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4 types of clutter that stop you from achieving your purpose
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Most people identify clutter as a tangible entity. Itās that pile of papers, books, and objects sitting on your desk waiting to be put away. While the physical stuff is obvious, most of our clutter is invisible, says Barbara Hemphill, author ofĀ Less Clutter More LifeĀ and founder of theĀ Productive Environment Institute.
āThere are four types of clutter: paper, digital, emotional, and spiritual,ā she says. āPhysical and digital clutter are symptoms of emotional and spiritual clutter.ā
Years ago, Hemphill started as a professional organizer. āI realized that every time there was a somebody who was a real packrat or hoarder, they had trouble letting go,ā she says. āIf I asked enough questions, I would inevitably find out they had experienced a severe emotional loss that would leave them physically paralyzed when it came to clearing up the clutter. It wasnāt a paper problem; it was an emotional problem.ā
Spiritual clutter also gets in the way by representing our hopes, dreams, and fears. āI believe God created every person for a specific purpose, for a specific work,ā says Hemphill. āWe are to not only accomplish our work, but we are to enjoy our life. When you know your purpose, then itās easy to know whatās clutter.ā
Hemphill suggests asking yourself the question, āDoes this [physical or digital thing] help me accomplish my work or have the life I want?ā āIf it doesnāt, by definition, itās clutter,ā she says. āClutter prevents you from reaching your purpose, but getting rid of clutter helps you reveal your purpose.ā
If youāre not yet sure of your purpose, Hemphill says focus instead on what you know it isnāt. āStart with what you know you donāt want,ā she says. āItās like peeling the layers of an onion.ā
THREE STEPS FOR GETTING RID OF CLUTTER
Hemphill says that three things contribute to clutter: lack of focus, lack of systems, and lack of support. To find your focus, Hemphill you must identify what you want to accomplish before you start working.
āMany people are just not focused,ā she says. āTheyāre not ā¦ starting on the most important thing to accomplish that day, and getting it done before they do anything else. Instead, theyāre cleaning out their email or doing something [else], rather than focusing on whatās important.ā
To find your focus, you have to identify the most important tasks and understand why theyāre important. Then make a plan to accomplish those before you move to work that isnāt as critical.
Focusing needs systems, and the second step is to create them. Hemphill says itās not enough to make a decision; you have to have a way to implement it. When you set up your office and desk, identify what you need in your system. There isnāt a one-size-fits-all approach. For example, Hemphill uses a system called the āMagic Six,ā which identifies the six things you need within reach of where you work to handle papers and projects.
Finally, people need to work together to live shared vision and values. At work, that requires the proper support. āThe way a company succeeds is to make sure that the employees are working the way they were meant to work,ā says Hemphill. āOrganizing and productivity is an art, and it has to start at the top.ā
Hemphillās productivity consulting company helps organizations provide support through a five-step process: state your vision, identify your obstacles, commit your resources, design and execute your plan, and sustain your success.
āNotice that the common word is all in all those is āyour,’ā she says. āThose five steps can be used to solve any problem, both for the individual and for the company.ā
At its core, Hemphill says clutter is delayed decisions. āLeft unaddressed, clutter presents risks, including the unnecessary expense of storing it, time wasted looking for something, and, most importantly, preventing you from living your purpose.ā