Taste Life Blog

Ahh Spring! I know it is here when I hang Gary’s bike jerseys on the outdoor clothesline to dry. He waits all winter to bike outdoors and I wait to hang wash on the outdoor clothesline. Maybe it makes me really feel like a mom and wife…what I always wanted! Spring also brings the de-clutter mode. This weekend I spent time de-cluttering the office bookcase. I use what I call the “dumpTEN.” I took a grocery bag and stood in front of my office book case and tried to get rid of ten books. I did this three times — got rid of 30 books. That is a huge deal for me as each of these books were my friends at one time (key words: one time). When I have used the “dumpTEN” in the past, the white space of the bookcase gave me more energy than the words in the books I got rid of.

For my February birthday, I asked my college roommates to help me de-clutter my clothes closet. They were fast and deliberate and knew exactly what no longer belonged in my closet. They disposed of 33 pieces of clothing. After they left I thought, why not get rid of 50?! I did. It was almost a high — although I will say the last 5 pieces were difficult to get rid of. A green sweater that I wore when I was 9 years old was one of the last things “to go.” Years ago I found this sweater in my mom’s basement. I wore it on the day we found Grandpa Nick laying on his living room floor dead from a stroke. 46 years later when I saw this sweater in my closet I could almost hear the ambulance sirens. For years I would say a prayer when I heard ambulance sirens. I realized I never had a happy thought when I looked at this sweater.

Many of my clients feel stuck, and tired out by their physical clutter. There are two types of clutter: mental and physical. An ancient Chinese proverb says, “A cluttered space = a cluttered mind.” If one is cluttered, often the other is an issue too.

The easiest way to get unstuck is to clean out your closet, desk or files. Want a new client, account or to lose weight? Clean off your desk. Really! I believe we are all holding onto things that serve no purpose except to remind us of someone, something or some important event.

Clutter is really a space issue. Physical clutter, I believe, is the result of valuing our stuff, but not valuing it enough to find a home for it. Mental clutter, like worry, guilt, shame or resentment, really impacts our relationships and our ability to feel happy and satisfied at the end of the day. What do you value more, your space or your stuff? Don’t forget about your precious “brain space.”

Questions To Help You Get Rid of Your Stuff

• What meaning does it hold for me? (Remember the stuff is NOT the person who gave it to you.)
• Does it give me a sense of lightness or heaviness?
• What do I value more? My space or my stuff?