Out of Chaos an organizing newsletter
Use it or Lose it
Here is a common scenario: I am going through stuff with a client, could be anything: clothes, kitchen cabinets, linen closets. I hold up an object and ask, “Do you use this?” To which they reply, “No, but I mean to” or “Not really, but I love it” or “Do you know who gave that to me?”
So here is what I say to you: Use It Or Loose It. The best part: either way- you win. If you decide to use it you will wear that great velvet jacket you always forget about and eat that farro that is cluttering up your kitchen cabinet, or you will realize that the reason you never wear that jacket is that it is a bad color on you and that your kids really hate farro. Either your will jazz up your wardrobe and your menu or you will practice letting go. Win-win.
We can really use this principle in every area of our homes and offices. Yes, some things are archival: baby books and signed contracts for example, but most things are either in rotation (Newsletter No. 4 FLOW) or they need to go. One thing I particularly like about this is that it is like shopping in you own house. I am always after people to buy less, and here are beautiful towels, or serving dishes, or scarves that they already own that they aren’t using. Seize the day, I implore you: start using them!
Then of course, we can take it one step further: if you are loving the velvet jacket- maybe it is time to get rid of the corduroy one that is just a wee-bit tight in the shoulders. If you think your kids are old enough to eat on china- why are you hanging onto those plastic plates from Target? Bring stuff into rotation, let go of lesser stuff- and don’t buy anything else- and your closets and surfaces will look better.
Magazines are always urging us to ‘upgrade’ and ‘update’ our look- but maybe you can do all your shopping done chez nous. Maybe you can say that you are… however old you are… and that it is high time you started using the stuff you were given for your wedding 20 years ago.
In my own life I am trying to cultivate an attitude of less-better. To that end I recently threw out the plastic bathroom cups my children use and replaced them with some fancy ‘silver’ mugs they were given when they were born. What am I saving them for? Why not upgrade my bathroom sink? For most things all you need is one- but make the one nice, don’t go saving the nice stuff for tomorrow.