Clutter, clutter everywhere!

More and more Im hearing Baby Boomers complain about the clutter in their lives. And, I have to admit, Im no exception. Plus, a significant number of clients are telling me they are overwhelmed by clutter and cant seem to get to the things that really matter.

When we redid the office recently, just that one room showed how much stuff wed accumulated and then let sit over the years. Im proud to say that not everything went back into the office. Instead, the library received a large donation of books, charities received useable items, some antique books are on consignment, and the rest was trashed.

Ive also been unloading a storage locker for which Ive been paying good money to store a lot of useless, worthless stuff. As of this writing, every box of junk has been purged and countless bags of garbage have been hauled away each week for the past several months. Theres more reviewing, sorting and pitching left to do, but already its a great weight off my shoulders.

The sad thing about this story is that so many other people are facing the same glut of stuff in their homes and lives. In fact, the problem is so prevalent that Ive come to believe that the Baby Boomers may be the most cluttered generation in history.

So, how did we amass so much clutter? And, how much of our creative energy not to mention our money -- is being drained, because our stuff has taken charge of our lives? Just how much is the clutter in your life interfering with your creativity?

As I think back over the past 50+ years, I remember times that were far less pressured and far less affluent. Overwhelm in the 1950s was a very different thing than it is today. But as each decade went by, it seemed that affluence increased and the pace of life became so incredibly fast that it became easier and easier to dump stuff in boxes to be dealt with later. Only later never came, and the stuff now known as clutter just kept piling up and costing me more and more time, money, energy, self-respect, to name a few.

Then theres the issue of families growing smaller. Whereas great-grandma and great-grandpa had four or five or more children to whom to distribute their earthly goods during their old age, today there may be only one or two, sometimes three, kids who inherit not just from mom and pop, but from all sorts of other relatives. In my case, Ive been blessed by my parents, two aunts, my mothers cousins and a few others with everything from furniture to china to oodles of pictures and papers including baptism certificates, letters exchanged during World War II, home mortgages and military discharge papers! And, of course, all have tremendous sentimental value that has made it very difficult to part with such treasures. I mean, how could I part with something all those good people touched and used and shared with me?!

So, Ive hung on to this stuff, even though managing it has been a costly nightmare. After all, Ive been holding it all in trust for the next generation. Let them take care of it! But, guess what. This new generation does not value these things that connect one generation to the next. They want simplicity. I guess you cant blame them. After all, theyve been living with us and seeing how all this stuff has taken charge of our lives!

Its taken a few years and a lot of reflection, but Ive decided to take this noose off from around my neck. Ive decided that its much better to let go of many of the family treasures, and let others who will use them add them to their lives. When they gather dust in a closet or a storage locker, whats the point of keeping them? I will keep some things, of course. But I dont need to hang on to everything everyone has willed to me. And, all those old papers magazines, catalogs, school papers, kids stuff, etc. etc. which I havent looked at in years, theyre gone forever.

My husband and I have been fussing about this issue for the last 20 years. Now, Im not sure what we will talk about for the next 20 years! However, I can tell you Im looking forward to fresh topics and new adventures. Ive spent way too much energy thinking about, arguing about, shuffling around and spending money on useless stuff thats been controlling my life.

The end result, which Im just beginning to enjoy, is that I now have much more room in my life for creativity and innovation.

And, you know, it feels fantastic to be back in charge.

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