Less Stuff. Higher Value

The more you have, the less you use.

Overstuffed

We live in a world designed to promote consumption, but with the lingering psychology of Depression-era thinking, paired with modern environmental and economic guilt. Buy now. Buy more. Buy it cheap. Don't waste. Recycle. Don't throw it away. You might need it someday. You might run out. You should repair it. You need a new and better one. It's on sale. This specialized thing is the answer to your specialized problem (that you didn't know you had until you saw this ad.)

No wonder our drawers, cabinets, bedrooms, bellies, schedules, and homes are overstuffed. We spend so much energy filtering constant sales pitches that try to convince us of untruths. The more you have, the less you use.

Clutter is Sticky

You can sort, categorize, and rearrange, but too much stuff will never truly be organized. Too much stuff prevents access, slows down processes, stifles decisions, increases inconvenience, and reduces flexibility. Everything takes longer or is made more difficult due to unnecessary steps that gum up the process. Clutter can gum things up and slow everything down. It's also unsightly and annoying. Sticky. Frustrating. Yuck.

Simplicity is Smooth

The primary indicator of something being well-organized is smooth function, and the keys to achieving this are simplicity, visibility, and access. If it's too complicated, you won't do it. If you can't see it, you won't use it. If you can't reach it, you won't use it. If there are too many of whatever it is, you have all three of these factors working against you.

The Business of Stuff

Think of your home like a business (and yes, this applies to business organizing as well). "Rightsizing" is a business term that describes the process of restructuring, typically by reducing the number of workers, to increase efficiency in generating profits and/or meeting updated business objectives. What does this have to do with organizing your stuff?

The Profits of Efficiency

The more of a thing you have, the less value each is worth. Economically, by having fewer items you use more often, you increase the value of your stuff (dollars per use). You also improve productivity by increasing efficiency in using any of those items. It takes less time to accomplish tasks because you aren't wasting time searching for things or wading through clutter. You know exactly where the thing you need is when you need it, and it does what you want it to do. Fast. Smooth. Easy.

Less Stuff Leads to Bigger Dividends

We need fewer items of higher quality to organize and optimize our spaces and functions. Items need to fit both the purpose and the space. As you declutter and start to feel new ease in your spaces and processes, you begin to develop the instincts for how much is enough and what truly serves you well. These instincts, when translated into future buying choices, start to yield dividends in your life and spaces. You have less, but love it more. You buy less, but feel like you get more. You do less yet get to experience more.

Invest in decluttering and you will see great returns!