We tend to think that the only cost of clutter is the price we paid for an item. While the dollar cost can be significant, it’s not the only price.
Having clutter extracts costs on many levels: financial, physical movement within a space, relationship conflicts, feelings of not being the person you wish to be, missed opportunities, wasted resources, worrying what others think of you, health issues, and more.
I’ve created a list of examples that you may have experienced but not thought about in terms of full cost. Note how many apply to you.
- Not checking the too-crowded pantry to see if you have canned beans before going to the store, so you buy more.
- Eating out because your kitchen is too frustrating to cook in due to cluttered cabinets.
- Missing tax deductions because your tax-related papers are mixed in with random papers, making it too much to sort through in time for Tax Day.
- Feeling the burden–for ten years–of the intention to clean your basement without a single box getting sorted.
- Investing in a new hobby and losing interest because you have no place to easily do the hobby.
- Thinking that you will get organized if you buy some bins, then finding out they do not fit into the space you wanted to use them, which means you now are storing unused bins.
- Not being able to sleep restfully because there’s too much stuff in your bedroom.
- Having breathing issues because the piles of stuff make it too hard to clean regularly.
- Feeling discouraged because everywhere you look are piles and the piles have thick dust on them and “that’s not how your mother raised you.”
- Picking up a few extra boxes of fruit snacks because the price was so cheap and you have nowhere to store them. You place them out of the way and find them a year later, hard as rocks.
- Missing the deadline to submit a rebate because your paper system consists of scooping paper into a bag and setting it in the office.
- Arguing with your spouse about stuff because you cannot find common ground.
- Buying five shirts with the same design but in different colors at the warehouse store and discovering once you get home and try one on that it fits poorly.
- Berating yourself for never getting around to returning the shirts.
- Being unable to access the clothes that do fit in your closet because the pile of wrong-fitting shirts is in the way. You start living out of your clothes basket instead.
- Turning to junk food and alcohol to numb out because you are too overwhelmed to declutter.
- Not being able to use rooms in your house because they hold boxes of things you don’t know how to decide on.
- Being irritated at your adult children for not coming to get their crap.
- Thinking the jeans that haven’t fit you in 10 years will provide inspiration to lose weight if you display them in your closet. Instead, the opposite happens and you feel not good enough every time you see them.
- Having to store your parents’ stuff because they downsized or died and you feel paralyzed to even begin to decide what to keep or let go of. You don’t want to disappoint them.
- Losing uncashed checks that are too far past the deadline to be reissued. Plus, you would be mortified to ask.
- Feeling like you are failing as a parent because you know you are setting a bad example with disorganization.
- Missing a promotion because you can’t keep track of tasks due to a cluttered desk and in-box.
- Not creating the family memory books you want to make because your photos are scattered around the house and on multiple electronic devices.
- Parking your car outside in the hail, snow, and sun because the garage is taken up with stuff you’ve meant to sort.
- Having big dreams of refinishing a table/cabinet/chair/armoire and never getting to it because you don’t have the workspace, yet refusing to give up the idea of doing the project.
- Being the butt of jokes with friends and family: “Yeah, [insert your name] is always late.” “Have you ever seen [insert your name]’s car not a disaster?” “It so funny that you think you’ll stay organized this time. Face it, you’re just a messy person.”
Phew! What’s your tally?
Did this exercise bring you new awareness? Are you feeling uncomfortable? Motivated to shift?
One thing I know for sure is that people do not change until the pain of staying the same is greater than the pain of changing. This list is my way to raise your consciousness to the clutter pain that you are tolerating, so that you are motivated to do something different.
Let’s Get Organized Together
At the end of July, I am hosting a free workshop to help you organize your paper. I’ll teach you step-by-step how to set up an easy-to-maintain paper system. Each day builds upon the content of the day before. The sessions will be delivered live each night and also available by replay for a limited time in my Facebook group, Make Space for Abundance.
If you are drowning in paper clutter, sign up for the Organize Your Paper workshop: https://katevarness.com/paper-workshop/
