Adopt a new religion
Preface
This post is the fourth one in a series of 7 and is based on my pdf-guide ‘7 challenges to make almost everything a bit better’. You can download it from here. This guide is an attempt to show that living healthier, happier and caring about our future on this planet is not difficult. It does not call for fancy diets, prescription pills, hippie lifestyle or expensive ‘green’ gear.
There are a couple of rather basic but paramount things we can do that have a positive effect on several aspects of our lives. And in here, they are called challenges (because who doesn’t like a nice challenge?).
Challenge 4: Adopt new religion.
And the name of this new religion is ‘minimalism’.
As to so many other things, Pareto rule applies to our possessions too — 80% of the time we use only 20% of everything we own. Meanwhile, above a certain level, having more does not make you happier or healthier. Neither do your possessions speak about your level of accomplishment or success. Cluttered spaces drain energy quite literally — you have to clean, organise and maintain more stuff.
Minimalism is not about having a bed and a laptop in an empty bedroom. It is not having all your possessions fit in one box. It is rather making sure you have no clutter that does not serve a purpose. The number of items that would correspond to ‘minimalist’ lifestyle will vary from person to person. The trick is to be honest about what you need and enjoy and what you hold on to just because. That ‘just because’ also includes ‘one day’ (‘one day I will finally take this rocket to a tennis court’) items and ‘there was a time when’ (‘there was a time when I used to paint daily’) items.
Embracing minimalism might be stepping out of your comfort zone. But once you start decluttering and enjoying space around you more, you will want to get rid of more and more stuff.
How to declutter
The Minimalists[1] suggest three categories for all your possessions:
1. Essentials — food, clothes, shoes, personal care, kitchen utensils, etc.
2. Non-essentials — objects that are not essential to your survival but add value to your life. Books, memorabilia, hobby related items.
3. Junk — everything else that does not add additional value to your life and collects dust.
To understand what junk in your home is, they suggest going through all your things and answering the following questions:
- Have I used it last 90 days?
- Will you use it next 90 days?
If the answer is no, it is likely to be a junk item. For most of our possessions, these two questions are good enough to sieve any unnecessary items away. In both cases there will be exceptions. For example, Christmas decorations, winter clothing, perhaps travel items. To these exceptions we can also add ‘DIY’ related tools which you periodically use. For example, sewing kits and fabrics, empty mason jars for your jams.
What to do with the clutter
All items from your ‘junk’ category should actually go. There are several options of ‘where to’:
1. Sell them. To make sure you get rid of them eventually — put a deadline. If not sold within 30 days — just give it away.
2. Bring it to the charity or second-hand shop.
3. Re-purpose. Only your creativity is the limit here.
4. Fix what is broken but otherwise would be used. Electrical appliances, furniture and clothes are especially easy to fix. If you don’t know how, find a place where it can be fixed for you.
5. Ask your friends and family if they need what you no longer do. Sometimes one person’s junk is another’s gem.
Maintaining it
The best way to avoid cluttering is to stop buying to-become-clutter on the first place.
Item vs. function
Quite often we think we need an item when, in fact, we need a function of it. No one needs washing machine as such — it is clean clothes that we want. It is not barbecue grill or drill that one wants, but grilled vegetables and holes in the walls. Being aware of it helps to save money and spaces from being cluttered.
Before you are about to buy something, ask yourself the following questions:
- Is it something you will use often?
- Is it an item or a function of it that you need?
- Can you borrow it whenever you need to use it? Can you rent it? (Think books, movies, power tools, party furniture, grill … anything, in fact)
Avoiding the trap
“Advertising must make the masses dissatisfied with their way of life and dissatisfied with the ugliness of the things around them. Satisfied consumers are not profitable.”[2]
Did you know that everything in your house can be cleaned with either soda, vinegar, citric acid, soap or a combination of those? And that your hair does not benefit from 10+ products you use? You probably also know that you do not need new phone if your old one still works. No matter what the ads say or marketeers try to make you believe in, think for yourself.
Actions:
1. Set time for decluttering and prepare some boxes. Go through all your stuff and decide whether it is worth keeping.
2. Look at the contents of the box and monetize it. Possession does not mean value. If you don’t get a value out of the item, it is a waste of money. How much money have you wasted?
3. Copy questions from above (‘Before you buy …’) into your phone or write them down and ask them every time you are about to buy something. Maybe stick it to your bank card.
4. Do a bit of research and make a list of places where you can fix broken clothes, appliances, furniture and a list of places where you can borrow or rent things you need occasionally. Keep them close for future reference.
