My war on clutter started with an out-of-control closet. Well, in all honesty, it was actually two out-of-control closets―each jam-packed with outfits to fit any occasion I could dream up. Whenever it was time to get dressed, I felt stressed, frustrated and just plain overwhelmed. Even with all those clothes, I still always felt like I had nothing good to wear.
Long story short, I finally got to a point where I’d had enough. I was angry at the chaos I’d created. I made my closets my battleground. I donated, consigned, recycled and threw stuff out. I fought the urge to keep things “just in case” or to “set this aside just for now.”
The whole experience was exhausting and all-consuming, but looking back, it was possibly the best time I’ve ever spent.
Photography: Emilie Iggiotti
Decluttering my closets made me feel lighter and happier. So naturally, I kept going. Nothing in the house was safe. I was ruthless― and it paid off. Decluttering has changed my life in ways I never expected. One of those ways was making me better at my job.
Decluttering set me up for success
When I think about it now, it’s pretty obvious why clearing clutter from my workspace has helped me be more successful in my business. But, hey, hindsight is 20-20, right? After I organized my home office, I found that fewer things were getting lost in the shuffle. (I guess that’s because there wasn’t any shuffle left for things to get lost in!) I wasn’t spending time searching for my interview notes from the other day or my stapler that “I could’ve sworn I put right here.”
A less cluttered desk also meant fewer distractions. With everything put away, it was so much easier to focus on one project at a time. I’ve learned that, for me at least, a clutter-free environment is a calm environment. When I’m calm, I’m more creative and, ultimately, I create better content. As a freelance writer and blogger, this realization is gold.
So, what the heck took me so long?
For me―and I’m sure for a lot of people―actually facing the clutter I’d accumulated over many years was a really big deal. Coming to terms with my mess and what I’d actually need to do to get rid of it was incredibly overwhelming. Where would I find the time and energy? For a long time, it was easier to tell myself (and others) that there was a method to my madness, and I thrived in my organized chaos. Back then, I saw decluttering and organizing a space as one big job I had to do all at once. If it wasn’t all done, it wouldn’t do me any good. Boy, was I wrong.
Even a little progress makes a big difference
When it comes to decluttering (as with many things in life), consistently taking small steps is the key to overcoming overwhelm. Clearing out your workspace is as simple as committing to one small project a day for, say, one work week. For example, on Monday you could schedule 30 minutes to go through your papers, folders, and mail, recycling, shredding or filing away as much as you can. Tuesday might be desktop declutter day. Set the same 30-minute timer and go through your computer desktop and documents folder, deleting the files you don’t need and organizing the rest into folders. You could dedicate Wednesday to whittling down your work wardrobe, so you save time deciding what to wear in the mornings.
Get creative, make room in your schedule and, most importantly, set small goals. If you soldier on for a few days, you’ll suddenly find yourself enjoying your clutter-free work life―and all the successes that come with it!
Photography: Emilie Iggiotti
To read more about how living with less stuff makes life better, check out my blog, Practically Minimal. Or, if you need help sharing your business’ story through your website, blog or marketing materials, shoot me an email or check out my online writing portfolio.
#TipsyTuesday post submitted by Shawna Dirksen
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