Common Causes of Clutter
With more and more stuff to keep track of, it’s no wonder most people feel like they’re constantly swimming in a sea of stuff. But what exactly is clutter? And what are some of the common causes of clutter?
Clutter, according to dictionary.com, is defined as a collection of things that are in disarray or that are not organized. Clutter can be physical or mental. Physical clutter is the stuff that takes up space in your home, office, and car. Mental clutter is the stuff that takes up space in your head – the to-do lists, unfinished projects, and unmade decisions.
Several factors can contribute to clutter. For example, you have too much stuff, your stuff is not organized, and you procrastinate on doing what’s right for your life.
You simply have too much stuff
With the abundance of stuff available, it’s no wonder it’s so hard to keep homes, offices, and cars free of clutter. You buy things you don’t need. You keep things you don’t use and hold on to things you don’t love.
The sad truth is, having all this clutter around will diminish the value of your stuff more than it will add to it. But, in contrast, if you are really particular about what you bring into your environment, each item will have much more meaning.
Disorganization
When you’re not careful about where you put things, they can quickly become lost in the shuffle. Unfortunately, this usually leads to clutter in every corner of your home, office, and car. In addition, disorganized people are much more likely to waste money rebuying the things they can’t find or forgot they already purchased.
Procrastination
The clutter can quickly pile up when you put off making decisions or acting on projects. You may tell yourself you’ll get to it later, but later never comes. The problem with this is that once you start procrastinating, you are allowing your mind to be cluttered, so now it’ll be even harder to be productive.
Thankfully, you can prevent clutter from taking over your life. One of the best things is to be mindful of the stuff you bring into your home, office, and car.
Ask yourself these questions before bringing in more stuff:
- Do we really need it?
- Will we use it?
- Do we love it?
If your answer to whether you need an item is no, it’s probably best not to purchase it. Instead of letting clutter take over your life, commit to being more organized. By taking the time to put things away and having systems in place, living an organized life will be much easier–and less frustrating when you can’t find what you’re looking for.
Finally, make a conscious effort to avoid procrastination. When you take decisive action on the things that are important to you, you’ll be less likely to let the clutter pile up.
When you’re mindful of the stuff you bring into your life and committed to being organized and taking action, you will reduce the clutter in your life. What’s best is that this commitment will create more space for the things that matter most.