Why Clutter Happens

"You can't fix it if you don't know what's broken." That expression is particularly fitting if you're trying to get or stay organized. Looking for a remedy for your clutter before you know its cause is a prescription for failure.

In order to overcome clutter and create a system and solutions that reflect and support who you are and what you need and want, you need to diagnosis what's causing the disorganization.

According to vete
organizer Julie Morgenstern, clutter occurs for at least one of three reasons - TACTICAL ERRORS, EXTE
AL OBSTACLES and PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSTACLES - and sometimes one or more reasons can be at work at the same time.

1) TACTICAL ERRORS: This is the first place to look for the cause(s)of your clutter because all causes of clutter are attributable to at least one tactical error. These are usually relatively easy mistakes to fix.

The most common ones are:

* Items have no consistent home.
* Items are stored inconveniently.
* You have more stuff than space.
* You keep items out as visual reminders.
* Your organizing system is too confusing or complicated.

2) EXTE
AL OBSTACLES: Those things in your environment that may limit how organized you can be. Recognizing them will save you a lot of wasted time and energy.

The most common ones are:

* You have an unrealistic workload.
* You live in an apartment which currently has little or no storage space.
* You're in transition - changing jobs, getting married, divorcing, moving, etc.
* You're finding it difficult to keep up with the speed of life at home and at work.
* The people you live with are messy/uncooperative when it comes to cleaning up.

3) PSYCHOLOGICAL OBSTACLES: The internal forces that drive you and sabotage your organizing systems. Recognizing and dealing with them will allow you to achieve your organizational goals.

The most common ones are:

* You dislike your space.
* You have a need for perfection.
* You think that organizing is a bore.
* Your goals and priorities are unclear.
* You have a fear of success or failure.
* You have a fear of losing your creativity.
* You have a sentimental attachment to items.
* You have a need to be surrounded by abundance.
* You thrive on responding to the crises your disorganization causes.
* You use disorganization as an excuse not to deal with other issues or tasks.
* You use your clutter as a protective barrier between you and the outside world.
Taking the all-important first step of diagnosing the cause(s) of your clutter and then addressing your particular practical and psychological needs will ensure, once and for all, an organizing system that won't break down.