Last fall I shared my struggle with decluttering, both my words and our kids’ old schoolwork. I’m currently in another season of overwhelm, with the usual end-of-school-year hustle coupled with our son’s looming graduation threatening to pull me under. While juggling all the tasks required of me right now, I’m challenged to continue focusing on my writing.
The time that I continue to carve out to write is sometimes used instead to sit at my desk and look around at the clutter that has overtaken my office, or what is supposed to be my writing sanctuary. Details on year-end tests and events, graduation logistics, folders and notes for various writing projects, important home/life related papers to file, writer resources, graduation announcements and party invitations to be addressed and mailed all hover around my desk, begging for attention as I battle to bang out words.
Most of us who are weighed down by mental clutter—the to-do lists and calendar events cataloged in our brains—find a shocking amount of relief when we cut back on physical clutter. If your environment is less chaotic, your mind will be too. ~Erica Layne, minimalism expert
The link between clutter and diminished mental space or creativity is obvious. Clutter in one’s life can lead to increased stress levels, procrastination, difficulty focusing, and more. Each task is vying for my attention as I sit surrounded by items reminding me of all the things demanding action. My brain only has so much capacity, so a disorganized space threatens to pull my mind in dozens of different directions, and my creativity takes a hit.
Sometimes the best thing to do in this situation seems counter-intuitive, but I decided I need to step away from the keyboard and spend some of my precious writing time purging and organizing my space. Decluttering my desk and the room around it and establishing better organization in my office will free up my space and mind to allow more creative thought again.
Plus, the physical activity of clearing, purging, and organizing could provide an opportunity for my mind to wander and passively “work” on some writing projects. When I allow my mind to meander while keeping my hands busy with less mentally requiring tasks, I can ponder story points, work out plot holes, give birth to new ideas, flesh out characters, and more. It’s a win-win, checking necessary to-dos off my list while allowing my subconscious to process writing issues.
As a writer, I’ve discovered over the years that so much more goes into it than just sitting at the computer typing. Plotting, researching, brainstorming, reading, and daydreaming are just a few things writers do besides write. And I need to look at decluttering and organizing my writing space as another one of these necessary tasks to declutter my mind and be productive as a writer. So, today is short and sweet as I turn my attention to the mess around me.
Your turn. Is your work space tidy and organized or messy and cluttered? How do you find cluttered space affects your productivity and creativity? What are some tools you use to declutter and organize?