Succeed in Medicine: Practical Knowledge for Busy Physicians · Bradley B. Block, MD, Doctor Podcast Network

Most Popular Episode of 2025 | Ep498

·32 min·2 clips

Why are we biologically wired to save things, and how does that create today's clutter crisis?

This episode features professional organizer Tracy McCubbin discussing decluttering strategies with host Dr. Bradley Block. They explore the psychological and practical reasons people accumulate clutter, specifically addressing challenges faced by busy physicians. McCubbin explains clutter stems from biological instincts to hoard and our tendency to assign sentimental meaning to objects. She cites a national "clutter crisis," noting the $10 billion annual storage unit industry and that only 25 percent of Americans can park cars in their garages. She states her company has never found items in a storage unit worth more than the cumulative storage fees paid. The conversation shifts to workplace clutter, with Block describing his own pile of printed medical papers. McCubbin identifies physicians as "information seekers" who overestimate available time and fear losing critical data, often clinging to outdated textbooks for symbolic comfort. She shares an anecdote about a labor and delivery nurse client who kept obsolete research files, emphasizing the real-world impact of her work mattered more than the physical papers. A key insight is that decluttering, organizing, and cleaning are three distinct tasks that should be done sequentially, not simultaneously. McCubbin advises tailoring organizational systems to an individual's unique information-processing style, whether chronological, categorical, or other. She argues that buying too many toys hinders childhood development by stifling imagination and suggests rotating toys monthly. For couples with different tidiness standards, she recommends finding a functional middle ground, rejecting the idea that neatness is morally superior. She proposes turning sentimental old t-shirts into a quilt as a compromise solution. The tone is conversational and practical, blending expert advice with relatable personal anecdotes from both the host and guest. The style is educational, offering immediately applicable steps for managing physical and digital clutter. Busy professionals, especially physicians feeling overwhelmed by paper or disorganization at home or work, would find this episode highly valuable. Listeners seeking philosophical debates on consumerism or minimalist aesthetics might find the advice too pragmatic.

As heard by us

Clutter advice that treats your brain and your workflow as the same problem.

This year-end episode takes a practical look at decluttering for physicians. Tracy McCoven is most persuasive when she keeps the advice concrete: how people take in information should shape how they organize, because one system will not fit every brain.

Read the full review in PlayNext →

Why you'd press play

Need a calmer desk and a system that fits how you actually think?

Read the full recommendation in PlayNext →

Listen to the show on

Apple Podcasts Spotify

Play clips from this episode More from Succeed in Medicine: Practical Knowledge for Busy Physicians