The Clutter Fairy Weekly Survey #230 Results
Clutter Versus Your Best Life
Below are the results of our survey released in preparation for episode #230 of The Clutter Fairy Weekly. If you haven’t already done so, please take the survey.
Responses
To view the complete, detailed survey response from any respondent, click on their name (or “Anonymous user”) in the table below. You may also find it easier to read long responses in the detailed view.
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | What is your clutter keeping you from having, from being, or from doing? | Describe an item in your home that you feel as if you couldn’t live without. | If you had to leave your home suddenly with no certainty of ever being able to return, what’s the one thing that you would take with you, and why? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anonymous user | When my clutter is stashed away, I feel great peace and relaxation in my room. It is also great to be able to not have to step over things when I walk around my room. If my clutter disappeared overnight, it would reduce how often I have to clutter up my tidy room because I can't find something amongst the junk. | I am an adult, and I have a large collection of plush animals, several of which are quite big. I consider them my friends and use them all the time. My dad is into them too, and we play with them and have them make conversation. I plan to declutter enough that I can easily store all of them. They are my most valued possession. | What a painful question! 🙁 I would bring my plush dog. I have a rare physical disability that presents itself clearly, and that dog happens to look like he has the same condition as me. I pretend he does. I even bring him to my treatment appointments (I leave him in my vehicle when I go in). |
| Anonymous user | Have time to do what I want like spending more time with friends and family. Doing activities I like to do, like sewing and genealogy. Instead, I just have this cloud hanging over my head poking me to do decluttering. | I have a few antique dishes. I do love them. | My dog, my deceased mom’s ring. I have so many things spread out, I just couldn’t grab them especially the photos I’d like to. I better start scanning them! |
| Suzanne | I would have friends over to hang out, share a meal, or whatever. I would be more active - physically and doing fun stuff like playing an instrument, sewing, rich reading time,etc. | I can’t think. | My 3 best bras - one is for high-impact sports. My meds that I take daily? My dog and her meds (epilepsy). There are no handy photos of my most beloved people to grab and run but if yes, that would be my emergency never going back home item. Oh boy, what about a small physical list of phone numbers and address of my most important people. |
| Anonymous user | Entertaining | My recliner. Most comfortable chair in my house. Use it every day. | My cats |
| Jean | I think the clutter keeps me too tethered to the past. (Many pleasant things and some not so pleasant.) I am clearing out a lot of books! I will invite ‘space’ into my space, and see what kind of activities call to me. | Aspirational stuff, guitar! No, it stands in my room wondering why I don’t play with it! | Passport! |
| All | Difficulty finding clothes to wear. Difficulty finding charging cords. Too much stuff! | Pictures of family who are gone. Memory fading, pictures are present to relive the past. | My purse always goes with me. I have emergency Go Bags & bin on wheels. But if the house caught fire, I would try to grab my luggage I keep packed, & pictures/paintings that could not be replaced. |
| Anonymous user | This needs to be shorter. My point is that now that my home is decluttered, I have time to sit and write this with you. (I'm sorry I was missing the nurses. It's difficult to believe people are so nice. Please don't say "bad ju~ju" anymore. (I don't know if I'm Jewish, It has always sounded sorta jew hating.) I'm also not as rigid, seeing creative change, not as scared. Gayle, you may have saved my life these past years. I have so much more I could tell you about how you and Ed.have the patience and kindness and knowledge so that now, with great relief, you both stuck.with me this finally off my "autism that speaks with things". After reading Julie Morgenstern in the 1990s, then moving to current apt., and watching Gayle in the videos where you could hear the audience members, ... In the past years, months, and past 72 hours, the things I meant for my family, I was able to pull out and make piles of to about 72 hours of Zig~Zag cleaning.... I made piles of stuff for each relative. A month or two prior, one cousin had repeated to me by text not to send objects. Just before the piles of things for each family member, on my dining room table, I made a family tree of small objects. It was very healing and I felt I could breathe again and was on my way to stop staring. When I returned from three relatives' houses tonight, my place looked like a cure had finally been found. I could see the rug all way to the wall in almost every direction. I could see two of three armchairs cleared off, and only trinkets. Your voices would often remind me of both of your. | Right now, a pillow and a blanket. Mattresss, sheet, would be luxurious!! Oh! And glass of water nice, too!? | I'm not sure what to say, but it might change (a pillowy granny made for my mother, who is 88 |
| Peggy | Most of my remaining clutter is from not being able to part with things in order to make my space look better. My space is functional and I rarely lose things but some spaces could look better. | My file cabinet (wood)... I can organize my paperwork. | ID cards and earrings |
| Cee | Rest, relaxation, cooking, baking and entertaining | Cell phone, laptop Collection of family and friends memories through photos and videos | Purse , it's like a mini file cabinet 🙀 |
| Hila | I don't arrange my studies paper in notebook because I want able to take every page without chronology order and now it is clutter and I can't find the right page easily. If I find them quickly it make less time to work on it. And I will fill better | My piano. I fill said when I can't play because I came home at night | My computer , tablet and my phone |
| CHRISTINE | the value is in the memories., not their monetary values...I use these every day, and they are a joy to me. every time I use them or look at them. 1. a large wood trunk that my son surprised me, by making it , from scratch, in shop , in middle school. I will pass this on to my son soon. 2. a tall wood "secretary" furniture, that my mother bought, the year I was born, and the whole family grew up with. 3. several small, glazed candlesticks, ash trays, my sons made in school | the wood trunk my son made in middle school from scratch, and surprised me with. also the glazed candlesticks and ash trays (I do not smoke), my sons made by hand. thank goodness, photos are scanned and only | |
| Gabriella | I assume that my partner's clutter would disappear as well. I would probably spend no more time watching videos on decluttering. This would give me more time for MOOCS and other subjects I am interested in. Since I'm already pretty successful at limiting the inflow and at keeping up with maintenance, I'd have more time for other activities that I now spend on decluttering projects. A probable downside to an absence of clutter: I could no longer (ab)use decluttering activities as a means of spontaneous procrastination :o) | My computer and my cell phone. They provide access to distance communication, information and some enertainment. If I'm honest about it, I would probably need very little, apart from the very essentials I use for everyday living. | A petrified clam that I found on a shore on the island of Crete about 40 years ago. |
| Ginger | I would be able to relax more and focus on the fun hobbies I enjoyed before my focus shifted to “get rid of clutter”. My hobby seems to have become… obsess about clutter and punish myself by not allowing myself to do other things until I’ve resolved it. And, I think this survey made me face this thought process. So… I’m thinking about how to change this. | I can’t think of a “thing” I couldn’t live without. I have sentimental things like we all do. And, if they were some how destroyed or gone - I would be sad - but I could “live over it” as my dear mama would say. ▪️ My husband tossed a bag holding my keepsake shoe box of things I’ve collected throughout my childhood. He was King Chunk-it. I was Queen KeepsALot. So, he chunked it without realizing there was something in it that meant a lot to me. He thought I wouldn’t miss a bag of stuff stored in the attic. ▪️I was angry and bitter about it. I had to let it go and make peace about it. ▪️Now, I have a list of all my sentimental things. Over time, I’ve slowly taken pics & written stories about the items. I revisit my list and have let some things go. | My back-up hard drive. It’s where I’ve stored important things. Our important papers, family photos, genealogy - photos and stories about sentimental objects. I may not have the items - but I’ll have photos. |
| Jill | Relax & choose what to do, not be paralyzed | Photos; sense of history | Two albums-family & one with pics of just my husband & I as a couple |
| Jeanne | I would like to try to live in another country, if house free. Too late for that now | My one photo album of treasures. A sense of continuity and peace. | Family and cat carrier |
| Evelin | no stuff would mean nothing to clean and nothing to maintain, I would be having time for playing the guitar, drawing, art and volunteering | I have a shopping bag that I use almost daily, it's sturdy, indestructable and has just the right size for running errands. Whenever I leave the house without it I feel naked. | oh, documents come first. next would probably be photos. |
| C | What is your clutter keeping you from having, from being, ?? -A sense of calm where I know where everything is. No more guesses, such as: will I be needing this? From doing? -it is keeping me from other more fun activities, as I spend too much time churning | I couldn’t live without: Aside from the basics like bed, bathroom, kitchen and books, nowadays it is my laptop and/or my cell phone as they help me keep in touch with friends and family. | My address book as it has info in there too difficult to replace. |
| Danetta | If I had less stuff I wouldn’t have to clean so much and it would be easier to clean. I would see my friends more often if I were able to entertain at home. I’d like to think that i would be more active and get more steps into my day. | Too many to describe: my car, my books, my yarn, a few pieces of furniture, photos of my family when we were young, and more. I use everything regularly to support my life except the photos which I look at occasionally. | My family photos to remind myself of our shared history. |
| Katharine | Less stress, feeling overwhelmed and negative thoughts in my mind. Feelings of accomplishment, relief and freedom to just be. Music. The ability to get to the instruments and learn to play. To be able to find items quickly and easily. To be able to maintain items in less time.😀 | This question is hard to pinpoint to an item. 🤔 During the hurricane without power, I was wishing I had batteries for my radio & a fan for during the night. Communication from others meant more to me than I realized. It made me think of what was most important to save. My first thought was photos of my family. Then my vintage sewing machine, called the “Featherweight Machine”. It’s tiny & only 11lbs with a hand crank. So no electricity needed. 🤓 Being able to mend items is calming and functional for me. It can be used to help others and myself. I do enjoy using it and my adult son knows that is the one vintage machine to hold onto.🥰 | Family photos |
| Anonymous user | If my clutter disappeared I would be able to practice the art of hospitality and welcome people into my home for meals or overnight stays. | ||
| Lee | It would be easier to clean. It would be so much nicer to be able to have visitors over, especially on the spur of the moment. | My laptop computer - use it daily as a means of communication and to find and store information and images. (Alright, I acknowledge that it is also a container for electronic documents some of which are no longer relevant - i.e., a cluttered space.) | Computer (and purse). (I would definitely love to take many additional items, especially artwork and photos.) |
| Ernestine | If all of the clutter disappeared overnight I could be cooking and baking more creative things, I could be looking at a house of my own to buy. I could have room to do creative things with arts & crafts, too. | I don't feel like I can't live without an oil painting that my mother did. I live in an apartment, so I don't hang anything on the walls. But at least I know I have the picture, still after all of these years. My daughter will get it eventually. | I probably wouldn't have room or time to retrieve my mother's oil painting, so unfortunately it would have to be left behind. My purse isn't exactly a treasured item, but it might be the most practical thing that I could grab quickly. |
| Ria | Finishing redecorating every room and remodeling kitchen and baths. Would like to entertain more and enjoy my home more. | A secretary that was my mom’s. She knew I loved it so made a point I received it after she passed. I do love it but if I downsized enough there wasn’t room, I could let it go easily. I’ve enjoyed it 25+ years so feel no obligation but would be sorry to see a nice piece of furniture go. | My dog and my prescriptions |
| Brenda | Less time spent looking for items | Something I enjoy constantly is my digitized movie collection (500+) I share it often so I have taken the time to alphabetize the titles into a notebook (also by year so I can add to the collection) | Other than the cat, I have a book of Star Trek 8x10 autographs these are irreplaceable and represent decades of convention attendance |
| Celina | The majority of my clutter are WIPs, art and craft supplies to be used, packing paper, books, etc. If I got rid of it, I'd got down to other craft hobbies, but I'd keep the supplies to a minimum. I'd e.g. get into acrylics on canvas... for now I have too much fabric to store the canvases anywhere. Also, I plan to become a homeworner very soon (a micro studio apartment) and i'd like it to be as close to the unrealistic pinterest images as possible, so the thought of having tons of junk out in the open is bothering me. So I have this dream of using up as much of the supplies before I move (then I know i'll be busy remodelling, etc, so no time for crafting for another 4 to 6 months, realistically speaking. | my laptop. it helps me with work, crafts, free time, everything... movies, email... literally everything. | I'm torn between my passport, my laptop and my doll (I'd grab two lol). |
| Dolce | If I could better utilize my built-in shelves and cabinets it would enable me to clear off the flat surfaces in my living room. I could then have a guest over and sit in the space to enjoy a cup of tea. Also, if I could declutter my garage it would enable easier parking the car or I could set up my exercise glider in there instead of bedroom | I really love all my old vintage (worn out some would say) furniture so feel no need to buy more. Makes me feel safe at home in familiar surroundings when the rest of the world is in chaos. I've downsized my book collection significantly but some are precious to me as they were gifts from my mother or brother and we would read them together. Others are useful and I use often for reference. Spurs my creativity or contemplation | If we are talking with my heart then my dog's ashes then my car keys and my car. My dog and I spent many hours in my car together traveling. It was our home away from home. |
| Laura | My backlog of projects that I had intended to complete is making me feel guilty and unable to move forward with new ideas! | My sewing machine. I try to use it every day. If it died, I would replace it immediately! | An art project made by my son about 25 years. I have it framed and hanging on the wall. |
| Name (click to view full survey response and comments) | What is your clutter keeping you from having, from being, or from doing? | Describe an item in your home that you feel as if you couldn’t live without. | If you had to leave your home suddenly with no certainty of ever being able to return, what’s the one thing that you would take with you, and why? |
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