Don’t ask whether you need an item now but if you need for what you want to become.
When your are doubting whether to get rid of it or not, here are some tips:
- If you are suprised you even own this, get rid of it
- If it has cobwebs on it, get rid of it
- If you have two or more, get rid of one. This does not count for consumables
- Would you buy it again if you didn’t have the item but had the money instead? No? Get rid of it.
- Just looking at it causes you stress, get rid of it.
Stuff you can get rid of anyway
Your Wallet Get rid of all the old cards and notes. You only need the bare minimum: id, driving license(if you plan on driving), debit card, credit card(if you need it) and perhaps some cash. All the other cards you can leave at home and only take them when you need them. You know when you will go to the store so that that store card with you at that moment, not all day every day.
CDs and DVDs Rip that stuff to a harddrive and then get rid of it. I haven’t used a disc player in years. My car still has one because of the standard radio but i use an usb stick anyway. I went through all my old DVD’s and CD’s, most of them starting skipping or did not work all together. The music i ripped to a drive to put on my usb stick later. The DVDs i ripped if possible but i haven’t watched one of them yet. Perhaps after about a year i can also get rid of the digital copy.
Extra pens and pencils It’s 2020, time to go paperless man! I keep one journal(and one extra, shame on me) to write in so i only need one pen. You can keep another one in a bag or in your car but don’t stuff your drawers full of them. Most of the time they are drief up by the time you want to use them.
Half of your clothes or even 80% The Pareto principle dictates that 80% of the joy comes from 20% of your stuff. Why keep your closet packed with clothes you don’t like or care about and better yet, why even wear them? Donate or sell them and only keep the clothes you actually wear. In turn you need less closet space and perhaps even do less laundry.
Stuff you associate fantasy self What is your fantasy self? That is the person you think you are in your mind. You buy a guitar because you think you can be a rockstar. But after a few months it just gathers dust. Sell that thing again to get rid off it and enjoy the peace of some empty space. Only keep what you are currently working on. Incase you really miss the guitar you can always get one from someone else who gets rid of his guitar.
It took me some years and a couples of moves to get rid off most of my things. It was easier for me as my work and hobbies are mostly digital so one machine can take care of those things. Although i was not immune to buying more things i did not really need. Keeping my finances in check helped me stop buying random stuff and really think of what i need.
