GON Reader Question
Hi, Maria, I am forwarding a reply I got from a good friend of mine who, like me, is struggling with far too much stuff everywhere in her house.
We both
work, though not full-time being semi-retired, and by the time we get home, there is no energy left to even choose a pile to work on and no room to do it.
You are young and full of energy to get things done and you have lots of good suggestions, but, with all the
other things going on in my life, I despair of being able to make any impact that will return my living room and bedroom into any sort of clear space.
Love,
Linda
Forwarded message...
Thanks, Linda! I guess I should, but decluttering my phone or computer desktop is really low on my to-do list. It's like telling someone they should alphabetize their spice cabinet, when they
are tripping over piles of stuff on their floor! Hope things are ok with you!
-- Jeanne
Maria Responds
Linda,
Thank you for sharing this with me. First, let me say that I completely understand how overwhelming clutter can feel when you’re already stretched thin. At the end of the day, when your energy is gone, it’s easy to look
around and think, why bother? You’re not alone in feeling that way.
But here’s the hard truth: if nothing changes, nothing changes. If the piles stay untouched, the frustration will still be there tomorrow, next month, and next year. So the real question becomes: what’s the alternative?
The alternative is living in a home that continues to drain your energy instead of giving it back to you. And since that’s not what you want, the only option is to do something...small, imperfect, and doable, but something.
Here are a few ways you and your friend might approach it without overwhelming yourselves:
1. Shrink the project. Instead of “the living room,” think “this one chair” or “this one basket.” When the space feels too crowded to work in, clear just enough to make a little landing spot, then
expand from there.
2. Set a timer. Tell yourself you’ll declutter for 5–10 minutes. You might be surprised how much you accomplish, and often momentum carries you further.
3. Pair it with rest. Put on soft music, sip tea, and sort one tiny pile. It doesn’t have to be grueling. It can even be calming.
4. Decide in advance. At the start of the day, choose exactly what tonight’s focus will be: a drawer, the corner of a table, or even just
gathering old newspapers. That way, you don’t waste energy making a decision when you’re already tired.
And about your friend’s comment...she’s right that certain things (like a cluttered phone or computer) may not be a top priority when piles are taking over the floor. But the bigger point is this: if an organizing project isn’t
important enough to move up the list, it won’t get done.
You can encourage her, share your own progress, or even invite her to tackle a task alongside you, but ultimately her goals have to be hers. And that’s okay. Not everyone is ready to start at the same time or
in the same place.
Progress won’t come all at once, but it will come. And every little step forward gives you a clearer spot to breathe and a bit of hope to keep going.
Linda, you don’t need boundless energy. You just need to keep choosing action, even in tiny doses. Because the alternative, staying stuck, isn’t really an option if you want to reclaim your space and your peace of mind.
Hugs!
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