The Stories We Cherish About Our Clutter

Every single item in your home has a story behind it.

These stories tell what's showing up in your life: what you like, what you don’t like, what you value, your beliefs...and they also guide what your future will be like.

Want to see what I mean?

Look around you right now, and choose something of yours in the room. If it's a small item, pick it up and hold it in your hand (if not, simply look at it).


The Facts:

Now, describe the item to yourself...just the facts first. It often helps to write these steps out so you can see them in black and white, so if you want to get the full experience of this brief exercise, take out a sheet of paper and write out the facts about the item.

What does the item look like? What color is it? How heavy is it? What is it made out of...wood? Metal? Fabric? Plastic? When and where did you get the item?

Facts are very different from the story, which is why we are separating them out first.


The Story:

Once you have written out the facts, write out your story about the item.

For example, do you like the item? Why? What does it remind you of, if anything?

If you don't like it, why do you still have it? What reasons come up in your mind?

Does it remind you of anyone? Does it make you think of anything? Do you remember how you felt when you first acquired the item?

How does the item make you feel about yourself?

Take 3-4 minutes and write as much as you can think of, without censoring anything that flows from your pen.

The story comes from you alone. You are the only person who has this particular story about this particular item.


The Interpretation:

When you review your story about the item, how do you feel?

Full of energy? Happy? Vibrant?

Or do you feel drained, or guilty, or sad, or tired, or distracted, or any other low energy feeling?

When you surround yourself with things you truly love and that make you feel full of energy and joyful, that's what you get reminded of all day long.

On the other hand, when you have many things in your environment that bring up stress and overwhelm and anxiety, that's what you get reminded of all day long.

Using Your Stories to Clear Clutter:

When you are clearing out clutter, the reason it's so easy to get stuck or have trouble getting rid of something is because of your attachment to the story, not to the item itself.

Your stories also point out beliefs that you may not even realize you have.

Some of the most common beliefs we use to hold on to items include:

• "But I might need this someday"
• "But I spent good money on this."
• "But that has been in the family for years!"
• "But it was a gift."

And each one of these beliefs seems completely true, right?

But how are these beliefs serving you? Does the belief make you feel energized and on path? Does it bring you a feeling of joy and connection?

Or does it make you anxious or fearful?

Any story that does not bring you joy is a story loaded with clutter. And you can learn to rewrite or let those stories go...and when you do, the physical clutter almost takes care of itself.

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