I know I’m desperate for something to do when I start cleaning. It’s always a last resort.
There’s a closet in my living room full of junk. I’ve tried to go in there a few times and organize it all but it becomes too overwhelming. I know the only effective way to truly clean that mess up is to empty the closet of all the contents. It’s too hard to just get myself in there, close the door, and rearrange things in that limited space. I’ve got to take it all out and start fresh. It’s easier to make sense of what you’ve got when it spread out on the floor in front of you. You can judge what deserves to go back in the closet and what’s actually been trash the whole time. You can uncover hidden treasures that sat lost and forgotten for years.
It’s easier to organize everything by dumping it all out of the container first. It’s true for your closet, your backpack, the trunk of your car, and your brain.
Let your thoughts out (Journaling! Talking to a friend! Seeing a counselor!) so you can organize them better. Some will turn out to be junk that needs to be thrown away. Some times you’ll discover hidden treasures that sat lost and forgotten for years. But you’ve got to let them all out first.
Fiona Apple agrees: