Have you ever felt alone with the clutter challenges in your life? You aren’t. Managing clutter, which takes many forms including thoughts, time, and space, is a human condition. I was curious about what clutter looked like not just in the United States, but also in other parts of the world. I invited my wonderful organizing colleagues (Hilde Verdijk, Laurene Livesey Park, Carol Martyn, Nacho Eguiarte, Tracey Foulkes, Sue West, and Juliet Landau-Pope) to share their perspectives with us about clutter in their cultures. It’s an honor to be here with this amazing group. My gratitude goes to each of them for being here with us. Join us around the table, as we sit together, sip iced tea and share our ideas.

I asked my colleagues . . .

• How do you define clutter?
• What are the most common causes of clutter in your country?
• What is one of your favorite clutter management strategies?

How do you define clutter?

Hilde Verdijk, CPO-CD®, MRPO® – Professional Organizer & Speaker – The Netherlands:

To me clutter is the stuff in one’s house or head that is not being used regularly or properly, has no beauty, is not loved and is there for an excuse, like: "I might need it sometime" or “it was expensive (or cheap!)”

Laurene Livesey Park, CPO-CD® – Professional Organizer, Author, & Speaker – Canada:

I define clutter as an overabundance of stuff.  I like the idea of “over” abundance because it is flexible – one person’s comfortable, Zen-like minimalism is another person’s might find three extra items on the kitchen counter too much clutter, while another person who is comfortable with lots of things in their space may have a very different idea.

Carol Martyn – Professional Organiser & President AAPO – Australia:

Clutter can be defined as anything that’s regularly not used, loved or makes our heart sing. We’ve only to cast our minds back to gifts received last Christmas to get an indication of whether items have the potential to fall into the clutter category today. If you’ve children, you’ll know what I mean. 

Nacho Eguiarte – Professional Organizer, Architect & Blogger – Mexico: 

Like having rocks on a river stream, water will flow but you can't sail your boat way down safely or easily. Address the clutter and the journey will be pleasant.

Tracey Foulkes – Speaker, Trainer, Productivity & Organisation Expert – South Africa & Ireland:

Broadly speaking clutter is anything you don’t need, use or love. It is anything that gets in the way of your success. It’s the excuses that hold you back from taking action, the brain spaghetti that leaves you feeling overwhelmed, decisions left unmade, tasks left unfinished, crowded environments all causing no to slow progress.

Sue West, COC®, CPO-CD® – Certified Organizing Coach, Certified Professional Organizer in Chronic Disorganization & AD/HD Coach – United States:

Clutter, per my clients: Energy drain. “Stuckness.” Judgmental. Needy. Depressing. Makes me feel out of control and scattered. Keeps me from what I really want to do. Guilt. Shame. “You should!”  Reminder of what I didn’t do.

Juliet Landau-Pope, MA, CPCC – Coach & Professional Organiser – United Kingdom:

I define clutter as whatever’s getting in your way. It can be a surplus of household belongings that prevent you leading the life you want; clutter can also can be the accumulation of negative ideas in your mind that drain your energy and sap your creativity.

What are the most common causes of clutter in your country?

Hilde: I think people in this country have such busy schedules nowadays, they don’t know how to slow down or deal with their stuff. Instead they go shopping, making things worse. They spend their money on things, but forget to let go as well and then things start to pile up. 

Laurene: As in most developed countries, we have easy access to many, many fairly inexpensive goods. It is easy to replace something that is worn, old, out of fashion, and people do that, without getting rid of the item that they have replaced. Not enough people pass things on!

Carol: While there’s no one common cause of clutter in Australia, clients I work with sometimes haven’t thought how the new items will fit in their homes – or how they can limit the amount of space available. 

Nacho: In Mexico, because we've had so many economic crises, people developed scarcity fears. Reusing, mending, fixing and saving everything that could be useful in the future, soothe the fear but create clutter.

Tracey: People are too busy, rushing from meeting to inbox to meeting. Departments are smaller, deadlines tighter, immediate gratification rife. Despite knowing there is an escalating problem, employees are holding back from ‘rocking the boat’. It’s not working, but they aren't prepared to take the time to step back, propose a solution and make a change.

Sue: Common causes: Commitments I should not have made but did anyway. Too many thoughts swimming around in my head and no place to land. Too many things in my home, office or even in my computer devices with no place to call “home.” Memories I can’t deal with yet. Choices I never made.

Juliet: In the UK, people hold on to things for myriad reasons but material clutter is often a response to living in a fast-paced, ever-changing consumer society. There’s an emphasis on shopping for what you want rather than what you need, and more emphasis on acquiring stuff than on letting go of it.  We also accumulate things from other people such as gifts, souvenirs, and inherited items.  Ultimately, I think clutter is a habit that accumulates over time; many of my clients regret that they never learned how to manage their time or space effectively.

What is one of your favorite clutter management strategies?

Hilde: I often ask my clients: “If you accidentally lost this item, would you really invest time, money and space to replace it?” It makes them realize that they keep lots of stuff for the wrong reasons.

Laurene: I love the rule, “One thing in, one thing out.”

Carol: Most clients decide on what to keep first and then try to make everything fit.  One of the most effective strategies is to flip this around; the storage space available helps guide the decision making process.

Nacho: For letting go stuff, you should hold a thing, shutting your eyes and paying attention to mind and body; having feelings like sorrow, sadness, anxiety are signs to get rid of it. On the contrary having happy thoughts, feeling joy or energetic are indicatives of keeping the object and finding it a place in your home.

Tracey: Ditch email and shift team and client communication to collaboration platforms instead.

Sue: Favorite strategy: “What do you know about what you DO want?” What will your calendar look like? What is your next chapter? How will your home or home office feel? Motivation lies here.

Juliet: My top tip for managing clutter is to focus on clarifying positive goals. I never talk about getting rid of things but prefer to focus on creating space, order and clarity – it’s far more motivating!

Clutter challenges are found all over the world. While the definitions of clutter vary, a common theme prevails. Too much “stuff” prevents us from full, focused engagement in our lives. Causes of clutter vary too from over-acquiring to letting go challenges to scarcity fears. We read about clutter management strategies that were both practical and soul searching. What a wealth of ideas and approaches! There is so much hope in these insights. We are not alone. We have the ability to reflect, ask questions, create boundaries, and focus on positive results. What is clutter about for you? How do you manage clutter? Pull up a chair and join our conversation!

It’s time for this month’s “Ask the Expert” feature, an interview series that connects you with dynamic industry thought leaders. This year we’ve spoken with author Todd Henry about next steps, psychologist, Dr. Debbie Grove about change, and author Joshua Becker about fresh starts. For April, I’m thrilled to have with us author and minimalist, Francine Jay to share her insights about letting go.

Francine’s book, The Joy of Less, was my introduction to the concept of minimalist living. In it, she wrote that when we let go of all the excess, “we uncover our true selves.”  Francine writes about the minimalist philosophy along with practical ways of applying it to your life. My gratitude goes to Francine for taking time away from her active toddler to join us. I know you’re going to love her down-to-earth ideas about letting go. Before we begin, here’s more about her.

Francine Jay pioneered the minimalist living movement with her blog, MissMinimalist.com, and her bestselling book, The Joy of Less, A Minimalist Living Guide: How to Declutter, Organize, and Simplify Your Life. In 2009, she and her husband sold their house, and all their possessions, and moved overseas with one suitcase each. After three years as a world-traveling digital nomad, she’s now applying her minimalist philosophy to life as a homeowner and mother. Her techniques for living a beautiful life with less stuff have gained her recognition in both national and international media. You can connect with Francine on Twitter, Pinterest, blog or website.

Linda Samuels:  As an author, blogger and parent, you inspire others to consider the joys of minimalist living. How do you describe minimalism?

Francine Jay:  Minimalism is eliminating the excess—unused items, unnecessary purchases, unfulfilling tasks—from your life. Everyone I know complains that they don’t have enough space in their homes, or time in their schedules. When you have fewer possessions, you have more space. When you have fewer commitments, you have more time. Minimalism is making room for what matters most.

Linda:  You said, “Sometimes we fear that getting rid of certain items is equivalent to getting rid of part of ourselves.” What are some effective letting go strategies?

Francine:  If you’re having trouble letting go of certain items, I recommend the following techniques:

• Digitize it. Taking digital photographs is a great way to save the sentiment, without saving the stuff. A photo of your great aunt’s phonograph, or your high school swimming trophies, will bring back the same memories as the item itself—without taking up an inch of space. 

• Miniaturize it. This technique is particularly effective for hard-to-part-with heirlooms. If you never use it, save just a piece of an item or collection: like one plate of your grandmother’s china, a swatch from your wedding dress, or the pulls from an antique dresser. 

• Hide it (temporarily). Box up items you’re having difficulty letting go of. Mark the box with a date, and donate whatever you don’t retrieve after a specific period of time (say six months). If you haven’t used it (or missed it) in that time, it’s not very crucial to your identity or well-being.

Linda:  In your book, The Joy of Less, you describe that things can become anchors, which prevent us from growing and moving forward. What are some of the benefits of letting go?

Francine:  Clutter can weigh on our spirits, making us feel too distressed and distracted to accomplish much of anything. Letting go lightens our load, giving us the freedom—physically, mentally, and often financially—to explore new interests and develop new talents. When we’re not tied down by excess stuff and commitments, we’re able to embrace opportunities as they arise. Each extraneous thing we eliminate from our lives feels like a weight lifted from our shoulders—it’s positively exhilarating!

Linda:  Do you have a letting go philosophy?

Francine:  To me, letting go is like traveling lightly. I realized how wonderful it was to travel with a small backpack, with only the essentials, instead of lugging around a heavy suitcase. When I was on vacation, I felt like I could go anywhere, and do anything, because I wasn’t loaded down with stuff. I wanted to have that same feeling of freedom in my everyday life, so I decided to let go of all my excess possessions. I wanted to spend my time and energy on experiences, rather than things. I believe that the less baggage we’re dragging around, the more living we can do.

Linda:  What has been your biggest personal challenge around letting go?

Francine:  Since I became a mother, my biggest personal challenge has been letting go of productivity. Once upon a time, I wrote regular blog posts, answered emails within a day, and had a sink free of dishes—and couldn’t imagine life any other way. Having a child has taught me that it’s okay to let some things go undone—I’d rather read my daughter an extra bedtime story than race to clear out my inbox. Now, my goal is no longer to get more done, but to have less to do.

Francine, I love the clarity you have around your ideas, which are especially compelling because you’re living them. While there are so many words of wisdom here, one of the ideas that particularly resonates with me is, “I believe that the less baggage we’re dragging around, the more living we can do.” The focus on less stuff to gain more living is at the core of minimalism, and very much in line with the work we do as organizers.

Please join Francine and me as we continue the conversation. We’d love to hear your ideas about letting go, minimalism, and traveling lightly. What are your thoughts?

From the perspective of being a professional organizer for more than twenty years, I consider my field to be one of the helping professions.  There are many ways I assist my clients, which involve helping them with their “stuff.” I use that term loosely because it isn’t always the traditional physical things of life that are part of the work. The “stuff” extends to emotions, time, transitions and more. While the list is extensive and ever changing, I’d like to share a recent sampling of how I’ve helped. While my clients have a wide range of needs, I specialize in working with individuals who are chronically disorganized. I have extensive training and certification in chronic disorganization through the Institute for Challenging Disorganization (ICD.)

What are some of the ways organizers help their clients? Depending upon your perspective, as you read ahead you might identify ways that you might benefit from hiring an organizer. Or perhaps, you’ll discover new options to provide organizing help to others. I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

10 Ways Organizers Help Clients With “Stuff”

1. Assessment Stuff -Organizing involves doing but also thinking. Assessing is done at various stages in the organizing process. It’s always done before work begins so we can understand the organizational areas that need attention. Assessments don’t end there. They continue once the work begins. Each organizing visit includes an assessment before, during, and at the end to help clients stay focused, adjust the scope as needed, and acknowledge their progress.

2. Physical Stuff -No matter how much the digital era has infiltrated our lives, we still have an abundance of physical things to manage, maintain, evaluate, and organize. From papers to clothing to toys and gadgets, helping to organize the physical possessions of life and the space we live and work in is a major part of the work I do.

3. System Stuff -With all of this stuff, we need systems to manage everything from paper flow to recycling, donation, or return centers. Those are some of the ways I help my clients organize.

4. Emotional Stuff -There are distinct boundaries between organizers, coaches and therapists. You might more readily equate “emotional stuff” with a therapist’s work than you would with an organizer’s. I’m not a therapist and respect the professional boundaries. However, organizing and going through “our stuff” can bring up an array of emotions. So while I don’t counsel, I am there to support my clients during the organizing and letting go process, which can be highly emotional.

“Organizing involves doing but also thinking.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

5. Maintenance Stuff -Even after all “things” are organized and in place, there is often a need for periodic maintenance, especially with the chronically disorganized population. This can involve clearing spaces, closets, or surfaces that were previously organized. It can include processing and filing papers, updating financial records, or switching seasonal clothing. Scheduling maintenance builds in time to reroute and restore things to their designated homes and evaluate changes that might be beneficial.

6. Project Stuff -Instead of ongoing, overall organizing help, some clients enlist help for specific projects. This can include everything from organizing a closet to house linens, clothing or gifts to setting up a unique paper management system for college applications, committee work, or writing projects to making lists and packing for a trip. The help needed is often short-term, clearly definable, and has a distinct beginning and end.

7. Routine Stuff -There are times that clients need help for managing routine items like making calls for research, setting up, reviewing, or canceling accounts, making appointments, logging receipts, updating check registers, processing mail, making lists, or writing correspondence.

8. Resource Stuff -More often than not, I’m asked about specific resources for my clients. Their requests range widely for help finding best places to purchase organizing products to sources for donating furniture to companies that remove junk to therapists that specialize in compulsive buying. I’m constantly collecting new resources, generously shared from other professionals, friends, and family.

9. Time Stuff -Many clients are overwhelmed by their overflowing calendars. Their schedules can feel as cluttered as their spaces. The busyness also affects their thoughts, which can create mind clutter. For many clients, I help them evaluate their time commitments, establish their priorities, work on planning, and design a more comfortable version of the 24 hours they have each day.

10. Transition Stuff -A favorite aspect of my work is the long-term relationships that develop. Especially because of this longevity, I have the privilege of helping clients navigate the organizational parts that life’s transitions bring such as marriage, birth, graduation, job change, children leaving, children returning home, moves, divorce, loss, death. Transitions are dramatic periods of change. Being able to help clients organize during the tumult gives them some sense of control, normalcy and comfort. 

I’d love to hear from you. Are you thinking about enlisting help from an organizer? Are you an organizer that helps others? Perhaps you’re in another helping profession. Which ways to get help with “stuff” resonate with you? Introduce yourself and come join the conversation!

Reflecting on my recent trip to Toronto with my mom, I found a connection between traveling and the next step ideas I'm writing about this month.

Perhaps as you take on next, some of the steps I've identified will be helpful as you continue on your journey. We begin first with an idea and travel on from there.

“Prepare not only your suitcase but also your attitude.”

— Linda Samuels, CPO-CD®, CVPO™

The 7-Step Travel Journey

1. Entertain New Idea

Before I planned to go away, there was no plan. A question was raised if I could travel with my Mom to Toronto to hear the premiere of my brother's new symphony?

Next step: Is this journey possible? Set aside time to mull over the idea.

2. Consider Logistics

Moving to next involved looking at calendars, discussing possible travel schedule, reviewing the basics for flights, hotel, and ground transfers.

Next step: Fact gather to move ahead.

3. Create List

After schedules were coordinated and travel details were booked, "to dos" came next. This included writing a pack list, getting foreign money, and adding international capabilities to my smart phone.

Next step: Create "to do" list to provide focus.

4. Prepare Attitude

No matter how organized or ready we are, the unexpected will occur. The morning of our trip, a major snowstorm hit our area. Roads were messy, our flight was delayed, and things didn't go according to the plan. Between Porter Airline's free latte machine, the short video clips I was sharing back and forth between my Mom and our younger daughter, and the great people watching at the airport, I enjoyed the travel day, delays and all.

Next step: Prepare not only your suitcase but also your attitude. Next is so much easier when you activate positivity, gratitude, and fun.

5. Get Comfortable

Change in routines and environments can be energizing or stressful. Know what you need to take care of you. After a car ride, flight, ferry boat, and taxi, Mom and I arrived at the hotel feeling a bit worn out. We unpacked, settled in, ate some dinner, saw my brother, put on our pjs, I took a bubble bath, and got a good night's sleep.

Next step: Getting back to the basics prepares and renews us for next.

6. Activate Senses

Traveling is an opportunity to experience the new through our senses. I explored the sights, sounds, scents, and feel of being in a different place. I enjoyed walking, taking photos, hearing wonderful music, being with family, and meeting the friendly people of Toronto.

Next step: Allow your senses to guide you forward.

7. Complete Cycle

We pack. We unpack. Preparing for next included finishing the process. Upon returning back home, I unpacked, put away the “stuff,” responded to emails, reviewed the schedule and to dos for the week, enjoyed dinner with my husband, and got a good night's sleep.

Next step: Clear the decks. Complete what you start to prepare for next.

Many exciting adventures are ahead. I'm ready to move forward, one packed bag at a time. Come join the conversation. What are your next step thoughts?