I am a terrible clutterbug. I want to get rid of the clutter, but I can't seem to make myself do it, and I don't know why. Any suggestions on why I'm a clutterbug and how to break this pattern?

-- Debbie

I'm tempted to suggest that your clutterbug tendencies may come from being a more highly evolved human being ... you know, the kind who's more concerned with matters of the mind and spirit than mundane housekeeping. But that may be because right now I'm sitting at a desk covered with umpteen layers of papers, copies, legal pads, photos and other assorted objects, with a two-foot-tall stack of books, journals and folders teetering on top of my computer CPU.

Rationalizations aside, there are many different reasons you (or I) could be a clutterbug. Some people are just the absent-minded-professor type, who care more about intellectual or other matters than being neat. Some are rebelling against neatnik parents (kind of an arrested adolescence). Some people have trouble organizing any aspect of their lives, possibly due to mental or psychological conditions such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), depression or other forms of mental illness. Others hoard stuff in the fear they'll run out or eventually need it one day. And some just plain don't have the appropriate furniture or containers to keep ordinary clutter out of sight.

The Oriental art of Feng Shui considers clutter in the home to block and stagnate the healthy flow of "chi" or life energy. It doesn't take a Chinese sage, however, to understand the negative effect excess clutter can have on the enjoyment of one's home.

How can you change your pattern? One possibility is to bite the bullet and start getting rid of or putting away things. Think in small stages -- one room, even one area of one room, at a time. Consider giving to charity things you don't use or don't even like anymore, throwing away old magazines and catalogs, etc. Hold a yard sale if you want to. But move stuff out of your house and your life. Try to get in the habit of throwing away or putting away things immediately whenever possible. For instance, when you go through the mail, toss junk mail in the garbage right away rather than setting it aside to pile up.

You can also consult one of the many books on organizing the home and conquering clutter. One I like is Organizing for the Creative Person, by Dorothy Lehmkuhl and Dolores Cotter Lamping. As a last resort, there are individuals who provide consultation as "personal organizers," helping people get their homes or offices in order. You can probably find one through the Yellow Pages or ads in local publications.