Most people in developed nations never give much thought to the process of acquiring, using, and discarding.
We give ample thought--too much time and energy--into just buying stuff, the "acquiring" piece. We give a little thought to "using" stuff, as long as whatever it is we bought does the job we bought it for, and even less thought to getting rid of the darn thing once we no longer use it (the "discard" piece).
This is a three-step, unique process, not three separate processes. It's called consumption, and it includes these steps:
1. acquire
2. use
3. discard.
Although for many of us, the discard piece is often, "Quick! Throw it in the garage (shed, attic, spare bedroom) because company's coming!" Which technically isn't "discard," it's "hide and deal with it later."
Anyway, how does this relate to your clutter?
Clutter can occur at any step in the consumption process. So in order to get a handle on your clutter, you must figure out at which step or steps you have the most trouble, and work to solve that problem.
For example, if you shop every day for things that are not food, then you obviously have an "acquiring" problem. Solve that problem by purchasing fewing things. Voila, less clutter. (I know I'm simplifying this step, but acquiring is not primarily the focus of today's post. Keep reading.)
Or perhaps you have a large amount of useful things--things you YOURSELF know you will use--but for some reason you aren't using them. You're saving them for some special occasion in the far off, nebulous future. This is easy to solve: start using your stash of useful stuff (pens, dishes, towels, knitting wool, fishing lures). Don't keep these things for some future event or perfect time. Now is the perfect time to use what you bought to be used!
And then we have the discard issue. This is where most everyone has difficulty. Americans still retain so much of the pioneer spirit, to such a degree that we have great difficulty letting things go after their useful life has passed, because "you never know when you might need this ________________ " (stripped bike pedal, faded T-shirt, clock that doesn't tell time anymore, pet food dishes you don't use, second-best skis, etc.).
Part of an item's useful life is determined not only by its physical state (faded, ripped, moldy, broken beyond repair, outdated, etc.), but by its owner's real or perceived NEED of this item (i.e. you passed college chemistry; you don't need the textbook anymore). Therefore, you and you alone must carefully define "useful life" for every item in your possession.
At SOME POINT you must ask yourself, "What is this item's useful life for me? Has that point passed?"
If an item has passed its useful life (in your eyes), then it's time to discard it. And discard can mean recycle, sell (as in the chemistry textbook), give to someone who wants it, compost it, or dozens of other options other than pitching it into the trash can.
Acquire-use-discard. If you gum up one step in this cycle of consumption, the result is CLUTTER.
A good exercise would be to start at the acquiring phase, and ask yourself, "Am I really going to USE this thing?" And then ask yourself, "How will I know when its useful life is over for me?" "And when it's life is over, how will I discard it?"
Whoa. This is way too heavy for a Monday.
Go throw away the gum wrappers from your purse. There. Less clutter.
Have a blessed week!
