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From childhood teddy bears to the latest smart phones, our stuff brings us status, comfort, happiness, and even excitement. But over time, the shininess wears off, the therapeutic properties the object once possessed evaporate, and the object becomes nothing more than another piece of clutter.
In this week’s episode, we look the real cost of clutter. The toll it takes on our psyche and our dreams. Discover how to usurp the power we’ve given our stuff and find a truly rich life with less. Because once you see clutter for what it really is – an emotional crutch – you can learn to walk without it.
I was inspired by two different resources for this week’s episode:
- “The Many Reasons We Rely Upon Our Clutter” on Zen Habits
- “A Rich Life With Less Stuff” by The Minimalists for TEDx
If you’ve never heard of either of these resources before, I’d highly recommend checking them out – this article and video are just the tip of the inspiration iceberg for what Leo (Zen Habits) and Joshua and Ryan (The Minimalists) provide.
Together, these two sources helped inspire me to think more about how I use clutter as a crutch – both in the past, and going forward in my life.
You might remember that way back in Episode 8 (“Declutter to Increase Space and Improve Peace of Mind“), I went through a big Self-Help Crash Test Dummy Experiment to declutter, and this week’s Self-Help Crash Test Dummy Experiment was all about checking in to see how I’ve fared in keeping clutter to a minimum.
Using Kelly Jayne McCann’s Free Decluttering Workbook, I reviewed my progress and was pleasantly surprised to learn that I’ve actually done pretty well at keeping clutter under control. I still think I’m at risk for using it as a crutch in my life, especially when it comes to using clutter as a “possibility for improvement” – one of the crutches Leo mentions in his article.
I also spent time thinking about different areas of my life, and how I might lead a richer life with less stuff (just like The Minimalists mentioned!).
Clutter is caused by emotional crutches. Pursuit of traditional wealth is to pursue a life filled with things. But a rich life is filled with loving relationships, well-being, and a meaningful contribution – NOT THINGS.
Ready to declutter and start living a richer life for yourself? Download the free Decluttering Workbook from Kelly Jayne McCann, the Organizing Maven.
