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Spring is in the air. La la la la la la la. I freely admit that most of the time, when I'm not working, I am Lazy. Yes, that's right. Lazy with a capital "l". But every now and then I get a decluttering and cleaning fit. These fits strike without notice and will not be ignored. The last time I got one of these fits I ended up reorganizing my bookshelves - an event that involved taking all the books off the shelves, moving the shelves to another room, putting the books back on the shelves and then deciding I hated them in that room and that they needed to go in another room. At that point I decided to invest in some beer. Today's fit was much more pleasant. I decluttered with the window open, some music on and had myself a grand old time. I have caught the spring cleaning bug. Luckily for me there are all kinds of books and blogs out there to help me with this temporary insanity.
Thanks to a little bit of air time on Oprah, Peter Walsh's Does This Clutter Make My Butt Look Fat is enjoying some blog time as well. The book draws a correlation between extra weight and the extra junk in your trunk/closet/kitchen/etc. And yes, it's the same Peter Walsh that you might remember from the TV show Clean Sweep. Sock Monsters and Butterfly Kisses says that it's kicking her disorganized butt. At Jeri's Organization and Decluttering News she says that Walsh "has a way with words, so this book is fun to read - as well as full of good advice."
Dru Pagliassotti had one of the longer and more thoughtful reviews that I read.
Walsh’s approach isn’t going to help people with valid medical or physical reasons for being overweight, nor will it help people who have mental problems that manifest as hoarding tendencies. It’s not meant to. He aims his book toward any others, however, who may feel that their weight and/or cluttered living spaces are making them unhappy. I found his advice to be pragmatic and in line with much else that I’ve read, observed, and lived. He advises a path of moderation and emphasizes that in the end, the person who is responsible for making you happy about your house or your weight is you.
But, of course, that's only one book on the market. Bestseller Book Reviews looked at Good-bye Clutter by Susan Wright earlier this year. Colleen was looking for new tips but recognized the value in taking a look at why you have clutter.
However, if you've never given yourself the chance to discover the 'why' behind your clutter, do yourself an enormous favor. Read "Good-bye Clutter" chapter one and ponder it, honestly. You'll only need to do this once and then you'll be ready to take action.
A number of books will actually suggest you declutter your books. Irony aside, that's just crazy talk! However, should you feel that this is a route you must explore Unscripted has some strategies for decluttering your books.
Part of decluttering is actually finding the time to do it. Feel like you don't have the time? Cailtin at Clutter Cubed has a suggestion for you. How about decluttering during Earth Hour tonight?
Earth Hour is a great opportunity to not only conserve power, but also to declutter! After all, turning off you non-essential appliances means your TV and computer too! So what can you do during that time? Simplify your life!
Contributing Editor Sassymonkey blogs at Sassymonkey and Sassymonkey Reads.
