"Today I want to share this guest post from MakeSpace storage".
What defines success in 2017?
It used to be that keeping up with the Joneses was enough. Today, we’re not just keeping up with them – we’re following them on multiple apps, reading their blogs, and subscribing to services encouraging us to replicate their exact wardrobes.
And then there are the ads. We (and particularly our kids) are hardly immune to them – given that we’re exposed to up to 10,000 brand messages per day. And many of these adverts, whether subtly or not, aim to instill the notion that more truly is exactly that: more.
One result? As of 2015, 8 out of 10 Americans are in debt.
That's not to say you need to chuck your Jimmy Choos to escape the financial burden. Simple living alone isn't going to pay your mortgage or put your youngest through college. But it's worth asking: Could a shift in mentality help you thrive?
Consider two polar extremes of possessional habits. Studies on hoarding reveal there's much more to it than a simple drive for accumulation. Often there's a fear of letting go: the "but I might need it someday" sentiment. Other times, individuals with the disorder place significant and sentimental value on items that others view as extraneous.
Such worries certainly seem burdensome when compared with the opposite approach, minimalism. Many of its pioneers tout the lifestyle's let-go ethos as means to true happiness. And yes, some minimalists do credit the practice as their salvation from indebted living.
Both ends of the spectrum confirm: Our underlying fear of parting with our clutter may be just what's holding us back from our own versions of success.
Here to explain how, via a clever infographic, are our friends at MakeSpace, which offers the best storage in NYC, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Washington, DC. They combined data and studies with original research to explore how clutter impacts different facets of our lives – on a psychological, physical, financial, professional, and personal level:
Everyone’s limit for clutter is different, just as our definitions of success are. But maybe it’s only by keeping surfaces clutter-free that our pathway to fulfillment becomes visible – and thereby accessible.
Has clutter impacted your life, and if so, how? Let us know in a comment below!