Clutterless Recovery Groups Statement of Principles
For a printable PDF version of these, go to: PDF format.
Clutterless Recovery Groups is a peer-based, self-help or support group for people who have a problem with clutter in their lives: physical, emotional, spiritual. Decluttering our lives is more than cleaning out junk. It is clearing our spirits. We didn't get this way overnight and we won't get where we want to be in one meeting. That’s why we keep coming back to Clutterless Recovery Group support meetings. Our progress will wax and wane, but we never give up. We build clutter-free lives on a series of small successes – one bit of clutter at a time.
If your own disorderliness or clutter, or that of a family member is causing distress, you’ll find solutions that work for real clutterers here. Whether you are only a little disorganized, a hoarder, have AD/HD, or are just overwhelmed by your clutter, you’re in the right place.
We often believe that we don't deserve more in our lives, so we hang onto items and papers we no longer need. We may fear we will never have enough, or know everything. We learn to trust ourselves that we can discard those things that do not serve us anymore. We learn to trust ourselves to make decisions. We are successful. We are powerful. We are free.
We have no religious or other affiliations. We are not a 12-Step Program. We are equals who learn decluttering tools so that we can live successful, happy lives. We respect the privacy of all who share. What you say here stays here.
We leave all decisions about therapy to the individual. We do not take the place of therapists and have no opinions on treatments or medications. Our goal is to help each other, as only peers with the same challenges can. Professionals like psychologists and organizers are welcome to attend and share their perspectives.
Most of the meetings are devoted to individual sharing. We share our feelings about our cluttering, without cross-talk, which is interrupting or giving advice. This is our opportunity to express ourselves in a safe environment and be heard without comment or criticism. Later, we’ll discuss practical solutions that work for us.
We encourage everyone to find a "clutter-buddy," a fellow clutterer we can call to support us in decluttering. Before we begin a decluttering project, we call our buddy and decide on a length of time or a specific project to tackle. We commit to calling our buddy back to share our progress. If we are stuck, we discuss it. Even if we don't achieve our goal, we are successful because we faced our clutter. Buddies might be invited to our homes or offices to physically help, if we so choose.
We are all expressions of God’s love and He wants us all to live happy, joyful, orderly lives. We are successful and perfect in our own way. We help each other realize this. Our success and self-worth do not come from people, places or things. They are outward expressions of our inner perfection. We seek to help each other unlock that expression. Please join us at www.clutterless.org for support.