There’s an asymmetry to cleaning which unfortunately infects the minds of the hoarding-inclined, and it goes something like: “I have what I need, so in case X happens, I’ll have Y and be able to solve for it”. The major problem is that this type of thinking fails to consider both the costs Z, and probability A that you’ll end up using something.
A couple months ago, I filled up a suitcase of things I no longer felt I needed, and planned to bring it to the closest dumpster. My mom noted she found 10 dollars within the stuff, and to spend significantly more time looking through what I had.
I don’t agree with her, I want to explain some of the reasons why. First, having clutter increases processing time to solve any given problem. If you have to avoid bumping into things, because you simply have too many things, that’s a cost you must pay on a regular basis. But, because that cost is subtle, and perhaps blends into your life more generally, you fail to imagine the unseen effects on your productivity.
Example 1: Fridge Space. My mom keeps a lot of things in the fridge that I think are several years old, which have the possibility, but not likelihood of getting eaten. While true that an apocalypse can strike, and the freezer-burned raisin bread might be my last, it falls into the trap of focusing on unlikely outcomes at too high a price point. If I need raisin bread, I’ll buy it fresh, rather than keeping it in the freezer. You can apply this lesson to your life by throwing out everything you don’t regularly eat and don’t plan on eating. This means that your food is fresher, your space is less cluttered, and you get more out of less space.
Example 2: Old clothes. You might be able to give away old clothes, and maybe save a trembling orphan’s life. You probably won’t. A lot of stuff that’s donated, best case scenario, is thrown out. Unless you have a likely imminent use for something, you want to get rid of it. The space associated with junk makes you less productive, and more stressed.
Having less stuff is bliss, and I think people in general would be happier with less things almost all of the time. Every time I throw out large amounts of stuff, I don’t find myself thinking about it, and while I occasionally need to scrounge around to find a new cable, for the most part this system works.
To the extent that you can, think about the ways you can reduce choice in your life. These micro-choices probably don’t serve you most of the time. I need to do this in my own way.
Here are things I resolve to get better about.
- Remove wires, cables, keyboards, mouses, and computer tools I probably won’t need. I plan to sell these at tag sales.
- Run down my vitamins. Back when I was getting super into nootropics, I spent loads of money on vitamins. I’m loathe to throwing things out, and I probably am susceptible to this same problem, but I have prevented myself from obtaining more and place them in my way so I regularly consume them. This means that I am reducing my supply.
- Throw out board games I’ll never use. There are some board games I don’t enjoy very much. I should act on this information and throw out things, or sell things that I won’t use. Decks of cards, dice, pens, notebooks fall into this same category.
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