The Sport of Organizing

Erin Doland, former pack rat and current editor of Unclutterer, shares a seminal observation she made en route to an uncluttered -- and more purposeful -- lifestyle:

[B]eing organized and uncluttered is a skill - like playing a sport. No one wakes up one morning able to win a gold medal at the Olympics; you have to practice every day. Even today I slip up, but now I have systems in place, significantly less stuff and years of practice to help me quickly get back on track. [bold added]

This comes from an expert interview at Mint. I have enjoyed and profited from Unclutterer for years, and think this interview provides a good introduction to the blog, not to mention inspiration for anyone feeling beseiged by clutter of any kind and wanting to find a real way out. I must add that I appreciated her emphasis on the rewards of uncluttering, which the interviewer's use of the term "minimalist" evoked: "Let me start by saying I'm not an ascetic."

-- CAV