I love decluttering, but I love buying stuff,especially discount stuff, so it is a never-ending process. Since downsizing to an 880 square foot home and a monstrous garage, I have to make smarter choices with the things I buy and store. There were a few key points in Peter Walsh's book, "It's All Too Much" that resonated with me.
#1. If you value an item, you need to show it the honor and respect it deserves. What good is an item stored in a box, pulled out every 5 years to glance at? Take a photo of the item, he states, or display it in your home framed, on a shelf or whatever else you can come up with.
#2 Do you own your stuff or does it own you? Every time you look at an item in a room and contemplate whether you should keep it, imagine the life you want to live. Does this item fit your vision or detract from it? Is your bedroom peaceful? Front entrance welcoming? Dining area usable or full of clutter?
#3 Mementos are not memories.
#4 Every time you stop yourself from making a spontaneous purchase, put the money you would have spent in an "experience fund", ie, trip, zoo, museum, beach, etc. This makes not spending, fun.
I looked around, as I was reading the book, and I saw so much excess. I thought about the boxes I had in the garage of family mementos and how I could display them, so I could enjoy them and explain to my children and Granddaughter what they were and meant to me. I thought about all the clothes in my closet, so many I won't wear because they make me feel fat. I also considered the consumables we tend to stock up on and the items in the garage we choose to store rather than our vehicles.
This book makes me consider what we have and where we have it. It is definitely thought provoking. 4 out of 5 stars.
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