Peter Walsh

"Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor—it’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living."

- Peter Walsh

"There’s memory clutter, which reminds you of an important person, achievement, or event from your past. I think memory clutter often gathers in the homes of people with some degree of depression. And then there’s “I might need it one day clutter, in which people hang on to stuff in anticipation of an imagined future. Among these folks, I’ve noticed a recurring theme of anxiety…Maybe it’s possible that the stuff we own and obsess over is the physical manifestation of the mental health issues that challenge our minds."

- Peter Walsh

"Clutter is not just the stuff on your floor – it’s anything that stands between you and the life you want to be living."

- Peter Walsh

"If a gift has come to you wrapped in obligations and tied tightly with a ribbon of guilt, then it’s not really a gift at all. It’s a manipulation. A gift should be something freely given that enhances your life and reminds you lovingly of the giver. If it’s not, you simply should not give it a place in your home."

- Peter Walsh

"What I know for sure is that when you declutter – whether it’s on your home, your head, or your heart – it is astounding what will flow into that space that will enrich you, your life, and your family."

- Peter Walsh

"You are important enough to invest the time and energy needed for the change you want. Commit to becoming the person you wish to be and carve out the time for what needs to be done!"

- Peter Walsh

"Clutter robs us of life. It robs us socially, when we’re too embarrassed to have people over. It robs us spiritually, because we can’t be at peace in a cluttered home. And it robs us psychologically, by stealing our ability to feel motivated in our space."

- Peter Walsh

"Malignant items don’t have to be reminders of bad times, like a breakup or a health crisis. They can bring back memories of loved ones or high points in your life. But if these memories leave you feeling sad or feeling that your life isn’t as good now, then the objects are causing you mental and emotional harm and have no place in your home. …The key to enjoying happiness and good health in a warm, welcoming home is to live IN THE PRESENT MOMENT surrounded by items that you cherish and that have meaning for you and your family. If too much of your time is spent replaying your greatest hits or struggling with old pain, you’re not making new memories of your present life."

- Peter Walsh

"Start with the stuff (as most people are inclined to do when they try to conquer their clutter) and you are pretty much guaranteed failure. Start with the vision you have for the life you want and you have taken the first real step to long-term and remarkable change."

- Peter Walsh

"The stuff you own has to help you create the life you want. And if it doesn’t, why is it in your home?"

- Peter Walsh