Paul McCartney's cell phone flashed the message, "Memory Almost Full" and that became the inspiration for his album. Writers can relate as we attempt to work efficiently in cluttered offices and live productively in cluttered homes. It's no exaggeration to say that clutter, a nice word for "stuff", takes over without a struggle.
A 2010 Office Depot survey found that 32% of workers from cubicle to corner office admit that clutter severely impacts their productivity. 82% of those surveyed admitted that de-cluttering would make a big difference in their job performance but most don't do anything about it. The "Everyday Minimalist" gives these stunning realities
- 80% of home clutter is due to disorganization rather than lack of storage space
- The average American gets over 49,000 pieces of mail in a life; more than a third is junk mail
- Americans spend about 9 million hours each day searching for lost items. And you thought lost keys were no big deal!
Clutter isn't just about visual pollution; the emotional impact of clutter can literally drain the energy right out of the best writers. Spending a few minutes here and there searching for missing files, a phone number or reference book doesn't seem like much until it adds up to hours of wasted time each week. Behind those mocking signs like, "A Clean Desk is the Sign of a Sick Mind", are people who are trapped by their junk. Do they feel like laughing? No, writers overrun with clutter are more likely to describe their feelings as anxious, embarrassed, angry or depressed.
As much as writers protest that they need all that information "at fingertip reach", most are drowning in clutter. How many more words per day could be written if even half the clutter-interruptions were managed? Which is more satisfying: rummaging around piles for plot notes or actually writing the story?
More on the Big 3 Clutter Sources in part 2
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