Quiz: Clutter Impact

Adapted from The Lilypad List, by Marian Van Eyk McCain (Findhorn Press, 2004).
Let’s face it: some of us wouldn’t be comfortable living a stripped-down, minimalist lifestyle--we prefer to be surrounded by beloved stuff. But others of us can feel pretty claustrophobic in an untidy or cluttered space. Where do you fit on the spectrum?
SIMPLE SOLUTION: Take this short quiz to see how much of an impact clutter may be having on your life. Could you use a little simplicity overhaul? Find out:
1. Do you ever feel burdened by your possessions and wish you could ditch half of them?
2. Do you feel a huge sense of relief any time you take a pile of stuff to the dump or donate it to your local thrift shop?
3. Do you detest having surfaces in your house that are cluttered with ornaments, knick-knacks, or piles of paper?
4. Do you gaze longingly at pictures of Japanese house interiors with their clean lines and empty surfaces?
5. Do you admire plain, simple furniture/architecture/clothing and dislike ornateness, rococo designs, frills, and bows?
6. Does having an untidy desk make it harder for you to work?
7. Do you ever feel as though broken appliances, unpaid bills, and unfinished projects have voices and are clamoring as you walk by them?
If you answered “yes” to any of these questions, you may need to divest yourself of many of the ornamental things you have surrounded yourself with, but keep the really useful ones. Aesthetics--and creating a life less filled with “things”--may need to be a high priority for you.