i’m human. therefore, i have some bad habits and tendencies. one such tendency, that seems to contribute to never-ending clutter in my life, is not finishing projects. and although there are some big projects that i don’t see all the way to completion, it seems to be the little things that become the biggest nuisance. little things like: not cleaning up sufficiently, not putting the tools back where i got them, not properly filing a document, or not hanging up a shirt after i decide to change.
these little odds and ends pile up and become a major cause of clutter in all aspects of my life (home and work). there is, of course, only one solution – complete my project. tidying up loose ends brings energy and refreshment into my life. it reduces the mind drain of seeing something that needs to be done and releases me to decide on my next adventure.
this cause of clutter certainly has physical implications as mentioned above. but it also has emotional and relational implications as well. the unfinished project permanently takes up residence in the back of our minds until it is satisfied. do you have a loan that needs to be repaid, an errand that needs to be run, a note that needs to be written, or a relationship that needs to be mended, or just a vacuum that needs to be returned to its home? if so, choose one and complete it today.
the back of your mind will thank you for it.
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Are you on twitter? I tweet all of your post I would love to @ you when I tweet you. I am learning to be a minimalist it’s like loosing weight. I even created a minimalist support group, http://minimalist.ning.com/. I would be honored if you joined. I am jaymerican on twitter. Thanks for this blog
Great point. I have even started de-cluttering projects and haven’t put everything away immediately. It does become a drain. Thanks for your site – l am always excited to see you have posted.
I do have unfinished things that bother me, but the biggest one is my bed not being made. If I am in a rush in the morning and leave without making it, it bothers me all day long. It is the first thing I do when I get home, even if it is close to bed time.
Great post! Makes perfect sense. I am going to complete a 10 minute project that I have been putting off all week now. Like you said, it has bothered me in the back of my mind the last few days.