Our society (particularly in the United States and Canada) is one where we simultaneously enjoy overabundance of assets but also struggle with keeping afloat financially. In other words, we have too much stuff for the amount of space we can afford. Our homes are so cluttered that it often becomes necessary to rent a storage unit or fill our garage (if we are fortunate enough to have one) with stuff. There are no simple solutions, because for each person and for each item we own, there is a reason behind it. It may not be a good enough reason to warrant keeping a particular item, but a reason is a reason - even if that reason is simply that it may be too much trouble to haul it away.
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There are numerous blogs and TV shows about dealing with clutter with several different approaches to it. A couple more popular ones are these:
1. If you haven't used the item in a specified time (say, six months) then get rid of it.
2. Pick up each item and if it doesn't bring you joy, get rid of it.
These are a good start, but can't be used for every situation. For instance, when July rolls around, you aren't going to throw out your Christmas decorations simply because you haven't used them in 6 months. The same goes for many other items you may be storing and haven't used for months or even years. You have to apply a practical approach and not a blanket, one-size-fits-all solution.
As far as items giving you joy, there are a lot of items that don't necessarily bring me joy, but they're necessary to have. I don't get much joy holding a toilet plunger, except for when the toilet is plugged and I'm finally able to get the object dislodged and I'm waving it overhead in victory like an athlete wielding a trophy.
Yesterday, I was pulling out a bunch of old (I mean REALLY old) record albums that I inherited and there were a few in the collection that I wanted to keep and gave me joy, but the more albums I pulled out, the more depressed I got. Sometimes there's the unwritten and unspoken expectation that you need to hold onto things because they meant something to somebody else and the feeling (or burden) of keeping them because of a sentimental connection. I realized that some of these albums I may listen to or convert digitally to listen to later, but for the most part I am NEVER going to listen to any of them. The burden felt heavy... and real. I decided that no matter what anybody else says or what I think they may feel about it, I'm going to either sell or donate them if I have to. Keep the ones that bring me joy and unburden myself of those that don't. In terms of inherited keepsakes, we need to get out of our minds the (most likely false) notion that "he/she would have wanted me to keep it."
It's an ongoing process and let's just say we end up with a lot of stuff we have to sort through. One of the other ways we get into trouble is the mindset of: "this item has value" or "it might be useful someday." Either way, this is how we end up with our garages, attics, storage units and even our living spaces occupied with clutter. The trick is determining what to keep and what to discard. That is mentally and emotionally taxing - to the point of exhaustion. You do what you can, when you can do it.
What might be helpful is having an objective or a payoff - sometimes literally. For larger or more valuable items, you may be able to sell them individually. For the bulk of the clutter, set it aside in boxes and set a date for a yard sale and stick with it. We have decided that in August, we are planning on having a yard sale. Whatever doesn't sell, we're going to donate it. What we've done in the past is that toward the end of the day, we drastically reduce the prices of things or tell the customers "a dollar for whatever you can put in a grocery bag" and ultimately "everything is free!" It's fun to watch the customers getting excited about all the stuff that you are unburdening yourself of. Once you've gotten rid of all that stuff, you go through your stuff again, or continually.
What are some ideas that have helped you deal with unnecessary clutter?
On a later post, I'd like to address mental clutter. It's a real thing too.
