The word clutter often evokes a powerful image: stacks of newspapers, magazines, old mail, brochures, and leaflets piled high and littered about every surface; items shoved haphazardly into any available nook, crany, or crevice; closets overflowing with shirts and sweaters you haven’t worn in years; chaos, disorder, and mess as far as the eye can see.
But what about the invisible clutter, the intangible clutter? It’s something we rarely talk about: time clutter. But think about it; your schedule, like your closet, is a container, a storage unit with a definite capacity. And your schedule, like your closet, has a way of accumulating stuff. So if your schedule is filled to the brim, bursting at the seams, jam packed with commitments and obligations — to yourself or to others — it’s likely time to take stock and identify the clutter that lies within.
Heaving time clutter may not be backbreaking labor like getting rid of boxes of books and clothes, or moving unwanted furniture out the door, but it is technically more complicated and more difficult emotionally. As we move from the physical realm to the time realm, we cross a tiny boundary — we are going a little deeper, moving closer to our feelings and our hearts.
Finding Time Clutter
I define clutter as any obsolete object, space, commitment or behavior that weighs you down, distracts you or depletes your energy. Clutter in your schedule usually includes unfinished projects and to-dos, unfulfilled obligations, burdensome commitments, and cumbersome roles. The time these activities currently occupy in your schedule would be better used for something else, because they bog you down, make you feel bad about yourself, de-energize and demotivate you. These activities may have energized you at some point, or perhaps they’ve always been a burden. In either case they no longer serve you now.
Scan your calendar and to do list(s) and see how many of these forms of time clutter you can identify:
Responsibilities someone else could / should take over
Assignments whose scope has expanded out of control
Committee or volunteer work that is less rewarding than anticipated
Roles that you cannot adequately fulfill
Meetings with little value
Projects you started and can’t or no longer want to finish
Unfulfilled promises or obligations
Excessive number of to-do’s
Having even just one of these types of time clutter on your schedule can be a massive burden — sapping you of the energy you could be putting towards your true passions, unique contribution and growth.
What Time Clutter Represents
Time clutter (and physical clutter) isn’t junk. It’s symbolic of our attachment to something from the past that’s no longer relevant, a burden which must be released in order to make room for change. The key to releasing your time burdens for good lies in understanding your attachment to them. Think back to the moment when you first acquired the commitment. What did it mean to you? What did it represent?
Sometimes we hold onto time clutter because it represents how we want to see ourselves. We leave the crusty old cans of paint in the garage and repaint the first floor bathroom on our to-do list because we want to be self-sufficient. We leave the pair of shoes we accidentally bought in the wrong size by the front door and let return shoes to the store sit on our to-do list for months because we want to be fiscally responsible. These burdens often represent a truth we don’t like to accept: it’s impossible to do it all.
Other times we acquired time clutter from misguided (yet, good) intentions. In other words, it’s the right impulse, but the wrong activity. Volunteering to chair the annual company retreat, or plan the family reunion, for example, may have come from a desire to make a contribution (a healthy impulse), but if the activity is more draining than enriching, more routine than inspired, it’s probably time to look for a different way to make your contributions to your company, your family, or your community.
Time clutter can also represent old comforts. Sometimes we hold onto out-dated roles and responsibilities because they are familiar. Letting it go would require you to step outside your comfort zone. Even if you no longer enjoy the activity… it’s the devil you know. But holding onto outdated roles and responsibilities prevents us from growing, expanding our capabilities and mastering new skills.
Releasing Time Clutter
Sometimes, the only way to remove time clutter from your schedule is to forgive yourself. Release the guilt you may feel about relinquishing certain obligations — to yourself or others. Instead of focusing on what you’re giving up, focus on what you stand to gain. What are you making space for?
The feeling you get from releasing unwanted tasks, activities, to-dos (and the old attachments they represent) can be unbelievably liberating — it’s like driving without the handbrake on; or running without ankle weights. At the same time, it’s not uncommon to feel a little lonely when you first give up your schedule attachments. Sit tight through whatever discomfort you feel and don’t rush to re-fill your days with a grab bag of activities. Before long, these new “filler” activities will feel like just another attachment weighing you down.
It’s important that any new experiences you add to your life match up with your core values, goals, or themes for the future. If you’re uncertain about what these things might be, don’t be afraid to explore. Branch out and try something you’ve never done before. Hold off on making any firm commitments to new ventures until you’re certain they fit with your current vision. The attachments you make now should propel you forward towards a more fulfilling, energizing, and rewarding use of your time.