How To Face Fear and Let Go of Clutter
Fear. When you’re stuck in its pull, you become a clutter magnet.
You know when this happens? You get some stuff. Then a little more stuff…just a tad more stuff…until…
Yo, too much stuff!
You realize you aren’t using these things. Truth may be you don’t even know where half of it is.
You get a sinking feeling in your stomach; fear won’t allow you to let go of clutter.
I have a dirty little secret.
I’ve recently discovered clutter slinking its way insidiously back into my life.
Internet marketing aimed at the entrepreneur! Who knew?
My dream to reach more people, who can benefit from my help, has launched me smack dab in the middle of the online business arena.
I find myself tuning into podcasts, while distractedly clicking some shiny sidebar link leading to a “How To video,” mentioning some internet guru, prompting me to type his or her name into Goggle…
I’m gathering technology and free business offerings galore. Notice I wrote “gathering” not “implementing.” It’s as if I’m creating a virtual library for someday.
Sometimes I feel as if all this Internet information is in secret code, and I don’t have Translator.
Google, like a lousy boyfriend, has been disappointing of late.
Today the electronic clutter collection peaked. This morning I booted up my Macbook Pro, and Dropbox greeted me with a warning message that my available storage space is nearly full. Uh oh.
My mind is suffering information overload. So, apparently, is my Dropbox.
The unknown may bring up Fear of Lack…the elegant yet cheeky website design I am craving and don’t yet have, the ‘spot on content’ I fear I may not deliver…What if I throw a party and nobody comes?
Does Fear of lack keep you perpetually gathering stuff, leaving little room for what matters to you?
Fear of lack:
- What if you miss out on something?
- What if you need this someday?
- What if this is the magic bullet, and it’s only available for a limited time?
This, my friend, is clutter in the making spurred on by fear.
[Tweet “If you have fear of lack, you don’t lack fear. You have something. Fear”]
Turning Fear of Lack on its head, like an hourglass of sand.
Change your perspective. Create a mindset allowing you to let go of clutter.
Come join me as I face my fears, reminding myself that I don’t need to keep looking for answers “out there.” Instead, I’m tuning inward, trusting the Universe, Source…releasing clutter (even virtual) to make room for my gifts to come through me to serve those I am meant to serve.
What do you hold onto that’s preventing you from what’s important to you?
I’d love to hear what ‘stuff,’ virtual or otherwise you find difficult to let go. Come share in the comments below.
So much truth in this. I keep decluttering my desk, but by the end of the week it is back!! When I do it right, I always feel like a weight is lifted
Thanks so much for you comment Pam! I love helping people release the weight of clutter. It’s energizing!
I feel as though I am on information overload as well! Time to declutter the inbox! 😊
You go Christy! Little by little 🙂
Juls, this is ME! Too much clutter. EVERYWHERE. I live with my three young adult boys and my husband in a 1500 square foot home. Plenty of room right? Nope. I am also the queen hoarder of new business programs. Since I am new I am trying to learn all I can. Learning, learning, learning…when is it enough?
I am a procrastinator too. I will conquer all this clutter in my house, on my computer and in my head this year!
Great post!
Beth, you’re not alone! The bigger the house, the more we fill it, if we don’t change how we view stuff. That’s why I do what I do…I free people from all the paralyzing procrastination and overwhelm, so they can create profitable businesses and abundant lives focused on what matters not accumulation. Awareness is the first step. Having help to take action is the next step.
Great post Jul’s! It’s so easy to hoard all that digital clutter. So much random free information – delete away, you can always get the information again later.
Thanks Angela, glad you agree! Yes, the thing about the cloud and digital storage is we don’t feel the cost at the time of the download. Slow computer, time wasted looking for information. Just because we can store it, should we?
Jul’s, like you I suffer periodically from digital clutter. I’m committing today to clearing it. Thanks. 😃
Melanie, when I have a client who complains of a slow computer…It’s usually electronic clutter to blame. I support you in your commitment and let me know if I can help.
I have lots of virtual clutter. From pictures to emails and PDF’s… it can get out of control.
We are purging physical stuff in our home now. Virtual is next!
Good for you! Kick the physical clutter from your home, then on to the virtual. I am thrilled my laptop is so much faster as I have really cleared out a lot of virtual forgotten clutter.
i’m this way with free PDFs (can’t stop downloading them onto my iPad!) “what if you’re missing out on something? what if you need this someday? what if this is the magic bullet, and it’s only available for a limited time?” and the clutter begins to take over . . . time to clear.
i got a new laptop at the beginning of february, and i didn’t transfer very much from the old one. every day i systematically delete emails and unsubscribe from newsletters that no longer serve me. it has felt terrific!
I’m with you April! I honestly feel I could write 10 blog posts on electronic clutter on our various devices alone! It does feel so freeing to release the information we think will save us! My point of view, and why I help people get organized is because I feel though technology has offered us many positives, the downside is that it can disconnect us from trusting our own inner self. My focus, in my work with people is to reconnect them to what they already know, sense and feel. I am the guide, not the guru. Because each of us is our own guru. Keep taking those delete actions that make more room for the PDF’s you create!
I love your view point on this, and how the fear of letting stuff go IS the fear of lack. Wow! I recently decluttered my office space last month, and I have an amazing month for sales. It’s very true, once you clear the space of clutter, you let more into your life. Thanks for your wonderful perspective.
Hey Reena,
Thanks for your comment. It is amazing how when we clear our physical clutter, and thereby our mental messy thinking, we open ourselves up for more sales and income. I recently cleared some no longer relevant files from my computer, and was surprised to see how many were lurking. Of course my laptop is now working at optimal speed, a great perk, but a subtle one, and I believe they are directly related, was I attracted and booked two new clients from my website. My laptop de-clutter made room for them to find me. Entrepreneurs really do well to heed the correlation between clutter and customers and sales.
It takes so much time to get rid of the clutter – I guess we have to schedule time to clean up every time we touch something. Mom’s advice still works 😉
Hi Llyane, It does take time, and my work is to help people learn how to stop clutter from starting ultimately. In the meantime, I help them make the time and work efficiently with me to clear out the existing clutter. We mama’s are smart women. And yes, mom’s know best 😉
Great post girl. I just got done de cluttering my desktop! I had so much stuff all over the place. I realized it was the fear I might need something from it ,that was holding me back. It’s done! Thanks!
Thanks so much for your kind words Melissa, and your sharing how you faced the fear. Great way to start the New Year…with a healthy desktop!
I really feel that I fall pray too much to the gathering phase, and have a much harder time implementing!!
As a Gemini I often fall pray to the shiny object syndrome, always wanting to gather more, so that I can learn more. It’s a hard thing to let go, but I’m trying to be more conscious of this tendency, and look to the resources I already have, especially my intuition and inner knowledge.
Great article.
Hey Vanessa, thanks so much for reading and commenting on my article. You have made me realize that “shiny object syndrome” can be related to the acronym, “SOS.” Indeed, running to the next big thing, the next marketed panacea can indeed land us in clutterville and chaos needing SOS or Help! I’m with you on so wanting to learn it all…and I completely agree, looking to the sources of our intuition and inner knowledge is with us and ready at any time we turn within.
Not only do I have piles and piles of papers I’m committed to facing and culling today, I also have the issue of too many online programs and products I still have not looked at. And this year is my year of going inward. Still going to connect in social media but I have vowed not to buy any more online programs or products in 2014. I’m taking time to do my own 12 week program that I designed for myself and really reflect. Other than regular blogging, I am setting aside ALL marketing mindset until summer. Yep. Facing that fear that I might miss out….Embracing the hear and now. Thanks for a great article Jul’s!
Oh Lynn, I applaud you! It takes courage to focus within and remember that resources are wonderful guides and support. However, only if we use them. I have created a folder called “Ebooks” for the free ebooks I have downloaded and intended (intend 2015) to read. Like you, I am putting a stop on going for the next shiny solution. I am sure so many have amazing value, but I am trying to take care of my boys, myself, my clan and my business…and still trying to learn how to love social media.
I think it is just wonderful you are doing your own 12 week program! Think of the new perspective you will offer as you are your own client. I do that all the time to test out new organizing ideas. Happy, Healthiest New Year! Happy Hogmanay!
Hi Kimberly,
I am so with you on the notebooks….especially the really pretty ones. These days I try to use Evernote, the virtual notebook system. It keeps me paper-less.
Yes! Clearing clutter allows you to feel lighter and free.
Just a thought about magazines. One trick is to see if there is one magazine subscription you can let go of and read versions online instead.
Happy De-cluttering!
Clutter finds me too. In the weirdest ways. I love paper clutter. Notebooks and magazines. I think I’m stockpiling notebooks because I can’t get enough of them.
I love clearing clutter because it makes more room for something new to come to you.
I just loooooved this. It’s really great and now I’m off to clear some magazines from my coffee table!