The art of seeing and clearing your stuff
Maybe you’ve noticed that the longer something sits untouched, the more invisible it becomes. Things disappear in plain sight!
When it comes to clearing clutter from your space, it’s this invisibility that makes it hard to start the clearing process. If you’re not aware of what’s there and you can’t see it, how can you clear it?
Here are three ideas:
- Draw a circle around it (restrict) – Take a lovely piece of ribbon or blue painter’s tape and encircle the area you want to clear. By restricting the sheer number of square inches, you’ll find you can concentrate better to clear it!
- Put it somewhere new (relocate) – By physically picking it up and moving it, you create spaciousness – and focus. Once you have that pile on your lap (or cafe table or park bench), you can clear out the unnecessary with greater ease.
- Turn that puppy over (reverse) – Amazingly simple AND effective. Take any old pile, flip it over, and start working from the bottom. The stuff you now pick up first is enough out of date that it’s way easier to clear.
When it comes down to it, what’s needed is a chance to really see what is there so you can decide what happens next. Try any of these strategies and see what you think!
Do you have other ideas for seeing your stuff with new eyes — and getting it cleared?





547 days ago,
Joy said:
Ooooh, I love this. I am a piler, and I prefer clean uncluttered space. The first pile allows enough of the space to remain, but after a few months, there are several piles.
I have always used the “relocate” pattern, but need enough work space and available time to do it so it doesn’t just turn into a mountain.
“Reverse” seems like a great intermediary step for a single-pile-of-many, when I don’t have time for the whole relocate pattern.
Thank you!
545 days ago,
Maribeth said:
Jen – I’m having great success with the “reverse” technique. I think part of it is I’m so sick of looking at the top thing on the pile that UGH. And as you said, it’s become invisible to me. But turning it over – wow, the curiosity of what’s on the other side of that paper gets me moving and just as you said, it’s so old that it’s a lot easier to act on, say no, chuck it – whatever. Pile is going down
THANK you for this idea!!