by Jeff Williams
Recently members of my organizing class came to a realization that our generation was suffering just as much as our parents’ generation had. The reasons, though, were completely different. Our parents’ generation was plagued by scarcity. Our generation is afflicted with over-abundance.
True, the recent economic downturn and its timing does affect people in various ways. But no matter what lessons and common threads from the Great Depression apply today, the bottom line barometer is Quality of Life.
While each individual has his/her own unique way of defining Quality of Life, I submit that it can generally be measured in three distinct areas: financial, psychological and physical.
Quality of Life is inversely proportional to the amount of clutter in one’s life. The more clutter the less Quality of Life. The more open space, the more Quality of Life. When clearing creates open space, new things can be created.
We all can use more space—space in our living and work areas; space on our hard drive; space in our schedules; space in our brains; space in our tight-fitting clothes; even space on our Rolodex. Creating space can reduce stress, increase energy, add light and air and even define life purpose.
Clutter costs financially. When you put something in storage and decrease its value by the amount of the monthly storage charge. When you spend money to replace something you already have but cannot find. When you “devote” a portion of the square footage you’re leasing to clutter. Or when your garage clutter forces you to park your car outside where weather, vandals and increased insurance premiums lurk. In a time when money really matters, it pays to audit all space usage.
Clutter costs psychologically. Two participants in my recent organizing seminar confessed that they had to stay away from their home all day because their clutter depressed them. Others have testified to feeling overwhelmed when dealing with clutter and being paralyzed to stop it or even control it. One participant felt imprisoned by her stuff when she was unable to successfully downsize during a move from a three-bedroom home into a studio apartment.
Clutter costs physically. Stacked clutter can block air vents and natural light. Falling clutter can injure. Floor clutter can cause injuries from tripping, stumbling or falling. Clutter diminishes physical activity and freedom of movement.
Clutter can even obscure our life purpose. If we are defined by clutter from our past or clutter from what other people want us to be or clutter from what we think we should be, we can’t discover who we really are. That makes it hard to prepare for what the next 10 to 20 years will bring. Besides, it can be fun to discover who we really are.
Jeff Williams is president and owner of Simple & Clear: a professional organizing company that designs solutions for people who want to organize their lives and businesses. His next summer seminar takes place June 20 at Firstenburg Community Center. To register, call 360-487-7001, extension 0, or go to www.vanclarkparks-rec.org.
