Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
You Don’t Need Everything To Be Perfect
Last night I was chatting with a friend who was about to embark on a big trip. “I get anxious before I travel,” she told me. “I always think I need to perfect everything, but then I realized that I don’t.”
She nailed it. There’s so much clutter, so much unnecessary buying, that comes from this desire to make everything “perfect.” And that desire often comes from anxiety. I’ve just gotten back from a big trip, and I noticed the same impulse in myself.
As I was packing, I started wondering if I should get some drip-dry T-shirts so I could wash them in the hotel. Then I thought, “What if the hotel only has those annoying hangers that only fit in the little clips? Should I bring a hanger? Does a hanger take up any less room than a T-shirt? Can I wash a shirt with shampoo, or do I need to bring detergent?”
Of course, if you travel a lot, have certain things can make it nicer—a neck pillow, TSA-approved containers for your favorite moisturizer—but the travel-accessories market knows how to tap your anxieties, and you can easily get sucked in. Do you really need a smart suitcase? A separate pouch for your undies? Shoe bags? I find, Ziploc bags are pretty amazing and versatile, as are those Target bags your husband brings home even when you give him his very own reusable nylon tote (in a nice, masculine navy).
In the end, I just took the T-shirts I already own and skipped the hand-washing. I was traveling for a week, not a month.
Anxiety is normal, and sometimes it can work in your favor: It gets me out of the house on time so I’m not late. The trick is to see what’s rational and what isn’t. Double-checking that your passport isn’t expired and making sure you have your boarding passes makes sense. Thinking you need a special wallet for your boarding passes, or special T-shirts or a foldable hat is just your brain on overdrive. You need to stop and breathe, not shop. You have everything you need. Your suitcase is just fine, unless it’s actually broken. You don’t need new clothes. In fact, the people you meet on your travels have never seen or any of your clothes, so they are all new!
Next time you feel anxious and your brain is telling you that you need to buy this, and order that, remember: You have enough. You are enough. You are traveling to see the world, not to have the world see you.