How Clutter Happens

Thinking about clutter this morning. Occurs to me that part of what creates clutter is an imbalance of incoming and outgoing. Let me clarify that. If more comes into your home (space, life) than is handled, you are left with a pile of loose ends, unhandled items, ignored influences that are ever present even if not conciously examined.

So what's the game here? Looks like a clump of games to me.

First, there is the game of recognizing the flows. Can you see what is incoming? Can you let go of the outgoing? We get an influx of junk mail on a regular basis. Also incoming are bills, food, dust, sometimes objects that we purchase. I'm going to try to notice what is incoming this coming week. Outgoing is garbage from food and all that incoming junk mail. Sometimes old broken objects. Again, this week I will try to notice what goes out.

Second, there is the game of handling rather that putting off - that's badly stated - maybe the game is getting to being able to deal with the inflow. Goal being zero inflow sitting in limbo on the kitchen table. This would involve making decisions after viewing the inflow - discard, take action on, put in pending, file for reference. Non-physical inflow is another matter. (will take that up in another post) So this week, I'll up my game by getting those limbo items off the kitchen table.

Third, there is the game of recognizing and handling the accumulated clutter that's been around for awhile. Easy to look at a corner and see a pile of something that just got left there at some point in the past. This stuff is all un-dealt with inflow, or items with nowhere to go. Two separate categories. To up my game this week, I'll look at a pile each day and pick one thing off of it, decide if it's unhandled inflow (if so, handle it) or a homeless item (give it a place to go). I'm choosing one item a day because I think I can confront that. Hard to imagine confronting a whole pile or corner - small steps.

That's a start on the clutter games. Wish me luck!