Possessions or clutter – whatever you choose to call it, everyone has stuff – I have stuff.

Clutter is the one thing that crosses all social and economic boundaries. It does not discriminate. Whether you are the CEO of a company or a mom with triplets, your stuff can still clutter the spaces you work or live in.

While working with individual clients and helping them to reduce their piles, one of the most common barriers that I find people face is something I call the ‘IF’ Syndrome. When was the last time you If’d?

• What IF you might need it one day?
• What IF it came back into style?
• IF only I had not thrown it away

You may have heard me say that your possessions are merely a physical reminder you leave for yourself to do something (an action; information for a future project; collection of hopes and dreams for a one-day-want-to…).

When you are feeling stifled by your collections and immobilized by your piles, you really have 2 choices (door number 3 is not an option).

You either keep things as they are and continue with managing by fire, or you make the decision to focus on what is important and manage by desire.

Ask yourself: Is your ‘stuff’ more important than your want to feel more productive and efficient in your day?

I find that people are torn between looking for an answer to their overflowing piles and looking for direction on what and if to keep something. Without a clear direction, we are often immobilized. It is not about your possessions and all that you hold dear. It is about learning to make decisions.

Your stuff is your stuff. It is not up to me to force you to let go of anything. Keep it all, I say, but the moment it becomes a point of anxiety and stress for you, then it’s time to look at some options.

When you are paralyzed by the IF Syndrome, ask yourself:

1. How relevant is this? Is it out of date?
2. Can you access this information electronically, instead of keeping a physical copy?
3. When was the last time you actually needed or used this? (good intentions yes, but…)

Information, possessions, and resources come in 3 forms:

• Active
• Reference
• Archive

Make decisions on which piles your possessions belong to. The way you store your belongings will be determined by this decision. It relates to how often you need to access it.

By making clear decisions around what your possessions and information are, you can make commitments on how to keep them based on how often you need to access them.

If time is still a barrier and lack of focus plagues you, calling in the experts to keep you on track is sometimes the best and most stress-free decision to make.