Archive for the ‘simplicity + consumerism’ Category

Clutter: The persistent curse of the acquisitive.

Friday, November 5th, 2010

Do you have more possessions than you can comfortably handle? Do you avoid inviting people into your home because of the clutter? Do you argue with loved ones about your clutter? Are cleaning, organizing, follow through, upkeep and maintenance difficult because of clutter? Do you find yourself purchasing items you know you already have, but can’t locate when you need them? Does clutter keep you from enjoying quality leisure time? If you answered “Yes”, to any of these questions, you’re not alone in suffering from the negative effects of clutter.

There are many definitions of clutter: postponed decision making, items you do not use or love, too many items in too small a space. Just google it and you’ll see what I mean but, whatever your definition is, clutter is now so commonplace that, sadly, it seems to be the norm in many homes today.

NOTE: If an item is useful (and you actually use it!) or is inspiring to you, it isn’t clutter. HOWEVER, if that item does not have a place to live when not in use – then it can easily become clutter. The problem isn’t with the item; the problem is with the lack of a storage solution for the item.

For good or for bad, we live in a consumer society with advertising EVERYWHERE that encourages people to have unrealistic expectations about what they need. Buy more; buy bigger; buy newer. Buy, buy, buy. Advertisers have been promoting mindless consumption for so long that – like clutter – people’s addiction to acquiring and owning has now become the norm.

So, what can you do to live a more clutter-free life? First of all, you need to cultivate a healthy skepticism about commercial messages and what they’re trying to sell you. Secondly, you have to have a more conscious approach to shopping and buy only what you really need, have a place for and will use. Unfortunately, too many people can not distinguish between what they NEED and what they WANT – two VERY different things. The key is to recognize when you have enough and that you don’t always need more and not allow yourself to be caught up in acquiring.

It won’t be easy to wean yourself off of the getting and the having habit. It won’t happen over night and it will ONLY happen if you allow yourself to become aware and avoid acquiring unnecessary items in the first place. It will take time, but it is the only sane alternative to cluttering up your homes.

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Announcing the formation of The New York Public Library Clutter Support Group.

Sunday, January 24th, 2010

Do you feel overwhelmed by the possessions, paper and piles that have taken over your life and space? Don’t know how or where to start to make changes? You’re not alone.

The New York Public Library (NYPL) is pleased to announce the formation of a free, educational support group for individuals who are struggling with clutter and disorganization. The NYPL Clutter Support Group will be a member-based group facilitated by organizing expert A. J. Miller. It will meet on an ongoing basis to address clutter and disorganization related issues and offer support, information, tips and techniques to combat clutter and become better organized.

The NYPL Clutter Support Group is open to people of all ages with any degree of disorganization. Whether you’ve had a life long struggle with being organized or your problem is more recent; whether you’re just a little overloaded, a hoarder, have ADHD or are living with someone who is one of these, please join us.

We look forward to seeing you at our introductory meeting on February 4, 2010 from 6:00 – 6:45PM at The New York Public Library, Grand Central Branch, 135 E. 46th Street between Lexington and Third Avenues.

Posted in ADHD, clutter, disorganization, hoarding, products/resources, simplicity + consumerism, stress | Comments Off

You might have a problem with overspending and overshopping if…

Monday, September 21st, 2009

We live in a consumer society and it’s all too easy to succumb to the temptations, but for some people it can be a truly serious, life-altering problem. If any of the following sounds like you, you may have a problem with overspending and overshopping:

    • You use shopping as “recreation” and “retail therapy” without a budget or limits on what you spend.
    • You have several items in your wardrobe that still have labels on them after a year.
    • You are afraid to look at your credit card bills and total up your credit card debt.
    • You’ve been borrowing from one credit line to pay back another.
    • You frequently pick up the check and/or buy things for people even though you can’t really afford it.
    • You have more supplies for your hobby (i.e. scrapbooking, fishing, etc.) than you will ever have time enough to use.
    • You hide your spending / purchases from people you live with.
    • You worry constantly about whether or not you can pay your bills.
    • You rarely, if ever walk into a store without buying several things you didn’t intend to buy.
    • When your spouse or partner disappoints you or hurts you, you get “revenge” by shopping or spending a lot of money.
    • You think about shopping and spending money even when you are not shopping.
    • You have tried to limit your shopping, but can’t.

If your clutter issues stem chiefly from shopping, here are a few helpful tips to change that reality so you can conquer your clutter once and for all.

1. Be aware of how you feel. If you use shopping, and specifically BUYING to alter your mood, notice it! If buying something new gives you an emotional high that temporarily takes you away from your troubles, makes you feel safe, worthy, loved, or gives you some other rush, it’s important to be aware of it. Once you’re aware of why you’re buying, you can take other steps to make yourself feel better besides buying. I would recommend a few sessions with a counselor, a hypnotist, or therapist to get to the root of your buying.

2. Imagine yourself at home. When you’re OUT of your cluttered home and inside the gorgeous four walls of Pottery Barn or Crate & Barrel, it’s easy to forget how stressed your home makes you. Again, that’s the idea. They WANT you to forget about your house and just open your wallet. And listen, when you really need something, great. Go buy it! But before you do, vividly imagine yourself back at your house with your new “thing”. Where in your already cluttered home will your new thing live? Who will clean it? How much space will it consume? What will it give you back? How long will it be valuable? Asking yourself these questions will help you make better buying decisions.

3. Calculate the TIME cost. If money isn’t a motivator for you, and unnecessary spending doesn’t inspire you to reduce your shopping, think of how much TIME your new “thing” will cost you. Let’s say you make $20 per hour, and your new “thing” costs $100. In time currency, your new thing will cost you FIVE HOURS of your life. Thinking of new purchases in this way will help you decide if you REALLY need it or if you just want it to make yourself feel better.

The next time you’re out shopping, try these simple tips and see if it doesn’t help shift your shopping mindset so you can make better, more powerful choices and reduce the clutter in your life.

Posted in money savers, simplicity + consumerism, time management | Comments Off

Shining the spotlight on America’s penchant for excess.

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

This past weekend, The New York Times ran an interesting article on how the downturn in the economy is affecting the self-storage industry. Not surprisingly, it confirms what I and my fellow organizers already know: the vast majority of storage units contain mostly clutter.

Since the start of the recession, occupancies at storage facilities nationwide are down 2-3%. While not a big drop, apparently it has shaken an industry that has always thought of itself as recession-resistant, if not recession-proof.

Here are some quotes from the article:

“After a monumental building boom, the United States now has 2.3 billion square feet of self-storage space. (The Self Storage Association notes that, with more than seven square feet for every man, woman and child, it’s now “physically possible that every American could stand — all at the same time — under the total canopy of self-storage roofing.”)”

“A Self Storage Association study showed that, by 2007, the once-quintessential client — the family in the middle of a move, using storage to solve a short-term, logistical problem — had lost its majority. Fifty percent of renters were now simply storing what wouldn’t fit in their homes — even though the size of the average American house had almost doubled in the previous 50 years, to 2,300 square feet.”

“Human laziness has always been a big friend of self-storage operators,” Derek Naylor, president of the consultant group Storage Marketing Solutions, told me. “Because once they’re in, nobody likes to spend all day moving their stuff out of storage. As long as they can afford it, and feel psychologically that they can afford it, they’ll leave that stuff in there forever.”

If you rent self-storage space, I dare you to multiply what your storage space costs by the number of months you’ve been renting it. Okay, now that you’ve picked yourself up off of the floor, do you even remember what you have in storage? Think about what you could have done with that money instead of lining the pockets of the storage industry with it.

I urge you to read the entire article. It’s fascinating and may provide just the inspiration you need to go clean out your storage space! Hire an organizer to help, if you need, too, but get it done!

Posted in clutter, money savers, simplicity + consumerism, storage | Comments Off