I’m sure we can all think of someone who we consider to be wise. Maybe a friend, family member, colleague or public figure.

You might describe them as reliable, experienced, calm, or as having an air of confidence. So, what is it that makes them wise?

The Oxford English Dictionary defines a wise person as being someone who is:

‘able to make sensible decisions

and give good advice

because of the experience and knowledge that they have’.

While on your Journey you will develop wisdom in 7 different ways, and that wisdom will help you make realistic decisions about the things in your clutter. You can also share that wisdom with other Journey Members.

1. Facts not Assumptions

We’ve all done it – looked at what’s on top of a pile of clutter, opened a box, a bag, or looked at the top sheet of a pile of paperwork clutter and assumed that we know what the decision is for that entire pile, box, or bag. Although assumptions can sometimes be a helpful short-cut, they usually lead to decisions driven by feelings not facts. 

For  example, if you’re on  Step 4 of your Journey or beyond, I’m sure you assumed your first area or room was going to be take much longer to clear than it actually did. You probably assumed the decision making was going to be harder than it actually was. The facts do not always mirror the assumptions and expectations we have.

A wise Clutter Clearer gathers the facts about something in their clutter using the Clutter Clearing method on Step 2 and the tools they acquire on Step 3. When combined, the method and tools enable them to make a balanced, realistic decision about the things in their clutter based on the facts.

When you find something in your clutter that you know you’re making assumptions about, or that your decision-making is being driven by feelings, put it in the not sure category so you can use your Clutter Clearing tools to gather some facts to balance out and challenge those assumptions and feelings.

2. Accepting the Facts

It’s all very well knowing the facts, it’s another thing accepting them. If you don’t accept the facts and behave accordingly, you’ll never become wise. Justifying, explaining, challenging, defending or obsessing over the facts – all signs of denial and resistance – won’t change them.

When you find yourself resisting the facts, realise that you can’t change them because they’re based on the past. Use your emotions wheel to identify exactly what feeling the facts are triggering to reduce the power they have over you. Then focus on just one action you can take right now to change the facts of the present and future. By focusing on what you can do in the present and that you can control, you will change the facts of the future.

3. Learn to Identify the Emotions

The things in our clutter trigger a whole range of emotions, many of which are unfamiliar and uncomfortable. It’s one of the main reasons why we feel overwhelmed and give up, and as a result we don’t gain the learning of what those emotions actually are.  We just  know they’re  unfamiliar and uncomfortable, and because we’re not able to name them, we never learn how to manage them.

Learning to identify the uncomfortable and unfamiliar emotions you’re feeling by using your emotions wheel will help you better understand yourself, your past, your clutter, your overwhelm and your triggers.  

Try looking at your clutter in one area or room for one minute and allow yourself to feel the uncomfortable and possibly unfamiliar emotions. Remind yourself that there is no expectation of you doing anything, you’re just noticing what you feel. When you feel something, look at your emotions wheel to see if you can get a sense of what the emotion you’re experiencing is. There’s no rush, and there’s no right or wrong answer.

4. Focus on the Cause not the Symptom

A wise person is focused on understanding the cause of their clutter, not the symptom that is the visible clutter. They know that unless they get to the root cause of the problem, the symptom will reappear.

A wise person also knows that by focusing on dealing with the cause BEFORE they deal with the symptom, they are managing their limited time, energy and effort more wisely, which over time will enable them to achieve more of their life goals compared to when they focused only on their physical clutter.

5. Learn How to Make Decisions

The wise person making decisions about their clutter knows and understands why being ruthless and the keep, chuck, charity decision making methods don’t work, because they’ve taken the time to understand the cause of their clutter challenge (see number 4). 

The wise person also knows that making decisions cannot be rushed because of the way the brain works. Some decisions can be made in an instant, but many require time for our brain to access the memories and emotions related to the item we’re making a decision on, which is why the wise person uses the not sure category and makes sure they check in regularly to see if they are ready to make a decision.

6. Take Advice

As Eleanor Roosevelt said:

‘Learn from the mistakes of others. 

You can’t live long enough to make them all yourself.’

Wise words from a wise woman. You may think that some of your Journey videos or exercises don’t apply to you. You may think you can do your Journey faster than anyone who has gone before you, but it would be unwise to challenge over 20 years’ experience on which the advice is based.

7. Make Mistakes

You will only be able to make the right decision if you are able to learn by making mistakes. The perfectionist sees a mistake as failure. The wise person sees a mistake as an opportunity to learn and realises that their world is unlikely to stop turning if they make a mistake (unless perhaps they’re flying a plane or performing brain surgery which we’re not – we’re clearing our clutter).

The wise person makes mistakes and moves forward, taking the learning from it and tries again. The wise person is experienced, calm and confident because they’ve made lots of mistakes, they know it’s the best way to learn, and they know they’ll make better decisions in the present and future because of the many mistakes they’ve made in the past. After all, we only fail when we fail to learn from our mistakes of the past.

You can clear your clutter FAST, or you can clear your clutter FOREVER, but you can’t clear your clutter FOREVER FAST.

To find out how Clare can help you clear your clutter Forever, without the need for an expensive home visit, click here now: https://www.clutterclearing.net/clares-help-centre/