What Is The Clutter Project?

This week I read a book called "Clutter's Last Stand," by Don Aslett. Don Aslett has written several books on clutter and I've read a few, but this one struck me especially with what he had to say about how clutter takes up space in your mind as well as your home. As I read about this, I saw that it was true. I am always aware of my clutter; it's there in the back of my mind all the time. Reading about that inspired me to declutter my life. I couldn't help wondering if my increasingly poor memory was in part a result of the increasing stuff in my life.

A couple days after reading this, I was on a teleconference given by Raymond Aaron, who is a wonderful mentor and teacher. Raymond is a big believer in cleaning up the messes in your life, whether it's a messy closet or an overdue apology. One of the first things out of his mouth that night was this: "Each mess is a lock on the gate which keeps abundance out."

I got chills hearing this. It fit right in with Don Aslett's assertions about how clutter gets in the way of everything good in our lives, how it causes stagnation, how it crowds out energy, joy, money, health, and life. I found myself more determined to start the decluttering.

So, I have committed to tossing or giving away one item of clutter a day. Now, that doesn't sound like much, and you might think "It'll take forever to get rid of clutter one item at a time." That's true, but what's important here is not how long it takes. One item a day is a goal I can accomplish. It's a promise I can keep. And it's not limited to one item a day, that's just the minimum I've set for myself.

The Clutter Project is a place for me, and any others who care to join me, to post our results as we lighten our loads. It's an experiment - how does decluttering affect your life for the better? I'll be posting what I threw out, and what opens up for me as I get rid of stuff. I hope others will do the same.

Happy decluttering!