Organizing, Decluttering, And Purging

I believe strongly in organizing and decluttering and (to a certain extent) purging… but I also believe that not all clutter is material possessions or “stuff.” Clutter in your emotional life… bad habits, too many commitments, or a job you hate, to name just a few… can sap your energy and cause more stress than a disorganized house with overflowing closets ever will. That is why I believe that any purging or decluttering effort should always target emotional baggage as well as material possessions.

So where to begin? The answer will be different for everyone, which is why I am not a fan of the “one size fits all” purging guidelines. I think a better idea is to try to determine what you would like your life to be… and how that ideal differs from the life you have now. The easy answer then is to purge everything that doesn’t fit that ideal. The hard answer is that the easy answer isn’t enough… just getting rid of “stuff” isn’t going to solve the underlying problems.

Most people think purging should be their first step, but if purging is a new concept for you, I would advise starting very slowly and cautiously.

  • Work on only one area of your home or your life at a time.
  • Organize and declutter that one area to be the best it can be.
  • Then decide what to do with whatever is left.

For material possessions…

  • If an item is something you really need or feel strongly about keeping, it isn’t clutter… find or make a place for it.
  • If the item is something you don’t use very often, store it in a more out-of-the-way space that is still accessible for those times when you will use it. Although you may use an item only rarely, it makes no sense to get rid of it if you know you will be using it again.

You are the only person who can decide what should stay and what should go. Don’t let anyone else’s purging guidelines determine how you organize your life. Purge only the material things that you don’t need or want… reorder your emotional life to be as stress-free as possible… and work towards achieving the balance that suits YOU. The peace, contentment, and happiness will naturally follow.

Written by Shirley | Filed Under Organization Series, Personal Development, Voluntary Simplicity

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Comments

Comment by Light Heart:

Whenever I declutter physically, it is almost like a spiritual exercise or ritual. Much of the “physical stuff” we can’t seem to let go of relates to times or situations which no longer serve our life. So for me the “feng shui” or metaphysics of decluttering physical space also often acts as a mirror for what’s going on in the Inner Life – all the stuff which may be holding us back from moving foward in life. As I de-clutter I connect with things I may have “buried” long ago.

Comment by Living my rich life:

I’ll be spending some quality time de-cluttering and purging in the new year. Not just stuff, but like you said the bad habits and unwanted commitments have to go. If only it were easier!

Comment by Bob:

Well said. Mindless purging is just as bad as mindless acquisition. No matter what you do you need to think about it. Thank you for your post. And by the way — I really enjoy your blog.

Comment by Rachael:

Finally someone sees purging the way I do. I live a simple life but I still like to have treasured “things” around me and purging them wouldn’t simplify my life, it would diminish it. I agree that emotional purging is as important if not more important than purging clutter. Wonderful post.

Comment by Rich:

I said this on the thread you link to about other people’s guidelines: Some people advocate purging everything, since they know some people won’t dispose of ANYTHING.

I have gone through the purging phase about three times in my life. Each time, it seems that I purge bad habits time-money wasters only AFTER I have purged physical clutter. I’m hoping that my most recent purge is the final one in my lifetime — from today forward, I intend to keep clutter under control, rather than letting it build up again.

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