I’m a big fan of the show Hoarders.  Nothing makes a clutter bug like myself feel more self righteous and superior than watching a show where people have dead animals, feces, and trash all over the place.



It is easy to dismiss the Hoarders as disgusting, filthy, and lazy.  What I love about that show is that it is never that simple.  There is always some sort of tragedy or story that led to the person becoming a Hoarder such as: losing loved ones unexpectedly, suffering from a lifetime of abuse, or feeling isolated and worthless.

During the course of the show, they bring on psychologists to talk with the person who has been Hoarding.  Many times the Hoarder finally begins to open up and talk about the life event that led to the hoarding and they begin to release.  After that, something begins to happen inside and they are able to let go of a lot of the STUFF that they have held on to over the years.  They realize that they don’t need it anymore and that they can move forward.

In the month of January I completed a 30 day PUSH challenge from fitness expert and life coach, Chalene Johnson.  This challenge is designed to teach people HOW to reach their goals and develop healthy habits. I encourage everyone to at least check it out

Chalene Johnson 30 day PUSH challenge

One of the assignments we were given is to Clean up Your Environment because a cluttered and disorganized environment is a signal that there other areas of your life are a mess. Cluttered and disorganized environments also lead to more stress and less productivity.

I started the de-cluttering process and I couldn’t believe how much STUFF I was holding on to.  No wonder my priorities were all out of order.  I couldn’t find them because they were buried under so much STUFF I didn’t need anymore.

Much of the stuff I was reluctant to let go of was from an earlier era of my life where I FELT like I was making real progress in my life.  The truth is I’ve come a lot further since then, but I somehow felt that holding on to that stuff was proof that I did make progress.

I also believe that deep down my mind was stuck back in that era because I was afraid that was as far as I was going to go.

A-ha moment:  If I’m going to make progress and move forward, then I must LET GO of past successes.  Yes, it was great and I can remember it when I’m discouraged and in the pits, but I am not allowing any room for new successes when I’m stuck in the past.

So I threw myself into de-cluttering and I kept filling Hefty Bags.  Someone asked me why I was getting rid of so much stuff and I said, “I don’t need it anymore.”

I felt empowered, I felt hopeful, I felt like I was being set free to move forward.  It is time to make room for new successes.

Much of the time we are no better than the people on Hoarders.  We let stuff pile up, we may hide it under the bed or in the closet but it’s still there because we can’t let it go.

 How many times do we hinder our own progress because we can’t stop looking back and holding on to stuff we don’t need anymore.  Stuff defined as: people, places, and/or things.

I will never forget during a major transitory period my pastor said,
“You cannot look back and move forward at the same time”

He’s right because if you tried to drive looking backwards and pushing the gas pedal you will most likely crash and burn OR you would go so slowly, you would never get anywhere

This is a blog about health and fitness…so how appropriate that the book I am using to help me mend my clutter bug ways is called,  The Clutter Diet.

 
I’m always skeptical of these types of books, but she had me at the beginning when she said, “We aren’t striving for Perfect.  Good enough is okay.” Ok I’m listening.  
 
I also appreciate that the author asks readers to answer questions at the end of each chapter.  The purpose is to understand the root of clutter behaviors and develop new habits.
 
During the challenge Chalene shared that as we begin to clean up messes in the different areas of our lives, we will notice that our environments will change.  There won’t be that clutter and mess all over the place.  I can honestly say that this is true for me.  Without so much STUFF holding me down, I am able to move more freely.
 
So today I ask you this question: How much STUFF do you have that you don’t need anymore?
 
Perhaps this is holding you back from achieving your health goals.
 
Perhaps you’re like me and you’re holding on to reminders of good times really tightly because you’re afraid that there won’t be any more good times.
 
I encourage you to make room for the new in your life and LET IT GO!
 
Oh and now when I watch Hoarders, I no longer watch in my judgment seat.  I use it as motivation and go and throw something away after an episode!