Issue of attaching all sorts of other mental stuff to the clutter

15 years ago

For me a real PIA is that I attach so many other values to each individual piece of clutter in my world. For example - I use magazine images for inspiration and some collage. It is very valuable to me and my business, and when I clip the few images and articles, I file the clippings neatly and recycle the magazines. The system works.

A few weeks ago I got some wonderfully boxed, clean stacks of high-quality magazines off of freecycle. I then put them on the shelf under the coffee table in the screened-porch. This is a perfect place, neat, and easy to reach. THEN - I realized that they will get wrinkled out on the porch from all the humidity. If they are wrinkled will I be able to freecycle them to others? New Issue One - should I freecycle them to others? New Issue Two - will others want them if they are wrinkled? New Issue Three - should I move them into the house? ARGH!

So all at once a system that works for me and feels right - keep them handy, neat, and out of the way on the porch, clip and then recycle to paper as per usual - becomes all attached with STUFF. I had seriously thought about moving them indoors which would add to the clutter. The reality is - if I decide to freecycle them and advertise them as slightly clipped - someone will probably take them.

What I'm trying to say is that EVERYTHING I do relating to objects and clutter becomes attached with issues that makes it harder to deal with. Good feelings become muddied. Know what I mean?

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Comments (5)

anrsaz
15 years ago
It's called the "what if" syndrome! I know it well!
brugloverZ9
15 years ago
When I get into the "what if's" it makes me afraid to do anything and I almost get mentally paralized. I stop doing anything at all then.
Of course we can look at what it the worse things that could happen. That can help some. We can also look at another way of dealing with the problem. Sometimes I find it helps to write down solutions that sometimes sound rediculous. Then after thinking about it for a while it becomes do-able and maybe even the answer.
Like in your magazine problem...how about a metal box on the porch to put them in...that would solve the dampness problem. Actually I was even thinking of a metal trash can. Wouldn't look the prettiest...unless you decorated it with some of your pictures...kind of like a decoupage! Hey now...I was just kind of being silly here, but maybe that could work...see what I mean! :-)))
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rachelrachel
Original Author
15 years ago
Okay - so it's the "what if" syndrome. It certainly muddies the process. And takes away some of the enjoyment of all these great magazines I snagged for free which I can look through in my leisure and clip.

I realized that I have already recycled the magazines once by getting them from someone else. And no doubt I can find another home for them, if I advertise them on freecycle as clipped a bit, but good for collage. Probably they won't be overly wrinkled if I clip them in the next 30 days. And if wrinkled - so what!

But definitely the "what ifs" make clutter worse by adding layers of issues on even simple things.
donnawb
15 years ago
When you do the "what if" go all the way through and play "what if" someone came in a stole this _______ would I be able to survive without it. The answer is _______.
jannie
15 years ago
My friend gave me a good idra. When you start decluttering , pretend you are moving to a new home. With every item you pick up, ask yourself "Would I take this with me?" If the answer is tes, keep it. Seems this could be applied to the magazines. Are they worth "moving" with you? And don't worry about Freecycle. I've put things on Craigslist, and some people will takre ANYTHING as long as it's FREE!