Does Clutter Correlate with Not Being Motivated at Work?

One reason for clutter could be how we feel about our work--or, more precisely, the lack of autonomy, mastery and purpose we feel when we are working. Dan Pink, author of Motivation, The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us (due out December 29, 2009) spoke about his findings at this past summer's Technology, Entertainment, Design (TED) conference whose theme is cutting-edge, innovative thinking. He gave a glimpse of his new book's thesis: it isn't money that motivates us to work. It's our sense of autonomy, mastery and purpose in the workplace, what he calls "intrinsic motivators."

Let's explore the three components Pink cites:

Autonomy is "the urge to direct your own life" (Pink). In the workplace this could mean the freedom to choose your time, task, team and the way you want to go about doing it. How many of us actually have this kind of freedom at work? For many of us, the room to be as creative or innovative as we would like is limited. We have to be accountable, show up for meetings, and work 40+ hours a week. This lack of autonomy at work can spill into our personal life and show up in a variety of ways at home. For some, it comes in the form of clutter. "Since I don't have autonomy at work, why should I care about having autonomy at home?" Things begin to pile up and before you know it, clutter has taken over.

Mastery is "the desire to get better and better at something that matters" (Pink). Does your work matter to you? Is it a subject you want to master? For many, work is a means to an end, rather than a subject that inspires us to be a master of it. Inability to be masterful at work can parallel an inability to be masterful at home. While some compensate by creating a home where they feel creative and proud, others slump into lethargy and let the clutter accumulate. Mastery becomes a subliminal subtext: the desire for mastery is always there, but many of us don't let ourselves be conscious of it.

Purpose is "the yearning to do what we do in service of something larger than ourselves" (Pink). Few of us have taken the time to clarify what our purpose is. We get so caught up in the quick-paced, day-to-day responsibilities at work that after awhile we can't remember we had a purpose that serves something larger than ourselves. Getting an education and securing a well-paying job are often the benchmarks of success in our society, but what is our purpose? If our purpose were more clearly defined, we may see that much of the stuff we fill our lives with doesn't matter.

By shifting our focus from the conventional demands of work as most of us know it today to a new way of working that honors who we are, we begin to nurture ourselves. The external clutter we possess might well become less alluring, and the internal discovery might actually become riveting.

Consider Dan Pink's three components of motivation in the workplace. Ask yourself how they factor into your life. Are you filling your life with clutter--unaware that you might want more autonomy, greater mastery and a clearer purpose? More attention to your inner world could mean less attention on filling your life with objects of the external world. Motivated at work could mean more engaged in your personal life, and more engaged in your personal life could lead to clearing your clutter.

Your Subconscious Mind Could Be a Powerful Reason for Your Clutter

Clutter evokes emotion! When I become aware of my clutter, a litany of thoughts swirls around in my head. They're faintly conscious, probably because I have heard them all so many times before. Here are a few: "I may need that food processor!" "Suzi gave me that scarf!" "Mother wrote those recipes!" "When I need that electric drill, I'll save money!" "I know that illustration my uncle painted is worth a lot!"

My immediate response to these disparate thoughts is something like, "Yea, yea, yea! So what?" Then I go into "Ignore Mode" and turn to something I think is more important, like writing this blog. I am certain this chronic behavioral pattern keeps me stuck to my clutter.

I've discovered there's more to my stuckness than I initially thought. A whole subconscious subtext is playing 24/7, and I didn't even know it. It's not just what I am consciously thinking that impacts my life, but what my subconscious is thinking, too. In The Power of the Subconscious Mind (Reward Books, 2000), Joseph Murphy writes about the dual nature of the mind:

"A wonderful way to begin getting to know the two functions of your mind is to think of it as a garden. You are the gardener. You are planting seeds of thought in your subconscious mind all day long. Much of the time you are not even aware of doing so, because the seeds are based on habitual thinking. As you sow in your subconscious mind, so shall you reap in your body and environment...If you sow thorns, will you gather grapes? If you sow thistles, will you harvest figs?"


No wonder it's been so difficult to release my stuff--not just physical, tangible stuff but mental tirades and emotional flagellations, too. While I've been sowing clutter-clutching thoughts and rationales for years and expecting a clutter-less life in return, I never seemed to get as far as I would have liked.

Now more aware, I've been searching for ways to wrestle these self-sabotaging, often subconscious thoughts to the ground, I've found two techniques to share--writing with your non-dominant hand and a Hawaiian clearing method called Self I-Dentitiy Ho'oponopono. I'll give a quick summary of both along with links so you can explore them on your own time.

Writing with Your Non-Dominant Hand
A friend of mind introduced me to Lucia Cappachione's The Power of Your Other Hand, A Course in Channeling the Inner Wisdom of Your Right Brain two years ago. Wow! I got excited when I read Lucia's compelling argument with the non-dominant hand. By slowing your thinking and unlocking the secrets hidden in your right brain, you can get creative solutions to questions you've been asking yourself for a long time. I have practiced writing with my left (non-dominant) hand many times and always discover a soothing, compassionate voice I rarely let myself hear. Consider exploring your blocks to clutter clearing using this technique. I bet you'll get an understanding you haven't had before. For more information: http://www.luciac.com/.

Self I-Dentity Ho'oponopono
Double-Triple Wow! I stumbled upon this technique when I ordered Nightingale-Conant's The Missing Secret by Joe Vitale. This Hawaiian technique helps to heal your subconscious, simply by saying the following four sentences, "I love you. Please forgive me. Thank you. I'm sorry." Before you jettison this idea out the window, because it sounds unbelievable, consider this: Hawaiian psychotherapist Dr. Ihealeakala Hew Len healed an entire ward of ciminally insane patients by simply reviewing their files and stating these sentences over and over again. He never saw them or worked with them face-to-face.

I believe the reservoir of our subconscious is one reason why we can't seem to clear our clutter. This clearing method is a great way to pierce it. For more information: http://www.nightingale.com/prod_detail~product~missing_secret.aspx. Also, consider reading Joe Vitale's and Ihaleakala Hew Len's zerolimits, The Secret Hawaiian System for Wealth, Health, Peace & More (John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 2007).

When clutter clearing seems impossible and you feel you've hit a roadblock, I encourage you to start writing with your non-dominant hand to shine a light on what lies under your clutter. And, if inspired, take time to investigate the Self I-Dentity Ho'oponopono clearing method. I've used it many times and found it shifted my perspective quickly.

Is Your Yen for Clutter Inherited?

Last Tuesday evening four out of six women participants in my “Clutter Clearing is Spiritual Business!” class confessed they got their yen for clutter from their mother. They didn’t really call it “a yen,” but I do.

I had never really thought about it—inheriting the clutter bug from my mother. After all, I didn’t think I had “a clutter problem.” Not until I agreed to drive a truckload of my deceased mother’s stuff from Ft. Lauderdale to Northern Virginia, and put it in storage, did I have an inkling that something was amiss. I let her stuff sit in storage for nine years until the mounting storage fees caused my inkling to become a hit on the head.

My Mother, The Collector
My mother collected beautiful things like Lalique crystal, Dalton and Lladro porcelin figurines and sterling silver bowls, candelabra and flatware. In addition to that, piles of magazines lay hidden under her bed. Her clothes jammed her closet so tightly you could never shut the door. Her shoes amounted to 70 pairs.

Cookbooks lined two of the three counters in the kitchen. Pots, pans, everyday dinnerware, containers, and all the other things that make a kitchen utilitarian filled her kitchen to the max. The refrigerator was always crammed full, making it difficult to extricate anything from the back.

“Just in Case” Thinking
What motivated my mother to accumulate her stuff was that “Just in Case” thinking. Passed down from her parents, this thinking rooted itself in the fear of not having enough. My parents were teenagers when the Great Depression of 1929 occurred. At such a formative age they couldn’t help but be caught up in the financial panic that swept the country. From that moment on, they “knew” they couldn’t count on their security, so they had better save everything that came their way.

I suspect the fear of not having enough was planted much earlier by my parents’ parents and their parents before them. It was nurtured and embraced throughout the generations, so when the Great Depression hit, their fear became a reality.

How often do we use those “just in case” items we keep? Most of us don’t have room to keep them, so we stuff them where we can—in garages or carports, attics and basements, or under beds. We forget about them, and if, once in a blue moon, we do need them, we can’t remember where we put them. So we lose valuable time looking for them.

The Younger Generation Mirrors the Older
When it comes to clutter, I am my mother’s daughter. My behavior mirrors hers! Here’s an example. My mother’s living and dining rooms were fine—really. Maybe she had an extra plant or two, but no one would enter her home, point a finger at her and yell “Clutterer!” Her clutter was hidden from those outside the family.

Fast forward into my time zone. If you stepped inside my home, it’s not likely you would point your finger at me either and yell “Clutterer!” My clutter is in my closets, cupboards and cabinets. Isn’t that interesting! That is just how my mother stored hers.

It wasn’t until I pulled my mother’s stuff out of storage and began dealing with it that I discovered I had clutter, too. Peek into my linen closet where you’ll find soaps and creams from hotels I stayed in. You’ll spy the ace bandage I used when I broke my wrist in 1996, makeup that friends gave me because they didn’t want it, and supplements I started taking and decided to put aside. All this and more are clutter.

Now Is the Time!
It’s been 19 years since she died, and 11 years since I started addressing my own clutter issues. I am now in a pivotal position to stop the cycle. I’ve become aware. I can make a conscious decision to let go of my fear of not having enough. This is first a choice, then a discipline that becomes a habit.

It’s time for me shift my thinking from “Just in Case” to “Now is the Time!”–-the first step to transforming my fear. The second step is handling the emotions that come up when dealing with my clutter. I invite you to spend a few moments reflecting on whether your yen for clutter was inherited from one or both of your parents. While you do, note what emotions come up.

In my next blog I’ll discuss more about this second step of handling our emotions while clearing our clutter.

Let's Underwhelm Your Overwhelm!

"My clutter overwhelms me!" "I can't even begin to deal with my clutter; it's just too much!" "My clutter is powerful, and I feel powerless!" These are statements I have heard consistently from clients and class participants over the years. Perhaps you have struggled with overwhelm, too. There is a way through this all-encompassing, overpowering feeling. So, let me share a few ideas that may help you.

First, remember this feeling of "overwhelm" is just a feeling. It's YOUR perspective on the situation. What's a feeling? It's a subjective response--a choice of how you view a situation. So, if you choose to be overwhelmed by your clutter, could you also choose to be eager, excited, or enthusiastic about letting it go?

A Conscious Effort
What if you shifted your focus from the heaviness of your clutter to the lightness of space you see yourself creating? What if you spent time envisioning what your "new" space will look like? Answering these questions wraps your attention around a positive outcome. Making a conscious effort to replace your overwhelm with excitement for the space you want to create will help you launch your clutter clearing campaign.

I remember when I filled a rented storage unit with my deceased mother's possessions I felt I needed to keep in order to keep her spirit alive. I rented that unit for 9 years and visited it twice! Every time I thought about the stuff in my storage unit, I felt overwhelmed. Somewhere, somehow, in the ninth year of storage, a feeling to take action welled up in me.

I finally had the energy to address my mother's stuff. It was time to empty the unit! Of course, the mounting storage fees played a role, too, but, more importantly, my feelings about holding on to her stuff had shifted. What if I had made a conscious effort when I chose to acquire my mother's stuff to view it differently? Maybe I would have let go of her stuff sooner or never chosen to take it in the first place. What overshadowed my decision making was the overwhelming feeling of grief--a feeling I let incubate a long time.

Be Playful
Many of us spend a lot of time regurgitating the same old limiting thoughts. These limiting thoughts actually create a groove in the brain etched deeper every time we think them. Eventually the groove is so deep, we find ourselves out of balance and wonder what happened.

If you are reading this blog, I suspect you can identify with this feeling of overwhelm, especially when it comes to your clutter. I also suspect you are getting ready to address your clutter. If that's the case, then get in touch with those uneasy feelings stirring within you. Boldly ask yourself, "What is this feeling of overwhelm all about?"

Think of your overwhelm as a cold chunk of clay. It's been a cold chunk for quite a while. Imagine pounding it and molding it into a shape attractive to you. The clay is now warm and supple. You decide you don't like your first shape, so you mold it into another. Notice how much easier it is to change the shape after you started working with it.

You can do the same with your overwhelm. Start working with it. Play with it. Draw it. Have fun with it. After a while it loosens its hold on you. You'll find you'll want to replace it with something else--maybe with the excitement about the space you're going to create. Once your overwhelm is transformed, you'll have the energy to start clearing your clutter.

Employ the Five-Minute Rule
And remember, you don't have to clear all your clutter in one day. It took time to acquire your stuff. It will take time to release it. Consider employing the Five-Minute Rule: Take five minutes every day to clear your clutter. Silly as this may sound, five minutes often goes into 10 or 15.

By making a commitment to yourself, you start shifting those limiting thoughts into creative ones. "To whom can I give that glass pitcher I never use?" "Why do I need these old telephone bills?" "Where can I donate my ball gown?" Your feeling of overwhelm will begin to disappear. Clearing your neglected bedroom, attic or garage of clutter starts being fun. Most importantly, you'll tap into the joy of your own transformation. Let's underwhelm your overwhelm!

Your Television May Be the Culprit!

I recently came upon Jane Hammerslough's book dematerializing, Taming the Power of Possessions. Even though she never mentions the word clutter, her ideas are directly related to it. I chose the passage below because television can be viewed as an accomplice to our accumulating clutter, and almost everyone I know owns a television. She writes the following:

"It's worth considering how screen time contributes to material desire. It's worth becoming more mindful of background noise and how it may affect what we believe. And it's worth considering that a conscious effort to cut, say, a half hour a week from screen time may provide a way to devote both time and attention to something more important."

Material Desire
A month ago I thought I needed a juicer. Funny how just around that time one Sunday afternoon I stumbled on a Jack LeLanne infomercial for his power juicer. I had never bought anything from a TV advertisement before. But this time I thought, "This is providential." I ordered it. It took awahile for it to arrive. Now after much angsting and deliberation, I am sending it back.

Whether you are a QVC shopaholic or someone like me, who normally doesn't buy stuff off the TV, television influences us to buy, buy, buy. Brands are advertised so deliciously on the television that by the time the commercial ends, we want to buy them. Their repetition reinforces that desire. On top of that, we Americans have enough disposable income to buy, buy, buy, and so we do. This leads to clutter.

Our Beliefs
How many of us turn on the TV for news, entertainment, or just for keeping us company? Think about the stuff that comes pouring out of the screen--news that is often violent and negative; dramas that enact deceit and hatred; reality shows that spotlight man's basest behavior; and soap operas that flip between double-crossing and instant love.

Words have a powerful vibration. Whether we give television programming our fullest attention or not, its voice penetrates our environment and our psyche. Above, Jane Hammerslough suggests we need to be more mindful of the programming we allow into our space because it may influcence our beliefs. This profound idea may cause some to shake their heads and say "Hogwash!" I suggest not watching TV for a day or even a weekend to see if it makes a difference in your peace of mind.

Too much television leads to clutter of the body, mind and spirit. Too many shoes, clothes, linens, towels and kitchen gadgets can bog you down. Too many extraneous ideas, like casualties in Iran, wrangling over the estate of Michael Jackson, or deliberations about the new health care plan, create brain fog. The result prevents you from tapping into who you really are--a creative, divinely inspired soul.

I encourage you to raise your awareness. Be mindful of what you are doing. Ask yourself, "Why do I need to watch television now?" Some will say, "I've had a hard day at work, and I need to veg." Others will petulantly reply, "Because I want to!" If you can, try something different--read a book, play music, engage in conversation with your spouse or partner, or meditate.

Once weaned from the television, you might see your clutter more clearly and begin to address it. Start slowly. You'll find, in time, you'll have more energy, clearer thinking, and a joyful heart. Don't let your television be your clutter culprit.

De-cluttering by the Book

A recent clutter clearing workshop participant admitted that her home was a repository of 1,000 of her husband's books--many of them molding and scattered on the floor. Just before her husband died three years ago, he made her promise to pass the collection on to their son. Her unemployed son, however, lives in too small a house to keep them. His son is asthmatic and probably couldn't tolerate the moldy books. Unwilling to put them in storage, she now lives with them unread and unappreciated.

Although extreme, this is one reason why unread books are kept. Perhaps you have reasons, too. Let's take a moment and peek into your library.

First, is there enough shelf space in your home to house all your books comfortably, or are your excess books nested on tables, chairs, counters, and any other space that's free? When you have excess books, you either don't have enough shelf space or you have too many books.

One question you might ask yourself is "What was I thinking when I bought this book?" This might evoke a simple answer like "It's a cookbook, and I love to cook!" or "Rembrandt is my favorite artist, and this book is a compilation of all his paintings." That is all well and good, but have you read it or referred to it in the last six months? Perhaps not.

I suspect you haven't read a bunch of your books. I confess I have a few unread books myself, because I hold the fantasy that someday I will read them. There might, however, be another reason. Could these books give you a false sense of security? Could you be pretending you are knowledgeable about their subject matter, even though you've never read them?

Of course, there is the old standby response, "I might need them some day." Can you recall the last time you needed them, if ever? If not, it's time to assess what is important when it comes to your books. Here are some questions you can ask yourself:

• Will I ever read this book? (Be honest!)
• When will I make time to read this book?
• Do I still find the subject matter interesting enough to take time to read it? I may have bought it three years ago.
• Why do I need this book in my library?
• How current is this book?

As strange as this may sound, and I am a booklover myself, books no longer are as treasured as they once were. If you need a particular book, you can buy it on Amazon, go to the library, or borrow it from a friend. And, more and more books are being published online.

This may give you permission to donate books you'll never read, or have read and won't read again. Consider giving them to your local library, to the Salvation Army or maybe even to students learning English. Another option is selling them on Amazon or at a local used book store.

Time is also an important point. Many of us are so busy these days that sitting in a sunroom with a cup of tea in one hand and a book in another is a rarity and usually doesn't happen. Finding the time to read books may be limited to your two-week, once-a-year vacation, or when you're sick, but well enough to read, or when you retire. That doesn't sound like much time.

Let's get real. If your books are collecting dust and you're not reading them, they are CLUTTER. I heard the gasp out there in the ethers--yes, CLUTTER. Once over the shock, take time soon to prune your library collection. You'll feel better, and the books you decide to keep will have some breathing room--finally! Start now de-cluttering by the book.

My Doll, Muffie

When I was 8 years old, my father gave me Muffie--a Nancy Ann doll with an amazing wardrobe. Among her many outfits were a yellow velveteen coat with white fur trim replete with matching fur muff and fur-trimmed bonnet; a white drum majorette dress trimmed with red and gold threads on the cuffs and hem accompanied with a tall gold hat adorned with a red feather in front and matching gold boots; and a red plastic raincoat with a hood, snaps for buttons, and a matching red plastic tie belt.

Muffie was my favorite doll. I loved her. I loved her clothes. I loved dressing her up in her clothes. She was the best! I had other dolls, too--Ginger with platinum blond hair and Ken (not Barbie's boyfriend) with red hair--but no other doll could match Muffie.

Well, in time, I grew up. I didn't play with dolls anymore. So, Muffie and all her finery along with Ken went into a box. Ginger went to a cause for needy children. That box stayed with my mother for many years until I set up my own home. Then it came to me.

For 30 years it sat in my closet. Only a couple of months ago, spurred by my own Clutter Clearing Circle, when I asked folks to bring a piece of clutter they couldn't release, did I bring Muffie out of the box! Wow! Her clothes were just as spectacular as I remembered them. Each outfit was carefully protected in its own box.

So, why, you are probably asking, am I still holding on to Muffie? It's been 50 years since I last played with her, and I am not a doll collector. Well, here's the rub! My father gave me Muffie, her friends Ginger and Ken, and all the outfits. Shortly thereafter, my father died. These were the last tangible gifts that I remember him giving me.

I've been holding on to a belief that if I keep Muffie et al., I'll stay connected to my father. She is the proof that he loved me. But how true is that belief? If I examine it squarely, its validity seems shaky. Don't I carry his love with me at all times?

I am in the midst of letting go of Muffie and her entourage of Ken and the wardrobe. I need to appreciate her and her outfits just a little longer. When I am ready, which will be soon, I will find the right doll collector, so that Muffie can be appreciated and enjoyed. Enough of sitting in a dark box with no one to play with!

Perhaps you can relate to this story. Are you holding on to an item that someone you cared about gave you? Are you using it or enjoying it or are you holding on to it just because that person gave it to you? Ask yourself what that item represents? Can you hold the feelings without holding on to the item? If you can, then let it go. Why? Because it's clutter!