Getting our belongings organized is a very important piece to keeping a healthy
productive flow in our lives. Sometimes when we are in a rut we want to hold
onto things, can’t keep the things we do have in order or we go get new things
to try to feel better.
The more likely path to feeling unstuck when we are in a rut and find we are
dealing with any clutter and disorganization, is to get rid of some things. Avoiding
or climbing out of a rut (so you can live a RFL) is more about letting go than it is
about accumulating.
If we bring home a new purchase or item, most likely we will not even be able to
enjoy it in a cluttered atmosphere so we want to be fully organized before we
begin to introduce new things into our worlds during or after a rut in our lives.
There is a point we can reach (I am sure you’ve all heard it) ‘when the things we
own begin to own us’. Almost everyone has a junk drawer but maybe some have
a junk closet or two or even a junk room and have to decline a weekend of fun or
relaxation because they just need to finally get the stuff in their junk room (That
they haven’t used in three years) organized.
Maybe we decline time out with friends because we intend to do it (but then we
never wind up getting around to it). This is an example of when our stuff owns us.
Even if we are numb to the clutter and disorganization around us, it can affect us,
hinder us (even the potentially avalanching closet we never open is there lurking
in the back of our minds).
One thing that can be tricky about this aspect of our lives is that almost all of us
know how to clean and organize so it is frustrating when we think back to a time
when our living space was clean and clutter free and now we cannot seem to
achieve this. The same way that our finances can move from math to emotions,
so can ownership of things move from simple process to impossible feat when
there is an emotional twist to the equation.
You may be interested in this article: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE IN A RUT?
When money becomes emotional, we might need to tell ourselves, “hey, you have
$10 to your name, $5000 in debt and you need a car repair yesterday. This is not a
good time to purchase a new wardrobe!“, Something that would come natural if we
were looking at just the math.
When ownership becomes emotional, we may need to continually remind ourselves
of things like this; “The closet where all of the camping gear is kept that has sat
untouched for five years already and I will never use again, would be the perfect space
for my off-season clothes and would free up space in my bedroom closet so that the
items I have in there are visible enough to where I can put an outfit together without
struggling.“
When we are feeling down for an extended period of time, it can be difficult enough to
muster the energy to leave the house. If simply getting dressed is a big struggle, we may
feel defeated before we even get out the door.
Also, the amount of stuff we own can expand drastically without us even realizing it.
Unless we had packed it all in boxes side-by-side with an image of what we used to have
packed in boxes, we just may not see clearly how much more we have gathered.
If on top of that, we are in an altered state of mind (in a rut) it is easy to miss the reality of
this and for some reasons (perhaps we feel sentimental about the items, for example) we
may not even want to acknowledge it.
An important fact to focus on is that stuff was never invented to be a ball and chain to us or
to hold us down and steal all of our time and energy. stuff has always been meant for the
purpose of making our lives easier, more fun, more relaxing. Stuff is supposed to enhance
lives not make things difficult or frustrating. Stuff should simplify our lives, not make them
more complicated.
would you buy a product that was advertised like this; “This newly designed wheel barrel
makes your load feel twice as heavy!“? I don’t think so. Think about how silly this statement
would be if it was spoken out loud; “While having pending projects sitting around stresses
me out, I am going to run down to the thrift store to buy a bunch of future projects to store
in my house, though I have no room as it is, and I do not foresee any spare time to complete
any new projects because I need to work extra hours to even pay my bills.“
There are so many things wrong with that statement but this type of decision is made in
silence all too often.
The first thing that makes sense to do is to inventory everything we own (have you ever
bought something you already owned because you didn’t remember that you owned it or
couldn’t find it? Me too). If we own things that do not make our lives better or we have too
much to accomplish an inventory, that is confirmation that we may need to let go of some
things.
Taking inventory is not as difficult as one may think and it is an important step in taking
back (positive) control of our lives. Getting things in order is most likely easier than it seems
right now. Keep in mind that when someone is in a rut, everything is most likely easier than
it seems.
Think about how much stuff a department store has and how organized they keep it. I
understand they have employees but hopefully we only have a fraction of the amount of
stuff they have that would likely be equivalent to only one employee’s responsibilities.
The way inventory and organization on a grand scale is accomplished is doable on a smaller
scale as well. We can begin to inventory everything we own room by room very simply. It
does not need to happen all in one day (and you don’t need to do a perfect job) but just
continue to move toward the final desired accomplishment.
While we do not need to make any decisions about what to keep or discard on this step,
we will most likely run into items during the process that we can determine on the spot that
we do not need or want (so toss it into the donate or trash bin). This will help put some fire
behind our efforts when this happens.
When we start in a room, first we should determine what we will use that room for (this can
be tentative but we just need to make a call on that before beginning). As we inventory, we
should box up anything that does not belong in there and move it to the room we think it
should be housed in. This may change when we get to that particular room but we don’t
want to overthink it, we should just put it in there and continue on with the room we are
currently working in.
This will get the juices flowing around making our home a functional space. Action applied
toward movement in a specific direction will inspire new ideas and bring that goal to life.
Stay somewhat fluid when you are creating this environment because this will both take the
stress out of making decisions (when you know that they can change if they’re not correct)
and it leaves room for an idea to become a great idea!
We can do our inventory on paper (index cards will work). I suggest using an application like
OneNote or a spreadsheet if that is possible so items are more easily searchable. An easy
way to inventory is to just go room by room (example; master bedroom) then location
(example; tall dresser, drawer number one) and the specific items in that location, and so
on.
This exercise will introduce someone to all of their belongings again which helps to create a
reference where they can find things moving forward. They will also be rediscovering these
things that are connected to other times in their life which may take them on a journey of
growth, healing and inspiration in itself.
One note of significance about taking inventory is that we are no longer allowing ourselves
to be in denial about what we own. I will reference finances again (finance and ownership
can cause a similar, illogical, mechanism to operate in our minds). When someone is having
financial problems, many times they are in denial about the big picture because it is too
frightening to look at. When we want to conquer a problem, we need to see the big picture
clearly to affectively take it on.
Get started with that first room. Move gradually as time allows, one room a week or every
two weeks but we should try not to drag it out any longer than necessary so we can keep
building momentum. Understanding that some rooms will take longer than others, unless
we live in a 50 room castle it should not take too many weeks to get this done if we stay on
course consistently.
Keep imagining a functional household where you have comfortable, inspirational spaces
to do the necessary and the things you want to enjoy for a RFL.