Organize And Prioritize

I try to keep things straightened around the house, but today I was tackling yet more clutter that had managed to accumulate since my last reorganization. As I sorted the stuff into piles to keep, recycle, and toss there were some I thought about keeping 'just in case' I needed them down the line.

Then I remembered some wisdom I learned from The Minimalists, who promote a lifestyle without stuff. They have what they call the 20/20 Rule-two questions to ask yourself when you are tempted to hang onto something. The first question is “Could I replace the item for less than $20?” The second is “Could I replace it in less than 20 minutes?” If the answer to the questions is “yes,” you can afford to get rid of the thing.

So out went the glass tart pans I got from a free box at a garage sale, some florist vases, handful of plastic utensils from carry out meals, a nice plastic storage bag with a zipper from a set of sheets, and stack of boxes I've been stockpiling just in case I need to mail something.

I felt good about the clean spaces in my kitchen, dining room, and office. Will that keep me from accumulating more things to take the place of the ones I got rid of? Probably not, but I can try.

Five years ago: The Joys Of Modern Air Travel (NOT)