MINNEAPOLIS — After 20 years as a retail marketing executive, Michele Vig of Edina switched gears and became a professional organizer.
Her new book, “The Holistic Guide to Decluttering: Organize and Transform Your Space, Time and Mind” (Quarto Publishing Group, $24.99), offers step-by-step guides to tidying various spaces, along with exercises to hone in on your life priorities and how to focus your energy toward achieving them.
There are a lot of decluttering books. Why did you decide to write this one?
Some clients said they tried to declutter, but can’t get it to stick. I had a moment of clarity. It’s not just clutter. The reason you’re having trouble is because there’s other clutter in your life. The big lesson is that in order to keep the house tidy, you have to do other things, as well.
You identify three types of clutter. Describe them.
Physical clutter is in your space that you see. It’s things out of place, like a living room with hair products in it, or volume, too many things. Time clutter is an overbooked calendar, with too many things going on in a day so that you can’t give proper time to them. Mind clutter is a rushing mind, or overly negative thoughts, telling you that you’re not doing it right.
How are the three types of clutter linked?
If you declutter your house and everything has a home but you wake up the next morning and you haven’t made any changes to the way you think about your day, it’s difficult to maintain.
Maybe you didn’t give yourself enough time to get ready; at that point, mind clutter is triggered. Your mind starts to race. Things all going on at the same time can feel overwhelming, like chaos. I’ve felt it myself, and I’ve seen it happen to clients. Mind clutter sets in and they can’t get back on track. Things get put down, and you think, “I know I should put that away” but you don’t have time.
It’s especially prevalent with women. Women think, “I can do a bunch of things.” Multitasking is not multitasking. It’s taking attention away from whatever task we’re working on.
Your book includes worksheets about goals, vision and intention. Why are they an important part of decluttering?
When you’re overwhelmed it’s easy to lose sight of your big goal. You need to take time out, take a breath and set your intention. Why do you want to declutter? What kind of life do you want? Do you want to live constantly rushed with too much stuff? Maybe you want to enjoy more of your life, rather than spend it looking for things. That can carry you through (physical decluttering).
Why do you call gifts “the kryptonite of decluttering?”
When people get gifts they don’t like, it’s very hard to let them go. They feel guilty. I tell them “The giving of the gift was the gift. There’s nothing wrong with not keeping it. It’s OK.”
People need to give without guilt — give people an out at the beginning. Say, “I care about you but if you don’t like this, no hard feelings.”
