We all like to save things. Memorabilia that we thought had no value may someday become worth thousands of dollars if not millions.
For many people, there is no longer a fine line between keeping things as keepsakes or keeping them just for the sake of keeping them.
When we keep things for no apparent reason, we begin to use up the energy in our homes, cars, and places of work. So, with that in mind, we present this quick quiz that will tell you if you need to de-clutter your life. Companies, too, need to de-clutter from time to time. We are all aware of places in the company where we work that is used as a storeroom but is so cluttered that no one can find anything there.
Businesses Too
Even some businesses that you wouldn’t expect to be cluttered can be. Large department stores that don’t have enough staff may find that their products are all over the place as customers decide in the end not to buy them. Online casinos that have been around for a long time may actually be cluttered with an over-supply of old fashioned casino games. The list goes on and on.
I Don’t Want to Fail the Quiz
So, relax and take this handy quiz. You can’t actually fail the quiz. If you see that your life is too cluttered all you have to do is de-clutter. A lot of people find de-cluttering fun once they get going. The fun comes from all the energy that getting rid of clutter releases.
We’ll explain the questions as we go along. That way, we won’t be cluttering your mind with an oversupply of questions and you’ll find the quiz more accessible.
Recycling
Do you put off recycling old newspapers?
Do you put off recycling old books?
Do you put off recycling old clothes?
Do you put off throwing out old food from the refrigerator?
These four questions cover two areas where clutter collectors thrive: putting off decisions and making room for the new. A lot of clutter accumulates just because people are more prepared to put the act of taking something to the recycling shed or emptying one’s closet of clothes you don’t wear.
Buying and Storing Clothes
Many of the latter types of person also like to buy new clothes even as they don’t make room by recycling old clothes. Their closets are bursting and they often can’t find the garments they want to wear that day.
Many people who don’t have room in their closets for all their clothes actually put off laundering clothes. In a very real sense, thy use the laundry hamper as a pseudo-closet!
Food and Books
Many people who have a lot of leftover food wait until it is thoroughly spoilt before they’ll throw it away. Making more food than you can eat is also a sign of clutter. The solution is to make a conscious effort to make as close to the right amount of food.
Finally, many people often object to the notion of recycling books. Here we are not talking about throwing books away. We are talking about making them available to other people to read and enjoy.
Books are never leftovers in the way that food often is. Unless you are certain that you’ll need a book at some later date, it’s best to give away books that you have already read or know in your heart that you won’t read.
Living in Denial
Do you tell people that you really like clutter?
Do you tell people that you really need some clutter in your life?
Do you tell people that you really know where everything is?
Do you tell people that you’ll start to tidy up after… the weekend or the holiday?
Denial is a very powerful tool for not getting things done. Very few people really like clutter. Very few people really need a little clutter in their lives. These people simply aren’t ready to get rid of the extra stuff they have collected over the years.
Denial is a cousin to false sentimentality. We can and usually do have things of genuine sentimental value. These should be kept for their own sake and whenever possible given a place of honour somewhere in the house or office. But a cluttered house or office has no places of honour for those things we truly cherish.
When we make room for those things we truly cherish, we will discover that we cherish them all the more.
Being Secretive
Do you secretly admire tidy people?
Do you secretly wish that you were tidier?
Do you secretly wish that you had more energy?
Everyone has secrets and we would never suggest that you divulge every secret you have carried for a long time. However, we can suggest that you become more truthful to yourself about the secrets you carry. Secrets that would embarrass a friend or family member are best kept sealed away.
Secrets about how you wish you were instead of how you are tell you a lot about your deepest desires. Getting tidy is a lot easier than quitting cigarettes or losing weight or embarking on a long-term fitness programme. In fact, many people who were pack rats for years suddenly developed an immense amount of new self-esteem simply because they found a way to take out the stuff that was cluttering their lives.
When we de-clutter, we release tremendous stores of energy. We find that we have more mental agility, physical pop, and overall better humour. Getting rid of clutter makes us feel so good that it can be amazing.
Begin Slowly or Go Cold Turkey
This is an age-old question that refers to a lot of self-improvement activities. Should we quit cigarettes slowly or cold turkey? As in so many other areas of life, de-cluttering is an individual matter. Some people find that if they don’t plunge right in they never get going. Others need more time to get used to the idea of getting rid of things they have had for years.
The only true key here is to thine own self be true. And, if you have the collected works of Shakespeare in a single volume, please give it to someone whose eyes are stronger and can actually read it!
