I’m no psychologist, but I’ve read quite a few books on the psychology of acquiring things and have formed some opinions of why we let ourselves get cluttered like we do. For the most part, being cluttered and disorganized isn’t a medical problem, and it isn’t genetic. We’re not predisposed to collect stuff as far as I can tell, and the majority of us don’t need medication or a therapist to help us get our home out from under the gunk-heap. However, this isn’t to say that we don’t have our problems when it comes to clutter either. Our clutter is often an extension of who we are, perhaps defining us as successful because we have more “things,” or by openly offering up our hobbies or interests to anyone who visits our home.
Unfortunately, with the accumulation of stuff almost always comes the inability to deal with it all effectively, which in turn can produce feelings of depression, guilt, failure, or create conflict with family members. Gunk may also prevent you from having guests over, or otherwise encourage you to become isolated. Once covered in clutter you may feel overwhelmed too, a sensation that may lead you to become a packrat or a slob, or simply give up completely. These can be real problems.
It is my opinion that clutter and a gunked up home is the direct result of being a procrastinator and/or being unable to make vital decisions quickly. When a printer fails and you must purchase a replacement that same day (because you can’t find the user guide to troubleshoot the problem), do you throw away or recycle the one? If not, the old one, the one that is in perfect working order except the fact that it likely needs to be cleaned or serviced, is still taking up space in your home office. You’ve procrastinated about getting rid of it. You need to address issues such as these and make a concerted effort to remedy the problem.
Procrastination often stems from laziness, but procrastination is often a problem of perfectionists too. They either cannot make a decision for fear of making the wrong one, or get so wrapped up in the small details of cleaning the medicine cabinet that they don't notice the rest of the house is a disaster. Sometimes the most exacting people are the biggest slobs. Sometimes, it’s just hard to stay focused, and that’s likely one think you need to address.
Whatever kind of person you are, it’s important as you work through the program to recognize that decisions must be made quickly when it comes to degunking, especially when degunking has to do with getting rid of things before they become clutter, or cleaning up something before it causes permanent damage. If you put off making a decision or taking action, chances are good the thing you’re hesitating about will become gunk or cause permanent problem. It’s OK to get rid of that broken printer, and it’s OK to expect your children to clean up the Kool-Aid they just spilled on your home office carpet. And, it’s OK to insist your spouse put things back where he/she got them after they are finished with a current project.
