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How to Be a Little Bit Better at Everything

I’ve known for a long time that clutter is one of my “trigger points.” Cluttered spaces make me irritable.

But I’ve realized lately that clutter also keeps me from getting my work done–especially creative work.

The clutter puts me in a grumpy frame of mind, but that’s not all–it also diminishes my ability to focus. The research backs up my personal observation.

This isn’t new news: authors I admire have been saying for years that clutter kills productivity:

Steven Pressfield says clutter is part of the Resistance that keeps you from doing the things that matter.

Marla Cilley (FlyLady) says, “To find peace I had to get rid of enough clutter so I could breathe. My clutter was stifling my creativity.”

David Allen says you have to cut through the clutter to get things done.

Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan says living in a cluttered space raises your stress level and saps your energy.

I have mental clutter to deal with, too, but today I’m just talking about physical clutter. I’ve been clearing it out, so I can focus on the things that matter.

So if you want to boost your productivity, clean up your clutter, and be a little bit better at everything.

Do you have a quick and easy clutter-clearing tip? Here’s mine.

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6 comments

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  1. Jamie says:

    I love your tip! One of the best tips I found has been to do a quick walk-through of the house before bed – even just a couple minutes – to tidy up and prep for morning. There’s nothing to ruin a morning like waking up to clutter, visual reminders of things unaccomplished, or to find there’s no clean cups for coffee.

    Those of us prone to mental clutter can jot down notes and reminders for the next day as well; once safely entrusted to paper they are less likely to impede sleep by running around one’s head. 🙂

    • Anne says:

      Jamie, that’s a great tip! I hate waking up to a house that’s still blown up from the night before.

      I am one of those prone to mental clutter, and putting all those thoughts on paper definitely helps me sleep better. I’m glad to be in good company there 🙂

  2. Tim says:

    Anne, I throw stuff out. I may miss something later and need to replace it, but not often. It’s more likely I find that the thing taking up space is completely expendable. I still have too much stuff, but this is my coping mechanism.

    Tim

  3. I actually just did something to get me on the road to reducing both physical AND mental clutter this morning: I wrote a list, detailing every cleaning/organizing/decluttering thing I want to do, preferably in the next three months (by my birthday the first week of July). Some of them are easy and won’t take much time, like cleaning out the fridge. Others will take a long time–at least a whole day–and are very daunting, like cleaning out and organizing our big storage closet (which is a catch-all for literally everything).

    In the meantime–until school gets out–I’m focusing on keeping the bathroom and kitchen mostly clean and our bedroom mostly tidy. 🙂

  4. Emily says:

    I discovered your blogs recently and love them. 🙂 Clutter and a messy desk plague me too, but right now I’m am doing a cure all for clutter: I’m moving, and not just moving but packing up everything for two months of storage while we live at my in-laws to get our new house renovated. I get to ask myself “is this item even worth the packing paper I’m devoting to it?” I’ve already cleaned out a ton of stuff, even tackled the attic!

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