The Creep…
I’ve spoken to two clients in the last few weeks who have said to me versions of, “I have no idea how this happened – my space was never like this. One day, everything was just so cluttered!” A-ha! The Creep strikes again!
“The Creep” is what I call the gradual, almost imperceptible accumulation of items. It happens so slowly that most people don’t even notice until it’s everywhere. It can be a Small Creep – under your bathroom cabinet, hallway closet or pantry. Or, it can be a Big Creep – your living spaces full of things that shouldn’t be where they are, cause you stress and keep you from enjoying your home. The Creep seems to happen when life gets in the way of your everyday living. Perhaps there has been a significant life event that throws you for a loop. Or even if you’ve just had too many things on your plate, The Creep slowly sneaks in under the radar.
The Creep flourishes when there aren’t viable systems in place to keep it under control. When it can grow unchecked, bigger and bigger, it goes from a few things out of place to, “I have no idea how this happened!”
The good news is that The Creep can be kept at bay – you can de-Creep! But how? After recognizing that The Creep is there, you can take a few steps to banish it and put checks and balances into place to keep t away.
1 – The Creep is easier to manage where there aren’t too many things around. Declutter, declutter, and declutter. When you have fewer items, it’s easier to spot The Creep creeping in, and keep it at bay. You don’t need to be a minimalist, but let’s face it, when you have fewer things, items out of place and accumulating are much easier to notice so you can make some changes. It’s much easier to notice even a little Creep if you don’t have a plethora of things cluttering your spaces.
2 – A place for everything. Once you’ve decluttered, organizing your space so that you can find things easily and so that you know where your items are kept is vital to banishing The Creep. Organization doesn’t mean that your space looks like an Instagram photo. It means that your life is made easier by not having to search for things you need; it means that you know where things are; it means that you’re less susceptible to The Creep. If you try and organize before you declutter, your Creep will just be tucked into cardboard boxes or pretty containers, but will still exist. Always declutter first, then organize!
3 – Have a plan for regular tidying. If you’re managing your space on a regular basis, it’s very hard for The Creep to take hold. Once you’ve decluttered and organized your spaces, having a set tidying and cleaning schedule helps you keep track of what you have and what you need. Regular tiding draws your attention to spaces where The Creep may be lurking and gives you a chance to banish it before it takes hold. Keeping your home clean and tidy also increases your sense of being houseproud and intensifies your resolve to keep The Creep from coming back.
4 – Shop with intention. To really prevent the Recurring Creep, you must promise yourself to be mindful of what you bring into your home. If you’ve spent time and money to get your home decluttered, organized, tidy and clean, limiting the items you bring into it is the key to Creep prevention. Don’t purchase items on impulse – think about whether you have something that you can use or re-purpose, whether you really need it and if you take it home, what will it replace? If you’re an on-line shopper, put things into your cart and close the app for a day or two - you’ll often find that you change your mind about purchasing. If you do choose to buy something, do it with joy and love what it adds to your space.
If you’re deep in The Creep and need help, reach out to an organizing and decluttering professional. Our jobs are to be objectively help you get from where you are now, to where you’d like to be and live a more enriched life.