clutter is the “stuff” that is in your way. It could be tools, clothing, books, toys, paper, the list is endless. Physical clutter is caused from a variety of reasons, lack of time, laziness, poor design layout, etc. Regardless of the source, physical clutter creates anxiety, messiness and a general sense of chaos.

• Emotional Clutter is the “guilt” that stops you from purging physical items. Some examples are your children’s art work, a gift someone gave you that you don’t like but feel obligated to keep, or something you spent a lot of money on but barely use. Emotional clutter typically results in physical clutter.

• Calendar Clutter comes when you are overextended. Overbooking or over committing is a common cause of disorganization which results in the accumulation of clutter in ones life. If you find that you don’t have enough time to do what you want, or if you’re constantly running with no downtime, you probably suffer from calendar clutter.

So as you embark on your journey to a more organized life, the first question to ask yourself is “What type of clutter is holding me back?”

Each form of clutter is not mutually exclusive, in fact they all are indirectly related. Once you’ve determined which type is your biggest source of stress you can learn strategies to reduce anxiety in your world.

Still need some extra guidance? Consider some one-on-one coaching sessions to help you get to the root of your clutter and send get you on a path of organization. Think of it as a personal trainer who provides you with proven strategies to success while motivating you along the way.

Click here to learn more about my  B organized coaching program.

Happy Organizing!