Here's an interesting fact, money, they say, cannot buy happiness. It can buy stuff, and there is some misconception that "stuff" equals happiness. And I suppose for some people it does. I think I may have been one of those "some people" at different points in my life.
I've recently been introduced to this blog called the minimalists. Their blog is essentially about decluttering your life. That having "stuff" isn't what will make your life fulfilled. That perhaps there's more to it, like adding value to someone else's life, or volunteering, or *gasp* doing a job you love instead of job to earn a pay check. It's all very interesting to me, and something I think has landed squarely at the forefront of my attention when it's most needed.
I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a person who hangs on to stuff. Just ask anyone who knows me. I'm constantly getting rid of things. Sometimes its things I've out grown - either physically or mentally. Other times, its just stuff I no longer feel I need/want. And then sometimes its just stuff that's been replaced with bigger/better/brighter stuff. Either way, I'm constantly donating my unwanted stuff to either a garage sale or a local charity.
And because I am not a keeper of things, I am amused when I can clean out a drawer in the kitchen and still find stuff to get rid of. No lie. I just did it this weekend. I opened my utensil drawer and started pulling everything out. With each item I thought about when I last used it. (I'm a big fan of 'if you haven't used it/worn it in a year - get rid of it). And then I saw things that didn't make sense. I had three...THREE miniature spatulas. THREE. Who needs three small spatulas (you know, the kind you'd use for getting cookies off a cookie sheet). So I tossed two.
Today I listened to a TED talk by these two guys who started the blog I mentioned above. There's plenty of interesting tid bits in this talk, but one thing really resonated with me. They talk about how when you make more money you buy more stuff. More gadgets, more decorations, more furniture, etc. And at the end of it all, you have stuff, but that stuff does not equal happiness. Which, logically I know. Here's what else I know...
I know that for so many years I made crap for $$ in my career. Then one day I got fired from a job I just sorta liked. Then I got a contract job that suddenly paid me $30K more a year than I was making. Within two months I had gone from making $60K to $90K. That's a HUGE influx of cash for me. And suddenly I was able to walk into a book store and buy a book without thinking about a "budget".
I was in debt from making nothing, so I got out of debt. And before I knew it, I was in debt again. I kept asking myself, "How can you be making so much more $$ and be in debt?" The answer, it turned out, wasn't easy.
Instead, I figured out that the "being able to" is what I was addicted to. I could buy something, so I did. It makes no sense to me now, but I can totally see why it did then.
Fast forward several years, I'm at a good place financially. I have just about everything I want or need, and I spend money on things that may or may not be something I should spend money on. I save, I have a 401K etc, and I still find $$ to spend. And I'm ok with this.
Here's what I'm not ok with, I'm not ok with spending said $$ on something I may toss out in a year or more. I'm not ok with spending $$ on something that isn't exactly what I want and then NOT returning it. I'm not ok with accumulating stuff to have stuff.
So how do I get out of this circle of stuff? I toss stuff. I buy stuff. I toss more stuff.
Today I challenged my FB friends to the 30 days of decluttering. I created a FB group for anyone who wanted to join in. I have no rules for this decluttering - I think decluttering will have different meanings for each individual. If in 30 days any of them get rid of just one box of stuff and feel like their life is better because of it, then I'm ok with that.
I will be working on not only going through my drawers, closets, scrapbook room (gah) etc to really determine what I need. Furthermore, I am going to really focus on my spending habits. Truly think about the items I may be purchasing. We'll see where this goes.
So I challenge you too. Think about taking some time to declutter. Clean out that "junk drawer" in the kitchen.
My list of things to declutter and simplify:
1. My house cleaning supplies
2. My Tupperware drawer
3. My closet
4. My book shelf
5. The scrapbook room
6. The junk drawer in the scrapbook room
I'll be pondering this more.
One last question...are you a keeper of stuff?
2 comments:
I like this idea, though sometimes I think the "throw out x items" challenges will often lead to the wrong behavior - throwing out stuff that you do need, though infrequently, and will end up buying again. But I love the idea of deliberately going through a small space regularly and making sure everything should stay. "Do I love it or use it?" is my test.
This is also why I'm doing the "capsule wardrobe" thing - not so much to keep me from shopping, because I don't buy many new clothes, but to get rid of the stuff that's not flattering and to have a PLAN for what I purchase. If the new thing I buy doesn't go with three items I already have, I can't buy it. No more single-outfit items. no more impulse purchases at Target or Old Navy without trying on. All of that stuff ends up as clutter later.
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