Surface Ripples

“Decluttering”

Have you ever stopped to ask how much “clutter” we carry daily?

By this, I don’t mean mental clutter but rather the bits and pieces that we think are vital to our day-to-day existence.

The problem is, we may need different things at different times, in different place or for different purposes in our lives.  For example, if I commute from home by train to my place of work, I might need different things for a train trip than for a 10-minute car journey.

Equally, going out shopping at the weekend again needs different stuff.

Personal experience tells me that I need to declutter at least once a year.  This means taking a good hard look at everything in the messenger bag I take to work every day and asking myself, “is this still necessary for my daily needs, or am I just packing it for something that’s unlikely to happen?”

I’ve watched countless “EDC” videos on YouTube where different presenters show the different stuff they carry as part of their Everyday Carry (hence the initials “EDC”).  I’ve no doubt that some of these are genuinely necessary, but if we all went down the proverbial “YouTube rabbit hole”, we’d end up spending huge amounts of money on stuff that we might never actually have a use for but is there “Just in case”.

So, back to basics: I need to constantly ask myself, “Does this have a place in my bag or pocket?” Remember: the more you think you need, the more space you need to carry it, the more weight you’re carrying and the larger the bag/pack you need.

At present, there are only two items I like to have in my pocket at any time and in any place (my iPhone and a Swiss Army knife, if you must know).  These respond to 98% (if not 99%) of my day-to-day, minute to minute needs.

If I step out of the house, I’ll add my sunglasses, money clip with “minimal” cash, house and car keys.  I have a “MagSafe” wallet attached to my iPhone in which I keep my debit, credit and identity cards, so that’s always with my iPhone.

That’s it.  Whether I’m at home or stepping out quickly, 90% of my needs are covered.  My life is simple because I live in an urbanised area where stores, restaurants and other conveniences are usually close to hand and I don’t need supplies of snacks or liquids to keep going.

If, however, I lived in an extremely rural setting and the nearest town was 5 miles away, from the items mentioned above, I might well need to take water, snacks, perhaps a lighter and even extra clothing to cope with changes in the weather when going out, particularly if I was going far from any other habitation.  In this case, it makes sense to take more.

The point is, depending on the situation, what we really need is going to change.  There’s no point in continuing to carry something if it’s no longer needed 90% of the time we’re out.

What could you get rid of to make your life simpler, lighter (and perhaps less expensive)?

I deliver change in markets ranging from the most developed to “emerging” economies. With a wealth of international experience in international financial services around the world running different operations and lending businesses, I started my own Consultancy to provide solutions for improving performance, productivity and risk management.  I work with individuals, small businesses, charities, quoted companies and academic institutions across the world. An international speaker, trainer, author and fund-raiser, I can be contacted by email. 

Labels: Leisure, Productivity

posted by William Martin @ 07:45