I haven’t had one idea, one “ah ha moment” or an inkling for what to write about for months until today.
What do I blame the block on? CLUTTER.
I am not a hoarder; I’m not even a collector of “collectibles” and my tabletops and counters are basically clear except for my home office. I have an office and a desk that are dragging me down with piles of so many interesting articles I want to read and write about and bills to file (fortunately they are all paid) and taxes to organize and new and old photos that need a home. You get the picture.
I am the poster child for Cluttered Environment/Cluttered Mind.
I don’t know about you, but my biggest stressor is disorganization and clutter. It gives me headaches, makes me tired, unmotivated and feeling scattered.
I’m not the only one in the house who can’t let things go which simply compounds the problem. Do you have unfinished work, unfinished projects, unanswered mail, magazines, catalogues, fat clothes, skinny clothes, books to read or reread? Do you have duplicates or triplicates of things? How about the 20 packs of sandpaper we discovered when cleaning our garage or the new in box keyboard in a storage box labeled Home Improvements.
Whatever it is that you have too much of, it’s like carrying an extra 25 lbs that your body doesn’t want or need. It weighs you down, tires you out and definitely cramps your style.
Years ago I read the book Ask and It is Given by Esther and Jerry Hicks and the title of one chapter has stuck with me, haunted me, for years: Clearing Clutter for Clarity. I know it, I believe it and yet I still have so much trouble letting things go. Don’t we all?
You’ve got to get rid of something in order to make room for some thing new, literally and figuratively.
When we clear the physical clutter from out lives, we literally make way for good, orderly direction to enter.” Julia Cameron, The Artist’s Way
Yes, the time has come to face what I’ve been procrastinating about for way too long. What if I get rid of it and I need it sometime? I don’t have enough time. No more excuses.
There are many helpful books on clearing clutter for clarity including The Life Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (45 weeks on the best seller list) and many incredible professional organizers but they weren’t what got me going at 7pm on a Saturday night.
The key to my success was good music and no internet or email or cell phone.
Did you know that the feel good, pleasure related hormone dopamine is released when you listen to your favorite music? A Canadian study from McGill University found that dopamine is released as soon as we think about our favorite tunes.
I had such fun listening to some of my favorite Motown music that the time flew by.
Books to donate, a large bag of trash, 4 bags of paper for the recycling truck on Monday, an empty shelf, an empty drawer and this post. Not bad for less than 4 hours.
How do I feel? Lighter, clearer, more focused and ready to tackle a closet or two tomorrow.
Out of clutter, find simplicity.” Albert Einstein
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