It’s All Too Much

When I take my kids to the library, I always check the organizing books. This week I found It's All Too Much, by Peter Walsh. The book was a quick read, gives some great ideas about developing routines, and is thought provoking. Why do we (Americans) tend to buy so much? What drives us? What are we hoping to gain?

It's All Too Much looks at organizing from a different angle than the majority of organizing books. Many organizing books go through the mechanics of getting a space organizing. Walsh looks at consumerism and our emotional attachments to our belongings. I got these points from the book.

1. We often define ourselves by the things we have. You are not your belongings – maintain a comfortable amount of things and enjoy yourself in your space.
   
2. Shopping is a national pastime. Shopping for the sake of shopping inevitably results in clutter.
   
3. Replace shopping with "experience" activities – outdoor fun, family games, exercise, reading, or any activity that you enjoy. Save what you'd have spent on shopping for a vacation.
   
4. Determine the amount of belongings you have based on the space available. (Typically we overstuff our space, buy a bigger house, rent storage space, and/or complain about lack of space.)
   
5. Use the one in, one out rule. Before making a new purchase, decide if you have the space for it. For each new item brought into the home, remove a similar item. Using this method, you maintain an organized space, preventing the clutter from returning.

This book is really about changing our perceptions about belongings and their significance, thus changing our feelings about what we want to surround ourselves with. Walsh emphasizes that our relationships are what is important, and ultimately, who wouldn't agree with that!

#1 Key to Organization

The #1 Key to getting and staying organized is to simplify. The volume of belongings is directly related to the time involved in keeping those items organized. Consider shoes for example. Keeping 30 pairs of shoes neatly arranged is much easier that keeping 300 pairs of shoes under control. This holds true for all belongings. So the question becomes, how do I simplify?

• Studies show we typically use only 20% of what we own. Seriously take a look at items in your home that are taking up space and are rarely, if ever, being used. Donate those items that you don't use, love, and enjoy.
  
• Ask yourself, how many _______________ do I need? Keep your favorites and give the rest to someone who can use them.
  
• Consider renting large, seldom used items instead of purchasing. Is the rental fee worth the cost of more storage space for other items?
  
• Before purchasing an item, determine where it will be kept. If space is not available, ask (1) Do I really need this item? (2) What can I dispose of to make room for this new item?
  
• When bringing a new item into the home, remove a similar item from the home.
  
• You have permission to remove from the home items that were a great deal, were gifts, and that were expensive. If you aren't using them, they are taking up valuable space. Let them go.
  
• Store holiday serving dishes, linens, and any other items used only at that holiday with the holiday decorations. Store them in an out of the way location, freeing up closet and cabinet space for those items used frequently.

Your belongings are meant to add comfort and joy to your life. When they are falling out of the cabinets or preventing closets from being closed or stopping you from finding the items you want, they are not serving their purpose. Simplify and enjoy the calm.