Comments on: Counterintuitive Clutter

By: Michelle Russell

Michelle Russell — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 18:49:57 +0000

@Christine – Organizing devices and systems fascinate me, too! You could lock me up in a Franklin Covey store and I’d be happy for hours, if not days. It’s the “using them consistently” thing that gets me.

Also, I’m curious (if you want to share, and if not, no problem) why professional organizers terrify you. Is it that you think they’ll make you get rid of stuff you don’t want to? Or just that they’ll *see* your space? (That’s a common one, or so I hear.) Or is it something else?

@Rebecca – Yep, reversing the situation is hard, but it pays off over time. As your attitudes start shifting, they gain momentum. And you’re welcome to come say “Yes!!” on this blog as often as you want to!

@Shannon – It was a revelation to me, too, that weird relationship between perfectionism and clutter.

@Eileen – Great point that the technique works for much more than just decluttering!

@Leonie – Leo Babauta is pretty much singlehandedly responsible for demonstrating the possibilities of a blog. His was the first I ever followed. So you can sort of blame this blog on him. ;o)

By: Goddess Leonie | GoddessGuidebook.com

Goddess Leonie | GoddessGuidebook.com — Wed, 15 Apr 2009 01:09:07 +0000

Michelle,
I just love what you are doing
And gosh yes – as a messy (and recovering) perfectionist I often wonder “why on earth can’t I have this all together and perfect?”
Lisa’s course has helped so much. As does Leo Babauta’s stuff

By: Eileen

Eileen — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:53:28 +0000

This is wonderful! I love the part about what if this was a friend? Would you cut them some slack? Yes, yes, and YES! I have to remind myself of this, often. It helps with *everything*

By: Shannon Wilkinson

Shannon Wilkinson — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 16:32:19 +0000

Great post! It was such a revolutionary idea to me, when I first read that my perfectionist tendencies were contributing to my clutter. I couldn’t reconcile the two before that. And it always helps to read it again (and again, and again!).

I also like the idea of doing a little journaling around the clutter. Especially the problematic clutter. Understanding what the stuff MEANS to us, why it’s become important enough to keep, can be really important.

By: Rebecca Leigh | Smart Fresh Writing

Rebecca Leigh | Smart Fresh Writing — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 04:40:32 +0000

“If you’re anything like me, you hold yourself to a higher standard than anyone else around you.”

Yes! In so many things!!

I can see I’m going to be saying this a lot on this blog

I fall into the category of ‘really not that bad’ but ‘totally obsessed over every little thing’ such that I hate having people come to my home. I practice reversing the situation and know that I never judge friends or family as harshly as I judge myself, but, well, it’s super hard.

By: Christine martell

Christine martell — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:08:53 +0000

Really? I thought I was the only messy perfectionist. This is the stuff I think of as deep dark secrets— which I suspect anyone who knows me on slightly more than a casual level has figured out, but I delude myself into thinking they haven’t.

Professional organizers terrify me. But I’m totally fascinated by any organizing device, and organizing stores. When I get overwhelmed, I go off on the eternal quest for the perfect organizing solution that will revolutionize my life.

It feels like everyone else has this under control but me and a few really unfortunate souls they find for those organize the disaster shows on cable. Maybe I just seem to find friends who have the neat house thing down? Most never even have dust never mind clutter. So I was relieved to find some great suggestions of places to work with in my head to make a dent in it. Now, how do you find the time?