During the first few months of a New Year, most of us are inclined to take stock of our lives. We tend to look at this as a time of renewal, a time to make positive changes. One way to start making those changes is to look at and start dealing with our stuff.
Disorganization and clutter affects many Americans. You can drive down almost any street and see garages that are so packed that cars are relegated to the driveway. There are television shows dedicated to clearing out clutter and organizing people’s lives. Many magazines have articles on getting organized (including the AARP January/February issue). The reason for these trends is that clutter in our society has become pervasive! And clutter in our lives impacts us in a variety of costly and unhealthy ways.
Let’s start with the actual cost of clutter. You purchase “stuff”($) and this “stuff” occupies precious space and saps energy from everyone around who doesn’t use it or take care of it. Eventually, the clutter reaches critical mass and you decide to “move it out” to a storage unit that can cost from $600 to $1,900 or more per year. Once it’s in storage it may be temporarily forgotten (until the bill comes), and if left long enough it may be ruined. What can be so valuable that you willingly pay for it to sit around and deteriorate?
Costs of clutter are more than just monetary. There is also a cost to our physical and mental well-being. Many people report being tired and lethargic, have headaches, stomachaches and feelings of hopelessness, shame and depression in cluttered spaces.
Recent studies show that: (a) 80 percent of what we keep, we never use; (b) 80 percent of clutter in the home is due to disorganization, not lack of space; (c) we wear 20 percent of our clothes 80 percent of the time; and (d) Americans spend more than 9,000,000 hours a year looking for lost/misplaced items.
Many people say they can’t let go of their “stuff” because of emotional attachments to it; or it represents memories they think they will forget. This can feel daunting and there are ways to lessen the distress. The process of letting go can be liberating, and the results of purging the unnecessary clutter in one’s life are priceless!
Barbara Ricketts is a Certified Professional Organizer (CPO). If you need assistance to simplify, de-clutter and organize, contact her at MessDoctor@Mac.com or call 661-433-7263.