Peace of Mind Organizing

Why does decluttering feel so hard?

5 June 2009

When it comes decluttering, which is usually the the first step of getting organized, getting started is often the hardest part.

Emotions play into it, of course. It’s often scary or overwhelming to even think about tackling a big decluttering job. Back in March, I wrote a blog post that contained a poll on the emotional barriers to getting organized. I asked “What emotions get in your way of getting organized?” Of the 69 responses, the largest proportion was “Overwhelm” followed by “Avoidance.”

I’m facing this right now in my life. My husband and I have a big, scary, “Silence of the Lambs”-style basement in our 101-year-old home. In the eight years we’ve been back in this house, we’ve only added stuff to it. There’s been very little subtracting.

I know having an ugly and cluttered basement is probably psychically bag for me. I’m sure it’s terrible feng shui. But it’s not a project I could tackle on my own, since many (though certainly not all) of the things down there were put there by my husband. We talk about cleaning it out and organizing what’s left, but we never get around to doing it, since pretty much any other activity is more attractive.

So we’re doing what I encourage you to do if you’re faced with such a challenge. We’re hiring a professional organizer. Karel Worley, of Clearing Your Path here in St. Louis, is coming over on Thursday and the three of us are spending the day in the basement. I’m actually excited about getting started, primarily because I want it over with.

I’ll report back after Thursday’s basement session. I’m really anxious for the experience of working with an organizer, particularly in tandem with my husband!

Tagged with: chronically disorganized, decluttering, emotions, karel worley, professional organizer

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