It can be overwhelming to go through your clutter where it currently sits. Even though it bothers you that the mess is there, a part of you is used to it being there. This can give you a feeling of resistance while you try and clutter bust.
I was working with a client this week who had stacks of papers on his sofa. There was no place to sit because the papers spread out across the entire seating surface. They had been there for months. He kept wanting to eliminate this clutter, but he could never get through more than a few pieces of paper before he gave up in discouragement.
To help him get over this hurdle I had my client take a stack of the paper clutter to another room. I got him to place the papers on a table with a clean surface. I then had him go through one piece of paper at a time and make a decision to either keep or toss it. He found it very easy to go through all the papers. Because they were in a new place there was freshness to this stack of papers that he hadn't felt before.
Moving your clutter to a new space and then proceeding to work from there helps you break the pattern of non-action.