Get rid of the things you don’t use
Today’s letter is unusual. This is the story of one of the authors of this newsletter — Vladimir Kutovoy.
I’ve always found it difficult to throw things away. Firstly, it’s a pity because I paid money for them. Secondly, they mean something to me — they’re connected to important people or events. Thirdly, “someday this thing might come in handy, and what will I do without it?!”
Most often, these are just excuses that help us avoid making difficult decisions. We don’t part with certain things simply because they belong to us. Once we spent money on them, and now they seem valuable. Or someone gave us a thing we never wanted ourselves. Such items bring no benefit, but we still keep them, irrationally afraid to say goodbye. That’s how we’re wired.
I’m in favor of having less, but better. Instead of five jackets for one season — two, but favorite ones.
I’m for things serving me, not me serving them. If an item is not needed, it shouldn’t occupy square meters that cost so much. And I especially don’t want to “pay tax” for such things, for example, spend time maintaining the item or the space around it.
I’m sure that what’s important is not in things, but in me. Some items are symbols of something important, and there’s a place for such things in my home. The rest are just reminders of something that’s already within me. I don’t yet know how to learn to see this difference.
I want to live in a calm, clean home, without clutter.
To achieve this, I do several things:
- I buy consciously, that is, only when I’m sure that the item is really needed, on a permanent basis. For this, I give myself time to think before buying, I listen to myself. I make impulsive purchases about once a year or two, which I then briefly regret.
- I replace old things, rather than adding new ones. When I buy new clothes, I think about what I’ll discard from what I already have.
- I borrow what I need rarely. When I need to drill a hole in the wall, the dumbest thing to do is to buy a drill.
- I do decluttering (from English “decluttering” — getting rid of clutter). Today we’ll talk about this.
Let’s Declutter
Choose a place where you’ll tidy up today. It could be a drawer at work or one section of a closet at home. Just don’t take on too much at once — this is thoughtful, unhurried work.
Go through the items and try to understand how necessary each one is. Try to answer this question honestly to yourself. You’ll probably immediately find a couple of things that have been lying there for years and that you don’t use. Make a “Throw Away” bag and put everything you don’t use in there.
Most likely, you can painlessly get rid of an item if it hasn’t been useful in the last six months, or if we’re talking about seasonal items, in the last year.
If you feel sorry to just throw away clothes, make a “For Recycling” bag, and put the item there. Clothes for recycling are accepted by stores (for example, H&M) and they give a discount coupon for a bag of textiles.
If there’s an item you love very much, but don’t use because it has already served its purpose, it’s time to let it rest. Thank it, and put it in the bag with the other items.
If you’re reluctant to throw it away because you spent money on it, ask yourself: “How much would I be willing to pay for this item if I saw it in a store now?” The answer to this question is the real value of this item to you. If the answer is “Zero” or close to it — boldly get rid of it.
If the item can be sold, make a “For Sale” bag, put the item there, and the next day post an ad for sale. If you don’t intend to deal with selling in the next couple of days, it’s better to throw it away.
If you’re afraid that the item might still come in handy, ask yourself: “What’s the worst that will happen if I need it and it’s not there?” and “When this happens, how will I be able to handle the situation?” Perhaps nothing will happen, you’ll simply manage without it, and if not — you can borrow from someone. If you can manage without the item, or find a replacement — get rid of it.
If you’re still unsure whether you need the item or not, make a bag with a date +6 months from the current day and put the item there. You can take out any item from this bag when you need it. On the appointed date, you need to put the bag in the trash with everything that’s left in it, without looking. For seasonal items, you need a bag with a date +12 months.
At the end, put the “For Sale”, “For Recycling” and “Throw Away” bags by the exit.