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    T

    hispageintentionallyleftblank

    STOP

    C

    LUTTER

    FROM

    S

    TEALING

    Y

    OURLIF

    E

    REV

    ISEDEDITION

    Discov

    erWhyYouClutter&

    H

    owYouCanStop

    M

    ikeNelson

    NewPageBooks

    AD

    ivisionofCareerPress,Inc.

    FranklinLakes,NJ

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    Copyright2008byMikeNelson

    Allrightsreservedunde

    rthePan-AmericanandInternationalCo

    pyrightConventions.

    Thisbookmaynotbereproduced,inwholeorinpart,inanyformorbyanymeans

    electronicormechanic

    al,includingphotocopying,recording,o

    rbyanyinformation

    storageandretrievalsystemnowknownorhereafterinvented,withoutwritten

    permissionfromthepublisher,TheCareerPress.

    STOPCLUT

    TERFROMSTEALINGYOURLIFE,REVISEDEDITION

    EDITEDBYKARAREYNOLDS

    TYPESETBYMICHAELFITZGIBBON

    CoverdesignbyTheDesignworksGroup

    PrintedintheU.S.A.byBook-martPress

    Toorderthistitle,plea

    secalltoll-free1-800-CAREER-1

    (NJandCanada:201-848-

    0310)toorderusingVISAorMasterCard,orforfurtherinform

    ationonbooks

    fromCareerPress.

    TheC

    areerPress,Inc.,3TiceRoad,POBox687,

    FranklinLakes,NJ07417

    www.careerpress.com

    www.newpagebooks.com

    Library

    ofCongressCataloging-in-Publica

    tionData

    Nelson,MexicoMike,1950

    Stopclutterfromstealingyourlife:discoverwhyyouclutter

    &howyoucanstop

    /MikeNelson.Rev.e

    d.

    p.cm.

    Includesindex.

    ISBN978-1-60163-008-7

    1.Housecleaning.2.Orderliness.I.Title.

    TX324.N452008

    648'.5--dc22

    2007052337

    TheSpiritualView

    5

    Dedication

    ThisbookisdedicatedtoFluffy,theDeclutterDog,wh

    oiswaiting

    formeatRainbowBridg

    e,andwhotaughtmethatpetsaremoreim-

    portantthanstuff;tomy

    sisterPam,whotaughtmethatfam

    ilyismore

    importantthanstuff;an

    dtothemanycluttererswhosup

    portedme

    throughmydarkestdays,teachingmethatpeoplearemoreimportant

    thanstuff.

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    T

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    Conten

    ts

    Introduction

    9

    Chapter1:AreYouaClutterer?

    15

    Chapter2:TypesofClutterers

    23

    Chapter3:MyStory

    39

    Chapter4:40WaystoL

    eaveYourClutter

    53

    Chapter5:CommonCluttererTraits

    PracticalandEmotionalSolutions

    65

    Chapter6:OPCOther

    PeoplesClutter

    87

    Chapter7:PaperClutterandFiling

    101

    Chapter8:ClutterersStories

    117

    Chapter9:TheMedical

    View

    Depression,Anxiety,ADD,Hoarding,andOCD

    135

    Chapter10:UnpackYourStuffWithTCI

    149

    Chapter11:Alternatives

    toTV-StyleForcedDecluttering

    155

    Chapter12:LivingWith

    ClutteringKidsandSpouses

    161

    Chapter13:TheOrganizersView

    179

    Chapter14:TheSpiritualView

    189

    Chapter15:ProsperityI

    sanInsideJob

    197

    Chapter16:OfficesHomeandOtherwise

    205

    Chapter17:HearsesDontHaveTrailerHitches

    219

    Chapter18:Maintenanc

    eSteps

    223

    Chapter19:Backsliding

    229

    Chapter20:SupportGroups

    235

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    AppendixI:DeclutteringDiary

    241

    AppendixII:AffirmationsandPromises

    245

    Bibliographyand

    Resources

    247

    Index

    251

    AbouttheAuthor

    255

    Introduction

    9

    Introduction

    9

    Thisbookisaboutm

    orethanjustdecluttering.Itsaboutbalance.

    Aclutteredhouseholdis

    anunbalancedhousehold.Itsaboutnotre-

    cluttering.Itsaboutnothavingtobuymoreandmores

    tufftofilla

    holeinoursouls.Itsaboutlearningwhatsreallyimportantinour

    livesandnotusingstuff

    tohidefromlife.Peopleandpetsareimpor-

    tant;stuffisnot.Whenw

    elearntochangeourclutteringbehavior,we

    learntobalanceourneedforthingswithourneedforlove.

    Alltheadviceondeclutteringandorganizationinth

    eworld(in-

    cludingmine)isuseless,

    unlesswestopthestufffromcomingin.There

    aremanygoodbookson

    howtoorganize.Therearemany

    goodbooks

    onhoarding,compulsiveshopping,ADD(attentiondeficitdisorder),

    anxiety,anddepression

    learningtoliveclutter-lessincorp

    oratessome

    knowledgeofeachofthosedisciplines.

    Thisbookisfortho

    seofuswhowanttoovercomeou

    rcluttering

    habitsandarewillingtodotheworknecessarytochang

    eourlives.

    Clutteringisntjustaboutnotknowinghowtoorganize.Ifitwere,wed

    allbelivingZen-like,min

    imalistlives.Heck,mostofusdon

    tevenwant

    toliveinaminimalisten

    vironment.Welikeourstuff.Theresnothing

    wrongwithhavingstuff;stuffdoesntclutterpeopleclutter.Ifyou

    stickwithmethroughth

    ejourneyofthisbook,youllcom

    etoaplace

    ofpeace,asenseofacceptanceofyourself.Ourstuffispa

    rtofus,but

    itneednotdefineus.

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    AreYouaClutterer?

    15

    1

    5

    Onesownselformaterialgoods,whichhasmoreworth?Loss(ofself)or

    possession(ofgoods),which

    isthegreaterevil?Hewholovesmost,

    spendsmost.

    Hewhohoardsmuch,loses

    much.

    LaoTse

    Ifoverwhelmedand

    shamearesynonymouswithclutterinyour

    mind,welcometotheclub.Forpeoplesuchasourselves,thesolutions

    toourclutteringaremor

    ecomplexthanjustlearninghow

    toorganize.

    Weneedtolearntheclu

    ttertwo-step,whichisnotadance,butapara-

    digmshift.Forus,solutionsmustworkontwolevelsthepractical

    andtheemotional/psychologicalbecauseclutteringaffectseachof

    usindifferentways.Not

    everyoneneedsbothlevels.Takewhatapplies

    toyouandleavetherest.

    Thepracticaladvicehelpsusgetridofclutter

    onaphysicallevel.The

    suggestionsonaddressingtheem

    otionalas-

    pectshelpusunderstandwhyweclutterandhowtochangeourbe-

    havior,sowestopre-cluttering.Manyofusaresofullofne

    gativitythat

    werelikeone-sidedmagnets,repellinganypositivechanges

    inourlives.

    Clutteristhesymp

    tom.Recognizingandchanging

    thereasons

    forourclutteringarethesolutions.Theresnoonereason

    oronetype

    ofclutterer.Aspsychiatristssay,weareacrossthespectrum

    ofbehavior.

    OneaspectofDr.

    C.RobertCloningersthought-provoking

    bookoncoherentliving

    (FeelingGood:TheScienceofWell-Being),the

    A

    reYoua

    C

    lutterer?

    1

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    TypesofClutterers

    23

    Itslikeclutterer

    saretryingtofilltheholesintheirsou

    lswithstuff.

    Dr.KathleenWong,psychiatrist

    IveBeenWhereYouAre

    Howlongsinceyouveusedyourdiningroomtablefo

    rdining?Is

    yourclosetsofullofold

    clothesyoudontwearanymorethatthenew

    onesyoukeepbuyingaregettingcrushed(yes,Iknowthatalotof

    themstillhavethetagsonthemfromayearagoormore.ItoldyouIve

    beenthere).Dowereallyneedthoseprescriptionsthatex

    piredwhen

    Reaganwaspresident?H

    owmanyofushavejunkcarsinouryards

    thatwearegoingtorestoreorthatmightcomeinhandyforparts?

    DegreesofCluttering

    Formostpeople,ad

    esklitteredwithpapers,oraclosetorgarage

    stuffedwithforgottenitems,isatemporaryaggravation.

    Heck,how

    manynormalpeoplea

    ctuallyputtwocarsintheirtwo-

    cargarage?

    Forcluttererssuchasou

    rselves,thosethingshavebecomesomucha

    partofourfrozen-soulenvironmentthattheyreperma-clutter.

    Thoseareasareonlythetipoftheiceberg,andare

    anoutward

    manifestationofourinnerlives.Inside,manyofusareafraidoflosing

    love,sowehangontoeveryobjectthatcomesintoourlives.Wefeel

    23

    Typesof

    Clutterers

    2

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    Sto

    pClutterFromStealingYourLife

    38

    However,weinsisto

    ncallingthemprojectcars,whic

    hisaeuphemism

    forunfulfilleddrea

    ms.Dont

    getsuckeredintothis.Ivebeenstrug-

    glingwiththetemp

    tationtogetanotherprojectcar

    thelastcoupleof

    years.Maybeithastodowithyetanothermidlife

    crisis.Onething

    thatssavedmeistherealizationthatIneverwasam

    echanic,sowhat

    makesmethinkIc

    anstartnow,inmy50s?Theothe

    risthatcrawling

    aroundonthefloorandtwistingandturningtotryt

    oputtoolswhere

    theywerentmeant

    togo(intheenginecompartment,thatis)isrealis-

    ticallyimpossibleg

    ivenmycurrentphysicalconditio

    n:oldguy.

    Ispeakfromexperience.Iownedthat1965Alfa

    .Itdidntrunthe

    dayIboughtit,and

    itdidntrunfiveyearslaterwhen

    Isolditfor$100.

    Thestoriesinthisbookarefrompeoplejustlikemeandyou.Ivehad

    stufflitteringmylif

    e,stoppingmefrombecomingthepersonIwanted

    tobe.Yes,allthisstuffreallyaffectsourpersonalities.Itmakesusshy,

    fearful,andangry,

    feedsourlowself-esteem,andm

    akesusfeelless

    than.Sogetridoftheclutterandtakebackcontrol

    ofyourlife!

    MyStory

    39

    MyStory

    3

    39

    On

    edoesntdiscovernewlandswithout

    consentingto

    losesightoftheshoreforave

    rylongtime.

    AndrGide

    First,thegoodnews:I(andmanyotherssimilartome)havegot-

    tenmyclutteringundercontrol.Althoughourbattleswill

    nevermake

    aTomClancynovel,theyfeeljustasexcitingtous.

    Intheyearsbetweenpublishingthefirsteditionofth

    isbookand

    mylosingallmyworldly

    possessionsinafire,Ihadmadealotofper-

    sonalprogressagainstclutter.Ithinkitsimportanttoknowthat,even

    forme,Mr.Clutterless,G

    randPoo-BahoftheClutterlessGroups,Re-

    veredAuthor,clutterisstillanongoingstruggle.Ivealway

    sstatedthis

    inmybooks,butthismaybethefirstofthemyouveread.

    Yep,friend,

    wewillalwaysstrugglewithcluttering,buttheengagementswillbe

    mereskirmishesinstead

    ofpitchedbattles.

    AfterImovedtoGalveston(theendofthesagaintheprevious

    edition),Imovedthreem

    oretimes,oncetoasingleroom(lesson:theres

    suchathingastoomuchdownsizing),butwithagarage

    forstorage.

    Mylastone-bedroomapartmentwaspresentable,mostofthe

    time.When

    ImovedtoAustin,Iwas

    abletorentthesecond-smallestRydertruck

    andfillitwithmostlyfur

    niture.

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    40WaystoLeaveYourClutter

    53

    40Waysto

    LeaveYourC

    lutter

    4

    53

    Q:

    Whatdeclutteringtips/advicehaventworkedforyou?

    A:

    Anythingthatuses

    wordslikehaveto,should,oughtto

    ,needto,

    whydontyou,yo

    ushouldhave,whatareyoudoing.Any

    observationthatstartsoutwithyoustopsmefromlistenin

    g.Itputsme

    onthedefensiveandmakesmewanttoprotectanddefen

    dthewayI

    dothings.

    Responsetoonlinesurveyquestion

    ClutteristhePast.Ord

    eristhePresent.Peaceandprosperitya

    retheFuture.

    ClutterlessAffirmations

    Someorganizingbooksarelikeangel-foodcake:easytodigest,

    buthalfanhourlater,youwantsomesubstance.Others(somesay

    similartomine)arelike

    seven-coursedinnerslotsofsubstance,but

    maybealittlehardtoabsorbinonesitting.

    Soheresanappetizer.Themeatandpotatoesarespre

    adthrough-

    outthechapters,butthis

    istheessenceofthisbook,distille

    dintoafew

    pages.Ifallyouwanttodoisdeclutteryourlivingrooman

    dnotthink

    aboutwhyitgotclutteredinthefirstplace,youcouldprobablygetby

    withthesetips,thoughs

    omeareabitcerebral.Trustme,

    ifyouwant

    therealmealdeal,thesetidbitsshouldenticeyoutoreadth

    erestofthe

    story.

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    CommonClutterer

    TraitsPractical

    andEmotionalSolu

    tions

    65

    CommonClu

    tterer

    TraitsPractical

    andEmotional

    Solutions

    5

    65

    AsIclearmyphysicalclutter,Iclearmymentalandemo

    tionalclutter.

    Mylifeisclutter-free

    onalllevels.

    ClutterlessAffirmations

    Wh

    yClutterersClutter

    Whydoweclutter?

    Remember,Iamaddressingclu

    ttering,not

    hoarding.Althoughsom

    eofthesameirrationalandmagicalthinking

    weusemayapplytoho

    arderstosomedegree,notallhoarderscan

    changethebehaviorwitho

    utprofessionalhelp.Holdon,excu

    se-makers

    beforeyouusethatasa

    nexcuse,themerefactthatyou

    boughtthis

    bookandwanttodosom

    ethingtochangeyourbehaviorin

    dicatesthat

    youprobablyarentahoa

    rder.

    Mostofushaveac

    ombinationofpersonalitytraitsthatcontrib-

    utetoourcluttering.A

    lotofushavesomepsychologicalissuesthat

    addtothemix,suchasdepressionoranxiety,andafewo

    fusactually

    haveADD,thoughitsm

    orelikelywehaveADD-liketendencies.Most

    everyonehassomekindofissuetodealwith.Theyrever

    yrealtothe

    personwhohasthem.S

    omeofusdealwiththem,andothersofus

    ignorethem.Eitherway,

    clutterisoftenaphysicalmanifestationofour

    innerturmoil.

    Whenweworkonthephysicalissue(theclutter),theemotional

    issuescomeintoline.Whenweworkontheemotionalch

    allengeswe

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    OP

    COtherPeoplesClutter

    87

    OPCOther

    PeoplesClut

    ter

    6

    87

    ThehardestthingI

    everdidwasputJesseintoanassistedliving

    facility.Thesecondhardestwastocomebackhomeandsta

    rttogetrid

    ofhisclutter.Itwaslike

    havingthepainofnothavinghimthere,but

    havinghisghostinthecollectionofstuff.

    Sandy,no

    taclutterer

    Asiftheworlddidn

    thaveenoughacronyms,Idliketoaddan-

    other.Thiswontmakethetop-10chartsasdidADD,OCD,oreven

    IBM,butitseemsthat,ifwecangivesomethinganame,thenwecan

    takethefirststeptodoingsomethingaboutitdisassociationofthe

    conditionfromtheperso

    n.WhenitsnolongerMothers

    clutter,but

    OPC,itsnotaspersonal.

    Dealingwithyourrelativesclutteraftertheyhavegonefromthis

    earth,orgonetoanursinghome,willbeoneofthehardestthings

    youlleverdo.Notdealin

    gwithitisimpossible.Welcometo

    adulthood.

    LindaDurham,apr

    ofessionalorganizerandownerof

    Organizing

    Matters(www.organizingmatters.com)inHouston,Texas,offeredthese

    thoughts:Grief

    andstuffcomplicatelivesbecauseitisth

    elast

    moments,thelastthingstouched,thelastthingssaid

    ,and

    thelastgiftsgiventhatbecomesoprecious.Thelipstickmes-

    sageonthemirror,

    thesoundofavoiceontheansw

    ering

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    P

    aperClutterandFiling

    101

    P

    aperClutter

    a

    ndFiling

    7

    101

    Knowingourlearningstylewillhelpusinallareasofdecluttering

    andstayingorganized,andnowhereisitmorevaluablethanwhenor-

    ganizingourpaperclutter.Whenwelearnhowwelearn,w

    ecanapply

    theorganizingtechniqueshereandinotherbooksalot

    moreeffec-

    tively.Maybeourproblemhasmerelybeenoneoftryingtodothings

    thatworkforauditorypeoplewhenwerekinesthetic.

    Mostofusdontrea

    llyknow,though.ImconvincedImavisual/

    logicallearner.GirlfriendshaveoftenremindedmethatIdontremember

    whatcolorhairtheirshasbeen(Iswearitwasredonce),or

    evernotice

    whattheyhaveworn.Ithoughtthatwasjustbeingmale.

    Donteven

    getthemstartedonthe

    logicalspreadsheetcalculationsImadeto

    decidewhichcartobuy.(

    Ifyoutakethesquarerootofthe

    gasmileage

    andmultiplythatbythemeanaverageofcubicfeetoftrun

    kspace....)

    Thefollowingquest

    ionsareshortandsimple.Manyo

    fuswantto

    dowellontestsandanticipatethecorrectanswers.But

    Mr.Author,

    yousaidtoanticipatein

    thefirstchapter!Belaythatforthetest.We

    oftenfigureoutthepatte

    rn,andtrytomakesurewefallin

    tothatpat-

    tern.Pleasedontdotha

    there.Thefirstanswerthatcom

    estoyouis

    correct.Therearenotrickquestionshere:

    1.WhenIagreewithsomeone,Imightsay:

    A.Iseewhat

    youaresaying.

    B.Ihearyou

    .

    C.Ifeelthat

    youareright.

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    Sto

    pClutterFromStealingYourLife

    102

    D.Ithinkyouareright.

    E.Ithinkyouvetouchedontherightpoint.

    2.WhenIfeelunderpressure,Imightsay:

    A.Imunderthegun.

    B.Iheartheclockticking.

    C.Ifee

    loverwhelmed.

    D.IknowIwillgetthisdone.

    E.This

    thingsgotaholdofme.

    3.WhenIlookforsomething,Imightsay:

    A.IllseeifIcanfindit.

    B.Thatsoundsfamiliar.

    C.Ifee

    lasthoughitsinthatpile.

    D.Ijus

    tknowitsaroundheresomewher

    e.

    E.IknowIcanputmyhandsonit.

    4.WhenIdecidetotrytocleanupmyoffice,I

    mightthink:

    A.Ican

    tclearlyseemyway.

    B.Thatpileofclutteriscallingtome.

    C.Ican

    tbreathe.Imdrowninginclutte

    r.

    D.Ican

    tbelieveIletitgetthisbad.

    E.Imgoingtogetahandleonthismess.

    5.WhenItry

    todeclutter,Imightthink:

    A.Illstartwiththeareathatlookstheworst.

    B.ImgoingtotryanewtechniqueIhea

    rdabout.

    C.This

    pileiscallingtome.

    D.Illstartattheleftcornerofmydeskandworkto

    theright.

    E.Illg

    rabthefirstthingIseeandstartthere.

    6.Athome,myworstclutteris:

    A.Inm

    yentrance.

    B.Inm

    ylivingroom.

    C.Inm

    ybedroom.

    D.Inm

    yreadingarea.

    E.Inm

    ykitchenorgarage.

    P

    aperClutterandFiling

    103

    7.Whenfacedwith

    anewdemandonmytime,Imight

    think:

    A.IllseeifI

    canfitthisin.

    B.Itsoundslikealotofworktome.

    C.Thisdoesntseemfair.

    D.Ihaveeno

    ughresponsibilities.Idontknow

    how

    thiswillfitin.

    E.IlltrytojugglesomeotherthingssoIcan

    squeezeit

    in.

    8.WhenImeetpeopleforthefirsttime,theinitialthing

    thatstrikesmeis:

    A.Theiroverallappearance.

    B.Thesoundoftheirvoice.

    C.Howsince

    retheyseemtobe.

    D.Acombinationofbodylanguageandwhatthey

    aresaying.

    E.Thestrengthoftheirhandshake.

    9.WhenIshopfor

    anewcar,Iammostattractedto:

    A.Howitloo

    ks.

    B.TheopinionsofothersIvetalkedto.

    C.AnoverallimpressionofhowIdfeelabout

    owningit.

    D.Gasmileage,reliability,andagooddealon

    financing.

    E.Howithandles,howIfeelbehindthewheel.

    10.IfeelthatIlearnbestthrough:

    A.Workshop

    sandgrouppresentations.

    B.Tapestop

    layinmycarorathome.

    C.One-on-onediscussions.

    D.Reading.

    E.Justdoing

    it.Hands-on.

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    StopClutterFromStealingYourLife

    114

    Myth4:Action

    FilesWillKeepMeonTrack

    Thesecanbeu

    seful,buttheyaremoreoftenoverused.Itsokayto

    haveaportablefile

    containeronyourdeskwiththing

    syoureally,really

    needtoworkonto

    day,butthechancesforabuseare

    great.Lookatit

    thisway:Ifyouare

    tryingtoloseweight,youmighttakeanappetite

    suppressantforafewdays.Butifyoukeepthemaroundandgobble

    oneeverytimeyou

    feelalittlehungry,youwillbecomeaddicted.The

    samegoesforactionfiles.Youneedtochangeyo

    urhabitssothat

    thesehelpersdont

    becomeawayoflife.

    Ongoingprojectsshouldntbekeptinactionfile

    swhentheresno

    actionoccurring.R

    e-filethemwhenyoucompletean

    action.Everyday

    theresanewsetof

    thingsthatcryoutforaction.Ifno

    thingevermoves

    outofthere,youcanttakeanyaction,becausein-

    actionfileshave

    takenoveryourdesk.

    Solution

    Allowyourselfthreeactionfiles.Ifsomethingcomesupduring

    thedaythatyoune

    edtoworkon,getthefilefromthefilingcabinet.If

    youneedtomake

    anewfile,replacesomethingfro

    myourso-called

    actionareawiththenewone,orfileitaway.Makeitahabittostopan

    hourbeforeyoulea

    ve.Finishupthefilesonyourdes

    k.Thenfilethem

    wheretheybelong.Ifyouneedthemtomorrow,youwillknowright

    wheretheyare.

    Makeasetof

    pendingfilesyoucankeepnearby(sotheywont

    feelleftout)inarollawayhangingfilebasket.Whenw

    egetthemoffthe

    desk,intoapendin

    gfolder,wecangiveallourattentiontotheproject

    athand.

    ThisIsOnlytheStart

    Youwillfindnewtoolsandtechniquesbasedonyourindividual

    style.Usethem.W

    hathaveyougottolose?Onlyyourclutter.When

    youdiscoversomet

    hingthatworksforyou,youfeelcreative.Thesug-

    gestionsherewillo

    penyourmind,whichhasbeen

    stuckinthinking

    thereisonlyonew

    aytodothings.Therearemanypathstothesame

    destination.Somemaytakethescenicroute,andif

    thatswhatworks

    foryou,meanderalong.Nomatterhowoddyourstylemayseemtoan

    P

    aperClutterandFiling

    115

    organizedperson,ifitworksforyou,andyoucanleav

    eatrailof

    breadcrumbsforthemtofollow,youll

    gettoGrandmas

    cottagejust

    thesame.Itwillbemorefunbecauseyourrewardwillb

    emilkand

    cookiesinsteadofaBigBadWolfofdisorganization.

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    ClutterersStories

    117

    ClutterersStories

    8

    117

    Life(andallpsycholog

    icalexpressionsaspartoflife)moves

    evertoward

    overcoming,towardperfectio

    n,towardsuperiority,towardsuccess.Youcannot

    trainorconditionalivingbeingfordefeat.

    AlfredAdler

    Nearlyeveryonehasastoryaboutsomefamilymemberorfriend

    whoisaclutterer,buttho

    sestoriesdealwiththeproblem,n

    otthesolu-

    tion.Thestoriesinthis

    chapter,however,arefromclutterersthem-

    selvesandgiveyouasenseofhowothershaveconquere

    dthesame

    problem.Nameshavebeenchanged,andallareusedwithpermission.

    Marsha

    OnOctober1,1997,mylatephysicianhus

    band,

    Michael,andIwere

    travelinghomefromagloriousca

    rtrip

    aroundIreland.WhenwearrivedintoGatwickAirportin

    Londontochangeplanes,hefelltothecarpetedfloo

    r,dy-

    ingofamassiveheartattack.ThreehourslaterIwasawidow

    inaforeigncountry,

    allalone.Twodayslaterfollowing

    allof

    thearrangementstotransporthisbody,Icamehometoa

    householdoffriendsandrelatives.

    Mylifehadto

    beginalloveragain,exceptthistime

    around,beingsinglemeanta16-year-oldsonstillat

    home.

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    Sto

    pClutterFromStealingYourLife

    132

    WhenIlivedinAustin,Ikeptthestuffingarbagecans.Two

    ladiessurprised

    mebycleaningmyapartmentandth

    rewthestuff

    away.Ifreaked

    out.ThatswhenIthoughtIhadaproblem.

    27Refrigerators

    Ivegotover27refrigeratorsinmyfield[Joelivesinthecoun-

    try],sinceIwasgoingtobuildafenceofthem.Todaymyrefrig-

    eratorisoutandIdonthaveaworkingone.Ihave

    about1,000

    bottles.Ibough

    t2,000licenseplatesfrom1959to

    1961.Paid

    $150.Itwasa

    deal...

    Imreallybigonrecycling.I

    feelthatwhenIamrecyclingand

    whenIcollectthings,Iamgivingthemasecondchan

    ce.Idropall

    mytrashinachickenwirefenceandstuccooverit.Iha

    ventthrown

    awayanytrash

    in2years,exceptfoodtrash.Iamtryingtomakeit

    intoadobewalls.IkeepFruitopiabottlestotrytosell

    tomyfans

    paintemandp

    utpebblesinthem.Nobodywantedto

    buythem,so

    nowwegivethemaway.

    Youcantakeastackofmagazinesanddipthem

    intocement

    andmakeabrickoutofit.Ithinkeverythingshouldberecycled

    intowalls.My

    newcabinhaswallsmadeoutoftrash.Iminto

    recyclingbutIthinkIhavegoneoverboard.Youknowwhenyou

    have27refrige

    ratorsyouareoutoftouchwithreality.Youcant

    explainthemto

    people.

    IhaveastorageunitIrentedin1994andIstillhaventreally

    gottenintoit.Youcoulddriveabusintoit.SofarIve

    paid$2,500

    inrent.Lasttim

    eIwenttherewasafoxandblackwidowspiders.

    Itwasscarygoinginthere.

    EffortstoGetB

    etter

    Ivetakene

    ffortstocleanup.IguessIamgettingbetter,butI

    surewouldlovetogotoaClutterlessmeetingiftherewasonein

    Austin.Iliveinaone-roomhouse.Itkindakeepsmeundercon-

    trol.Themoreroomsyouhavethemorestuffyoucansave.Isolved

    thedishwashingproblembynothavingmanydishes,soIhaveto

    washthemtoeat.IreadthenewspapersontheInternet.The

    Internethashelpedalot.ButIwillalwaysgetTexasMonthly

    andOutside.Forever.

    ClutterersStories

    133

    Allthatstuffweig

    hsyoudown,likeanchors.Ittakesa

    whole

    lotofefforttogetridofstuff.InsomewaysIthinkIameccentric.

    AndyWarholwaseccentriclikethistoo.Ifeelsorryforwhoever

    hastogothroughmyshitwhenIdie.

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    TheMedicalView

    135

    TheMedical

    ViewDepression,

    Anxiety,AD

    D,

    Hoarding,and

    OCD

    9

    135

    Iamnowthemostmiserablemanliving.IfwhatIfeelweree

    quallydistrib-

    utedtothewholehumanfamily,therewouldbenotonecheerfulfaceonearth.

    WhetherIshalleverbebetter,Icannottell.IawfullyforebodeI

    shallnot.To

    remainasIamisimpossible

    .Imustdieorbebetteritappearstome.

    AbrahamLincoln

    Knowingisntenough.

    OnceIwascounselingan8-year-old

    littleboyand

    toldhimtotryhardandha

    veabetterweek.Hesmiledandsaid

    ,Remember

    whatYodasaid:D

    o,ordo

    not.Thereisnotry.

    VirginiaMann,counselor,M.Ed

    Inthefirsteditionofthisbook,Ispentalotofinkonhoarding

    andOCD.Whenthateditionwaspublished,itwasbreakin

    ggroundin

    theexaminationofclutteringandpsychology.Sincethen,

    someofmy

    conclusionsandresearch

    havebeenusedbyuniversityrese

    archersand

    theunderstandingofclutteringhasexpanded.Thereasonforthisbook

    istohelppeoplelikem

    erealclutterers.OCDisunlikelytobeour

    problem.Wearewaymor

    elikelytohaveexperiencedthejoysofdepres-

    sionandanxiety.Thesea

    remorelikelytobetheelephantsinourliving

    roomsthatareblocking

    usfromgettingoverourcluttering.Theres

    stillabitabouthoarding

    inthischapter,however,because

    wecanstill

    learnfromit.

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    Un

    packYourStuffWithTCI

    149

    UnpackYourStuff

    WithTCI

    10

    149

    YoucanusethisverybriefprimeronTCI,theTemperament

    CharacterInventory,onyourclutteringsituationandseeh

    owitworks

    foryou.Ibelieveitisavaluabletoolinourdeclutteringarsenal.Ifthis

    worksforyou,thenyou

    llwanttogetDr.Cloningersbook,Feeling

    Good:TheScienceofWell-Being.Itaddresseslivingawhole,fulfilledlife.

    Wevejustadaptedparto

    ftheconcepthereandappliedittochanging

    ourclutteringhabits.Dr

    .KathleenM.Wong,whoonceservedasan

    assistantprofessorona

    medicalschoolfaculty,workswit

    hclutterers

    amongherpatients,and

    shehasrecommendedthepreviou

    seditionof

    StopClutterFromStealin

    gYourLifetothem.

    ThefollowingtextwascontributedbyDr.Wong,curr

    entlyapsy-

    chiatristinprivatepracticeinFayetteville,Arkansas.Pleasenotethis

    doesnotconstitutemedicaladvice;itisadiscussionofano

    thermeans

    tounderstandcluttering

    anditscauses.

    TheTemperament

    CharacterInventorywasdevelopedthrough-

    out20

    yearsbyC.R

    obertCloninger,apsychiatristwho

    isthe

    directoroftheCenterforthePsychobiologyofPersonality,Sansone

    CenterforWell-Being

    attheWashingtonUniversityinSt.

    Louis

    SchoolofMedicine(https://psychobiology.wustl.edu).Itisa

    toolutilizedbymental

    healthworkersandotherstoundersta

    ndthe

    makeupofapersonsp

    ersonality.Youcanresearchthesurveyyour-

    selfandseetheextentofrelatedinvestigationsandapplications.

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    AlternativestoTV-StyleForcedDecluttering

    155

    A

    lternativesto

    T

    V-StyleForced

    D

    ecluttering

    11

    155

    Asyouhaveprobab

    lyguessedbynow,ImnotafanofTVshows

    thatforceclutterers(orhoarders)togetridoftheirstuff.

    Neitherare

    mostclutterersIvetalke

    dtoandItalktoalotofthem.

    Neitherare

    mostofthemedicalprofessionalsItalkedwith.

    Infairness,somepe

    oplewhoareclutteredenjoythoseshowstoo,

    perhapsbecausetheyve

    givenuponeverdoinganything

    abouttheir

    owncluttering.Peoplewhoarentclutterersthinktheseshowsaregreat,

    notbecausethepeople

    arecruel,butbecausetheyseea

    problem(a

    reallydisorganizedhouse)andasolution(aneatandcleanhouse).

    WhatIseearethehuma

    nbeingsbehindtheclutter.Thefamilieswho

    volunteertheirrelativesfortheseshowsdosooutoflo

    veanddes-

    peration.Theyjustdontknowwhatelsetodo.Godble

    ssthemfor

    caring.

    IenjoyitwhenOprahdoesashowonhoardersorclutterers.Shes

    donemorefordaytimet

    elevision,elevatingthelevelofpr

    ogramming

    andaddressingimportantissues,thananyoneelse.Opra

    hdoesalso

    getapsychiatristtocomein,whichshowsthatherheartis

    intheright

    place.O

    prahseemstoha

    vecompassion,andshecaresen

    oughabout

    thesepeopletohavethe

    monhershowandgetthemhelp

    .Theorga-

    nizers,however,seemto

    metograndstand,andmakeen

    tertainment

    outofpublichumiliation.Watchthefacesoftheaudiencemembers

    thenexttimeyouviewoneoftheseshows.Youllseealoto

    fshockand

    awe,butnotalotofund

    erstandingorcompassion.

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    LivingW

    ithClutteringKidsandSpouses

    161

    LivingWith

    ClutteringK

    ids

    andSpouses

    12

    161

    Withallthyfaults,Ilovetheestill.

    SamuelButler

    Asclutterrelates

    tofamilies,IcannottellyouhowmanypeopleIhavemet

    whosemarriagesarethreate

    nedbyclutter.JanJasper,professionalorganizer

    Wecreditthesemeetings[Clutterless]withsavingourmar-

    riage.WhenGracesawitinthepaper,Ifigured,whatth

    ehell,

    nothingelsehasworked,whynottrythis?Ididntintendtocome

    in,butGracewanted

    meforcompany.Wevebothbeenc

    oming

    backforthreeyearsnow,andlookforwardtothemeetings.

    Besidesthecompa

    nionshipofotherpeoplewiththesameprob-

    lem,justknowingyou

    renotalonemakesabigdifference.

    Grace

    clutters;Idont,butI

    feelIgetasmuchoutofthemeetingsand

    yourbookasshedoes.

    Beingabletounderstandwhysheshavingsuchastruggle

    withdeclutteringhas

    madeabigdifferenceinourrelationship.I

    tellyou,Iwasabouttowalkoutthedoorwhenwefoundth

    is.We

    makegoodmoney,andliveinabeautifulhome,andyetIwasashamed

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    TheOrganizersView

    179

    T

    heOrganizers

    V

    iew

    13

    179

    Anorganizerknowsyoubetterthanyourspouseormother.Weknow

    everythingthereisaboutyou.Weknowyourfinances,yourhidin

    gplaces.You

    reallyneedtoknowyourorganizer.

    DianeSnow,professionalorganizer

    Manyofusareable

    togetourclutterundercontrolthroughthe

    helpofotherclutterersandincreasedself-awareness,butaprofessional

    organizerhassomedistinctadvantages.Agoodorganizerisdetached,

    hasseenitall,anddoesnotjudge.(Thoughnotallarewillingtowork

    withchronicclutterers.)

    Therearetwomain

    organizationsoforganizers:NAPO(National

    AssociationofProfessionalOrganizers),atwww.napo.ne

    t,andthe

    NSGCD(NationalStudyGrouponChronicDisorgan

    ization),at

    www.nsgcd.org.

    Sincethefirsteditionofthisbookin2001,thenumberofmem-

    bersofNAPOhasgrown

    from1,400toabout4,000.With

    thisgrowth

    comeschallenges.Altho

    ughthereisnowanaccreditatio

    nprogram,

    notallorganizersareaccredited,andnotallorganizerswhoclaimtobe

    accreditedare.Ifyoudecidetohireanorganizer,noton

    lyinterview

    her,butalsocheckwithN

    APOorNSGCDtoverifyhercred

    entials.Not

    allorganizersaremembersofNAPO.

    Unfortunately,asin

    anybusiness,somepeoplewillhavealogoon

    theirWebsite,butnotbe

    up-to-datewiththeiraccreditatio

    n.Onevery

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    TheSpiritualView

    189

    TheSpiritualView

    14

    189

    Insurrenderingtoonesownoriginalsenseoforderandhar

    mony,ones

    compulsionisabated.

    MelAsh,TheZen

    ofRecovery

    Amongthosewhov

    ecome(andcomeback)toClutterlessmeet-

    ings,nearlyeveryvarietyofbeliefhasbeenrepresented:membersof

    evangelicalbiblechurch

    es,mainstreamProtestants,Cath

    olics,Jews,

    Muslims,NewThoughtbelievers,atheists,andthoseofn

    oparticular

    faith.Clutteringcutsacrossallbeliefs.Whateveryourreligiousaffilia-

    tion,youllfindsomethingthatwillhelpyougetclosert

    oyourGod

    throughdecluttering.Th

    evisualizationstaughtarenotmed

    itation,and

    havenoreligiousoverto

    nes.MeditationscanbeasspiritualorGod-

    centricassuitsyou.The

    wholepointisthat,aswedeclutter,weopen

    ourphysicalandspiritua

    llivesonadeeperlevel.

    Spiritualityisapartfromanysetofreligiousbeliefs.Irealizethatit

    isdangeroustowriteab

    outspiritualityImboundtooffendsome-

    one.Mygoalisnottoproselytizeforanyreligionorwo

    rldview.Its

    entirelypossibleforsomeonewithnoreligiousbeliefstopracticespiri-

    tualprinciples,anditsp

    ossibleforsomeonewhoeschews

    bothreligi-

    osityandspiritualitytoovercomehiscluttering,usingtheother

    techniquesandinsightsinthisbook.So,iftalkingaboutsp

    iritualityin

    abroadsenseoffendsth

    ee,toparaphraseabiblicalquot

    e,castthis

    chapterout,andmoveontothenext.

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    Pr

    osperityIsanInsideJob

    197

    ProsperityIsan

    InsideJob

    15

    197

    Iamcomethattheym

    ighthavelifeandhaveitmoreabunda

    ntly.

    John10:10

    Abundance-thinkingishardlynew.Butithasseenap

    opularityin

    thepastfewyearsthats

    broughtitfromwhatsomeconsideredfuzzy

    NewThoughttomainstreamconsciousness.Thisisdueinlargepart

    toRev.JoelOlsteenandotherpopularministerstellingtheircongrega-

    tionsthatGodwantsthemtobefinanciallyblessedaswella

    sspiritually

    blessed.

    Suchministerswill

    bethefirsttotellyouthatalifebuiltonthe

    pursuitofmaterialgood

    sisanemptylife.Clutterershave

    arealchal-

    lengehere.Wevemade

    thingsthefocusofourlives

    eithertheir

    accumulation,or,ifwearelivinginthesolution,theirelim

    ination.

    Clutterersoftenbelieveinscarcityratherthanabundance.Webe-

    lievethatwewillnever

    haveenough,thatwhatwehave

    willnotbe

    replacediftakenaway,andthatwedonotdeservebetter

    more,per-

    haps,butnotbetter.But

    wecanchangethisthinkingaswerecover.

    Auniversaltruthis

    thatwegetwhatwebelievewedeserve.Ifwe

    believethatwedontdes

    ervethebest,thatwedontdeserveafulland

    richpersonallifewithade

    quatematerialpossessions,wewill

    hoardthose

    pitifulonesthatwedohave.

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    StopClutterFrom

    StealingYourLife

    202

    oftenasyouwant.Say,ThankyouGod,for[item],orsomethingbet-

    ter,thatishere,rig

    htnow,inmylife,andservesmyhighergood.

    Thiswillfeelf

    unnyatfirst.Howcanyousaysom

    ethingiswhenit

    clearlyis

    not?The

    Universecanonlysayyes.Itonlyknowsthenow.

    Whenyousaysom

    ethingis,youtelltheUniversetocreateit.Never

    vacillatewiththeU

    niverse.Thingsare.Ifalovingrelationshipiswhat

    youdesire,putup

    apictureofthewayalovingrela

    tionshiplooksto

    you.Picturethewayitshouldbeinyourmind.Picturetheperson.Feel

    theemotionsoflov

    ethatradiatebetweenyouandth

    atperson.

    Ifitismoney

    thatyoudesire,bespecific,just

    asyoushouldbe

    specificindeclutteringcommitments.Dontsay,alo

    tofmoney.The

    Universedoesntknowwhatthatmeans.Tosomepeople,$100isalot

    ofmoney.Toothers,itis$100,000.Youcanstartwith

    anyamountthat

    feelscomfortableforyou.Justmakesurethatitisan

    amountthatyou

    trulybelieveyoudeserve,andcanhandle.Amillion

    dollarstomorrow

    mightbetoomuch

    foryourconsciousness.Youmightonlybeableto

    beresponsiblefor$1,000or$100.Youcanalwaysup

    theante.

    Rx:HaveFun

    Mostclutterer

    sareafraidtohavefun.Havingfunmeansletting

    go,andthatgoesagainstourgrain.Moneyisnotwha

    tmakesushappy.

    Thingsarenotwhatmakeushappy.Iftheywere,w

    edbechuckling

    ourclutteredfoolh

    eadsoff.

    Moneyisabyproductofbeinghappy.Rememb

    erthat.Moneyis

    notGod.GodisGod.Whenweknowthat,andacceptthat,Godcan

    co-createwhatever

    isforourhighestandbestgood.

    Thismaybethemostimportantthingtocarr

    yawayfromthis

    book:Youdeserve

    tohavefun.Declutteringisnota

    lllifeisabout.A

    balancedlifeisalso

    aboutenjoyingyourself,whateverthatmeanstoyou.

    Prosperity

    Isan

    InsideJob

    203

    WhatIsSuccess?

    NormanVincentPeale,inTheAmazingResultsofPositiv

    eThinking,

    definedsuccessasnotmereachievement,butratherthem

    oredifficult

    featofhandlingyourlife

    efficiently.Itmeanstobeasuccessasaper-

    son;controlled,organize

    d,notpartoftheworlds

    problem

    s,butpart

    ofitscure...ofbeingcrea

    tiveindividuals.

    Affirmforyourselfthatyouareasuccess.Affirmthatyouaresuc-

    cessfulingettingridofy

    ourclutter.Ifyouarehavingahardtimeget-

    tingstarted,begrateful

    thatyouaresuchasuccessfulclu

    tterer.Who

    elsecouldhaveamassed

    suchacollectionofstuff?!

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    Offices

    205

    OfficesHome

    andOtherwise

    16

    205

    Thebirthofexcellenceb

    eginswithourawarenessthatourbeliefs

    areachoice.

    TonyRobbins

    Learnthis,ifnoth

    ingelse:Youdontneedtoprinte-mails,

    Websites,oranythinge

    lsethatsonyourcomputer.Gotit?Ifwe

    clutterers,whoaresuchrecyclers,wouldjuststopdoingth

    at,wednot

    onlysavetheplanetand

    maybegetanawardfromAlGore,butwed

    alsokeepourofficesfrom

    becominglandfills.

    Wecansavee-mails

    intofilefoldersonourcompute

    rsifwefeel

    wellneedthem.Usuallywedont.Wecancopytheaddresso

    fthesender

    toadatabaseorcontact-m

    anagementprogramifweneedto.Mailpro-

    gramsevensavethenam

    esandaddressestoacontactfile

    ifwewant.

    Sotheresnoreasontop

    rinte-mails.

    Webpagesaregreat.Theychange.Theaddressstaysthesame.If

    youwanttoknowhowa

    Webpagelookedmonthsorevenyearsago,

    usetheWaybackMachin

    etofindout:www.archive.org/index

    .php.Dont

    wasteyourinkprintingt

    hem.Youcansavethemonyourcomputerif

    youneedto.

    Okay,enoughpreac

    hing.Ontotherestofthechapte

    r.

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    Sto

    pClutterFromStealingYourLife

    218

    InBrief

    KISSKeepitsimple:success!

    Hearse

    sDontHaveTrailerHitches

    219

    HearsesDont

    HaveTrailer

    Hitches

    17

    219

    Mybiggestfearisthat

    IlldiebeforeIgetridofallthisclutter.Thenmy

    childrenwillhavetotakecar

    eofit.Icanjustimaginehowwelltha

    twillsitwith

    them.IfIdieinthesummer,whenitshot,theyllgetallsweatysortingthrough

    everything.IfIdieinthewinter,theyllcatchcoldgoinginandout

    ofthehouse,

    carryingboxes.Lord,letmedieinspring.Or,theymaynoteventrytosort

    throughit.Theymayjustthrowitallaway.Thatsawful.Therearesome

    valuablethingsinhere.IjusthopeImakeitlongenoughtosortthroughthem.

    Ellen,aclutterer

    Okay,letsstoptalkingaboutdepressingstuffsuchasdecluttering

    andtalkaboutsomethingfun,suchasdying.Giventhe

    choicebe-

    tweendeclutteringandlyingdownanddying,somecluttererswould

    haveahardtimemakin

    guptheirminds.Clutterisnottechnically

    inevitable(thoughitmay

    feellikeit);leavingthisearthlyve

    ilbehindis.

    Nobodylikestotalk

    aboutdeath,andclutterersdontliketotalk

    abouttheirclutter.Sorig

    htaway,thisdoesntbodewellfor

    thischapter

    tobeoneofthemorepopularones.Butyouknowwha

    t,ifIdjust

    wantedtowriteapopularbook,Idonlyhavecompileda

    listoftips.

    Thiswasahardchaptertowrite,becauseIhadtofindtherighttoneto

    motivatecluttererssimila

    rtomyselftodosomethingwithoutmakingit

    soundlikeaguilttrip.T

    heresnogettingarounditsomebodyisgo-

    ingtohavetodealwitho

    urclutter.Justbecausewediedoesntmakeit

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    Sto

    pClutterFromStealingYourLife

    222

    Youcandoth

    iseitheroftwoways,whateverw

    orksforyou.You

    cantellcertainfam

    ilymembersthatyoudlikethemtohaveX,but

    onlyiftheywantit;oryoucanaskwhowantswhat.

    Hereswherethe

    labelsandmarkers

    comein.Askeveryonetowritetheirnameonthe

    itemsthataregoin

    gtothem,andaffixittotheba

    ckoftheitem.If

    morethanonepersonwantsthesamething,putth

    enamesinahat

    andhavealottery.

    Now,fortheh

    ardpart:Witheveryonethere,pickanexecutorof

    yourestate,whois

    goingtohavetodeclutterwhats

    leftbehind.

    Thisexercisemaynotcompletelygetridofyourclutter,butitwill

    makeitaloteasier

    tomakedecisionswhichisreallythehardpartof

    decluttering.

    Onceyouand

    yourfamilygetinthemood,thiswouldbeagood

    timetoasksomeon

    etotakeoutthosestacksofmagazinesandnewspa-

    persyouvebeensaving.Thosethingscanbereallyheavy,sowhynot

    usehelpwhileyouvegotit?

    Ifyourfamily

    canactuallytakesomeofthething

    stheyregoingto

    inheritawayfromthehouse(withoutmakingyoufeelempty,thatis)

    rightnow,allthebetter.Butifthestuffgivesyoujo

    ytohavearound

    you,thentheyllju

    sthavetowait.

    MaintenanceSteps

    223

    Maintenance

    Steps

    18

    223

    Thisisnottheend.I

    tisnoteventhebeginningoftheen

    d.Butitis,

    perhaps,theendofthebeginning.

    WinstonChurchill

    Hooray!Wedidit.

    Wevemadesomeprogressino

    urphysical

    decluttering,andourme

    ntalblocksthatenabledourre-clu

    ttering.We

    maynothaveaperfect

    houserightnow,butwevegotthebesthouse

    wecanhaveatthismom

    ent.Werealwaysimproving.Wer

    ealmostal-

    waysmovingforward.D

    ailyMaintenance

    Ifwefollowthesed

    ailyhabits,wewillspendalotlesstimeon

    majorcleanups,andwe

    willkeepourlivesandsoulsclutter-less.We

    wontbeabletodoallthesemaintenancestepseveryday,andsome-

    timestheywontevenapply.Dowhatyoucaneveryday

    untilitbe-

    comesahabit.

    Whilepracticingthe

    sehabits,IfoundthatIbecamebored,orfelt

    myselfslippingintoaru

    t.IevenwonderedifIhadbecom

    eobsessive

    aboutneatness(okay,ma

    ybethatisastretch).SoItriednottodoany

    dailymaintenance.Thenextday,Ididntfeelasgoodabo

    utmyself.I

    leteverythinggofortwo

    days,andfeltthatold,somewha

    tdepressed

    clutter-thinkingreturnin

    g.

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    Sto

    pClutterFromStealingYourLife

    226

    TheBed

    Ifyoureadin

    bed,putyourbooksonthefloo

    r,andnotonthe

    bed.Ifyoueatinbed,getupandputthedishesinthesink.Theselittle

    habitswillpayoff

    bigtime.Inthemorning,makingabedwithout

    booksoricecream

    bowlsinitisaloteasier.Youdonthavetomake

    yourbedmilitary-styleunlessitmakesyoufeelbe

    tter.Justpullthe

    sheetsandbedspreadupoverthepillows,anditwilllook100times

    better.Yourdogor

    catwillbehappiertoo.

    TheBathroom

    Ifyoukeepaspongebythetub,youcangivethetubaquickwipe

    justbeforeyouget

    out,andthatnastyringwontsho

    wupforalonger

    time.Givethefaucetsonthesinkandtubaquickwip

    ewithadrytowel

    beforeyouleaveth

    ebathroom.Itwilldowondersforyourself-esteem

    whenyoucomeho

    mefromwork.

    TheLivingRoom

    Dontusethatcoffeetableforabookcaseorf

    ilingcabinet.Put

    thingswheretheybelong.Newspaperslovetomingleoncoffeetables

    andsofas.Sendth

    emtoanewspapersinglesbar

    thetrash/recycle

    bin.Theywillbehappiertogether.Howmuchtimed

    oesittaketopick

    uptheeveningsg

    lassesandcups?Abouttwominutes.Ashtraysare

    particularlygross.Dumpem.

    TheDiningRo

    om

    Thatwasarea

    llynicedinneryoupreparedinyourcleankitchen.

    Nowpickupthed

    ishes,asyouaregoingtowashth

    emanyway.Wipe

    thetable.Time:perhapsfiveminutes.Ifyoulivewithsomeoneelse,

    heorshewillgenerallybeveryhappytohelpwith

    thischore.Heor

    sheissohappyabouttheprogressyouaremaking.

    AS

    mallInvestment

    Wehavenow

    spentabout15or20minutesspreadthroughout

    ourdaytogiveourselvesabetterlife.Thatisavery

    smallinvestment

    MaintenanceSteps

    227

    foraverybigreward.Ifw

    eletthesethingsslide,wecanlookforwardto

    losingagoodcoupleofh

    oursofourweekendsdoingthesamethings.

    Personally,Iwouldratherbefishing.Howaboutyou?

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    Sto

    pClutterFromStealingYourLife

    234

    Youdidnt

    get

    intothewoodsinonehugestep,andyouwont

    get

    outoftheminone

    giantleap.Juststartwalkingand

    lookingforthat

    sunlightattheend

    ofyourdarktrail.

    SupportGroups

    235

    S

    upportGrou

    ps

    20

    235

    Noteveryoneisagroupie.Wait,thatsoundedwrong

    .Ohwell,a

    littlesupportgrouphum

    ormightlightenupthistopic.Thepointis,it

    wouldbeagoodthingif

    youtriedasupportgroup.

    Thenumberofcluttersupportgroupsistinyincom

    parisonto

    supportgroupsforotherissues.Thatcouldbebecauseclutterersare

    loners,becausepeopled

    ontknowaboutthem,becauseclutterersjust

    dontdogroups.AllIknowisthatthosewhomaketheeffortgetaheck

    ofalotbetter.Youvebeentryingtochangeyourclutteringhabitsyour-

    self,allalone,forhowmanyyears?Sowhatsitgoingtotak

    etogetyou

    totrysomethingdifferent?Trustme,asgoodasthisboo

    kis,youre

    goingtogetoveryourclutteringawholelotfasterifyoujo

    inorstarta

    group.Anotherbenefitisthatyouwillhelpothers.Clutterersareso

    introvertedthatweappearselfish;weareactuallyquitecaring,oncewe

    comeoutofourshells.

    HelpedbySelf-HelpGroups

    Thegroupbasedonthe12-step

    principlesofAlcoho

    licsAnony-

    mousisClutterersAno

    nymous(www.clutterersanonymous.net).They

    arestrictlyandtraditionallybasedonthe12stepsand12traditionsof

    AA.Theyhavebetween30and50groupsnationwide,dependingon

    theattritionratethatm

    onth.Ifyouarentwillingtostartyourown

    meeting,thenthesefolksmighthaveasolutioninyourtow

    n.Irecom-

    mendthem.

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    Sto

    pClutterFromStealingYourLife

    244

    thechoiceisyours.

    Mostimportantly,youllfindouth

    owyoufeelabout

    differenttypesofclutter,andthenbeabletochangethatbehaviorfrom

    thestart.

    Picture

    Journ

    al

    Haveonepageofbeforepicturesofyourwholehouseoroffice.

    ThatstheBigPicture.

    Eachdayattac

    habeforeandafterpictureofthe

    areayouworked

    on.ThatstheLittlePicture.

    Youdonthavetoprintthemincolor(whichwillsaveyouinkand

    money).Infact,printingthem

    inblackandwhitei

    smoredramatic.

    Keepthepictureso

    nyourcomputer,and,ifyoucan

    ,putthem

    intoa

    slideshow.Thereareveryinexpensiveandevenfreep

    rogramsthatwill

    dosimpleslideshowsforyou.Whenyougetdepresse

    daboutnotmak-

    inganyprogress,w

    atchtheshow.

    AppendixII

    245

    A

    ppendixII:

    A

    ffirmationsand

    P

    romises

    245

    Affirmations

    Iliveinaclutter

    -freeenvironment,mentally,spiritually,

    andemotionally.

    Iseebeyondmy

    clutter.Iseetheorderlinessthatlies

    within.

    Mylifeisfilledw

    ithbeautyandorganization.

    Iam

    perfectasI

    amtoday.Iconstantlyimprovem

    y

    definitionofper

    fection.

    Iallowmyselfto

    beimperfectintheeyesofothers,

    knowingIam

    aperfectme.

    Clutteristhepast.Orderisthepresent.Peaceand

    prosperityareth

    efuture.

    Istartmydayov

    erwheneverIneedto.

    Notaskisoverw

    helmingtome.Ihavethestrengthto

    overcomeeverylimitation.

    Myfinancesare

    inperfectorder.

    ThereisalwaysenoughmoneyintheUniversefor

    my

    everyneed.Inowclaim

    myfairshare.

    Oops,Ihadaslip!Itisnotserious.IfIcandoit,Ican

    undoit.

    Iamaperfectex

    pressionofUniversallove.

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