Ruth Wong mentions four common reasons why clutter accumulates (Julie Morgenstern lists 10 psychological obstacles in the second chapter of her book).
Difficulty Deciding
Perfectionism
Not being wasteful
Creativity
I think my main problem is that I don't like to waste or let things go to waste. Which is a good thing. But taking it to an extreme, I wind up wasting time and space.
Ruth Wong writes, "Savers can be very conscientious, well-meaning people. Seeing that things are still useful, we hold on to them, to the detriment of our space. If the items are so useful, why aren't we using them? Is it time to pass them on so they can be useful to someone else?"
I think the closest of the 10 obstacles would be "sentimental attachment". If you have stuff piled all over the exterior surfaces of your home or office, see if what's filling your drawers and closets may stem for an earlier, no longer active part of your life -- papers from college, a former career, clothing in different sizes from different stages of your life.
Remember your identity comes from inside, not outside. Objects can remind us who we are, or who we want to be, but the real truth is inside us and doesn't go away.
* * *
More reasons clutter accumulates: unbridled buying, emotional attachment, inherited items, forgetting your goal, no time to un-clutter.
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