I don’t know about you, but I remember being told, “You’re too fussy,” as a kid.
It was a criticism.
I was – and still am – picky with what goes in my mouth, what I wear and what stays in my space.
What if someone had told me this instead: “I’m so glad you’re picky because it means you know exactly what you want. Trust that.”
The reason I’ve been thinking about this is because some people don’t have a problem with feeling overwhelmed by their stuff. The first thing I noticed is that they have very specific wants. They’re picky. This may not be true for everyone who doesn’t overconsume, but it’s still helpful to think about for the rest of us.
The pickier you are, the less stuff you need to own.
What about people who have too much stuff and consider themselves picky? They’re probably not picky enough.
Not just best for your taste and your style. I often get stuck on looking at only this consideration. It’s important, but it’s only a small piece of the pie.
We need to figure out what stuff and how much stuff is best for our entire life.
- How much clutter can I handle without feeling stressed out – like my stuff owns me, instead of the other way around?
- How much money can I make in a job that doesn’t crush my soul?
- Which activities make me feel the way I want to feel? For example: empowered, creative, energised, in solitude, relaxed, part of a group. And how much of each of these feelings do I need to be content?
- What social and ethical issues do I care about and want to demonstrate with my purchases?
- How much time do I have to maintain my stuff and do I want to be burdened with it?
- What amount of stuff can I have without it distracting me from the things I really want?
- How spacious do I want my home or my room to be?
- What are my true goals?
This is a great minimalist article about ‘the true cost of stuff’.
Since my post about using containers to reduce your stuff, I’ve been doing some serious downsizing.
- I’ve gotten rid of oodles of jewellery because I barely wore any of it and the visual and mental clutter wasn’t good for me.
- I’ve cleared out my pantry. Given away food I’d never use, chucked the stuff that’s past its prime, and organised it based on what our family likes to eat and what I use often.
- Donated things in my kitchen cupboards that I haven’t used in years. (After these two clear outs I’m actually enjoying cooking for a change.)
- Cleared my bedside table so that it’s clear except for a lamp and the book I’m currently reading. It used to have a mini cupboard on it with things inside that I didn’t really use. (A case of the storage container disguising the uselessness of its contents.) The clear table feels way better than I would have expected.
- I’ve donated DVDs that I don’t feel the urge to watch ever again, and just kept because I’d already spent money on it. (If I change my mind later I can always rent the movie.)
I’m looking forward to doing more when I get a chance.
What things have you reduced lately, and what made you want to do it? How did you want to feel, and did it work?
I am trying to learn this lesson myself. I cleared out my kitchen cupboards earlier this year – got rid of extra salad bowls and casserole dishes that were just not needed. It’s a real pleasure to use my kitchen now, instead of dreading opening the cupboards!
At the moment I’m trying to develop the habit of clearing my bedside table regularly. It should have a small statue, a clock, a lamp and my moisturiser on it. But it’s usually got tissues, receipts, spare change, etc. So I’m trying to clear it off every Friday so I can start my weekend in a fresh state of mind.
I went to the post office today and sent off 1.5kg of old music CDs I burnt when I was younger to a place in Vic for recycling. It’s been years since I listened to them and my taste has changed a lot. I just saved a few albums to my computer in case I ever want to listen to them again.
I’m also really picky especially when it comes to clothes and shoes. I also hate spending a lot so that makes it harder but recently I bought a pair of shoes that I really loved for about $100 and got rid of a few old pairs in my wardrobe.
In the next few weeks I’m going to take some books to the book exchange and give the rest to the op shop.
Reading your blog has really inspired me to think about how much stuff I actually need. It feels good to declutter and give things to people who can actually use them.
Bec’s last blog ..Anna Sui purse
Thank you for this post – I’ve just run into the bedroom and cleared away all the rubbish on my bedside table. Ahh… that feels better…
Tilly’s last blog ..Who wants to go to an exhibition
I don’t have a lot of stuff, which I’m thankful for. But recently, I’ve been in a bit of an accumulation phase and I’m feeling quite anxious about it. This stuff has mainly been given to me by people that want to smother me with love and that’s how they show it.
The problem for me with lots of stuff is that it stops me from being nimble and agile – I think that’ll be important for me soon. I just don’t want to be tied down too much.
You sound like you’re working like a trooper on your decluttering. Good stuff. I probably should make a move.
Adam @ Sit Down Disco’s last blog ..Bali Travel- Kuta- Legian & Seminyak
I just found your blog. Love it. Just what I needed to hear, when I most needed to hear it. I have only read the last two posts, can’t wait to read the rest. Thank you.
A few weeks ago I didn’t do much food shopping and then we ate up what was in the cupboard and freezer. This ws partly because of limited budget for food but it also was a great way of using up all that stuff (pasta, noodles etc) that clutters up the food cupboard. I also had a clear out, getting rid of extra spices we don’t use, out of date stuff and now I have a better idea of what we have in the kitchen and what we need to buy each week. Hopefully we can avoid buying stuff we already have and keep our costs down. I also cleared out the crockery cupboard, taking some stuff to the charity shop. Now I can open the cupboard without anything falling on my head – always a good thing!
Minnado’s last blog ..Finished Tate Skirt
I -love- the list of “how much stuff is right for me”… it asks such good questions I feel like I try (but often forget) to ask myself.
Four months ago, I overhauled my entire room. I can honestly say, everything I have in my room makes me happy. I wanted it to be lighter, more multi-functional, and representative of me. I’m completely satisfied with small space that now contains my world.
However, I always put activities I love to do by the wayside! “Oh, I’ll get around to doing that sometime LATER” but no! I need to be picky all of the laying around I do, so I can indulge in the body-moving activities I enjoy so much! ^_^
roe’s last blog ..In Praise of Crayons and Creativity