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Decluttering Tidbits, part 2
More from Let Go Of Clutter
Why don't we get rid of stuff?
- We fear that we'll regret it later -- need the thing just after we gave it away. (Ideally, if this happens, we get over it. If we can't get past grieving for something that wasn't alive to begin with, professionals can help.)
- A biggie of mine: we regret spending money on it in the first place, and somehow feel that keeping it (in penance?) will justify the earlier bad decision.
She has some thoughts and questions about the first one, the fear of regret. I don't think that's a big piece of it for me. The second is bigger. I have a third one, which is some weird sense that everything has value and therefore shouldn't be pitched. (Why it's any better off in my house than in a landfill or recycling place is an open question. Yet I am continually slowed by my insistence on giving things to people or organizations instead of pitching the stuff.)
Project vs. Maintenance
"Life is 5% joy, 5% grief, and 90% maintenance." (one of the author's sayings.)
Getting things under control might be a project, but keeping them that way requires maintenance. (Corollary: I won't get my house just the way I want it and be done forever. *sigh*)
It feels to me like I suck at that maintenance part and can only excel during focused bursts of project time, but the author makes the point that most of us are doing a lot of maintenance things right. It's the ones we don't do well that bother us. This was a good insight for me.
Motivation
She talks about the things draining us of energy, and how to attack them. She lists a few positive ways to motivate yourself. OK.
The nugget that stood out for me was after those, when she mentioned pain as a motivator. Not making progress on something? Maybe it doesn't bug you enough! Saying "I hate having clutter but can't seem to get rid of it" says something is wrong or I'm not in charge somehow. Maybe I'd be happier saying "Though I'd like to have less clutter here, I hate decluttering and therefore choose not to do it." Wow, what a great idea. I'm sure I'll apply this to some areas. After all, I do have more pleasant stuff to do with my weekends. :-)
Next topic: paper!
Why don't we get rid of stuff?
- We fear that we'll regret it later -- need the thing just after we gave it away. (Ideally, if this happens, we get over it. If we can't get past grieving for something that wasn't alive to begin with, professionals can help.)
- A biggie of mine: we regret spending money on it in the first place, and somehow feel that keeping it (in penance?) will justify the earlier bad decision.
She has some thoughts and questions about the first one, the fear of regret. I don't think that's a big piece of it for me. The second is bigger. I have a third one, which is some weird sense that everything has value and therefore shouldn't be pitched. (Why it's any better off in my house than in a landfill or recycling place is an open question. Yet I am continually slowed by my insistence on giving things to people or organizations instead of pitching the stuff.)
Project vs. Maintenance
"Life is 5% joy, 5% grief, and 90% maintenance." (one of the author's sayings.)
Getting things under control might be a project, but keeping them that way requires maintenance. (Corollary: I won't get my house just the way I want it and be done forever. *sigh*)
It feels to me like I suck at that maintenance part and can only excel during focused bursts of project time, but the author makes the point that most of us are doing a lot of maintenance things right. It's the ones we don't do well that bother us. This was a good insight for me.
Motivation
She talks about the things draining us of energy, and how to attack them. She lists a few positive ways to motivate yourself. OK.
The nugget that stood out for me was after those, when she mentioned pain as a motivator. Not making progress on something? Maybe it doesn't bug you enough! Saying "I hate having clutter but can't seem to get rid of it" says something is wrong or I'm not in charge somehow. Maybe I'd be happier saying "Though I'd like to have less clutter here, I hate decluttering and therefore choose not to do it." Wow, what a great idea. I'm sure I'll apply this to some areas. After all, I do have more pleasant stuff to do with my weekends. :-)
Next topic: paper!
no subject
About throwing out: I don't fear that I'll NEED the things later, but I fear that I'll wish I had them in a sentimental way. So far I've been a little conservative -- at least from my own perspective. My mom thinks I go too far in throwing away things that are still in good condition or useful, that I should sell or donate them instead of throwing them out.
Which, I guess, is the second point you illustrated. I do think in a general sense that an object is better in SOMEBODY's house than in a landfill. However, I've come to face the reality of how likely it is that it's going to end up in somebody else's house, versus the likelihood that if I do not throw it away it will sit in a box in my closet annoying me. If I'm not truly going to eBay it -- and I'm not, because that's a pain in the ass -- and I don't know of a Goodwill donation site with reasonable hours, and I live in an apartment complex so I can't hold a garage sale... then it is either throw it out or keep it, barring a miracle. Even Freecycle seems like too big of a pain -- I don't like dealing with strangers, much less having them stop by, requiring me to be home at a given time and trusting that they'll show up. Maybe for a large item that has a recycling fee, if it's still usable. I considered it with my two old computers, but in the end took them to the free Office Depot recycling program. I still feel some guilt about throwing away usable items, but they are surely no better off in a box, surely not better for my sanity. Sounds like I probably need this book too...
no subject
I think I will have to get stern with myself on the donate versus throw away question. Donating something is an errand. Freecycle works well for me, but the freecyclers don't always want every item, leaving me with a Goodwill pile of whatever didn't get claimed. The stuff sits around blocking my entryway. Maybe I need a time limit. If it's not out in two days it's trash.