House M.D. is one of my favourite TV shows. I love Sherlock Holmes stories and I love medical mysteries, and the two have been wrapped up together for me in the bow that is television drama. 
In order to prevent this post from being just fangirl squeeing, here are some ways that the lessons on the show can be applied to getting rid of real-life clutter problems.
Don’t leave important papers scattered around your house
On House, this could get you in trouble when the team searches your place, or perhaps just tell them that their current diagnosis is the wrong one. In the real world, it just costs you time an energy to find specific documents. A good filing system can help you be better prepared when unexpected events (good or bad) come along.
Ask for help when you need it
Dr. House employs a number of people to help him come up with the right diagnosis. If he could work entirely alone, I’m sure he world, but even he needs people to help him in order to be at his best. In one episode he even recruits the janitor to act as a sounding board so he can get to the correct diagnosis. Getting others to help you is not weakness, but can actually give you the strength you need to succeed.
Everybody lies
It’s one of Dr. House’s favourite mantras. On the show, lies can mean anything from intentionally lying to providing incorrect information due to misunderstanding the question, to believing falsehoods as if they were the truth. In real life, your own subconscious may be lying to you (for any of these reasons) about why you hold onto clutter. Perhaps you think you are being prudent and planning ahead for future needs, but all your subconscious wants is a security blanket. Finding the real cause of your problem will go along way to solving it. Or in House terms: treating the disease as a whole is better than treating the symptoms.
Learn from mistakes and move on
Mistakes happen. In almost every episode, the team tries several treatments and diagnoses before getting it right. Sometimes we try and fail, and sometimes we fail by not even trying. Accept that sometimes thing go wrong, but pick yourself up and learn from your mistakes. Holding on to bad feelings about your clutter problem is detrimental, and won’t help you overcome the issue.
As House says:
Everybody does stupid things, it shouldn’t cost them everything they want in life.
Don’t let your clutter hold you back. It’s a brand new year full of possibilities, and you can make great progress in conquering your clutter.
Have you ever received clutter inspiration from a weird source? Tell us about it in the comments!
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Oh no! Another great TV show I should be watching. I will add it to my list, along with Glee (that my daughter raves about).
Excellent post and sound advice!
If you’re going to start House, I suggest starting at the beginning if you can. They are on the 6th season on TV now and things would make a lot more sense if you knew the back story.
I don’t have it on DVD or else I’d lend it to you, sorry.
Actually, funny thing, I was out and about this weekend and came across a video store going out of business, so now I own the first two seasons of House if you want to borrow them!
I love House!
Funny to see the things he says put in this light, good job!
thank you, many ways that can be done to achieve the goals and objectives consistent with what we want. spirit, hard work and proper technique is a way to make it easier. interesting article
Great comparison! House MD and clutter clues. Thank you for the blog. I will be reading your suggestions to help with my “eternal” clutter. Right now I am following one of your suggestions: give away 5 things I don’t use.
Cheers,
Rkatzan
I love this show (Hugh Laurie, sigh), and I love the lessons you draw from it. Does House show us at all how making space for what’s new by getting rid of the old stuff sometimes works better than waiting for new stuff to come so you can get rid of the old? Like maybe with the way they try certain treatments to get rid of a problem, and then new symptoms crop up is kind of the same? Or is that more like how we peel back layers with clutter? Get rid of one level, the next surfaces. Treat what you think is the disease, new symptoms crop of as sign posts suggesting what treatment to try next. I’m just stumbling around here, but I want an excuse to spend more time thinking about House
Good one, Darcy!
Any excuse to think about House works for me! Though sometimes while watching the show George from Blackadder will pop into my head. Oh well.
Caitlin, as both a Certified Professional Organizer and a huge fan of House, I have to compliment you on your organizing savvy and creativity. Great job!
Haha, my organizing savvy!
I am trying, but you’d probably run away screaming if you saw my house at the moment. *sigh* I sense a weekend project coming on…
I love Dr. House and i always watch this TV series after my day job.,*`
HOUSE M.D. is the most watched show in this generation, i also love this tv series”"`
HOUSE M.D. is the best tv series, it is both educational and have a nice drama “
That’s my favorite TV show too!