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        Conquering the Clutter "Yeah, Buts"

Is your home filled with a lot of stuff that you don't really use or

need, but that you just can't seem to part with? Do you make

quick progress in the first stages of clutter-clearing, only to hit a

wall when the easy stuff is gone and you're faced with difficult

decisions about what really counts as a "treasure"? 

If you are challenged by clutter it's likely that your inner voice is

saying "yeah, but..." a lot as you try to make your keep-or-toss

decisions.

For example, you might pick something out of box or a closet

and say to yourself, "I guess I don't really need to keep this,"

but before you can get it into a things-to-give-away bag, your

inner voice pipes up with "Yeah, but..."
- "...it's pretty"
- "...it was my grandmother's"
- "...it was a gift from so-and-so"
- "...I paid a lot for it"
- "...I haven't used it yet"
- "...I might wear it again someday"
- "...it will fit after I lose some weight," or
- "...I'll feel guilty if I throw/give it away.".

Every time you pick something up and can't decide what to do

with it, stop and listen for a "yeah but" comment from your inner

voice.

Once you start listening to your "yeah buts", you'll get a clearer

idea of the particular language of concern that stops you from

letting go of things. Probably you will find that certain clutter

decisions are much more difficult for you than others. For example,

I have no qualms whatsoever about tossing out old letters and

greeting cards, but getting rid of clothes that I haven't worn in

five years because they are a size too small is very difficult for me.

What this really means is that I am secure in knowing that the

people who love me love me, but I am not at peace with the

changes that middle age has brought to my body and don't want

to accept that I'm not as slim as I used to be.

Someone else, however, might make quick work of cleaning out

their clothes closets, only to come to a dead stop when faced

with a 20-year collection of postcards and greeting cards. Their

rational mind says, "this is a box of paper clutter, I ought to just

toss it out." Their heart cries out, "I can't throw away my friends!

I can't throw away my relatives! What kind of an unloving,

ungrateful person would that make me?!" So back the box goes,

into storage, and another would-be declutter is left feeing guilty

and confused - guilty for holding on to clutter, guilty for wanting

to throw it out, and confused by why it's so hard to get rid of

things they'd rather part with.

With postcards and greeting cards, it really is the thought that

counts. A greeting card is just that: a greeting, a paper "hello

there." It deserves to be appreciated, but appreciating the gesture

doesn't mean you need to keep the card forever. The same is true

of gift items that don't suit you or your home. Ask yourself what

your friends and relatives intended by sending you those cards and

gifts; did they want you to know they were thinking of you, or did

they intend to fill your home with clutter? Anyone who cares for

you enough to send you a card or gift also wants you live

comfortably and happily in a well-kept home that suits and supports

you - and that means getting rid of your clutter. 

So many of our "yeah, buts" have to do with past memories or

potential future usefulness. Holding on to this stuff fills our heads

and hearts with "what if" and "if only" messages, which make it

harder to live fully in the present. When your closet is full of "skinny"

clothes, for example, every time you open it to look for something

to wear you are reminded that you used to be slimmer, that you're

not happy with the size you are now, and that you're still hoping to

lose some weight "some day." As a result, each time you reach for a

"not-skinny" garment, you feel like a failure. What an unpleasant

emotional message to burden yourself with every day! When your

closets contain only clothes that are the right size and that fit your

lifestyle and personality as well as your body, choosing an outfit

becomes self-affirming and empowering instead of belittling.

Consciously remind yourself that you need to make a choice: are you

going to go on living with clutter, or are you going to choose to move

closer to your clutter-free goal? The clearer your vision of how you

want your life to be without clutter, the easier it will be for you to

make those difficult decisions.

By paying close attention to the "yeah but" messages that are keeping

you from making clutter-clearing decisions, you gain insight into the

emotions that contributed to all this stuff piling up in the first place.

The key to conquering the "yeah, buts" is to remember that these

are the second thoughts that pop up in response to your first thought,

which was, "I guess I don't really need to keep this." That's the voice

you should be listening to. 

                                                        Article Source: ww.Fastfengshui.com

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