Decluttering — It’s Good for the Soul (with Lisa Dooley)

This episode is a special one for it features my good friend Lisa Dooley, founder of Your Organized Life. We talk extensively about decluttering and organizing — not just the how, important as that is, but also about the why.

Why do you want to get organized and clutter-free? The why varies from person to person. Most of Lisa’s clients are in a transition of one sort or another. They are moving (and perhaps downsizing); they are preparing for an addition to the family (whether that addition be a new baby or an aging parent); they are needing to carve out space for an office.

Or perhaps, like me, they are simply feeling overwhelmed.

For clutter and disorganization are stressful. I can remember a time when I had to allow an extra hour to get to a concert or other ticketed event because I never knew where I’d put the tickets. It was frustrating! And a waste of time.

Which brings us to Lisa’s philosophy: Organization is being able to find what you need when you need it so you can go about living your best life. I love that definition. So simple and so powerful. If you need it and/or love it, find a place for it, and keep it in its place.

Have you ever decluttered? And I mean seriously gotten rid of unneeded and unloved items and organized what remained? Do you remember how you felt? For myself, I’ve felt liberated, lightened, lit up. It’s more than just recovering some extra space and tidying things up. It’s more than what it looks like. It’s really all about what it feels like.

Lisa likes to start with how her client wants to feel. Because that gets at the Why, which is what’s important. Organizing is a lot of work. We need to go through our stuff item by item, and about each one make a decision. As Lisa says, clutter is all about decisions delayed. Does it stay? Does it go? If it goes, does it go to the trash or to — well, somewhere else?

At its root, there is a spiritual element to decluttering. There is a sense in which all things have a soul. An inner light. The light might be very dim, but it is there. And all things have a function. They are to be used for something. When I hang on to something that I’m not using in some way, I am denying it its function, its purpose in the world.

I have a pen that I love that I do not use. It is constructed from wood taken from the old floor of the Boston Symphony Hall stage. It is beautiful in its own right, and it connects me with the Orchestra, which I love. That pen is of tremendous use to me for the memories and harmonies it raises in me every time I see it.

So use is not strictly utilitarian; it has to do also with the soul and with meaning. Other items may have a sentimental value but be put away where they cannot be seen and thus can no longer nurture the soul. What about the baby clothes and other paraphernalia? Packed away in boxes in the attic? Do they not deserve another baby to serve? Do we not express our gratitude to them by passing them along to their next “assignment?”

It makes the work harder, more extensive, this wanting things to bless others as they’ve blessed us. But it’s a beautiful practice of gratitude and giving. As Lisa says, it’ a win-win. We gain space in our own lives and bless others with our abundance.

I’ve focused in the blog on the Why and the spiritual connection. In addition to these matters, Lisa gifted us with some of the Hows. How to get started; how to establish the habit of staying organized; how to do it.

The ultimate tip? Start today! There is power in simply beginning. Maybe it’s just the glove compartment in your car. Maybe it’s the mudroom or the living room closet. Whatever it is, start. Just do it!

Lisa has a new book coming out in late June 2019. I love the title: More Space. More Time. More Joy! Organizing Your Best Life. It is indeed joyful to walk into an organized, uncluttered space and know that you can easily find what you need and can be grateful for all that you have. To stay up-to-date on Lisa’s book, just go to her website and sign up for her email list. And to stay up-to-date with The Peaceful Woman Program podcast, be sure to subscribe to the feed. Thanks. Peace and blessings, Carolyn