compliments of FutureVisions^SM

creating sustainable results in growth and performance

First, take the Clutter Quiz

Then find out why you are never going to get all that clutter under control.

	The reason for clutter
	What makes clutter so tenacious?
	The clutter myth

So, is it really possible to de-clutter all that stuff that's piled up everywhere? The word "stuff" fits so well because it reminds us of stuffing. All this stuff crowds your thoughts like stuffing in a doll’s head; it fills up the available space like stuffing in a turkey. There are many kinds of stuff and each one catches you in a different way.

First, there's stuff you love and never ever should get rid of: This is the stuff of primary sentimental value I mentioned before. You own a small number of very special books, letters, journals, photos, and stones or shells from a beach. Every time you look at these things, you feel good. I have a small china statue of two children swinging from a weird little tree and a cardboard box containing every word my children ever wrote. These things stay.

If I were crossing the country in a wagon train, I might reduce the number of those items, but I’m not. So, I keep them for company as I walk around my home. They’re beautiful, and they remind me that I wasn’t born last week, that I have lived a rich life. No trick is needed for getting rid of this stuff, because it stays. I love it.

However, the rest is truly clutter and I’ve isolated six different kinds most of us have.

	"It seemed like such a good idea at the time" stuff.
	Stuff that's too expensive to throw out
	Invisible Stuff
	Stuff that has secondary sentimental value and Stuff you’re keeping for someone else
	Stuff that has to be done, but you just can’t get started.

Once you've identified these different types of clutter, walk around your home and see if you can find the clutter each entry applies to. Then follow the suggestions below to deal with that particular kind of clutter.

	Become a good guy
	Toss ten things
	Pass the buck

	Throw a work party
	Tips for clearing office clutter

There you are. You have every trick in the book to clear out every kind clutter and give you space and time and quiet. Get started as on as you can and before long you’ll see major results. And wait until you see what a calm, spacious feeling opens up inside you.

Now, exactly why is it you’re cleaning out all this clutter?

Because you need that calm, spacious feeling in order to start the next phase of your life, to make room to do the kind of work you really love. And, once you've de-cluttered, don't organize any remaining clutter too much

with thanks to Barbara Sher’s "Live the Life You Love"