Gatekeeping Against Clutter: Guard The Free Space In Your House + Your Mind

olena-sergienko-nPhVqChP1JI-unsplash.jpg

I’m annoyed. I’ve moved three containers in the art closet just to stow the kids’ paint caddy. What should be a quick tidy isn’t, because there’s too much stuff. But people are coming over, and I don’t have time to organize, not that “organizing” mess fixes it. I sigh, wriggle the caddy in, shove the containers back and press the doors closed to hide the madness.

Much of my daily stress is caught up in dealing with our stuff — where it goes, how I can fit this extra toy into that overstuffed box, organizing catch-alls and junk drawers. It’s a waste in all directions. The truth is that I don’t need most of the things I’m “organizing.” My gut twists when I think about all of the extra things, but guilt doesn’t make it easier to let go.

Author of The Minimalist Home, Joshua Becker writes, “Clutter begins to appear most prominently when we own too much stuff ... The first (and most important) step in keeping your home clutter-free is to remove the excessive possessions that are stealing our lives, time and energy.” I wholeheartedly agree, but it’s still challenge for me even several years in.

Develop A Gatekeeping Mindset

It’s an elaborate web — the invisible strings that stretch between me and each thing I own. I’ve invested money, energy and time in choosing that item, making each string difficult to clip. If I buy fewer things, I don’t have to find the nerve to scissor strings away later.

So yes, my gatekeeping begins internally. Before I shop, I decide not to buy additional things, and I know my reasons. I’ve written them down to help cement my purpose:

1) I prefer open, clean spaces.

2) It’s a waste of resources, mine and the world’s, to own more things than I can use.

3) There’s nothing extra that I truly need.

If I’m distracted, I sometimes waver off-course and find something tempting. But with my goals in mind, I’m committed and purposeful. Once an item comes home, it’s part of my web.

Deal With Gifts

Clutter doesn’t seem like a word that applies to gifts, but it does. Everything you own, whether or not you purchased it, adds to your little web of belongings.

“Try out every gift at least one time — even those that don’t immediately spark joy,” advises renowned organizer Marie Kondo. But even if you’ll ultimately donate the item, Kondo offers condolences. “The true purpose of a present is to be received, because gifts are a means of conveying someone’s feelings for you.”

Thank gift givers profusely, then deal with the gift as you see fit, as quickly as possible. The longer unused gifts stay, the harder it can be to cut ties.

Edit The Wiggly Spaces

Hidden, secret spaces like closets and cupboards accumulate the most unnecessary fare. They’re wiggly and expansive, capable of hiding volumes, and they’re used by everyone in the household.

Each spring, I go through all the closets in the house, where we’ve all tucked things through the colder months.

Before I edit a closet, I mindfully recall my goal: an orderly space filled with things currently in use. I drag two boxes along, one for donations, one for trash. I empty the closet’s entire contents onto the floor, paying attention to the instinct to toss an item – that gut feeling is pretty accurate. Replacing useful items in an organized fashion, I bestow a proud smile upon the clutter-free closet. Shuffle boxes to the next space and repeat.

The Whole-Home Purge

As I move on to bigger spaces, like countertops and kitchen cupboards, I think about bigger items too. Donate things that work if you’re not using them or offer them to friends.

Simplifying is great, but my purpose is more expansive than getting rid of stuff because it looks crowded. My cleansing purge covers utility and visibility. Focus on the usefulness of what’s there and whether it’s findable when you need it.

“Regularly expressing appreciation for what you already have goes a long way toward making this change,” writes Julie Hage from her blog, Filling the Jars. “The less you buy and the more you give away, the less you’ll find you ‘need.’”

When I’m overwhelmed by my stuff, I sit in my living room. How cozy it is edited down to only the things we love, the stuff we use every single day. I want my whole house to feel this way, curated and blazing with life. So, I flex that gatekeeping muscle against clutter creep. I’m growing stronger.

Gatekeeping: Where To Start?

Gatekeeping is a daily practice. This simple quiz helps you reclaim your space:

1. In your living space, where do you go to find peace? Pinpoint what draws you to that space. Is there a way to spread that feeling to another room?

2. In which areas could you be a better gatekeeper: The knick knacks? The kitchen gadgets? Clothing? Write down a few reasons why you don’t need,
or shouldn’t buy, anything more in that category right now. Keep them in your purse for weak shopping moments.

3. Where do your extras collect? Is there a better way to organize them, or are you simply keeping too much stuff? Next weekend, find two things you can edit out of your collection pile. Then find two more the following week.

4. Is there a room in your house where you simply cannot relax? Make a few notes about why this might be and find some time to change it.

5. Finding spaces for each thing to go is essential to organization and decluttering. If there’s nowhere designated for the mail, then it can’t be put away. This is how piles grow. Think of two items that
you spend energy stowing, sorting and restowing. Make a space for them to go.


Originally published in the Summer 2021 issue

<div class="alignleft">
     <script type="text/javascript">
        amzn_assoc_ad_type = "banner";
    amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon";
    amzn_assoc_region = "US";
    amzn_assoc_placement = "assoc_banner_placement_default";
    amzn_assoc_campaigns = "health";
    amzn_assoc_banner_type = "category";
    amzn_assoc_p = "13";
    amzn_assoc_isresponsive = "false";
    amzn_assoc_banner_id = "1FBWF8DVB1Y8TH3YE3R2";
    amzn_assoc_width = "468";
    amzn_assoc_height = "60";
    amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "jauntmediaco-20";
    amzn_assoc_linkid = "524d1d89f71857dded5c716556c4e9cb";
     </script>
     <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/q?ServiceVersion=20070822&Operation=GetScript&ID=OneJS&WS=1"></script>
    </div>
Christine EmmingHome and Garden