#22. Discard the things you have already forgotten about.
#23. Don't get creative when you're trying to discard things.
We can get amazingly creative when we do not want to part with something. For example, you might stop and say to yourself, : This empty cookie tin might appear to be useless, but wait . . . what if I were to reuse it as a container for storing my medications?"
"I really should say goodbye to this worn-out tote bag . . . But hey, I could use it as aplace to keep my paper bags!"
"This perfume bottle may be pretty, but it is about time I got rid of it. Oh, hold on, I've just come up with a splendid idea! I'll go to the hardware store -- one of these days -- and pick up the wires I need to hook it up as a beautiful lamp!"
Chances are, the beautiful lamp that you've just envisioned will never come to be. Most of these thoughts are desperate ideas that pop into our minds because we really do no want to part with our old possessions. We are never more creative than when we're trying to throw things out. No matter how fantastic these ideas might be, it is probably wiser to do your best to ignore them. Just discard the old things.
#24. Let go of the idea of getting your money's worth.
One reason why we tend to think is a waste to discard something is that the item might have been expensive when we first bought it. Somewhere in the back of our minds, we're thinking that we haven't gotten our money's worth yet. But the reality of the matter is that we most likely never will.
You may have an outfit in a color and design that you love, but a size isn't quite right. It's still like new, and you haven't gotten enough use out of it to justify what you paid for it. Of course it's hard to throw away something like that.
But what's really happening is that it's taking up space in your home and your mind. Every time you look at it, you can't help but think that it was a mistake to buy that gorgeous outfit in the first place. If you were to convert that psychological drain to a dollar amount, maybe it's small, less than a dollar a day. But it's certainly continuing to cost you.
Whether or not you have any interest in the stock market, you would probably agree that it's wiser to get rid of stocks if they continue to fall with no prospects of a rebound. The same can be said for the bulk of our possessions. We should let go of the concept of getting our money's worth, and cut our losses sooner rather than later. It's easier on your wallet in the long run, not to mention easier for maintaining peace of mind. Goodbye, things.
#25. There's no need to stock up.
Most of us stock up on toilet paper, tissues , and paper towels. Those extra supplies will certainly come in handy if we ever run out; we won't need to go running to the store. plus, sometimes we can save money if we buy in bulk. These are everyday necessities, and we'll be sire to use them, right?
But think about all the space that they're taking up in storage. And the more space you give them, the more they'll take up until it eventually gets to a point where you won't even know just how much you have stocked up.
Let's say you've made a stop at the drugstore on your way home from work and see Q-tips on sale.
"Do I have Q-tips at home? Oh, they're on SALE TODAY, so I'll just pick up a couple of packs," you tell yourself. And then you come home and are shocked to find you already ha enough stocked up to open a pharmacy.
Here is an idea. Start by keeping just one extra package on hand. And then do not replenish it. You can go out and buy another package (just one is enough0 the next time you run out. It is not very considerate to have a bunch of extra supplies just for yourself, especially in times of emergency. Let us get in the good habit of not stocking up now.
#26. Feeling the spark of joy will help you focus.
In her best-selling book on the magic of tidying up, click here to Look Inside the book now, Marie Kondo came up with the killer phrase about sparking joy. The simple method of touching objects and leaving only the things that spark joy can be very useful.
Things that you are not in love with but cost you a lot of money, things that you have not been able to use well that have become more of a burden, things that you have worn down from overuse -- these tend not to spark joy. This test can be quite reliable.
Paying attention to what sparks joy is way to focus, not on the past or the future but on the present. It is simple enough, and requires minimal amounts of time. As the bar can be surprisingly high for something to spark your joy, possessions that we have not been able to throw away for no particular reason will also make their way into the trash bag.
To throw things away, it is necessary to ask, 'Does this object spark joy or not?" This is an effective way to become more aware of our senses.
As we minimize, and our focus strengthens, we may even be able to go beyond this question about sparking joy. We will return to this idea in the next section.
#27. Auction services are a quick way to part with your possessions.
I have used a number of action services to let go of a lot of my possessions, including the clothes I have barely ever worn, my unused electrical appliances, and my cherished camera collection. I learned this important lesson from a piece of photography equipment -- a combination film developer and photo printer -- I used to own. It was something that I'd gotten at an auction myself, I was bound to get at least a $1,000 -- with a loan from a friend -- but I never got around to using it. I hung on to it thinking that in spite of the trouble it would take to put it up for auction myself, I was bound to get at least a $700 for it. But in the end, I developed an urge to get rid of it right away and ended up throwing it in the trash. Forget about the money I'd expected to collect for it -- after all the time I'd held on to that printer, I ended up having to pay to get rid of it.
Since then, I have used a local auction service called QuickDo, there are others auction shops springing up around the world where you simply fill out a form and they put your item up for auction. They charge handling fees but you do not have to worry about the hassle of selling or shipping or it yourself. it is a very convenient service that allows you to quickly get rid of your stuff while you can sit back and enjoy watching the bidding.
#28. Use auctions to take one last look at your things.
I was able to get rid of a considerable amount of my belongings through a local auction service. There are of course online auction sites as well, like Yahoo! Auctions, but they require a bit of effort -- you have to take picture of each of your items and fill out all the product information, not to mention ship the goods to your customer.
Kouta Itou, one of the people I introduce earlier, thinks this extra effort is actually what makes auctions the best way to part with your belongings. Kouta used to be surrounded by his musical instruments and gear, and got rid of them through auctions.
He recommends auctions because the effort of preparing photos and compiling descriptions of your possessions gives you the chance to revisit the feelings you had when you first obtained those things.
And then you can also think about the reasons why each item is no longer needed. The auction preparation leads you to reflect on what those possessions had once meant to you. Kouta says it is during these procedures that he promises to never gain buy something he does not need. Saying goodbye to his things at auctions lets him move forward.
#29. Use a pickup service to get rid of your possessions.
Packing and shipping your stuff after auctions can be a hassle. There is an easier way : Consider a pickup service that comes to your door to collect your things. Though they do not pay as much as what you might get through an auction sale, these kinds of services are very convenient. Their people come to your home to buy your goods, and you do not even have to go to the trouble of picking them.
These were people who came to my rescue when I wanted to get rid of larger possessions like my TV set.
#30. Don't get hung up on the prices that you initially paid.
#31. Think of stores as your personal warehouses. (click here)
We should consider stores as our personal warehouses. All those stores out there pay good sums of money to secure space so they can stock all sorts of goods for us, and they manage their items with care. Convenience stores welcome us around the clock.
#32. The city is our personal floor plan.
#33. Discard any possessions that you can't discuss with passion.
#34. If you lost it, would you buy it again?
A key way to gauge your passion for something you own is to ask yourself."If I were to somehow lose this, would I want to buy it again at full price?"
If the answer is yes, that item is something that you truly love. It is a necessity for you.
On the other hand, if you are not the least bit interested in buying that same item again, there's clearly something about the product that you dislike. Maybe you are keeping it because it is "good enough." But that's not good enough; say goodbye to those ho-hum things.
It is the things you'd be willing to buy again that give you true satisfaction.
#35. If you can't remember how many presents you've given, don't worry about the gifts you've gotten.
Presents are very tough to discard. We feel guilty about throwing something away that someone gave us as a gift; it seems heartless. but take a moment to think about something you gave someone as a present. These things do not usually stay in our minds as clearly as the things we've been given.
I have never asked someone if they're using something that I gave them. And if one of my gifts turned out to be something useless for the recipient, I'd hope they would feel comfortable getting rid of it. The last thing I want is for my gift to take up space in their home.
If you have a gift at home that you feel guilty about not using, it is better to just come clean and part with it. If someone actually gets upset when they find out that you've thrown away something that they gave you in the past, it means they're not as concerned about your relationship in the present. In that case, you may want to distance yourself from that person anyway. I know I would not want to become someone who can only convey feelings of love or friendship through material objects.
#36. Try to imagine what the person who passed away would have wanted.
If gifts are tough, discarding the possessions of a loved one who's passed away seems impossible. We're so concerned about cherishing our memories with that person that we tend to hang on to things for which we have absolutely no use. Do not get me wrong. I think that is an incredibly beautiful, and truly human, sentiment, But imagine that you were the one who had passed on. Would you want the people you have left behind to be confused or troubled about something you left them? Wouldn't you want them to live freely and happily without worrying bout material objects?
The Japanese painter Ryuzaburo Umehara left a will saying that there was no need for a funeral and that condolence offerings were not to be accepted. He wrote that the living should not be troubled for the sake of the deceased.
I think it is more meaningful to try to recall the words of a deceased friend or relative, or treasure the things they did for you while they were alive, than spend time managing their possessions.
#23. Don't get creative when you're trying to discard things.
We can get amazingly creative when we do not want to part with something. For example, you might stop and say to yourself, : This empty cookie tin might appear to be useless, but wait . . . what if I were to reuse it as a container for storing my medications?"
"I really should say goodbye to this worn-out tote bag . . . But hey, I could use it as aplace to keep my paper bags!"
"This perfume bottle may be pretty, but it is about time I got rid of it. Oh, hold on, I've just come up with a splendid idea! I'll go to the hardware store -- one of these days -- and pick up the wires I need to hook it up as a beautiful lamp!"
Chances are, the beautiful lamp that you've just envisioned will never come to be. Most of these thoughts are desperate ideas that pop into our minds because we really do no want to part with our old possessions. We are never more creative than when we're trying to throw things out. No matter how fantastic these ideas might be, it is probably wiser to do your best to ignore them. Just discard the old things.
#24. Let go of the idea of getting your money's worth.
One reason why we tend to think is a waste to discard something is that the item might have been expensive when we first bought it. Somewhere in the back of our minds, we're thinking that we haven't gotten our money's worth yet. But the reality of the matter is that we most likely never will.
You may have an outfit in a color and design that you love, but a size isn't quite right. It's still like new, and you haven't gotten enough use out of it to justify what you paid for it. Of course it's hard to throw away something like that.
But what's really happening is that it's taking up space in your home and your mind. Every time you look at it, you can't help but think that it was a mistake to buy that gorgeous outfit in the first place. If you were to convert that psychological drain to a dollar amount, maybe it's small, less than a dollar a day. But it's certainly continuing to cost you.
Whether or not you have any interest in the stock market, you would probably agree that it's wiser to get rid of stocks if they continue to fall with no prospects of a rebound. The same can be said for the bulk of our possessions. We should let go of the concept of getting our money's worth, and cut our losses sooner rather than later. It's easier on your wallet in the long run, not to mention easier for maintaining peace of mind. Goodbye, things.
#25. There's no need to stock up.
Most of us stock up on toilet paper, tissues , and paper towels. Those extra supplies will certainly come in handy if we ever run out; we won't need to go running to the store. plus, sometimes we can save money if we buy in bulk. These are everyday necessities, and we'll be sire to use them, right?
But think about all the space that they're taking up in storage. And the more space you give them, the more they'll take up until it eventually gets to a point where you won't even know just how much you have stocked up.
Let's say you've made a stop at the drugstore on your way home from work and see Q-tips on sale.
"Do I have Q-tips at home? Oh, they're on SALE TODAY, so I'll just pick up a couple of packs," you tell yourself. And then you come home and are shocked to find you already ha enough stocked up to open a pharmacy.
Here is an idea. Start by keeping just one extra package on hand. And then do not replenish it. You can go out and buy another package (just one is enough0 the next time you run out. It is not very considerate to have a bunch of extra supplies just for yourself, especially in times of emergency. Let us get in the good habit of not stocking up now.
#26. Feeling the spark of joy will help you focus.
In her best-selling book on the magic of tidying up, click here to Look Inside the book now, Marie Kondo came up with the killer phrase about sparking joy. The simple method of touching objects and leaving only the things that spark joy can be very useful.
Things that you are not in love with but cost you a lot of money, things that you have not been able to use well that have become more of a burden, things that you have worn down from overuse -- these tend not to spark joy. This test can be quite reliable.
Paying attention to what sparks joy is way to focus, not on the past or the future but on the present. It is simple enough, and requires minimal amounts of time. As the bar can be surprisingly high for something to spark your joy, possessions that we have not been able to throw away for no particular reason will also make their way into the trash bag.
To throw things away, it is necessary to ask, 'Does this object spark joy or not?" This is an effective way to become more aware of our senses.
As we minimize, and our focus strengthens, we may even be able to go beyond this question about sparking joy. We will return to this idea in the next section.
#27. Auction services are a quick way to part with your possessions.
I have used a number of action services to let go of a lot of my possessions, including the clothes I have barely ever worn, my unused electrical appliances, and my cherished camera collection. I learned this important lesson from a piece of photography equipment -- a combination film developer and photo printer -- I used to own. It was something that I'd gotten at an auction myself, I was bound to get at least a $1,000 -- with a loan from a friend -- but I never got around to using it. I hung on to it thinking that in spite of the trouble it would take to put it up for auction myself, I was bound to get at least a $700 for it. But in the end, I developed an urge to get rid of it right away and ended up throwing it in the trash. Forget about the money I'd expected to collect for it -- after all the time I'd held on to that printer, I ended up having to pay to get rid of it.
Since then, I have used a local auction service called QuickDo, there are others auction shops springing up around the world where you simply fill out a form and they put your item up for auction. They charge handling fees but you do not have to worry about the hassle of selling or shipping or it yourself. it is a very convenient service that allows you to quickly get rid of your stuff while you can sit back and enjoy watching the bidding.
#28. Use auctions to take one last look at your things.
I was able to get rid of a considerable amount of my belongings through a local auction service. There are of course online auction sites as well, like Yahoo! Auctions, but they require a bit of effort -- you have to take picture of each of your items and fill out all the product information, not to mention ship the goods to your customer.
Kouta Itou, one of the people I introduce earlier, thinks this extra effort is actually what makes auctions the best way to part with your belongings. Kouta used to be surrounded by his musical instruments and gear, and got rid of them through auctions.
He recommends auctions because the effort of preparing photos and compiling descriptions of your possessions gives you the chance to revisit the feelings you had when you first obtained those things.
And then you can also think about the reasons why each item is no longer needed. The auction preparation leads you to reflect on what those possessions had once meant to you. Kouta says it is during these procedures that he promises to never gain buy something he does not need. Saying goodbye to his things at auctions lets him move forward.
#29. Use a pickup service to get rid of your possessions.
Packing and shipping your stuff after auctions can be a hassle. There is an easier way : Consider a pickup service that comes to your door to collect your things. Though they do not pay as much as what you might get through an auction sale, these kinds of services are very convenient. Their people come to your home to buy your goods, and you do not even have to go to the trouble of picking them.
These were people who came to my rescue when I wanted to get rid of larger possessions like my TV set.
#30. Don't get hung up on the prices that you initially paid.
#31. Think of stores as your personal warehouses. (click here)
We should consider stores as our personal warehouses. All those stores out there pay good sums of money to secure space so they can stock all sorts of goods for us, and they manage their items with care. Convenience stores welcome us around the clock.
#32. The city is our personal floor plan.
#33. Discard any possessions that you can't discuss with passion.
#34. If you lost it, would you buy it again?
A key way to gauge your passion for something you own is to ask yourself."If I were to somehow lose this, would I want to buy it again at full price?"
If the answer is yes, that item is something that you truly love. It is a necessity for you.
On the other hand, if you are not the least bit interested in buying that same item again, there's clearly something about the product that you dislike. Maybe you are keeping it because it is "good enough." But that's not good enough; say goodbye to those ho-hum things.
It is the things you'd be willing to buy again that give you true satisfaction.
#35. If you can't remember how many presents you've given, don't worry about the gifts you've gotten.
Presents are very tough to discard. We feel guilty about throwing something away that someone gave us as a gift; it seems heartless. but take a moment to think about something you gave someone as a present. These things do not usually stay in our minds as clearly as the things we've been given.
I have never asked someone if they're using something that I gave them. And if one of my gifts turned out to be something useless for the recipient, I'd hope they would feel comfortable getting rid of it. The last thing I want is for my gift to take up space in their home.
If you have a gift at home that you feel guilty about not using, it is better to just come clean and part with it. If someone actually gets upset when they find out that you've thrown away something that they gave you in the past, it means they're not as concerned about your relationship in the present. In that case, you may want to distance yourself from that person anyway. I know I would not want to become someone who can only convey feelings of love or friendship through material objects.
#36. Try to imagine what the person who passed away would have wanted.
If gifts are tough, discarding the possessions of a loved one who's passed away seems impossible. We're so concerned about cherishing our memories with that person that we tend to hang on to things for which we have absolutely no use. Do not get me wrong. I think that is an incredibly beautiful, and truly human, sentiment, But imagine that you were the one who had passed on. Would you want the people you have left behind to be confused or troubled about something you left them? Wouldn't you want them to live freely and happily without worrying bout material objects?
The Japanese painter Ryuzaburo Umehara left a will saying that there was no need for a funeral and that condolence offerings were not to be accepted. He wrote that the living should not be troubled for the sake of the deceased.
I think it is more meaningful to try to recall the words of a deceased friend or relative, or treasure the things they did for you while they were alive, than spend time managing their possessions.
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