Keep the Memories Lose the Stuff by Matt Paxton

 I know, reading a book about decluttering, downsizing, and organizing your stuff probably sounds like the most thrilling way to spend an evening, right? 

 Recently, I picked up Matt Paxton’s Keep the Memories, Lose the Stuff, and it really resonated with me big time. If Matt’s name rings a bell, it’s likely because of the TV show Hoarders. I was both obsessed with and stressed out by that show. It made me anxious just watching it, but it also could turn me into a cleaning machine. I could toss all the things with that show playing in the background. It freaked me out worrying, "Am I on the road to hoarding?"

Ironically, I started reading Paxton’s book while staying with my elderly parents for a few weeks. One had recently had an accident, and both were dealing with mobility issues. Let’s just say the timing of this book was... uncanny. It hit hard.

Right now, I am in a season of life where I am reevaluating what truly deserves my time and energy. I’ve realized that I have a deep emotional response to “stuff”...sometimes pleasant, but often stressful. Clutter is loud to me. Not in a literal sense, but emotionally. It overwhelms me. Spending that time with my parents brought p a lot of old feelings, memories, some unresolved from childhood. But I’ve learned that when I understand the “why" behind my emotions, I can begin to manage them. And more importantly, I can give myself permission to stop accepting things, physical or emotionally, that cause anxiety.

So how does all of this tie back to the book? That’s exactly what makes Paxton’s book so impactful. It goes beyond the surface and digs into why letting go of stuff is so hard. It’s not laziness. For most people, it’s emotional...grief, guilt, memories, identity, and sometimes mental health struggles. This book doesn’t shame or pressure. It offers understanding, insight, and practical steps.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by your own clutter, or that of a loved one, I would say grab a copy or download the audio version. It’s not just about organizing. It’s about finding clarity, healing, and maybe even a little peace

Remember to support small and shop independent book stores. 

Get a copy here: https://tinyurl.com/36eurd3r 

Are you up for the challenge?

Clutter....clutter....clutter! Do you have it in your life? In your mind? In your house?  I have come to loathe the word itself.  Mostly because I realize it is so tied to my spirit and mental attitude towards life.  I firmly believe that physical clutter increases the mental and emotional clutter we have in our lives.  During these first couple of weeks of 2018 I have done a lot of reading and spent time looking around my world for the ways it is is tripping me up. 

According to Psychology Today:

1. Clutter bombards our minds with excessive stimuli (visual, olfactory, tactile), causing our senses to work overtime on stimuli that aren't necessary or important.
2. Clutter distracts us by drawing our attention away from what our focus should be on.
3. Clutter makes it more difficult to relax, both physically and mentally.
4. Clutter constantly signals to our brains that our work is never done.
5. Clutter makes us anxious because we're never sure what it's going to take to get through to the bottom of the pile.
6. Clutter creates feelings of guilt ("I should be more organized") and embarrassment, especially when others unexpectedly drop by our homes or work spaces.
7. Clutter inhibits creativity and productivity by invading the open spaces that allow most people to think, brain storm, and problem solve.
8. Clutter frustrates us by preventing us from locating what we need quickly (e.g. files and paperwork lost in the "pile" or keys swallowed up by the clutter). 

I have always had a sentimental side, which helped me keep every piece of artwork my children made, and hold on to things that I thought would mean something one day. As my life has changed over the last few years, I have had to look at many things that I thought would surely have been family heirlooms and realize that they are now just clutter in the scheme of my journey.  It definitely feels funny to think of ridding myself of items that seemed to mean so much to me at one time. Although, I have been doing that little by little over the last few years, I am making 2018 the year to clean out and clear out.  It will help me in so many ways! So I am picking up the Declutter 2018 Challenge!  Rachel Jones over at Nourishing Minialism has a great Declutter Challenge and I hope you will join me on this journey...not just about getting rid of extra "junk" around the house but also extra "junk' around our hearts and minds!

Join Rachel and declutter 2018 things in 2018!