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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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