So many of my clients deal with over purchasing. Whether the root cause is boredom, scrolling too much online, too much existing clutter to see what they have, too many trips to the mall, no financial parameters, or something else entirely, we are a consumer society and we like our ‘stuff.’ So, a big part of my job as an organizer is to help streamline my client’s homes, but also to gently focus on self-reflection, to pinpoint spending habits that can be checked to help reach organizing goals. Sometimes it is a bigger issue, but sometimes small steps can lead to big changes. For example:
- Focus on the visual – what do you envision your space looking like with less stuff?
- How would you like your space to feel? – take some time to think about how you ideally would like your space to feel with less stuff.
- Keep a log – the log can track the time you spend taking care of your things, showing how ‘stuff’ takes away your free time.
- Set goals- can you try not buying anything besides essentials for a week? two weeks? one month?
It helps to get in touch with our habits and the reasons behind them. Changes won’t occur overnight, but small steps can eventually have a big impact.