Why, as an introvert, I don’t like the word ‘declutter’

Let me start by saying I am a HUGE fan of decluttering as a process; for introverts especially it can be absolutely life-changing, just as Marie Kondo suggested.

But, I don’t like the word ‘declutter’. Why? Firstly, it’s a buzz word which puts me off straight away, but it’s also a negative word, and brings with it clutter, which is what I want to get away from. As an NLP practitioner I know all too well the power of language!

I prefer ‘creating space’ which, for me, tells a much fuller story than decluttering.

Here’s a really quick example of space creation in my own kitchen…

Every day I had to venture into the Big Cutlery Drawer at least twice a day. The Little Cutlery Drawer held no fear for me, with its knives, forks and spoons sitting easy in one of those neat drawer inserts which has absolutely no power whatsoever over the Big Cutlery of life; ladles, tin openers, potato mashers; you know the ones. It was overwhelming and, maybe you know this, introverts can be easily wiped out in an environment with lots of clutter.

I enjoy my time in the kitchen but, argh, that moment when I needed a spatula. Couldn’t I just manage with a fork? It’s crazy, right? The number of times I opened that drawer with a sigh before I finally realised that I’m actually the one in charge here!

It turned out there was a very simple solution; declutter.

So I emptied out the drawer, kept the items we used, and variously recycled, donated or threw items we didn’t use or were broken. Plus, I replaced items like the utterly useless swear-inducing tin-opener I’ve fought with for years with a new, functioning version which not only looks pretty cool, it also makes me smile when I see it in the drawer.

That’s all I did. It took no time at all, it created space the things we use (which meant I could find the things we use), it removed two chunks of argh per day and it made me feel ridiculously good about opening that BCD.

So simple…. and… what if you could feel that across your whole life?

It’s really no wonder that they say you should start with your cutlery drawer. Or your sock drawer.

Because once you’ve seen how much positivity you can gain from looking differently at that little slice of your home you’ll be hooked into reclaiming your space everywhere you look. It’s definitely changed my life.

Are you an introvert who’s decluttered their space?

🤔What experiences have you had of creating space?

🤔What has this done for you?

🤔How else would you like to create space in your life?

If you’d like to explore creating space in your life or your business, why not book a virtual brew to talk about how coaching or accountability can support you – my calendar is right here for that no-strings, completely free half hour…