Trash and Transfer piles get a one-way ticket out of the house—and you’re that much closer to living only with your Treasures.
ST R EAMLINE
13
Reason for each item
As you sort through your items, stop and question each one headed for your Treasure pile. Nothing gets a free pass! Put on your gatekeeper cap and conduct an entry interview with each item; make sure it has a good reason for being part of your household. Just because it’s a stray (the tote bag that followed you home from a business conference), or seeking asylum from another home (the mismatched china your sister unloaded on you), doesn’t grant it clearance. It must be able to make a positive contribution to be considered for residency. Careful screening, after all, is the only way to keep out the riffraff.
You may run into situations where items have strong credentials for staying in your home—but they’re identical (or nearly so) to something else you own. Being a minimalist is about getting rid of the excess, so cull these duplicates from your Treasure pile. How did multiple versions enter your household in the first place? In some cases, they may have been gifts. In others, however, you may have purchased something new, then decided to hang on to the old one. You bought a new TV, and put the old one in the bedroom; you bought a new dining table, and stored its predecessor in the basement; you bought new shoes, and saved the grungy pair for a rainy day.
Other things are only sold in excessive quantities: paperclips, rubber bands, and bobby pins come to mind. When you purchase such things, you usually end up with a lifetime supply of them. Still others—like pens, buttons, and safety pins—seem to multiply of their own accord. The extras end up in the back of a drawer until the end of time, no questions asked. But let’s shake things up: if you can’t envision yourself ever using a thousand paperclips, or a hundred safety pins, retain a reasonable amount and pass along the rest. If you only need a handful, why hang on to a bucketful?
Once you’ve dealt with the duplicates, it’s time to scrutinize the remaining candidates. As you consider each one, ask what it’s used for and how often you use it (if you can’t answer those two questions, it shouldn’t be anywhere near your Treasure pile!). Have you used it in the past year? Do you expect to use it in the near future? Does it make your life easier, more beautiful, or more pleasurable? How? Do you have something similar? Is it hard to maintain or clean, and if so, is it worth the effort? Would it be difficult or expensive to replace? Would you take it with you if you were moving? How would your life change if you didn’t own it?
Finally, no matter what the other answers, always be sure to ask this question: what is more valuable to you—the item, or the space it occupies?
If you’re having difficulty making decisions, recruit an objective friend to provide assistance. Explaining to someone else the reason why you’re keeping something can be difficult, illuminating…and sometimes a little embarrassing! What seems perfectly legitimate in your head can sound ridiculous when spoken aloud. (“I might need this feather boa if I moonlight as a cabaret singer.”) Furthermore, when there’s a third party present, your pride will kick in—and you’ll be much less likely to squirrel away something old and ratty. Don’t enlist the help of a packrat or sentimental type, though; unless, of course, you can get them to cart away some of your rejects.
During this process, you’ll find plenty of good reasons for keeping something: you use it often, it makes your life easier, you find it beautiful, it would be difficult to replace, it’s multi-functional, it saves you time, it’s a cherished part of your heritage or family. A not-so-good reason, on the other hand, is that it “might be worth something.” This excuse can bring your decluttering to a screeching halt, and compel you
ST R EAMLINE
13
Reason for each item
As you sort through your items, stop and question each one headed for your Treasure pile. Nothing gets a free pass! Put on your gatekeeper cap and conduct an entry interview with each item; make sure it has a good reason for being part of your household. Just because it’s a stray (the tote bag that followed you home from a business conference), or seeking asylum from another home (the mismatched china your sister unloaded on you), doesn’t grant it clearance. It must be able to make a positive contribution to be considered for residency. Careful screening, after all, is the only way to keep out the riffraff.
You may run into situations where items have strong credentials for staying in your home—but they’re identical (or nearly so) to something else you own. Being a minimalist is about getting rid of the excess, so cull these duplicates from your Treasure pile. How did multiple versions enter your household in the first place? In some cases, they may have been gifts. In others, however, you may have purchased something new, then decided to hang on to the old one. You bought a new TV, and put the old one in the bedroom; you bought a new dining table, and stored its predecessor in the basement; you bought new shoes, and saved the grungy pair for a rainy day.
Other things are only sold in excessive quantities: paperclips, rubber bands, and bobby pins come to mind. When you purchase such things, you usually end up with a lifetime supply of them. Still others—like pens, buttons, and safety pins—seem to multiply of their own accord. The extras end up in the back of a drawer until the end of time, no questions asked. But let’s shake things up: if you can’t envision yourself ever using a thousand paperclips, or a hundred safety pins, retain a reasonable amount and pass along the rest. If you only need a handful, why hang on to a bucketful?
Once you’ve dealt with the duplicates, it’s time to scrutinize the remaining candidates. As you consider each one, ask what it’s used for and how often you use it (if you can’t answer those two questions, it shouldn’t be anywhere near your Treasure pile!). Have you used it in the past year? Do you expect to use it in the near future? Does it make your life easier, more beautiful, or more pleasurable? How? Do you have something similar? Is it hard to maintain or clean, and if so, is it worth the effort? Would it be difficult or expensive to replace? Would you take it with you if you were moving? How would your life change if you didn’t own it?
Finally, no matter what the other answers, always be sure to ask this question: what is more valuable to you—the item, or the space it occupies?
If you’re having difficulty making decisions, recruit an objective friend to provide assistance. Explaining to someone else the reason why you’re keeping something can be difficult, illuminating…and sometimes a little embarrassing! What seems perfectly legitimate in your head can sound ridiculous when spoken aloud. (“I might need this feather boa if I moonlight as a cabaret singer.”) Furthermore, when there’s a third party present, your pride will kick in—and you’ll be much less likely to squirrel away something old and ratty. Don’t enlist the help of a packrat or sentimental type, though; unless, of course, you can get them to cart away some of your rejects.
During this process, you’ll find plenty of good reasons for keeping something: you use it often, it makes your life easier, you find it beautiful, it would be difficult to replace, it’s multi-functional, it saves you time, it’s a cherished part of your heritage or family. A not-so-good reason, on the other hand, is that it “might be worth something.” This excuse can bring your decluttering to a screeching halt, and compel you
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