I recently came across a color-sorted library in NYC.

All books in the household are sorted according to the color of their spine. A lovely sight!

When I space clear homes, I energy sense along the inner perimeter of a space. Passing along this bookshelf I could feel, contrary to the pleasing effect it has on the eyes, a slight unease. So I raised the question with the owners of the home. The couple looked at each other and there was a warm smile between them.

The wife wanted to surprise her husband and had set up the books this way. Although they both enjoy the sight of it, the new organization of the library has created some stress for him. Why? He does not memorize his books by the color of their spine. He memorizes his books by category. Now when looking for a book, he first consults Amazon for the color of the book.

Assume the book he is looking for has a red back. He turns to the red section in his library and scans through the books until he finds the one. This altered search process has added an additional step for him. It is cumbersome and it takes time. When you are following an impulse and cannot find what you are looking for, you are prone to wasting time, possibly loosing the impulse altogether and you might experience feelings of resentment.

Luckily, in this case, the couple is very understanding with each other. It is a good reminder though that our memory and creating order is an individual affair. Based on the different auditory, sensory or visual types, we do experience and remember differently. What can we take from this experience? We are energetically connected to our personal items. Clutter clearing someone else’s items without their consent or knowing might add extra search steps and with that, can create confusion and time clutter. Clutter clearing common items in a home can actually be turned into a fun activity for couples and add to the bonding and longevity of the relationship! How about taking your spouse on a clutter clearing date? You will be surprised how energizing and uplifting clutter clearing is!

Put a time aside in your calendars that works for both of you and define your goal. In this case, it would be clutter clearing and newly setting up the bookcase. A very efficient way is to get started with a smaller chunk, one shelf board or one specific section of books. You can also give it a sportive flair and set a timer for a 20 minute time box – it is amazing what you can get done in 20 minutes.

Clutter clearing works best when you define destinations for your books. If you are still using the book and it is useful to you, you choose to keep it. Other books might have served you well and you decide it is time to let go of the book. You have several choices and I just mention a few here. Make it available to new, eager readers by donating it to charity, selling it on eBay or pass it to local libraries. Have fun, be inspired and celebrate!