Getting started is the key. It’s where all great journeys begin. If you’ve been following my blog, you’re aware that I’ve embarked on a personal “War on Stuff.” The motivation behind it is quite simple: stuff can be a tremendous time-waster. Think about it – storing stuff, cleaning stuff, buying more stuff to clean your stuff, hunting for stuff, and endlessly shopping for even more stuff. The list seems never-ending.
For a good laugh and a spot-on perspective on the subject, I highly recommend watching George Carlin’s hilarious take on stuff.
If you’re interested in decluttering your life but find it challenging to get started, I’ve devised a straightforward method to keep you on track every day. We’ve placed a sizable cardboard box in our hallway, right next to the hamper. Anytime Kelly or I stumble upon something we no longer use or want, it finds a new home in this box. Typically, after about a month, the box is nearly full, and it’s time to swiftly pack it up and transport it to Goodwill. Alternatively, we call Purple Heart, and they graciously pick up our donations. You can also consider reaching out to the Lupus Foundation, which offers at-home pickup services in many cities.
The box also proves invaluable for spur-of-the-moment decluttering sessions. It’s perfect for tossing in old baby books, toys, and even videotapes – as long as it’s something someone else might find useful. Admittedly, I’m not entirely sure who might be in the market for a cassette tape of “The Big Chill” soundtrack, but I’ll leave that judgment to the individuals sorting through our treasures. Don’t fret too much about the quality or age of the items you’re passing along, as long as they’re clean. If they don’t meet Goodwill’s standards (yes, there are standards), they typically end up in rag stock or get recycled – a far better fate than winding up in a landfill.
If your box isn’t filling up as quickly as you’d like, consider scheduling about 30 minutes of decluttering per week. If even just one or two family members or roommates join in, that box will fill up rapidly. This becomes especially important as the winter months approach when shelters are in dire need of old sweaters, jackets, coats, and anything warm. Don’t wait until spring cleaning season rolls around. It’s time to part ways with that excess stuff now!
The Frug
Hooray! Congrats on the blog. You will find that Emily and I are probably both very on board with your mantra – we both live in small houses and don’t have the time or energy for extra STUFF! I almost always have a goodwill bag going, and drop it off when it’s full. A few times a year, James and I walk around our house together and pull out stuff to sell or get rid of. We just did that last weekend – I currently have 3 things listed on eBay and one on Craigslist.
I would like to add to and reframe your comments on STUFF in the context of Lean Six Sigma, because that is my job (aka – the Work Lean part of your blog). In the world of Lean, when you are analyzing process steps, everything falls into 3 categories: value-add, non-value-add-but-required, or waste. I posit that we should consider STUFF the same way. If something is not useful (value-add) or you don’t love it (which I consider to be NVA-R because you require things in your home that make you happy), it is waste! There is obviously plenty of room for interpretation, but really, if you don’t need it or love it, give it away. Obivously, I would be happy to guest post someday on this topic 🙂
Stacy, thanks for the comment. I agree the war on stuff is all about getting rid of things that have no value add. I’d like to think that some of the stuff we give away ends up in someone’s home for a very long time. I did a craigslist curb alert on a partially rotted adirondack chair and it was gone in 15 minutes.
I also plan to add some posts on “working lean” very soon. Thanks for the words of encouragement.
Brad