NY Times – Pamela Druckerman: The Clutter Cure’s Illusory Joy
I recently discovered the secret to livening up even the dullest conversation: Introduce the topic of clutter. Everyone I meet seems to be waging a passionate, private battle against their own stuff, and they perk up as soon as you mention it…
…Clutter isn’t a new problem, of course. But suddenly, it’s not just irritating — it’s evil. If you’re not living up to your potential, clutter is probably the culprit. Marie Kondo’s “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up,” the top-ranked book on The New York Times list of self-help books, promises that, once your house is orderly, you can “pour your time and passion into what brings you the most joy, your mission in life…
It’s hard to resist the de-cluttering fever. I, too, spend my weekends filling bags with cookbooks, toys and vintage dresses, and then hauling them away. For the first time in years, I can lay my hands on any one of my sweaters.
But the more stuff I shed, the more I realize that we de-clutterers feel besieged by more than just our possessions. We’re also overwhelmed by the intangible detritus of 21st-century life: unreturned emails; unprinted family photos; the ceaseless ticker of other people’s lives on Facebook; the heightened demands of parenting; and the suspicion that we’ll be checking our phones every 15 minutes, forever. I can sit in an empty room, and still get nothing done.
It’s consoling to think that, beneath all these distractions, we’ll discover our shining, authentic selves, or even achieve a state of “mindfulness.” But I doubt it. I’m starting to suspect that the joy of ditching all of our stuff is just as illusory as the joy of acquiring it all was. Less may be more, but it’s still not enough.
Read full story here: The Clutter Cure’s Illusory Joy
Notes:
- Photo: dreamtouchrenovations.
- Susan, thank you for share.
most important to declutter the heart and mind.
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Yes, mostly the mind and the monkeys.
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My sister-in-law and I were comparing how productive we were 25 years ago before computers and phones took over our lives. Hours lost, every day (of course here I am on the computer…)
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Laughing. Agree. Me too!
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Very good.
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2 quotes I love are: “You can’t organize clutter” and “Clutter is just a postponed decision” — and yes I have clutter, too 🙂 MJ
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I love the quotes MJ. So true.
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I married someone who loves open spaces and clean surfaces …. Our attic is full of my stuff now! The final frontier ….
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Laughing (LOVE the final frontier)
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If life is just an experience, I guess clutter is just part of that experience.
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It certainly is. But there is a lot freeing about unloading.
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Wow. I was just having a conversation last night with a good friend about ‘stuff’ – and having less of it and not missing it…and well, all that this post and article (read the full article) is about. But when I read this line: “…We’re also overwhelmed by the intangible detritus of 21st-century life…” It hit me on a whole new level. And kind of a soft sucker-punch. I have digital images stored in too many places, can never keep up with my in-boxes, Dropbox and Evernote, music in my collection I forget I own…I am amazed by how things we can’t see still take up so much space. My garage out back might not be bad, but my garage in the cloud is filling up.
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Me too, me too, me too. Everything you said. My head nodding and nodding and nodding.
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We are some kind of twins I’ve decided.
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This is right up my alley. I would love to re-post one day soon….. 🙂
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Re-post away!
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Clutter in our lives does seem to be sign there can also be clutter in our minds and hearts! It’s a great feeling when we let go and create more space! 🙂
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I agree Karen. I agree.
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I live in such a tiny apartment, I always think twice before bringing anything home. I have to picture in my mind first where it will go. And if I have to move more than 2 other things to fit it in (which includes tossing something out), I don’t buy it. I read and sort my mail in the time it takes to go from mailbox to door to trash. The only stuff in my home is what I use almost every day. And if I don’t touch something in a year, out it goes. I’m ruthless. I have to be.
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My mess is a place.
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Laughing. And there you have it.
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Reblogged this on Finding Order in Chaos and commented:
I love it. Thanks David for posting!
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