222. Organizing vs. Clearing Clutter - what's the difference?

This episode breaks down the critical distinctions between organizing and clearing clutter and provides actionable insights to help you take control of your environment, life, and business for enduring results.

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Transcript

Conny Graf: 0:04

Well, hello, my friend. Welcome back to another episode of the Chaos and Peace podcast, where I talk about how clutter is so much more than you think. Thank you so much for allowing me back into your ears. I am your host, Conny Graf, and today I want to talk about the difference between organizing and clearing clutter, because they are not the same. There is, for sure, an overlap, but there's also some key differences between the two that are important and substantial. So let's dive in. After listening to this episode, you will know the difference between clearing clutter and organizing, how each requires a different part of you, which one you've done in the past and why the results didn't last, and also what the benefits are of hiring professional help. So let's look at organizing first.

Conny Graf: 1:02

Organizing can be done purely on a mental level. We usually keep everything that we have. We only tidy and arrange things so that we know where everything is. Most of the time, when we're organizing, nothing gets thrown out. We don't investigate why we have something. We don't investigate why we even still need it or why our space is a mess in the first place. Again, usually when organizing, we keep everything. We just tidy and create new homes or find new homes for all the stuff that we have laying around and then put these things away.

Conny Graf: 1:44

Examples of organizing are sorting through your stationary items and office supplies, putting similar things together so that you can see at a glance what you have and can find it when you need it. Or another example sorting through your paper files, your file monster, how I call it. Organizing the papers on your desk or in your office, usually placing them in new piles and make your desk or office look more tidy. Them in new piles and make your desk or office look more tidy, but the papers haven't been dealt with and are often not put away in their final destination. It's also not systematic filing into your structure. It's more of a visual improvement and not a reduction of what you have. And it makes your desk and office look more tidy, yes, but only for a short period of time, and then the clutter creeps right back in. Yes, it can feel and will feel satisfying when you have a place for everything in your home and office and everything is in its place. It gives you some peace and therefore has some value, for sure. But it doesn't even begin to address the issue of why the clutter and the disorganization happened in the first place why you have so much stuff and so many files, and so usually within a short period of time, all the clutter and chaos creeps back in and you are back to square one or maybe even worse off. This is why it's often an incredible waste of time and energy and possibly waste of money. Organizing this way simply covers up the underlying problems. It's like a band-aid, but the problem festers underneath.

Conny Graf: 3:37

Now let's look at clearing clutter. It's not just done on a mental level. It usually brings up emotions and requires decision-making tough decision-making mostly. It's therefore more challenging and not as easy as organizing, but at the same time, more rewarding in the long run, because clearing clutter goes so much further and much deeper. It's not just about organizing and rearranging things. It's more strategic and intentional. It's about letting go of things, files and thoughts. y It involves a vision of where you want to go and who you want to become. It involves looking at the bigger picture so you can learn from the past and define your future. It involves reflecting on how cluttered and restricted your life and business is or has become, and why. It involves digging in on how this chaos slows you down and holds you back, maybe even keeps you stuck. It involves exploring the health and other effects of the stagnant energy that collects around all this clutter and chaos. And it involves intentionally implementing the habits, rhythms, systems and processes needed to help you make progress towards your goal and your vision and how to follow through. It's about letting go of things, files and important also thoughts that you no longer love or use or that don't serve you anymore. It's about bringing yourself up to date with who you really are and where you want to go in your life and in your business. c And because clutter clearing is not just a mental process but goes so much deeper, brings up emotions and involves making decisions, brings up emotions and involves making decisions, sometimes tough decisions you have been putting it off. At its core, clutter is unmade decisions. Therefore, in order to move from chaos to peace, the deeper and intentional approach of clearing clutter is needed. But be aware your mind will try to fool you and give you all kinds of excuses why you can't let go of things, why you can't make a decision, why you can't change your systems and processes and, most of all, why you don't have the time right now. But then, when you go past these excuses and really listen in you find the truth, your truth that you then can address and that will liberate you and gives you back control. You will control your environment and your life and your business, not the other way around. Not your environment is controlling you. When we really clear our clutter and chaos before we organize our stuff, the results are usually long lasting and not just temporary. Also, the process is not as daunting as organizing over and over and over, which feels like treading water right. Clearing the clutter usually feels really fulfilling. It's also freeing and empowering. Again. It puts you back into control. So to summarize the difference between organizing and clearing clutter Organizing is mostly a mental process. It's just sorting through piles of stuff without intention and knowledge of the bigger picture. This can be really daunting and it's exhausting too, because most likely you have to repeat the process over and over because the clutter and chaos will just creep back in in no time. Therefore, it's not sustainable. Clearing clutter, on the other hand, is zooming out to see the bigger picture and at the same time, zooming in to go deeper, because of the emotional component. It's for sure not as easy as just tidying and organizing, but, done right, the result is long-lasting and not just temporary and the process is really not as daunting, but fulfilling instead, and it's freeing and empowering. As I said before, it's about reclaiming your life, reclaiming your time, taking back control and becoming the pilot of your life and business, instead of the passenger or firefighter that just frantically runs around putting out fires and dealing with last-minute tasks. It's opening the door and the space for new possibilities so that you can move forward instead of living in the past. It's freeing and you will feel lighter and more in control overall Because of this emotional component. It's inside-out work, as above, so below, as within, so without, as the universe, so the soul, hermes, trismegistus. If you implement my methods or hire me as your guide and coach, you will be doing far more than sorting, categorizing and putting things where they belong On a practical level. You will be very intentional and therefore the sorting and organizing of the belongings that you decide to keep becomes more strategic and meaningful, and it will be an investment of time rather than spending time or even waste. A waste of time, because this way it will be sustainable and long-lasting. Waste of time, because this way it will be sustainable and long-lasting. My services include helping you tidy and get organized in your home office and finances, but this is only a small part of it. My primary goal for you is really to help you understand why you feel the need to accumulate and keep all this stuff and chaos around you, why you tolerate the chaos around you and why you haven't been able to change yet. And then I coach and guide you through the mental, emotional and practical processes of letting go of the things you no longer love, need or use, and the thoughts, habits, systems and processes that no longer serve you. I help you find the habits, systems and processes that work for you and are intentional and long-lasting and therefore life-changing, because, again, there's really no point doing all that hard work of organizing over and over just to find yourself back in the same situation a few short weeks later. Of course, as always, I do all that without ever telling you what to do or what not to do, what to keep or what to let go. What I do help, you see, is the effect the clutter and chaos has on you, your life, your health and your business, and I offer insights on how you can move from chaos to peace. So, if you are done with putting band-aids on your situation and wasting your energy over and over on short-term fixes. If you are ready to make a lasting change, you can contact me because I can help. Right now, in June 2024, you have the option and opportunity to become a founding member of my brand new program, jumpstart. Go check it out at connygraf. com forward slash jumpstart. The link is also in the show notes. Or, alternatively, you can message me on Instagram my handle is IamConnieGraph and we hop on a complimentary Chaos to Peace consultation to see whether working together one-on-one, makes sense. You'll find both links in the show notes, as I said before.

Conny Graf: 11:34

So a quick recap. We covered the difference between clearing clutter and organizing, how each requires a different part of you, and also what the benefits are, or high, of hiring professional help. Okay, my friend, that's it for today. Thank you so much for joining me and listening all the way to the end. Remember organizing and clearing clutter are not the same. Understanding your unique traits and organizational style is also the first step to a more peaceful and organized life and business.

Conny Graf: 12:11

And if you know someone who might be interested in becoming a founding member of the Jumpstart program or would be benefiting from listening to this podcast, please share this episode with them. I am Conny Graf, and until next time take good care, stay clutter-free, organized and peaceful. Bye for now.