Clutter is it Inside Out or Outside In Problem?

Published: January 12, 2009

It's still January and people are still trying hard to honor their resolutions. One of my favorite annual resolutions is to remove the clutter.

After resolving to remove the clutter year after year, I find that even if I stick with my resolution through the entire year, there is always a new level of clutter to be rid of the following year.

This brings me to ask the question, is clutter an inside out or outside in problem?

If my environment is clutter-free, will I be able to operate better and maintain some semblance of order or is it that I've got to clean my internal well being in order to live in a clutter-free environment?

Is clutter an outward manifestation of internal disorganization? Why is it the more I try to clean up the clutter, the more clutter seems to appear. Am I reaching deeper and deeper into my inner core of disorganization?

Think about it. You walk into a messy house. You are so disgusted that you neaten the house and put everything away. You've superficially cleaned it.

Now, as you sit down, you notice the dust on the furniture, the dust on the TV, the windows need washing. So, you get up and take care of the windows, the furniture and TV. You sit down and notice the couch has a stain on it and the upholstery needs cleaning. The floors need washing and polishing, the carpet could be cleaner.

You take care of that and then realize there are fingerprints on the walls, the kitchen cabinets have smudges if the sun catches it right, and so on and so on and so on.

If the house were left a mess you'd never notice the smudges on the cabinets, would you?

Still can't decide whether it's an outside-in or inside-out problem.

Oh well, that's my 2 cents and I'm sticking with it.

About the Author: I am Felicia A. Williams, a wife, mom, grandma, writer and eternal student.

Last Modified: 25 November 2020