Say goodbye to objects that don't serve you
In today's culture of mindless consumerism it's easy to hoard an enormous quantity of furbies.
Perhaps your problem isn't with furbies, but some other nostalgic plastic doodads, pseudo-useful gadgets, furniture you found in a skip, kitchen appliances you've only ever used once, four garlic crushers, or something else.
Furbies and everything else you own have an ongoing cost. Unless the furbies are giving you joy, keeping you safe, or in some way helping you achieve your goals, then you're paying to keep them around, and you should consider saying goodbye.
Here's some of the costs that you may be paying for the things that don't serve you.
The cost of keeping things
- Clutter
Clutter distracts your brains, makes it harder to find the things you need, and harder to put things away again. This is especially problematic in the event you need to flee. - Rent
If you rent your home then you're also paying the rent for your things. The more things you have accumulating on surfaces, the more storage you need, the less floor and surface space you have for your needs. Remove enough of your things and you may even be able to downsize your home — saving more money still. - Energy
Appliances and gadgets use electricity. Having more things requires a bigger home which is more expensive to heat and cool. - Cleaning
The more things you have the more surface area you have to gather dust and grime. The more dust and grime, the more time you have to spend cleaning, and the more money cleaning products, which also themselves take up space. It's an endless cycle. - Flexibility
Owning too many things can impact your opportunities. The more things you have, the less space you have to do unplanned activities like hosting a wake or bouncing a ball. - Opportunity cost
The things that don't serve you have negative value as objects in your home, more so when considering their economic potential. A furby in good condition can make you around $45 on eBay. A furby in poor condition can be repurposed as a scarecrow or burnt as fuel.
How to work out which things serve you
The classic answer to this question is from decluttering expert Marie Kondo from her book "The life-changing magic of tidying up."
Marie Kondo suggests you pick up each of your belonging and ask yourself — "does this spark joy?"
If the object doesn't spark joy, you thank it for its service and send it on its way.
There's a couple of issues with this approach:
- There are definitely things you should keep that don't spark joy. I don't think Marie Kondo was ever suggesting you throw away life saving medicine or all of your towels.
- It doesn't take into account the experiences of those with clinical depression. Attempting a joy based declutter during a bout of depression can cause dangerous levels of minimalism.
However, Marie Kondo's approach is otherwise very useful, I've done it myself and I recommend it — just replace "does this spark joy?" with "does this spark joy or serve you in practical ways that help you achieve your dreams?"
How to sort through your things
Marie Kondo suggests sorting through your belongings by category in a specific order:
- Clothes
- Books
- Papers
- Miscellaneous objects (kimono)
- Sentimental items