Legal Research

Less is More ? Decluttering ? whatever that is

By Scott

My Twitter feed the past week has been full of people talking about de-cluttering and in particular references to Marie Kondo, who has just launched a series on Netflix about this very thing (off the back of a successful book). Now, I have not read the book or seen the series ? although my daughter is keen to watch the programme, so it may happen ? but I did make a personal decision towards the end of last year that I needed to do some personal ‘de-cluttering’.  This is not a new thing for me, and I do it every few years to some degree. But as I sat contemplating 2019 I decided that I had to take a more cut-throat approach to things, and basically think about the things that bring me joy and happiness.

My partner considers me a hoarder*. She’s right, but only selectively so. I don?t hoard most things, and generally don?t just keep things for the sake of it. However, when it comes to Books, CDs, Vinyl, DVDs etc she’s always had a point. Music, cinema, books ? these are my loves. I have lots, they are NOT ‘clutter’ . But, I have weeded and culled over the years, although it has usually been in a very conservative manner ? partly because I always think a home is improved by displays of such things.  Yes Spotify, Netflix, Amazon Prime, Kindles etc are all marvellous but it is not the same as walking into someone’s home and SEEING who they are reflected on their shelves through physical media. It truly cannot be beaten.

So, I’m not about to give away or sell all that I own, but I am going to try and focus in on the things that I’m connected to.

So, my start point in my assessment will be: – EVERYTHING must go. From there I need a case for keeping something. But the types of questions I’ll be asking myself are:-

DVDs/Blueray

• Have I taken it off the shelf and watched it in the last 5 years.
• Is it something that never gets shown on TV and doesn’t/hasn’t appeared on streaming services I subscribe to
• Does it have any sentimental value to me.

CDS

• Have I listened to it in the last 10 years (even via the digital copy on my iPod?).
• Do I also own it on Vinyl
• Do I want to invent a reason for keeping it to justify it to myself
• Does it have any sentimental value to me.

BOOKS

• Am I REALLY ever likely to re-read and if I am, am I going to reach for the hardcopy (esp if large Hardback) of go to my kindle etc?
• Does it have any sentimental value to me.
• Am I keeping it for my daughter to read.
• Is it valuable.

Now, I don?t have a timetable for this, other than seeing the identification of things to retain as a task for the first quarter of the year

*Ok, yes, it is true that an ex-girlfriend has been storing 4 large boxes of my books in her cellar for 25 years – no, she really is, she’s like that. Keeping them for that day I come and collect them ? or at least she was until I told her before xmas that I was ready to let go ? and she should dispose of them as she wished.

The post Less is More ? Decluttering – whatever that is appeared first on Information Overlord.

Full post as published by Information Overload on January 09, 2019 (boomark / email).