See Ya, Clutter!

For many of us in the northern hemisphere, spring has finally sprung. With the warmer weather and longer days, comes a desire to open windows, air out our stale winter homes, and get rid of the piles of physical and mental shit that has accumulated during our hibernation.

This past weekend, I spent some time gathering items for a yard sale we’re having with our neighbors next month. When they suggested the idea, my response was, “Nah, I don’t have enough stuff to warrant a yard sale. I happily get rid of stuff regularly.” So they offered for us to just have a table at theirs if we find we don’t have a lot.

As I looked around the house this weekend and put a few things in a box, I realized how easily some of my stuff that I no longer love has become part of the scenery. By inspecting the guest room closet, for example, through the lens of the yard sale, suddenly I was able to find plenty to fill that box.

Clutter is a big source of stress that prompts all sorts of crappy feelings: anxiety, frustration, shame, and guilt, just to name a few. It can make it nearly impossible to fully relax, and it interferes with creativity and productivity big time.

If we don’t intentionally look at our lives with a fresh perspective, we’ll go on tolerating all sorts of mental, emotional, and physical clutter, and it’s easy to forget how much this excess baggage is keeping our goals, dreams, and happiness at bay.

Here are some examples of what I mean:

Money. If you’re looking to increase revenue in your business and have a pile of yet-to-be-filed bill statements, you’re sending a mixed message to the Universe. You’re asking for more income yet you’re not taking very good care of what you currently have. The old adage, “actions speak louder than words” is the main motto of that powerful energy that’s waiting to rally behind you. You can say you want to improve your finances, but if you’re pissing money away, not paying bills on time, or aren’t using a streamlined bookkeeping system, you’re really saying just the opposite.

Love. Hoping to find “the one” and live happily ever after? Do you still have a box of memories from an ex that includes some not-so-happy reminders? Guess who’s planted in your relationship seat? Your ex. And there’s no room for someone new. Or maybe you have an overbearing mother who has no respect for your privacy or boundaries. Yup, energetically, you’re dating your mom. Well, not like that! If you want to attract the man or woman of your dreams, take a good look at the quality of your current relationships – family, friend, coworkers, etc. They play an important role in the likelihood of you attracting some love.

Health. Both mental and emotional clutter play a huge role in your ability to improve your health. If inner critic messages, fears, and unhealthy boundaries are a regular part of your life, your body pays a price. It makes it difficult to lose weight because you’ll hang onto that armor for protection. The emotional turmoil and frustration parks itself in your body and shows up as back pain, headaches, jaw pain, muscle spasms, and more. You may head to the doctors for relief when what you really need is support in putting your needs first.

As you can see, clutter comes in a variety of forms:

• Fears
• Draining relationships
• Piles of paper
• Old beliefs
• Books and magazines
• Bills/financial health
• Diet
• Clothes
• Inner critic messages

But wait! I have good news! You can begin to feel incredible relief and empowerment around your clutter long before it’s all handled. Like any goal in your life, you’ll see success in the actions, not just the outcome.

Let’s take that pile of unfiled bills, for example. By spending just 15 minutes separating them into categories, you’ll immediately begin reclaiming your power from them. By no longer ignoring the pile or dreading tackling it, spending even a small amount of time on handling it creates a powerful, energetic shift in your body, mind, and spirit. Truly. It’s science, yo.

Same thing with finding love. Set stronger boundaries with the energy vampires in your life and you may find yourself on a dream date sooner rather than later.

I love the topic of clutter. Yeah, I’m weird. I just think it plays such a huge role in our happiness level, and I like to excavate the powerful messages it holds that are often the secrets to our success. This is a lot of the work I do with clients.

You want in on it? Check out my Clutter Busters Video Course starting in a couple weeks. You can read all about it here: www.kerririchardson.com/clutter-busters, and see if you relate to the answers some of my Facebook friends gave to my thought-provoking clutter questions. Oh, and if you’re interested in joining the 30-Day Challenge, sign up soon because early bird pricing ends on Friday.

Now I’d love to hear from you! What role does clutter play in your life? What type of clutter drains you the most? What feels so scary about tackling it? Let’s dive even deeper in the comments below.