Contents
- 1. Throw something away right now
- 2. Start with obvious junk
- 3. Give up the idea of »someday»
- 4. Throw away things you’ve already forgotten about.
- 5. Give up the idea of justifying the money spent.
- 6. Would you buy this item again if you suddenly lose it?
- 7. Before you break up for good, tell things: «See you later»
- 8. Don’t forget the «bash on bash» rule
- 9. Think of buying like renting
- 10. If it’s not «Yes, damn it!», Then it’s «No»
Looking around the cluttered studio, 35-year-old Sasaki realized that due to the abundance of items accumulated over the years, he had lost control of his life. For several years, the Japanese got rid of 95% of the property and felt much happier. Recommendations from his book Goodbye Things! will help those who are littered with belongings and are not able to throw out what hinders them.
A few shirts, a down jacket and a pair of trousers, a set of bedding and a mattress, a few pieces of utensils — this is what Fumio Sasaki’s 20-meter studio with kitchen looks like today. It has a lot of space and light. The Japanese admits that in a few years he got rid of 95% of his things. From books, clothes, furniture, equipment, paper archives…
Fumio is a bachelor, but this does not mean that it is unrealistic to give up excesses in a large family. The main thing here is to develop a habit and change the mood. And very soon it will become clear that you have gained more than you have lost: for example, time and space, freedom and energy. Here are some helpful ideas from Fumio Sasaki to help you take the first step.
1. Throw something away right now
You may think that you will start getting rid of unnecessary things immediately after you finish the project you are currently working on. Or tell yourself that one day, when you solve most of the problems, you will definitely do it.
In fact, if you are going to wait until there is time, then you will never have it.
I heartily advise you to put this reading aside and immediately throw something away. Take the first step towards a minimalist life right now.
2. Start with obvious junk
The best way to get used to throwing things away is to make it a habit. To achieve the desired effect, it should be formed gradually. You can first throw out the old slippers, and the next day get rid of some ancient boots with holes in the sole.
Gradually, you will get a taste, feel bolder and take the old raincoat to the trash: that is, all your new achievements will be based on the previous ones. Throw away empty jars or food containers that you don’t use.
Check your fridge and get rid of expired food. Throw away broken equipment. Every job requires skill. The more often you throw away, the easier it will be to part with things next time.
3. Give up the idea of »someday»
When we buy an electrical appliance, then, as a rule, a bunch of additional devices are attached to it. Think of those vacuum cleaner attachments that you have never used. What is that screw, by the way? You keep all those parts and wires because you think you might need them «someday».
I don’t know about you, but I’ve never used warranty cards. Now they go straight to the trash can
Oh, that notorious «someday»! We don’t throw away empty cookie jars or pretty paper bags thinking we might need them one day. We keep foreign language textbooks, because one day we will start learning it.
As soon as life gets better, we will get to all these numerous items. “Someday it will certainly happen” is what we tell ourselves. Although we are well aware that this time is unlikely to come. Let me give you a piece of advice: drop the idea of »someday». Things we don’t need now will probably never be needed at all.
4. Throw away things you’ve already forgotten about.
If you forget something exists, it’s pretty obvious that you don’t really need it. Scouring your apartment in search of trash that is time to throw away, you will certainly stumble upon something that will surprise you: “Well, it turns out that I have something!” You are sure to find clothes hidden at the very bottom of a chest of drawers or in the back of a closet.
It is likely that you will remember how you bought these things and begin to wonder if they fit with your current wardrobe. But tell yourself: «Stop!» You did just fine without them all this time. Would these things be buried where you found them if you really needed them?
5. Give up the idea of justifying the money spent.
One of the reasons why we perceive it as a financial loss to try to throw away something is that at the time of purchase, this item may have cost a lot. Somewhere in the depths of our hearts we think that we have not yet justified the money spent on it, and we hope that over time the costs will pay off. But, alas, this is unlikely to ever happen.
Here, for example, is a beautiful outfit, the color and style of which you really like, but, unfortunately, the thing is not quite the right size. It’s still like new, you’ve only worn it a couple of times even though you paid a lot of money.
Of course, it’s hard to throw something like that away. However, in fact, this item takes up space not only in your closet, but in your mind too.
Every time you look at it, you willy-nilly think that you have made a mistake. By abandoning the idea of justifying the money spent, you will maintain peace of mind.
6. Would you buy this item again if you suddenly lose it?
There is an easy way to assess your true attitude to a particular thing. Ask yourself: “If I somehow lost it, would I want to buy it again at full price?” If the answer is yes, then you really like this thing. You need it.
If you are not in the least interested in reacquiring the item, then there is nothing to talk about. Perhaps you keep it because it is «generally very good.» But this is not enough: say goodbye to him without hesitation.
7. Before you break up for good, tell things: «See you later»
If you’re not sure if you really want to part with something, try putting it out of sight for a while. A trick often used by minimalists is to collect all the things they want to get rid of and put them in a box or closet.
The trick is to put things away where they wouldn’t normally be. You can even toss them in a trash bag as if they were already thrown away. After a week or a month — determine the time yourself — you will receive an answer: those things that you did well without, you do not need.
If during this period there was a need for some items, then you should not get rid of them.
Saying «see you later» puts some distance between you and your possessions, allowing you to think about their true meaning in your life.
8. Don’t forget the «bash on bash» rule
This is one of the golden rules of minimization: if you want to buy something, get rid of something else first. You can start by getting rid of two or three items of the same type when buying one new item.
To make it easier to apply this principle to clothes, you need to limit the number of hangers. You will not be able to increase your collection of wardrobe items, because you will simply have nowhere to attach a new item.
9. Think of buying like renting
My friend buys a lot of clothes, but he has a fad: he keeps all the tags in a special bag. He wears the clothes for one season and then puts them up for auction. Thanks to labels, he manages to sell outfits more profitably, sometimes he even fully recaptures the money that he originally paid for them.
My buddy says he considers his clothes «rented from stores» and when the «rental period» expires, he passes them on to the next owner
Curious idea, isn’t it? It is clear that you will be more careful with rented clothes than with those that you have purchased for undivided use. And the savings, again, are significant.
10. If it’s not «Yes, damn it!», Then it’s «No»
Deciding whether or not to throw something away, we sometimes get stuck, weighing all the pros and cons. There is one aphorism that I really like, it says: «If it’s not ‘Hell yes,’ then it’s ‘No’.» You can slightly modify the phrase. Ask yourself, «Should I get rid of this?» If the answer is “No, damn it!”, then leave the item.
Guided by this principle, you can easily throw away all things, with the exception of those with which we are simply not able to part. Remember, your property is not yourself; such a close connection with him exists only in your mind.
You will not become less interesting and significant person if you finally deal with your belongings. Not only that, it is likely that a pleasant surprise awaits you: by removing all these unnecessary items from the road, you will revive your true self.