Getting rid of clutter

"Plenty of people miss their share of happiness, not because they never found it, but because they didn't stop to enjoy it." William Feather1889-1981, Writer

Yesterday I decided to clean up my office at home. Since moving into this house in January, I hadn't unpacked a few boxes of papers and books -- there just didn't seem to be anywhere to put them or anyway to get rid of the junk!

Two hours after carrying a new bookcase upstairs, my office is tidy and organized!

That messy little corner of my world was distracting me from feeling the happy in my writing space. The clutter was preventing me from stopping to enjoy something I love -- writing.

Two hours of tidying for hours of enjoyment? What took me so long?

Well.... it was a bit of self-sabotage.

You know, that self-defeating game where you do (or don't do) something you know you need to do because once it's done, all excuses are gone.

That's what the clutter represented to me. An excuse to not get busy working on my next book. The outline is done. Some of the chapters are sketched out and there I was, not doing it.

Who can work in such a cluttered space? I'd tell myself. Who can think clearly when the world around her is messy? I'll get to it once I get the space cleaned up -- but the task is daunting, best not do it until I know what I'm going to do.

All it took was one bookcase, a couple of hours and a fearless commitment to ditch and throw unnecessary papers and junk.

And now I can enjoy my working space freed from the niggling annoying distracting chatter of my brain whispering -- you can't write in a mess.

Happiness is.... a clean office.

So simple. So easy to accomplish. Where else in my life am I using clutter as an excuse to avoid doing what needs to be done, what I want to do?

Oh, well, there's my bedroom..... There's still a box filled with clothing I never wear. I could just take it to the shelter and give it away. Oh, and all those books. Another bookcase would take care of that clutter and there's one on the front porch looking for a home!

Cluttering up my life is a self-defeating game I play when stopping to enjoy happiness frightens me! It keeps me from doing things I love because I tell myself -- oh, I can't spend two hours painting today, I 'should be' cleaning up the clutter -- and then, because the clutter is too daunting a task to take on, I avoid doing it thus limiting my enjoyment of the space and the opportunity to do something I love! The 'should' becomes the siren's call leading me away from my life of wonder into the tumultuous seas of guilt and self-defeating games.

Ahhh, the circle of self-defeating games could go on endlessly.

But, cleaning up my office has demonstrated how all it takes is a couple of hours -- and I can easily find a couple of hours to do what needs to be done to get more of what I want in my life.

Be. Do. Have.

Be committed to Do what it takes to Have what I want -- I want to enjoy every moment. I want to be happy doing what I love -- what will it take for me to have it? That's easy! Get rid of the clutter and get doing it!

The question is: Where do you allow clutter to distract you from having what you want in your life? Where does a messy little corner of your world keep you from being happy in the moment, enjoying what you love to do? When are you going to get busy doing what it takes to have what you want?