Before we get into a full-scale character attack on clutter and what it does to our homes and happiness, let's start by defining what clutter really is. Clutter is not just stuff that's disorganized or out of place, like the rolls
of holiday wrapping paper stashed behind your office door or last year's tax returns covering every inch of the dining room table. Clutter is also the direct result of a slow but steady accumulation of things that we didn't ask for, shouldn't have bought, or no longer need.
Clutter is gifts that we keep out of guilt, like that horribly tacky party tray from your sister-in-law (which you strongly suspect was regifted). Clutter is broken things that you never got around to fixing.
Clutter is bits and pieces of nostalgia that you hoard for posterity. In short, clutter is all the stuff that you'd get rid of or move to a more suitable place if you only had the time to go through it and the will to make the tough decision to toss.
So, aside from how it looks, why is clutter so bad? For starters, it affects us all in both practical and psychological ways. It doesn't just fill our living spaces; it fills our minds. Seeing a jumble of misplaced items
in every room is a constant reminder of unfinished business and unresolved issues. All this emotional
baggage weighs heavily on the spirit, sapping our energy and possibly keeping us from doing something new, something positive.
The practical effects of clutter are more obvious. You simply can't live and work effiCiently or peacefully in your home when the traffic routes are blocked with laundry and every flat surface is covered with old papers. Clutter makes everyday things (car keys) hard to find and time-sensitive things (mortgage bills) easy to forget. Perhaps most important, clutter takes up valuable storage and display space where cherished and truly useful items could go. That's why you have to minimize your clutter before you can plan new storage systems. If you don't, you'll just be bailing out a sinking boat by moving the water from bow to stern.
Clutter eventually becomes its own problem. Before a cleanup, this guest room served only as a huge receptacle for miscellaneous stuff. Taking the time to pitch unwanted junk and organizing the space with efficient storage and a work area transformed it into a pleasant guest room that also serves as a home office.
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