Is Clutter Holding You Captive?
Posted on December 07, 2012 by Laurie Leinwand, One of Thousands of Life Coaches on Noomii.
Clutter is a reflection of what's going on in our lives and in our minds.
Is the space you occupy a mess? If your answer to this question is YES, then chances are you’re feeling overwhelmed as well. What is often the case is that our minds mirror our physical surroundings and vice versa. The physical clutter serves as an important signal to you to tune in to what’s really going on.
It might be that you’ve just gotten behind with some tasks and that’s okay. The key is making sure you set aside some time to catch up and clean up so that you break the cycle of collecting clutter. Or, the accumulation of “stuff” might represent all that’s going on in your life and the need to make more appropriate choices or alter your coping strategies. Or, the “stuff” is serving as insulation, “protecting” you from what you fear, but possibly also from what you really want!
Clutter weighs us down. It causes us to waste time and be less efficient. It affects our mood (clutter makes me cranky!).
When I clear the physical clutter in my living and work spaces, it enables me to breathe more freely and provides a more fertile ground for creativity. I think more clearly and have a greater capacity to problem-solve. If I’ve been feeling bogged down, that feeling lifts almost immediately.
What’s the clutter in your life holding you back from?
Clearing the clutter can offer you a sense of freedom and mastery. If you’re tired of being held captive by clutter, begin taking steps to clear it. Start anywhere! Pick a tiny corner of a table as a means of beginning. One step will lead to the next and you’ll begin to notice the effect this simple, but meaningful, process has on you.
Sometimes clutter exits in our minds. It may be the ever-expanding TO DO list or the expectations of others that clouds our thinking. See what you can do about getting all of what’s in your head down on paper. Externalize it. This will enable you to better determine what truly warrants your attention. It will allow you to prioritize AND identify what’s just simply noise, taking up valuable space.
Choose to create the space you desire in your world!
