View Full Version : Writing down lists of things
Hi all,
In an effort to continue with the mission of decluttering, I'm wondering about making
lists of my possessions. My thinking is that this may provide:
a) incentive to eliminate some things because it's too much trouble to write it down
b) a revelation of possible unnecessary duplicates
c) a means of asking the Important Questions about objects, by, say, having objects listed on left side of paper, and on right side spaces where I could mark yes or no to
things like Do I love this? Do I need/use this? Is this worth $? and so forth.
Have others here done this or something similar? Did you find it helpful? How?
(So far I have waited to do this because I keep trying to get the "numbers" down to something smaller so I don't have to do all that writing/typing)
Thanks for your help!
I haven't done this specific technique, but I agree that lists are an awesome way to get a handle on large tasks.
Just to brainstorm ideas ---
* make a separate paper for each room: kitchen, living room, etc.
* Like in the 'Debt Snowball', where you tackle the smallest debt first, tackle the smallest/easiest room (or zone) first to get it DONE and off your list.
* Set deadlines week-by-week for the various rooms.
* Have both "toss" and "donate" boxes (perhaps also an ebay/craigslist box if that's your cup of tea)
* Use "single handling": once you pick up an item, deal with it right then before moving on to the next item. Make the decision to toss it, or give it a permanent home. Don't have a "I'll decide later" pile!
I did this last year. I inventoried my personal possessions in an effort to downsize by half. Making the list itself was kind of overwhelming, but I have to say, once I got past that, I found it really helpful. I categorized the list by item (i.e. sweaters, long sleeved tees, belts, necklaces, etc.), so it was really easy for me to see how many of each type of item I had (i.e. what I had too much of). Once I decided on a reasonable number for that category, it was easy to look at the list and purge from there. For some reason, it was easier for me to decide to get rid of something on paper first rather than holding the item in my hand and hemming and hawing about it.
I have to say just reading the title of this thread sent a tiny shiver down my spine. I. love. lists. Any kind of list, I'll even make a list of lists. 2 years ago I kept a little notebook with me at all times and anytime I had to wait for something I'd make a list of 10. I called it my book of 10's. It was fun. Mostly totally useless but some of it was wishlist type things, some was just random.
fidgiegirl
3-28-11, 10:39pm
I did this as part of step 1 of Your Money or Your Life. It was very eye-opening. It wasn't so much that it made me get rid of things in order to not have to include them in the list, but that I was so shocked that it practically put a halt to acquisition. The example that still shines in my mind is socks. I figured that I had 82 pairs! I threw a bunch out and didn't buy any more for a looooooong time after that. I thought I just had a few! I was utterly shocked. So I think it's worthwhile.
Thanks, everyone, for your input! I think I will begin making a list of some manageable thing -- maybe clothes? -- and expand from there. Float On, I like lists, too and Fidgiegirl, if the socks lesson taught you so much, I'm sure there are some surprises awaiting me too. And Kat, were you able to drop your possessions by half? I do think that seeing how many of any one category I may have will urge me towards Positive Action of Elimination. And Madsen, thanks for the reminder not to keep handling stuff any more than necessary, and the deadlines for do-able amounts. I'll keep you posted...
Thank you,
Sumarie, please check out the 'Step 1' thread in the Financial Integrity section, and join our quest to completed Step 1 of YMOYL by Easter! A key part of Step 1 is inventorying 'stuff' and making lists! You will be in good company, as the small group there is encouraging one another to 'get started' and 'keep going'!
@sumarie--yes, I was able to downsize my possessions by half, though the "number" aspect did start to get the better of me. I became a little obsessed with reaching my goal number-wise, and it stressed me out. You can read about it here: http://downbyhalf.wordpress.com/
Fawn is a great list maker, too. She inventories her possessions every year (she has 100 items or less). She takes pictures of everything, and it is pretty inspiring. You can see more on her blog (which is listed in her signature, I think).
Kat- Thanks for the plug!
I also love lists, but Float On, had never thought of them as having entertainment value. Hmmmm. Must rethink that.
I think Madsen's hints are good, for someone just starting out counting their things.
Also, I remember PaulaTPN (who calls herself my minimalist anti-matter, i.e. she has lots of stuff) said that she found the process of counting to be helpful in her identifying her "enough" points. For example, like Fidgegirls 82 pr of socks, she had something like 94 pr of black pants. Once she had that number, she knew she didn't need anymore black pants and didn't buy anymore for a long time.
sumarie: just remember that you are doing this because you want to--if it is no longer fun, or you get tired or busy...or whatever. Just stop. The only problem that I have with lists is when I feel like I have to finish everything on it, even if my life and priorities and goals have changed.
Have fun.
Hey, you guys are great!
Kat -- I read about your journey ( congratulations!) and am wondering how you're feeling about it at this point. Remembering that at the end it seemed you were perhaps overly concentrating on the numbers, I was wondering if at this point you are still glad you got down TO that number, or if towards the end you ended up getting rid of things you might regret. (and did you decide to do it because you knew you were going to have a baby & needed extra space?)
EarthSky -- thanks again for the idea of participating in the Step 1 of YMOYL. I see how this fits right in, so yeah, why not?
Fidgiegirl and Float On -- making a list of "incoming" and "outgoing" of my objects entering the home has been really helpful to me, and fun to do. Sooo, now that I've made a concerted effort to escort out much of the low lying fruit by the added consciousness this list provided, I feel ready to do the tallying up of what still remains. I'm sure it, too, will be consciousness-raising.
Fawn -- thank you for your encouragement! Yes, I remember reading about & seeing your 100 things list & you've inspired me greatly, along with Miss Minimalist. I'm sure I will have fun doing this, as I enjoy the thinking it engenders, and I have no qualms about holding on to something until I really am ready to let it go. I learned long ago that it is not worth the task if it ends up giving me a feeling of deprivation. It's the freedom of movement, space, creativity I'm after.
@sumarie--I did the challenge for two reasons. The first is that my smallish house has limited storage, and it is hard to keep things clean and organized when I have too much stuff. The second reason is that I am a person who can easily fall into materialism. This is not a quality that I like about myself, and I do not want to be the type of person who thinks "stuff" matters. I want to be free from that mindset.
I think what I was really struggling with toward the end was finding my own personal point of "enough." I am not a minimalist, but I'd say I'd be comfortable owning less than the average person. Looking back, I don't regret getting rid of anything during the challenge (looking over the list now, I had forgotten I even owned some of those things). I actually think I could have gotten rid of more. I have been thinking about doing another Down By Half for house stuff since we are doing so much remodeling and rearranging before the baby comes. Maybe! ;-)
Thanks, Kat, for answering my questions. I am already experiencing how putting something on paper can be easier than looking at & holding it, in terms of being willing to let it go. Finding out I have 13 scarves, when I seldom even wear them, was news to me, and it feels much easier to let some of them go. And it was reassuring to hear you say you didn't miss what you ended up giving away towards the end when you were going for "the count". I'm sure if someone swooped in & made off with a bunch of my stuff I wouldn't even miss half of it. Somehow, though, it can feel monumental to actually be the person doing the purge. It's powerful! And afterwards, I do feel empowered.
Hi again -- am back again with list in hand, and am now "working it" -- looking at what is there & asking questions to help find the "enough" point for the things on it, whittling it down as I discover things I don't really need and that are, in fact, rather a burden to me to keep. I've enlisted the aid of a letter system:
--U and L are "use" and "love".
--R means I would replace it if something happens to it
--B or G means I myself have bought it, or G means it was a gift. (Stella instigated an I for "inherited")
--I may look at V (does this add value to my life?) (or would I be happier without it, actually?)
What this has revealed so far is the difference between needs and wants. If an object has U,L,R it is definitely a keeper. Items with only a B have pointed out something I bought that was quite possibly a mistake, or an impulse item (or a G only means I seem to be hanging on to this simply because it was a gift). I'm still working with it & learning from it. If any of you have other ways of looking at this information, I'd love to hear about it. Each run-through helps the evaluation process for me, and often helps loosen the grip of unnecessary possessions (which makes me happy!).
sumarie--
I think your system for evaluation is good.
It helps me also to think about life season appropriateness. Am I using it now? Is it something useful for a young adult? Middle aged adult? Older Adult?
i.e. The baby crib was good when the kids were young. The kayak was used during young and middle years. The Precious Moments Figurenes (never worked for me).....
High heels are good when you are 20 years old...silly when you are 80.
The house w/ 4 bedrooms is great when your kids are young, and even when you are middle aged and they come home to visit...but when you are 90+, it is not your responsibilty to maintain a shrine to Thanksgiving.....
Lots of people accumulate clothes and kitchen crap in case of "what if?"
Here is my take on "What if?" DS#1 got married last summer. I bought a dress for the occasion. I am not likely to wear it again before DD (aged 16 yrs) gets married. It is at the consignment store.
If all my kids and their SO descended on my home for Thanksgiving and the stove was busted, or the kitchen was being remodeled (true), I would order a take out turkey from the available store and we would have good laugh about the "year the turkey came from the resturant."
Really! Read the accounts of how people celebrated holidays in the concentration camps, or in the territories w/o supplies, or during the Depression. These folks would LAUGH in the face of our "need."
We are fine. We just need to learn it.
I just came across this thread and like it. When I am not working, I make a list of what I will do each day in a small notebook. It helps keep me on track...even if it is just for pleasurable activities.
I also like the conversation about having enough. 6 years ago I lost everything and now live in a small apartment and yet, somehow I have slowly accumulated "stuff". My goal during this work hiatus is to go through one room plus my closet at a time and remove things that I don't use or need....I just sold 2 items on craigslist. And when I go thrifting for clothing, however many items I bring into the house, I cull the same number from my closet and take them to Goodwill.
I don't want to be a minimalist, but I need all the space I can get in a tiny apartment. Letting go of things gives me more room to walk around and enjoy my humble home.
http://iliketomakethings.blogspot.com
Out of curiosity and seeking to learn I ask, what is considered a 'reasonable amount' of say blue jean dungarees? When I was in the service the mandate was six pair for example. Here in the civilian world there does not seem to be any real guidelines. This makes finding structure and a good 'base' a bit difficult. So, by consensus what are some 'reasonable amounts' of clothing items.
Me and the wife have a lot of clothes in storage. We have started trying to use a seasonal approach, advice is always welcomed. We are not exactly minimalist, I prefer more spartan means but am amenable to giving some luxury. We're just tired of being lost and media generally offering no help. "Buy everything!!!!'
<snip> what is considered a 'reasonable amount' of say blue jean dungarees? <snip>
I say that it depends on how you live your life. I work in a hospital and change into scrubs for my job every day. So I can wear one pair of jeans all week, and they are barely used, even with running errands after work. But if you wear your pants all day and are active in them, then you may need up to one pair every day. Since the wear on my clothing is so light, I have one pair of summer jeans, one pair of flannel-lined jeans, and one pair of fleece-lined jeans (I live where it snows) - these have lasted me over two years each now. I have a pair of khakis which are rarely used (and probably need to be donated).
I prefer V-necked tees and wear those to/from work, so am slowly thinning the herd of casual tees (goal is less than 5 of fun/comfortable ones). I'm getting there slowly, since I have plenty of room and I'm concentrating more on eBaying my Mom's Christmas items right now. Once Mom's stuff is out of the house, I'll be able to concentrate more on my stuff.
So I say, think about how you live your life and ignore what the media says you need/want. After all, they're in the business of influencing you to purchase purchase purchase...
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