Heavensfield

Tackling organizational tasks is a sure fire way to bring up a wealth of different emotions you didn't know were lingering inside. To help you visualize what I'm writing about, ask a partner to go through your closet and toss out  half of everything based on his or her thoughts on what you should discard. The minute they begin to do this you will more than likely find yourself saying, "Wait, that's my favorite shirt," or "stop I wore that at our my son's graduation." Your possessions have specific meaning to you. They are linked to memories built up in your brain over years of living. 

This may be one of the reasons why we often start organizational tasks and then give up without finishing. Or why we don't get started in the first place! It's not easy to let go of things, even if you haven't worn an item for a decade -- it still holds  a place of meaning for you.

With that said, the following tips are useful in confronting these powerful emotions and allowing reason to rule over the emotional limbic system:

• Re-frame your beliefs. It's much easier to give away a gold necklace that has been sitting in your closet forever if you change the way you think about it the situation. If you say to yourself, "I can't get rid of this necklace, it cost me $500" it will be quite difficult to let the item go. To successfully detach, you need to change your belief system. One positive way to reframe your thoughts is to see how the item you are wanting to let go will benefit someone else. Can you sell it and donate the money to someone in need? How about donating it to a worthy cause? I like to visualize the pleasure I received from an item and how it can become a blessing in someone else's life. I've got plenty of use out of the item, now it's someone else's turn to be blessed.
• Live in the now. This is a tough one. Many people have been taught to "use it up, wear it out, mend it, or repairr it." While I am a believer in taking care of the things you've acquired, most American's have been so richly blessed with material goods that we have an 'over-abundance' of 'stuff.' We have clothes that we save for when we lose 15 pounds, and clothes we save for when we gain 15 pounds. We have stuff we've never worn hanging in our closets. This accumulation and preparation for the future deprives us of calm, order and charitable feelings. We keep more, we hoard more, and we store more. Our closets are full, our lives are fuller, yet we feel less fulfilled. I recommend a balanced perspective. Our ancestors survived on 1-2 outfits 'total.' It stands to reason we can live on less. Ask yourself, "What do I really need right now?"
• Set reasonable/obtainable goals. If you make a decision to organize your life, your excitement may entice you into setting overly large. vague and difficult to reach goals. For instance, it's easy to get overwhelmed if the goal is too lofty and way out of reach. Instead, choosing one room, or one space at a time is more manageable. It is much easier to reach a specific, and appropriately sized goal than to bite off more than you can chew. Start small and be diligent. I know one person who reported that they removed everything from a closet and made three distinct passes through to get rid of items that didn't fit, were in need of repair, or hadn't been worn in years. Rather than letting discouragement set in, each day was met with praise for having moved closer to a specific goal.

By recognizing that emotions get in the way of reaching your de-cluttering goals, you are well on your way to making the changes necessary to bring a sense of peace and calm into your life. Chaos on the outside tends to translate into chaos on the inside and vice versa. A calm space helps create a calmer, more balanced you.

Happy organizing!