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Examine your habits if you want to succeed at decluttering - 30th January 2017
If you've read this title and just thought - "well, my habit is being untidy, that's why I've got so much clutter", you need to think again. There are a whole raft of habits that will have an adverse effect on your cluttered state.
I know I keep going on about this, but self-awareness really is key to resolving your clutter issues.
If you view your situation as a practical task that must be faced and then life goes back to normal; the chances are you may find yourself back at the proverbial 'square one' only months after having a grand clearance.
How on earth could that happen?
Let's put it this way, clutter doesn't just get dumped on you by the bad clutter fairy. At some level, all this stuff has been 'welcomed' into your space by you. Are you horrified to hear this? Think about it, how else could it arrive and take root? It couldn't happen without your permission.
You may be acting in a certain way out of habit, and habits are so engrained that often we don't notice them ourselves. It often takes someone else to say, "did you realise? You do this!" These habits might not even really be yours. Perhaps you picked them up from your parents without being aware of it.
So, what to do? You need to start observing yourself. The best way to do this is to imagine there is a small version of you sat on your own shoulder, watching your every move. This small version is not critical, but it doesn't miss anything. You will in this way start to notice some patterns, things you do without thinking. Provided you practice this art of observation, the chances are you will spot yourself getting drawn into clutter accumulating activity and be able to apply the brakes.
What to look out for
Excessive/unnecessary shopping
Keeping things that are broken or worn out
Replacing things and keeping the original
Allowing a collection to get out of hand
Keeping things for sentimental reasons in excess
Not getting rid of junk mail
Knowledge is power, they say. Armed with the knowledge of how you let clutter into your life you can make sure your decluttering is more effective. By changing clutter-accumulating habits, you will spend far less time decluttering!
If you would like some support through this process, then please do get in touch. I'm here to help and offer a free 30 minute telephone consultation.
Keywords: habits
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