Clutter and Stuff Got You Overwhelmed?  I Feel Your Pain

I find myself in an interesting situation.  For ten years now I have been asking my clients to “just let go”, “make room in your life for new opportunities”, “de-clutter, lighten up, get rid of it, and chuck it.”

I am in the midst of down sizing some of my own personal “inventory.”  I, like many of my clients, have accumulated years of inventory, much of which I use to enhance and beautify my personal life or business projects and some of which I just collect.  Understand, mind you, that my stuff is organized and I can put my hands on what I want when I need it.  Nevertheless, life is fluid and a change in circumstance requires me to say good bye to some of my stuff, and I have GREAT stuff!  Don’t we all?

Giving up stuff is painful, but freeing just the same.  I truly empathize with my clients’ emotional reactions when I prod them to get rid of their lovely, special and important stuff.

Let me share with you some Laws of Stuff:

1.    Stuff breeds– the more you have, the more you need.

2.    Useless stuff crowds out the good stuff.

3.    Dust loves stuff.  Bugs love stuff.  Rodents love stuff.  Moisture loves stuff.

4.    Stuff loves to stay where it lands.

5.    Stuff migrates– where did all those pencils go anyway?

5.    Stuff expands to fill the space available.

6.    Over time, stuff becomes invisible.

7.    Stuff costs you money more than once.

8.    Stuff has a powerful effect on your state of mind.

9.    Stuff takes on value only when it is used.

10.  Stuff doesn’t make you happy, you do.

Check out this fun video for a great visual of how stuff behaves– http://lawsofstuff.com/

Life happens.  Disruptive events such as an illness, caring for an invalid, divorce, dealing with the aftermath of a death or a job loss can put us into a state of chaos.  You may purchase cute organizational tools and try to get organized by yourself, but after several false starts you find yourself in the same or worse shape than when you started.  And guess what?  Now you have even more stuff!  A professional partner is called for.  You will find that working along side such a partner will help you know where to start, energize you and keep you on task until the job is complete.

My clients are typically embarrassed to let me see the stuff they have accumulated.  I never judge my clients.  You are not your stuff– it’s just stuff.  I know that most often there is great emotion attached to stuff and I treat those emotions with respect and empathy.  My mission is to help clients identify what is not working in their life and to come up with a solution.  I then work as a partner to implement that solution, teaching as we go along how to maintain any new system put into place.

As I go through the process of scaling back my possessions I find myself energized and open to the possibility of new pursuits that will result in personal growth and expanding opportunities.  Are you ready to let go of some of your stuff?