I once saw a staggering statistic in Newsweek: "It takes the average American fifty-five minutes every day-roughly twelve weeks a year-looking for things they know they own but can't find" (Newsweek, June 7, 2004). Though I've thought that this outdated factoid (which always seemed a bit exaggerated) could not possibly relate to me, I had to smile when I found myself tearing my entire office apart looking for this very quotation to make my point! I can't say that it took me fifty-five minutes to locate it, but, if I added the time it took me to look for the sales receipt I needed to return a set of curtain rods, plus find the phone number for a subscription I wanted to cancel, I suppose you could say I'm getting up there.
These are the obvious reasons for giving every thing a home, of course. Having a place for everything helps us keep things in order and find them again. It helps us get to the car in the morning without tripping over shoes, backpacks, or purses.
Giving things a home helps us know when we have too much stuff. Discovering that there is zero space in the bookcase to jam another paperback, or zero coat hangers to hang the new outfit we just bought on sale, for example, gives us instant feedback that something has to give or something has to go. Housing things properly holds us accountable and keeps us honest.
At the risk of sounding a bit like one of those late night infomercials, I have to say: And there's more! If nothing so far moves you to start picking up after yourself, you might consider the positive effect that repetitive actions have on your brain.
In his wonderful little book, One Small Step Can Change Your Life: The Kaizen Way, psychologist Dr. Robert Maurer talks about a part of our midbrain that controls the fight-or-flight response; a three hundred year-old thing called the "amygdala." This alarm mechanism is our built-in secret service agent if you will, wired to spring into action the moment it senses danger. Very useful when your kid is reaching for the kitchen knife, not so helpful when you're stepping out of your comfort zone to clear out the letters that your high school boyfriend wrote you forty-five years ago.
The problem with the amygdala is that it will jump at anything that poses a threat...or is uncomfortable, or overwhelming.
But there is good news. According to Maurer, it is not only possible to bypass the amygdala by taking the tiniest action steps as needed to achieve our intended goal, but we can change our wiring altogether! As he puts it:
"Small, easily achievable goals-such as picking up and storing just one paper clip on a chronically messy desk-let you tiptoe right past the amygdala, keeping it asleep and unable to set off alarm bells. As your small steps continue and your cortex starts working, the brain begins to create "software" for your desired change, actually laying down new nerve pathways and building new habits." (p.27)
So, if clearing clutter or reducing stress, or quieting the chatty mind is something you'd like to work on or improve in your life, you might consider adopting a daily practice-a literal no-brainer-such as this: Identify one thing that has no regular home or never seems to make it into it's home, and commit to putting it away every day for a week.
Same thing in the same place, every day. One week. Think you can do it?
Choose a thing or a task that eludes you. Maybe it's your reading glasses, or the television remote control that gets lost on a routine basis. Takes what, five seconds to put in its place. How about the car keys? Dirty clothes in the hamper? Clean dishes from the drainer to the cabinet just above it? Cell phone connected to its power source before heading to bed...?
And if that's still too much to manage, what if you slid the chair back in every time after using your desk or after eating dinner? Or put the toothpaste cap back on the tube? Turned the lights off? Toilet seat cover down...?
One thing, or one pile, or one area. Every day. One week. That's it.
After you've completed any of the above tasks, you can ask yourself: How hard was that really? What does it feel to consciously place this thing where it belongs? How does the room feel to you now? You might be pleasantly surprised by what you discover, as did one of my students who shared: "... just putting the dental floss back every night in the same place has been MIND BLOWING!! Truly! And has flowed into other areas!"
See how it goes. If it goes smoothly after a week, consider increasing a simple action or routine and/ or the time you spend on it by a factor of one. For example you can increase to two things, once a day, for one week. Or increase a task by two minutes, once a week. Or increase a task to twice a day. Do anything as long as it feels good to you and does not stir up the fight-or-flight response (which would be indicated by a pang or feeling of stress or overwhelm).
Without even realizing it you may discover, as I have, small joys leading to bigger ones beyond your wildest imaginings.
Autor: Stephanie Bennett Vogt Stephanie Bennett Vogt
Level: Basic
Stephanie Bennett Vogt, MA.,is the author of "Your Spacious Self: Clear Your Clutter and Discover Who You Are" and a leading expert in the field ... ...
Stephanie Bennett Vogt, MA., is the author of Your Spacious Self: Clear Your Clutter and Discover Who You Are and a leading expert in the field of space clearing. To learn more about her award-winning book, the companion online course, and subscribe to her free email message series, please visit: http://www.spaceclear.com/
Added: March 9, 2009
Source: http://ezinearticles.com/
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