The truth is I only bought The Oprah magazine because I thought the big, yellow banner running across its cover was screaming “Do clutter your life!” Turns out that first “o” in the headline was an “e” and so the reading I was counting on to justify all the piles of stuff I can’t seem to get rid of around my house was not exactly what I was expecting. Quite the contrary.

As I soon discovered, the section on de-cluttering contains article after article pointing out that it’s not enough just to clean out my closet and call it a day, but that there are other disordered parts of my life that require attention. Thanks. I needed to hear that.

Let’s start with the closet which seems like the traditional place to begin whenever that spring-cleaning urge kicks in. Here’s a confession for you. When it comes to cleaning, I really didn’t find Oprah to be much of an inspiration. At least, not for me. Just the photos of her closet were enough to thoroughly discourage a mere mortal. I mean, she’s got rows and rows of blazers perfectly spaced on perfectly matched hangers, blouses of every hue arranged like a rainbow, shoes and boots lined up on neat built-in shelves and handbags stored in little glass-enclosed compartments. If I had to bet, I’d say her closet is bigger than my entire bedroom.

And if you’re looking for more excuses — and believe me, I am! — it seems like a big advantage that Oprah has some high-powered creative director guiding her through the process, helping her decide what clothes to keep and which ones to give away. What’s more, I suspect she’s in a much better position to make a mistake. Get rid of a jacket or a skirt or a dress or a blazer one day and change her mind the next? No problem. Oprah can just go out and buy a new one or a dozen.

So while I’m waiting for a creative director to show up and help with my chaotic closet — great excuse, huh? — maybe I’ll tackle something else that needs to be tidied. There are no shortage of ideas in this magazine pointing to messes that had never even crossed my mind. Is your jewelry in a tangle? Is your hard drive stuffed with cookies? Are your photos organized and dated? How about your recipes? Tools? Financial documents?

And let’s not forget our psychic baggage.

Seriously. There’s an article that takes the spring cleaning thing into a whole new territory suggesting we take this season to get rid of everything, not only in our closets, but in our lives, that doesn’t fit. And I do mean everything. Bad relationships. Unfulfilling social engagements. Injustice in the world. Temperamental bosses. Draining jobs. Toxic friends. Destructive habits. And on and on and on.

According to the article’s author, Amy Bloom: “Spring is a perfect time to learn to love what you have, change what you can’t love, and get the hell away from what does you harm.” She goes on to say that maybe you can look the other way when it comes to that sprinkling of dust on your windowsill or a little pooch around your stomach, but there could be other things in your life weighing you down that demand your attention.

Maybe I’ll just start with my closet.

Rita Lussier can be reached at ReetsAL@aol.com or by mail c/o Features Department, The Providence Journal, 75 Fountain Street, Providence, RI 02902.