Q: I
have so much stuff! What is the rule of thumb for knowing when to
give away what I am not using? I've always heard it is either
one or two years. Do you offer any concrete ways to know when to
eliminate?
A:
Here's my motto: "When you buy something new, give away
two." Isn't this suggestion radical? Now is always a good
time to consider whether your accumulation of goods is ruling your
life--or at least taking up too much space.
When I began helping people organize their lives, most seminars
had to do with stuff at home rather than in offices, stock rooms,
warehouses, and the boardrooms of industry and the technical world.
In those home seminars, I was (and still am) constantly sharing the
need for all of us to cut back, cut out and cut down. The facts are
indisputable. The vast majority of us simply have too much stuff,
and much of our stuff is drowning us and blocking out light and
air. I like to encourage people to keep that little saying in their
mind and when they buy a new sweater or a pair of shoes. Give away
at least two of something for each new item--maybe a shirt, a pot
or pan, that old sweater, the pair of shoes you're replacing,
perhaps an old jacket. That way, you will never get into the
hoarding mentality. Instead of your stuff controlling you, you will
take control of your stuff.
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In the office environment, this saying translates into when you
bring something new into the office, try to eliminate two of
something else--such as people printing out e-mails yet still
keeping them in their computers. When you print out an e-mail,
delete the e-mail along with another e-mail. When you file
something into your filing cabinet, purge two files. When mail
enters your office, eliminate as much as possible. When you buy a
new business book, purge two. Give away old computers to young
businesses in the area or to your local schools. Old chairs or
desks would much appreciated by some not-for-profit offices. You
get the idea.
Am I simply trying to promote charity? Not at all. Your giving
habits are--and should remain--your own business. But think about
it. Just look at the amount of stuff we bring in to our offices and
homes and compare that to how much goes out. The old movie scene in
which the retiring worker takes a single cardboard box of stuff
home after 25 years is humorous in today's cluttered world. Now
it takes a moving van! We need to buy a suit, a sweater, shoes, a
couch, a table or a TV, but rarely do we spend any time focusing on
the need to eliminate stuff, to make the pile smaller. When was the
last time you intentionally gave away two of anything when you
brought a new item into your home or office?
Our cabinets can only hold so much stuff. Our drawers can only
hold a certain number of socks or stockings or sweaters. Our filing
cabinets are stuffed so full, we break a nail every time we try to
pry loose a file. When the drawer is bulging, that's the sign
we must eliminate. But no one is saying it's easy: The sweater
was a gift from a special friend; the socks remind us of that
fabulous vacation; that old, rickety table brings fond memories of
college days; that report took three years to complete and it's
a honey, no way am I going to throw it away. So on we go--hanging
on instead of releasing.
Sharing our good fortune with those less fortunate is a freeing,
liberating experience. So think about gathering, packing and then
taking your used furniture, clothes or whatever to the nearest Good
Will Center, Salvation Army Thrift Store, Purple Heart or perhaps a
church or synagogue with a giveaway closet for the disadvantaged or
families temporarily homeless because of flooding, fires or other
emergencies. The act will set you free from the hoarding mentality
and allow you to enjoy simplicity at its fullest and the knowledge
that your leftovers have served others.
Sue
McMillin equips and encourages her clients to clear office and
home clutter, enabling them to find anything they own in seconds,
recover 40 percent of the space in their environment, gain up to an
hour a day in productivity and save as much as $5,000 per employee
per year. Some of her clients include 3M, ABA, Boeing, Eli Lilly,
Fannie Mae, Intel, Kodak, Marriott, MCI, NEA, Steelcase, Toyota and
Xerox.
The opinions expressed in this column are those
of the author, not of Entrepreneur.com. All answers are intended to
be general in nature, without regard to specific geographical areas
or circumstances, and should only be relied upon after consulting
an appropriate expert, such as an attorney or
accountant.