The Challenge of Actually Getting Rid of Stuff
20100304.1320 #blog
It’s day four of CT Club, and I’m happy to report that I’ve put in at least 400 minutes so far of zenification time (Rule #4). Starting big and going small (Rule #5), I’ve managed to clear out obvious trash and recycling, unneeded stuff, and unwanted stuff. Right now, since I don’t have access to my car, I have these piles of stuff neatly organized into a recycling pile, a donate pile, and (sigh) a garbage dump pile. I’m trying to avoid actually “throwing stuff away” because while it might be junk to me, someone who is much less minimalistic than me might actually have a use for it.
I’ve created some base categories (Rule #8) for organization. These are: 1) Office 2) Home 3) Etc. These categories should be pretty straightforward, but I’m going to go over them anyway. Office stuff includes art supplies, computer gadgets, desks, chairs, filing cabinets, and that lot. Basically it includes all the tools I need to 1) do my website work, and 2) draw my comics and illustrations. These are activities which are important to me, so it’s vital that my user interface for these activities is as uncluttered as possible.
Figure A. My uncluttered workstation.
Home stuff includes all the essentials for basic daily living. That would include such things as bed and bedding, bathroom stuff, and clothing and shoes. I have very few clothes to begin with. Just today, I marveled at how I could finish my laundry in only two hours. When I was younger and had more clothes, laundry could sometimes be an all-day affair! Also, since I don’t have my own place, I don’t have to worry about home furniture. I don’t own a dresser, as most of my clothes I hang up in the closet. The majority of my furniture actually falls into the “Office” category anyway. The largest piece of furniture in my “Home” category is my futon. (No frame. I don’t need one.)
Figure B. My bed is a Transformer!
Based on my above descriptions, one might think that I was already living a pretty minimalistic lifestyle. I’ve always tried to keep the amount of stuff I own down to a reasonable level, but I can always go less. I used to have a dresser. When I realized that I neither used it nor needed it, I gave it away. It was very liberating! However, I haven’t yet addressed the third category: The dreaded “Et Cetera”! Etc (pronounced “etsy”), as one might expect, contains everything that doesn’t fit into the “Office” or “Home” categories. If it can’t help me make a website, draw a comic or illustration, or assist me in my basic daily living, then it goes into the “Etc” category, and is effectively crap I can give away. The thing is, this category includes like my books, music, bicycle gear, camping gear, rock climbing gear, juggling sticks, and lots of other things up to and including my loving teddy bear Kingsley (pictured above guarding my bed/couch).
The “Etc” category is going to be the toughest to assess. I may have to divide it up into further categories and decide what it is that truly matters to me. What do I enjoy doing that I actually do? For example, I have climbing shoes, a chalk bag and some ‘biners, but the last time I went climbing was two years ago. How much does climbing really matter to me if I haven’t done it in that long? This is the kind of thing I’ll be addressing when I start tackling my “Etc” category. And that’s when I’ll really know how hard it can be to get rid of my stuff.
