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Clutter: Enemy Number One

Simplicity is an exact medium between too little and too much.– Sir Joshua Reynolds

I saw this quote not long ago, and realized that this is a very accurate description. Many people worry about being pushed to the side of too little when they start out to simplify. And many people also worry about having to give up the “too much”.

Prime Enemy of Simplicity and Inner Peace: Clutter

I believe that clutter in all its forms is the prime enemy of both simplicity and inner peace. Clutter robs our attention, our energy and our joy. It causes us stress, anxiety and worse.

You may be thinking only of physical clutter. But there are other types of clutter just as insidious and dangerous.

What it comes down to is that if something is not a positive influence in your life, it is clutter.

Types of Clutter

Physical Clutter

This one is the obvious one. Most of us know what clutter is. Unfortunately, most of us also only see clutter that other people have, overlooking the clutter in our lives. There are many programs out there for dealing with clutter (I think Flylady is one of the best for core principles).

Don’t panic here. I’m not talking about divesting yourself of everything you own.

But let’s look at where you are right now. Most of you are probably sitting at a desk reading this. Look around you. How many things are there around you? How many pens and pencils can you see? While having writing implements is a good thing, there is diminishing returns when you purchase more. If you have 20 pens and pencils, adding another 20 more is not going to let you accomplish anything more. In fact, most of those tools will now sit unused and might dry up and become unusable. You can only at most write with two of these items at once (if you are ambidextrous). So why have 40?

I challenge you to get rid of the excess. (How? One way is to donate them to a teacher you know or bring them to a school. Or leave them at a doctor’s office).

Emotional Clutter

Emotional clutter is the stuff in your head that is not serving as a positive influence. This is more insidious than physical clutter. But most of us carry around attitudes that do not serve us well. Some of us are quick to anger; some read insults into everything; some let people walk all over them, or bully them or…. One of my many flaws is that I am impatient. This does not serve a positive purpose, and in fact often leads me into things that could have been avoided, causing more confusion and complication.

Spiritual Clutter

I consider spiritual clutter to be those things which get in my way of having inner peace. Needless anxiety, keeping myself so busy that I don’t have time to renew and recharge, and not asking for help all lead to this state.

“But I Love It…”

Most people will react to decluttering suggestions with a wailed “But I love it!”. I think that if you truly love something, it is going to end up being positive for you. Getting rid of clutter does not mean to get rid of everything we love and cherish. It means that we move from the too much side of things back into the fine line that is simplicity and balance.

Summary

As I get going on this blog, I will have many more articles on clutter in its various forms, its impact on us, and how I have gotten rid of clutter. I hope that you will think about what it is that is standing in your way for peace and simplicity, and what you have that puts you over the line of too much.

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