One of the things I've noticed about happiness is this: For me, and for most people, outer order contributes to inner calm. More than it should. In the scope of a happy life, a messy desk or an overstuffed coat closet is a trivial thing, yet I find -- and I hear from other people that they agree -- that getting rid of clutter gives a disproportionate boost to happiness.
If having a home, office, garage, car or yard filled with clutter is such a drag on our happiness, why do we put up with it? There are many reasons, and having a clearer understanding of why you have clutter helps show you how to attack it.
Test yourself. Do you find yourself repeating these phrases, to justify keeping something that you don't use or don't even particularly like?
What have I left out? Have you found yourself justifying some clutter on some other grounds? The more I examine the issue of clutter, the more effort I put into combating it, because it really does act as a weight. (In that vein, here are 10 tips to fight clutter, in less than 5 minutes.)
William Morris admonished, "Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful." That's a great test for identifying clutter.
If you're also looking for a good book, please consider The Happiness Project (can't resist mentioning: #1 New York Times bestseller).
Order your copy.
Read sample chapters.
Follow Gretchen Rubin on Twitter: www.twitter.com/gretchenrubin
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