By Emily

I dislike clutter. I think one of the easiest and most important steps on the road to personal fulfillment is eliminating clutter in our environments.

What's so bad about clutter?

Clutter is visual noise. As you progress on your path of personal growth, you'll have enough going on in your mind that any external excess will become a drain. When there is a lot of noise in the background, you can't focus. The same is true when you have too many things in your life. Sometimes we need to open a window to let in fresh air. Getting rid of clutter moves old, stagnant energy out and leaves fresh, clean energy in its place. If you don't use it, get rid of it.

Exceptions

Beauty is vital to a happy and healthy life. I am not suggesting that the Mona Lisa should be disposed of because it serves no utilitarian purpose; however the Chia Pet in your garage is not the Mona Lisa.

Excuses

"It's sentimental." We all have certain items that are sentimental. I have maybe three. If you have fifty, that is an excuse. By labeling every ratty sweater and fifth grade tennis trophy "sentimental" you are making excuses to keep them in your life. Not only that, you are diluting the power of the label. Is that tennis trophy really as important as your grandmother's wedding ring? Maybe it is. Just be honest with yourself about why you want to keep certain things.

Getting Started

A great place to start eliminating clutter is the kitchen. Why? Because we all have food sitting around that we are never going to eat. The year old bottle of salad dressing. The rock hard cookies your aunt sent last Christmas. Getting rid of food is easy because there are no sentimentality excuses. Don't worry about "wasting" food. If you're not going to eat it or it's no longer edible, it's already wasted. Give it away. Feed it to the birds in the park. Get it out of your kitchen.

Getting Serious

It's easy to break the task of eliminating clutter into smaller segments. Guess why? Your house is already divided! Pick a room. I like to start with the room I use most, that way I will experience the greatest benefit right away. For most people this is the kitchen or living room. If those are too intimidating, try the bathroom. The bathroom is small and often has the most clutter of any room.

When you've chosen the room, begin by cleaning up. Pick up the shoes and clothes off the floor, put the dishes in the dishwasher, that sort of thing. Cleaning up and getting rid of clutter are not the same things.

Then choose a place to start and work your way around the room. Go through every shelf, cupboard and closet. Look at every item. If you haven't used it in a year, get rid of it. If you don't like it anymore, get rid of it. If you can survive without it, get rid of it.

Traps

There are some things in our homes that we choose to overlook by making up reasons why we need them. Here are the most common:

Books & Films - Why are we compelled to horde books? Most people rarely reread them. A collection of books is usually a status symbol to show off how smart we think we are. Keep the ones you plan to read, a few favorites, and reference books you actually use. Get rid of the rest.

Beauty Products - Ladies (and gentlemen), I don't need to tell you that you have too much make up, lotion, shampoo, etc. There is no reason for it. You don't need to keep that mascara you don't like as a "backup". Be honest with yourself about what you really use and get rid of the rest.

Gifts - Half of the crap we accumulate was a gift. If you didn't like it when you got it, I doubt you need it now.

Knick Knacks - What is cute about a figurine of a dog playing golf? These things are an enormous drain on your energy. Very few people buy little knick knacks for themselves, know why? They don't want them! When they receive one as a gift they feel obligated to keep it. Misdirected feelings of obligation should not stop you from improving your life and proceeding on your path.

Disposal

Once you have decided what to get rid of you can separate it into categories. Things you can sell, things you can donate, and things you can throw away. Trash goes out first. Notice how much lighter you feel already! Donations are easy too. Drop everything off at a local Goodwill or Salvation Army. In some cities, like San Francisco, it's common to leave working items out on the sidewalk for passersby to take home. If you think you can sell it, try eBay or Craigslist for heavy items. If you can't sell it easily, donate it.

Good work!

If you are able to even clear the clutter from your refrigerator or medicine cabinet today, I know you will feel like a weight is lifting. Less things in your life makes you feel good. When you feel good you are fulfilling your destiny and heading down the right path. Keep it up!