It's hard to focus without a trash can. I'm aiming to clear my mind and focus on one thing at a time. To succeed, I need to clean out my closets, create empty space on my bookshelves, clear out the garage, and keep my email inbox well under 100 messages at all times.
The book It's All Too Much, by Peter Walsh, makes a strong case for peace of mind through decluttering. The home or office will be full of distractions unless there is nothing in each room except those things that support the most important things you want to DO in that room. Everything else needs to go.
When all that's left in each room is what matters to you, it's easier to do the things that matter to you. When there is no clothing in the closet except what you actually WEAR more than once a year, you can more easily find your favorite pants, shirts, and shoes. If you decide that you want to draw more often or read more often, you set up spaces where it's easier to find your sketchpads and easier to settle down with a good book and then your life fills with more of the life you want to live.
I think of it as keeping the needle and losing the haystack.
